Only when she saw her home right before her eyes did Hua Zhi realize how much she had missed it—missed every single person in it. An inexplicable feeling of trepidation stirred in her heart, as if she were a traveler hesitating on the doorstep of home.
Hua Zhi inwardly laughed at herself for acting like an unweaned child. She turned to look at the group behind her, who were holding the reins of their horses. "Little Six, it's time you returned to the palace to check in."
The Sixth Prince tightened his grip on the reins. He didn't want to go back. He hadn't wanted to before, and after this journey, he wanted to even less.
"Go see the people you need to see. You can come back anytime you want."
The Sixth Prince's eyes lit up. "I can still come?"
"Of course, unless you don't want to."
"I'll come! I'll definitely come!" His words spilled out too eagerly, clearly revealing his heartfelt longing. Amid Shaoyao's loud laughter, the Sixth Prince felt a bit embarrassed, but he was smiling too. As long as he could come back in the future, he didn't mind being laughed at.
Hua Zhi's eyes were filled with soft warmth, and her expression didn't change in the slightest when her gaze fell on Yan Xi. He was, after all, one of the people she treated with tenderness. "Go attend to your duties. Come for dinner when you're done."
Just as Gu Yanxi opened his mouth to reply, Shaoyao started making a fuss, acting as if she were competing for attention. "What about me? What about me, Hua Hua? Aren't you going to invite me for dinner?"
"Do you even need an invitation?" Hua Zhi shot her a glance. "As if the Hua family's gate could ever keep you out."
"Hehe." Shaoyao was satisfied and smugly glanced at Yan Ge. She was one of them—no invitation needed. Yan Ge, on the other hand, had been invited!
Gu Yanxi couldn't be bothered to respond to her. "The temperature up north is actually higher than in the south. Hurry inside—standing too long under the sun is uncomfortable."
"Mm." Hua Zhi stepped up the stairs. By then, Xu Ying had already knocked on the door. The servant who answered immediately raised his voice upon seeing that the young lady had returned. "Young Lady, you're back!"
Hua Zhi's heart sank, and her mind was instantly flooded with unpleasant memories. The last time she returned from the northern borders, the servant who answered the door had acted the same way, telling her that her grandmother was critically ill. Could it be that this time...
Gu Yanxi quickly stepped up to stand behind Hua Zhi and took the initiative to ask, "What happened?"
The servant was taken aback and looked at the young lady, unsure whether he should speak.
Hua Zhi had already braced herself and nodded. "Go ahead."
The servant hurriedly replied, "Yes. About half a month ago, Third Master's concubine, Qiu, stole money from the family. She was caught by the guards while trying to flee. During the interrogation, we learned this wasn't the first time. She had also learned several of the family's food recipes and taught them to her own family. Third Lady decided to lock her up and wait for your return to handle the matter."
Hua Zhi didn't press for details at the doorstep. She turned and said, "It's just a family disgrace. You may go."
Gu Yanxi knew it wasn't appropriate to stay any longer. "If you need anything, come find me anytime."
"I know."
Once inside, Hua Zhi went straight to the Third Household. Xia Shi was momentarily stunned to see her, then her expression relaxed with visible relief. Although nothing particularly major had happened while the young lady was away, she had felt unsettled the entire time. Now that Hua Zhi was back, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.
"Third Aunt." Hua Zhi bowed in greeting.
Xia Shi quickly helped her up. Seeing how travel-worn she looked, Xia Shi felt a pang of guilt. It was hard enough for her to be running around outside, and now she had to deal with such a betrayal at home.
"It's my fault for not managing things properly.""Even with all precautions, it's hardest to guard against thieves within the household. Who would have thought she wouldn't stir during the Hua family's most difficult times, but couldn't resist when our situation improved." Hua Zhi helped the person sit aside, then took the warm water Bao Xia handed her and drank it in one gulp. "Bring me another cup."
After two cups of water, Hua Zhi finally felt her throat comfortable again. During the journey back, fearing there would be no convenient place to relieve herself, she hadn't dared drink much water.
Lifting her head to speak, she unexpectedly saw Xia Shi wiping her eyes. A thought crossed her mind - for women who rarely left the inner quarters, her running about outside must seem unimaginably hard work. Yet they couldn't even manage the inner household properly, probably blaming themselves.
Even if she said she wasn't tired, no one would believe her. But truthfully, she didn't feel particularly exhausted. Perhaps she had grown accustomed to hardship - aside from the discomfort of horseback riding, everything else was manageable. Still, it was good they thought this way, at least they wouldn't take everything she did for granted.
"I only heard bits from the gatekeeper and didn't understand what exactly happened. Household finances have always been managed by Ying Chun and Nian Qiu - they're both careful people. How did Concubine Qiu manage to steal from them?"
Xia Shi composed herself, clearing her throat lightly before speaking: "Shortly after you left, Concubine Qiu came saying she wanted to help the family. Other concubines from different branches said the same. Your Fourth Aunt and I thought this was good, so after discussion, we had them help organize the household. Your courtyard wasn't restricted either - she came and went openly, and no one could fault her for it. Our Hua family has been united recently, everyone getting along wonderfully. Who would have thought she harbored ill intentions? First she obtained several recipes from the cooks, then figured out Ying Chun and the others' routines. Over three consecutive days, she stole twelve hundred taels in silver notes. If the guards hadn't noticed her nervous departure and stopped her that day, she might have succeeded."
The root of the problem lay in management, as before. When Ying Chun and Nian Qiu were busy, they would only do accounts every few days, with the silver notes kept in a box. Since there had never been errors during accounting, she hadn't required daily bookkeeping. This bad habit needed changing.
If daily accounting had been practiced from the start, how could theft occurring over several days go unnoticed?
"Has her family visited recently?"
"No. I sent people to investigate - the Qiu family recently rented a shop in the eastern city, apparently planning to sell those food items."
Did they expect her to swallow this injustice silently? Hua Zhi laughed coldly. If Concubine Qiu had asked for the recipes to support her natal family, she would have given them. But obtaining them this way - she simply wouldn't let them have their wish.
Just as she was about to speak, footsteps sounded outside. Soon, Madam Zhu and Wu Shi appeared at the doorway one after another. Hua Zhi quickly stood and knelt to perform a formal greeting to Madam Zhu.
Madam Zhu couldn't bear to see her daughter like this, pulling her up before she could fully kneel. Murmuring, "You've lost weight again, already so thin. Are you tired? Hungry? Mother will go to the kitchen..."
"Mother." Hua Zhi called out softly, embracing her flustered-looking mother. "I'm fine. I didn't neglect myself outside. I'm just a bit tired from riding these past few days - I'll recover after resting a couple days."Madam Zhu held her daughter, who had grown so thin she could feel her bones, desperately suppressing the urge to cry. With a choked sob, she forced a smile and said, "As long as you haven't suffered, that's all that matters. As long as you haven't suffered."
Hua Zhi's heart ached, yet she could do nothing. She could shoulder all the responsibilities of the Hua family, but she couldn't prevent the changes in their circumstances. Her mother was simple-minded but not foolish. Unable to help, she tried her best not to become a burden to her children. Like now, even though tears welled in her eyes, she still smiled—a resilience that was truly remarkable compared to before.
PS: Today, I'll organize the outline. Three updates tomorrow.
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