The eldest daughter of the Hua family is not only as beautiful as a celestial maiden but also possesses a fiery temperament!
The eldest daughter of the Hua family went to the Song family to stand up for Hua Jing! Yet she also expelled Hua Jing from the Hua family!
The eldest daughter of the Hua family single-handedly confronted three generations of the Song family without being at a disadvantage!
The eldest daughter of the Hua family...
Before Hua Zhi even returned home, rumors about her were already spreading like wildfire. Surprisingly, what people discussed most was her actions—her boldness in declaring that although the Hua family no longer acknowledged Hua Jing, they would not let her die unjustly. This spirit made everyone feel invigorated when they spoke of it.
The capital is not short of beauties, but one so sharp and imposing had never been seen before. They now realized that a woman could be so... so domineering!
Yes, domineering!
It was as if she could hold up her own world without relying on men. And indeed, she had done just that. The Hua family had stabilized in such a short time, and even after the Old Madam passed away, there was no turmoil. At such a time, she still managed to bring back the mistreated aunt. Reflecting on it now, it was all because the one in charge was this eldest daughter of the Hua family!
Tsk, who knew women could be like this? It was truly refreshing!
Meanwhile, the Song family, which had contributed to Hua Zhi’s fearsome reputation, became a laughingstock. As the eldest daughter of the Hua family had said, how could a sick person walk from the locked backyard to the front courtyard, avoid the gatekeeper, open the main gate, and hang themselves in front of it without anyone in the Song family noticing? Who would believe there wasn’t more to the story? Just thinking about it could inspire an entire opera.
Whatever the Song family had initially schemed, all their plans came to nothing because of Hua Zhi’s actions. Not only did they fail, but they also lost their reputation—a clear case of gaining little at great cost.
Hua Zhi lay on the soft couch, listening as Bao Chun animatedly recounted the rumors outside. A slight smile touched her lips. Setting aside the exaggerations, her goal had been achieved. The Song family, full of malice, had hoped to stay clean and untouched, but she wasn’t about to let them have their way.
Spring—such a season of restless hearts.
“Su Momo.”
Su Momo put down her work and came over. “Yes, Miss.”
“Tomorrow, we’ll hold a memorial for Grandmother here as well. Please make the arrangements.”
“Yes.”
As Su Momo left, she passed Liu Xiang, who was hurrying in. Liu Xiang gave a quick curtsy and entered the room. “Miss, Old Madam Zhu is here.”
“Is she coming here or to Mother’s place?” Hua Zhi asked, rising as she spoke.
“She’s coming this way.”
The maids quickly tidied her up, and as she stepped out to greet her, she saw the Old Madam already entering the courtyard.
“Grandmother.”
The Old Madam hurried over and helped her up, exclaiming, “Why did you have to be the one to go to the Song family? Your mother should have gone. If she couldn’t, one of the other wives could have handled it. There was no need for you to cause such a scene.”
“It had to be me. Only I could expel Hua Jing from the family.”
The two sat down at the table, and after the maids served tea, they withdrew.
Old Madam Zhu looked worried. “Was it really necessary to go that far? It’s better to make ten friends than one enemy, especially with the Hua family in its current state. Why provoke the Song family? If you couldn’t stand the sight of them, you could have just ignored them. Unless... were you really standing up for Hua Jing? But that doesn’t make sense—you expelled her from the family, so why defend her? Zhi Er, explain it to your grandmother. My old mind can’t make sense of it.”"Grandmother, if I hadn't been somewhat prepared, Hua Jing wouldn't have hanged herself at the Song family's main gate, but at the Hua family's instead."
Old Madam Zhu gasped sharply, covering her mouth to swallow her exclamation. Having been born and raised in the capital where she had witnessed, heard about, and understood too many dark secrets, she quickly grasped the crucial point without much thought. Zhi Er was right - without the Song family assisting behind the scenes, how could Hua Jing have moved from the Song residence to the Hua family's without alerting anyone?
No wonder Zhi Er was so furious. If their scheme had succeeded, what would have become of all the young ladies in the Hua family!
But now...
Looking at her outstanding granddaughter, Old Madam Zhu smoothed her hair, her heart filled with worry. "But being talked about like this by everyone is no small matter. Also, I heard you met Shen Qi today? How dare he show his face to you?"
"I was the one who called off the engagement. He did nothing wrong." Hua Zhi handed her grandmother a cup of tea while explaining, "He's merely father's student, nothing more."
"And he still acknowledges that? With your father's stubborn temper, would he even recognize him?"
Hua Zhi smiled faintly. "Many things aren't so black and white. Everyone has their own constraints. What we can do is choose the way that's better for ourselves. He told me today he plans to visit father in the northern borderlands. If he truly keeps his word, then he's not an ungrateful person. Father would be very pleased."
The matter between them that had never really existed could be brushed away like dust from one's sleeves. There was no need to avoid each other for life - at the very least, it would make father happy.
Old Madam Zhu patted her hand and said no more. This child had her own measure of things and understood everything perfectly clearly.
"You've come at just the right time." Hua Zhi stood up and took out a folded white note from the cabinet. On it was written a very easy-to-understand recipe for making soap. Originally, she had intended to involve the Zhu family in the shop on Zhuangyuan Street - it wasn't right to always have others contribute effort without giving them benefits. The closer the relationship, the more carefully such matters needed to be handled to avoid damaging ties.
But that location had already been given to the Lu family, so she had to find another way. After consideration, soap seemed the most suitable option.
"Please take this back for Second Uncle to see."
"What is it?" Old Madam Zhu folded the paper again without opening it, asking casually.
"Second Uncle will understand when he sees it. Just make sure he gets it."
"Alright, I'll give it to him when I return. If he doesn't help you, I'll have your grandfather deal with him. Oh, that reminds me." The old madam recalled another matter. "That teacher should arrive in a few days. You'll be able to relax a bit then."
Hua Zhi was momentarily taken aback before remembering who the teacher was. She was actually quite satisfied with the current state of the clan school. It wasn't that they didn't need teachers, but she was more concerned that bringing in a teacher lacking tolerance might disrupt the clan school's situation.
"Your grandfather asked me to tell you that this teacher was never one to follow conventions anyway - otherwise he wouldn't have been traveling all over the country. It was hard enough just to find him, so don't worry."
Warmth spread through Hua Zhi's heart as she responded with a smile.
"Very well, I'll go see your crybaby mother now. You carry on with your work."
"Mother hasn't been crying lately. I've asked Fourth Aunt to often keep her company. They don't necessarily have to do anything specific, but having someone to talk with keeps her from overthinking things."
"That mother of yours." The old madam shook her head. Being so cared for by her own daughter, and she didn't even feel ashamed.Hua Zhi didn't see this as a bad thing at all. Her mother never meddled in affairs, never demanded this or that by virtue of being her closest relative, harbored no ambitions for anything, and simply lived according to whatever arrangements were made. She was truly the most worry-free presence. Having experienced the alternative, Hua Zhi knew just how precious such a mother was.
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