Chapter 14: Re-inviting the Clan Tutor
Hua Zhi took a few sips of tea, her composure making those decades older than her appear less steady.
The Old Madam forced herself to conceal her astonishment, cleared her throat lightly, and said, "This decision of yours brings nothing but benefits to our Hua family, yet for you... Even so, this grandmother must shamelessly accept. However, there's no need to rush—if anyone should be anxious, it's the Shen Family first."
Feeling some pity for Hua Zhi, the Old Madam still hoped to delay, watching for any possible turn in events, though she couldn't immediately see where such a turn might lie.
Understanding her grandmother's goodwill, Hua Zhi obediently agreed and then shifted to another matter. "Now the family only has two estates with official approval. I'll likely have to make some moves regarding them."
"The estates can only yield enough for our own consumption—what else can you do with them?"
"One of the estates is connected to a woodland. Do you remember, Grandmother?"
"Of course I remember. It should be almost time for the fruits to ripen. If we sell them, we could indeed earn some silver."
"I plan to sell them, but not just by picking and selling directly. It's the peak season for fruits now, so prices won't be high."
"Aren't they mostly fleshy peaches over there?" The Old Madam looked toward Su Momo.
Su Momo nodded. "Yes, they're fleshy peaches, Young Miss. Fleshy peaches don't store well—even among fruits, they spoil quickly."
Hua Zhi smiled. "I have my own methods."
"That's good. If they can be stored longer, we'll earn more." The Old Madam didn't pry further but asked, "Weren't you planning to make food products before? I think those should sell well."
"We'll do both. We need to gather the fruits first and start preparing now."
"As long as you have a plan, do what you think is best. If you're short on silver, tell your grandmother—I'll find a way."
Knowing her grandmother intended to be her support, Hua Zhi softened her voice. "I've hidden away some silver, and there's over a thousand taels everyone pooled together. It should be enough for now. But Grandmother, the Hua family was confiscated—we need to find a way to get this silver official approval."
The Old Madam nodded slowly. "That's reasonable. We can't let anyone seize on this as a weakness. How do you plan to do it?"
"Your granddaughter intends to sell either the suburban residence or the other estate. But since it was bestowed by the Empress Dowager, I'm not sure if it's permissible to touch it."
After a long silence, the Old Madam sighed. "Sell the residence. This place is barely enough for us to live in. Even if the Empress Dowager finds out, she should understand our difficulties."
"Yes. Your granddaughter will go there in the next couple of days and bring back what needs to be retrieved."
"Go ahead." The Old Madam held her granddaughter's hand and patted it, her tone unusually gentle. "From now on, you can make decisions about family matters without consulting me. A household can only have one leader to prevent anyone from trying to exploit divisions."
This was the outcome Hua Zhi had most desired. Without hesitation, she readily agreed, "Rest assured, Grandmother. Your granddaughter will not act recklessly."
"Grandmother trusts you." She trusted the Old Master's judgment even more—without some exceptional talent, why would the Old Master have devoted so many years to carefully instructing her?
"Grandmother doesn't wish to know about these matters, but there is another issue concerning the Hua family's future that I must discuss with you."
"Speak."Hua Zhi gently held her grandmother's hand, stroking it softly. "Although the clan school has closed, we cannot simply let the Hua family children run wild. I believe we must rebuild the clan school. Hiring teachers may be difficult, but if we try, we might still find a way. Grandfather was a great scholar of his generation. While his descendants may not surpass him, they cannot even compose a proper essay. What would that do to Grandfather's reputation?"
Old Madam's eyes immediately reddened. During her days confined to bed, this was precisely what had occupied her thoughts most. The Hua family had always been known for their scholarly achievements—how could their descendants fall behind in learning!
Yet given the family's current circumstances, what reputable scholar would dare associate with them? And those with inferior learning would hardly be qualified to teach Hua family children.
"Your grandmother also wishes to rebuild the clan school, but Zhi Er, some matters are not so easily resolved."
"We must at least try to know for certain." Hua Zhi produced several name cards and gestured for a maid to bring writing materials. She helped Old Madam sit up slightly. "You only need to add your signature."
Seeing the names on the cards, Old Madam knew the chances were slim, yet with tear-filled eyes she still wrote "Hua Qin Shi" in the signature space. She couldn't dampen her granddaughter's enthusiasm—only genuine concern for the Hua family would have prompted such consideration.
Hua Zhi, however, wasn't so pessimistic. She knew the clan school teachers quite well, having often heard Grandfather speak of scholarly matters during their chess games. To become a teacher at the Hua Clan School required more than just academic excellence—character and integrity were equally important. She refused to believe that all dozen or so former teachers would disregard past ties.
After bidding farewell to her grandmother, Hua Zhi sent for the steward while she went to the small eastern courtyard that now served as her office.
Xu Dongjin arrived promptly.
"Young Miss."
Hua Zhi set down her brush and gently blew on the ink. Gesturing for him to sit, she said, "With only women and children remaining in the household now, we must pay extra attention to security. Please reorganize the arrangements based on the existing system. It would be best to have two teams patrolling alternately each night—even if they can only sound an alarm when something happens, that would be helpful."
"Yes, I'll make arrangements immediately." Xu Dongjin respectfully presented a booklet with both hands. "The new register is ready for your review, Young Miss."
Nian Qiu took it and placed it on the desk. Hua Zhi casually flipped through it—the Hua family still retained 183 servants: 99 male attendants and 84 maids, all bound by irrevocable contracts. Only twenty-two with such contracts had chosen to leave previously.
"I naturally trust Steward Xu's work." Closing the register, Hua Zhi looked at the still-deferential steward. "I've discussed with Grandmother our plan to sell the estate outside the city. We don't mind taking some financial loss, and there's no need to conceal it. Let all those watching the Hua family know we're selling a property for funds. My other plans must wait until the estate is sold, so we need to move quickly."
"Understood. If Young Miss has no further instructions, I'll proceed at once."
"There's no need for such haste—we must first retrieve some items from there." Hua Zhi glanced at Bao Xia, who understood immediately and respectfully presented the name cards from the desk to Xu Dongjin. He quickly stood to receive them.
"Personally deliver these invitations to them. Don't feel lacking in confidence. Though the Hua family has suffered misfortune, we have not fallen."
Xu Dongjin unconsciously straightened his back. "Yes, I understand.""Additionally, I need a few people to handle external affairs. Please ask Xu Jie, Zuo Fei, and Liu Yueming if they would be willing to work under me."
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