Zhu Haodong was waiting in the outer room. The two of them walked out one after another and headed straight for Uncle Zhu's study.
The study had always been a place for discussing serious matters. Some families even strictly forbade women from entering. Being treated this way by Uncle Zhu made Hua Zhi feel quite comfortable.
She wasn't a feminist, but the way this era belittled women was sometimes truly unbearable. Fortunately, the Hua family didn't operate that way, and the Zhu family was also quite reasonable—at least for now, they had shown her sufficient respect.
After the servant served tea, Zhu Haodong dismissed all the attendants.
"Has the Yang family matter been resolved?"
Hua Zhi smiled. "Uncle doesn't seem surprised."
"I have some understanding of Yang Qi's character. Unless he was actually beaten and forced to write the divorce agreement, he wouldn't have made such a fuss just to save face."
"But no one believes him."
Indeed, no one believed him. Even Zhu Haodong had thought until today that Zhi Er might have used some trick to obtain the divorce agreement, and that Yang Qi was slandering her because he felt wronged. Because of this, the Zhu family's young men had already fought with the Yang family several times, and the older generation hadn't hesitated to clash openly either.
He never expected that everything Yang Qi said was actually true. This niece of his truly had no limits to what she dared to do—her boldness made him want to send the Zhu family's daughters to be raised in the Hua household. If they could learn even thirty percent of Zhi Er's capabilities under her guidance, that would be quite something.
Zhu Haodong then reported on the progress of the soap workshop. "Our Zhu family provided most of the personnel, with a smaller portion coming from the Zhou family. The capital investment was distributed similarly. Everything else was arranged according to your instructions. If you have time, why not come with me to take a look?"
"I won't be going. I'm not involved in this business—how well it turns out depends entirely on your capabilities, Uncle."
Zhu Haodong wasn't surprised. His niece's decisiveness in such matters had even earned his father's admiration. Thinking of his family's situation, Zhu Haodong's heart sank slightly. His father wanted to treat everyone equally, but how was that possible? One brother was in government service, another in business—the merchant naturally stood a step lower. In the past, he would never have agreed to hand over this business he built from scratch to the family common pool. But after learning from Zhi Er that all her business ventures were managed through the common pool, he had abandoned such thoughts.
He couldn't compare himself to Zhi Er, but as an elder, he didn't want to fall too far behind. As long as his elder brother didn't harbor other intentions, putting it in the common pool was fine—after all, the formula remained in his hands.
Setting aside these complicated thoughts, Zhu Haodong adjusted his mindset and began consulting his niece. He had realized that some of her ideas and concepts were truly excellent, though implementation posed many challenges. Unafraid of losing face, he raised each issue one by one for discussion.
Hua Zhi naturally didn't hold back, explaining everything in as much detail as possible. For methods that truly couldn't be implemented in this world, she suggested alternatives. Their discussion made them lose track of time until a knock on the study door made them realize their throats were parched, and the teacups had long been empty.
Zhu Haodong slapped his forehead and called out to whoever was outside, "Bring tea quickly!"
The door opened. Hua Zhi glanced over and immediately stood up. "Grandfather."
Zhu Bowen ignored both of them, walked to a chair and sat down, then picked up some papers from the tea table to read. After finishing, a smile appeared on his face. "The servants said you've been talking for nearly half a day. Haven't you finished yet?""There's always room for discussion in business matters." Only now did Hua Zhi realize how sore her throat felt. Her second uncle was truly skilled in business, capable of drawing inferences from single instances. Having not encountered such a person in a long time, she had gotten somewhat carried away in her excitement.
A servant brought in a pot of tea at just the right drinking temperature. Hua Zhi drank three cups in succession before finally quenching her thirst.
Zhu Bowen didn't comment much on their interaction. He was pleased to see Zhi Er willing to be close with her maternal relatives.
"I heard from your grandmother that you went to the Wu family?"
"Yes, I had no choice but to go."
Zhu Bowen nodded slightly. For the Hua family to establish itself, Zhi Er couldn't avoid or retreat from such situations. People always bullied the weak and feared the strong. "Wu Zhen has been making frequent moves this year aiming for further promotion. It seemed about to succeed, but unexpectedly, the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau rejected it in today's court session. Seeing his expression after leaving court, I'm afraid he's in for difficult times."
So that's what happened. Thinking of Doctor Chu being urgently summoned when she was leaving, Hua Zhi felt warmth in her heart. Since Yan Xi had dealt with Wu Zhen during the court session, there must have been proper justification, yet she couldn't believe there was no personal motive involved. She was being protected by that man.
"This is truly retribution." Zhu Haodong looked up at his father. "Did the Seven Constellation Bureau give any reason?"
"Yesterday, someone submitted a petition accusing Wu Zhen to the Mingtian Prefecture Office, which happened to be seen by the head of the Seven Constellation Bureau. Although Qi Qing didn't accept the case, the petition ended up in the Seven Constellation Bureau's hands. Even Qi Qing got implicated. Since this matter has been filed with the Seven Constellation Bureau, Wu Zhen can't escape. Which of our families could withstand close investigation? Wu Zhen can forget about promotion now - he'll be lucky if he can settle this lawsuit and maintain his current position."
Zhu Bowen stopped there. "Zhi Er, did you need to see me about something?"
"Yes. I plan to go south in some time."
Father and son exchanged glances. Zhu Haodong wanted to say something but closed his mouth. Zhu Bowen frowned. "Where in the south? Can't you send household servants? If you trust us, the Zhu family has some people available."
"To the coastal areas of Jingzhou." Since she intended to inform her grandfather, Hua Zhi explained in detail: "The ingredients for a business I'm about to start come from there. I need to see it for myself. I've only read about some things from that region in miscellaneous books - I must go personally."
"No, Jingzhou is too far. That area borders the Flame Country and has never been peaceful. For a young woman like you to go there..."
"Don't speak." Zhu Bowen cut off his son's objections. "Have you decided? Is it absolutely necessary?"
"Yes."
"How many people will you bring?"
"The household guards have been learning martial arts from Wu Xiansheng and are now capable. I'll bring several of them and will invite Wu Xiansheng to accompany me."
"Are you certain Wu Xiansheng is trustworthy?"
"Yes, completely trustworthy."
Zhu Bowen didn't ask further. He understood better than his second son - Zhi Er hadn't revealed everything to them. She wouldn't have made this decision without confidence. She had dared to travel to the northern regions last year, so it wasn't surprising she would now go south.
"Go with peace of mind. I'll look after the Hua family.""You only need to pay a little attention. I've been shielding them for too long. Now that the Hua family has stabilized, we can't let the others become incompetent. The men of the Hua family must learn to take responsibility, and the young ladies must remain calm in adversity. They've grown too dependent on me, which is unhealthy. The Hua family doesn't belong to me alone - a clan's stability shouldn't rest on one person's shoulders. My departure will serve as training for them. Should major crises occur, I'll still request your assistance, but let them handle minor matters independently. Even if things deteriorate to their previous state, it doesn't matter. I can always restore order, and we'll consider it tuition for their life lessons."
Having spent nearly a year rebuilding the Hua family to its current state, yet willingly using this achievement as bargaining chips to foster the younger generation's growth - this is the true meaning of "newborn calves fearing no tigers"! This is genuine courage!
PS: Barring unforeseen circumstances, I truly won't break my update streak. Ladies, you must remember this!
OpenNovel