Seeing several groups of servants already waiting outside the door to report, Hua Zhi gracefully rose to her feet. "I'll go check on my cousin."
The wife of the fourth branch, Wei Shi, was filled with gratitude toward Hua Zhi and quickly stood up to escort her.
Hua Zhi glanced back at her mother. Madam Zhu waved her hand, indicating she should attend to her business.
Once they left, the women in the room grew more talkative. The third wife sighed and said, "The eldest young lady truly has it difficult. She looks even thinner after this trip."
More than just thinner - Madam Zhu's smile nearly faltered. Earlier she had deliberately sniffed the air - Zhi Er had used some method to conceal the medicinal scent. She didn't know where exactly her daughter was injured, but if such a fine young lady were left with scars, what would become of her?
Thinking further that even those younger than Zhi Er were already married, Madam Zhu felt another wave of sorrow. Her daughter should have been married by now, yet here they were...
Wu Shi gently squeezed her hand and said loudly, "Sister-in-law, why don't you go check how Berlin and Sui An are preparing? The Hua family is counting on them to maintain appearances today - nothing can go wrong."
Steadying her emotions, Madam Zhu stood up. "You're right, I'll go check."
While arrangements for the wedding procession began here, Hua Zhi walked toward Hua Qin's residence amidst Wei Shi's continuous words of gratitude. Unlike the main branch where each person had their own courtyard, several sisters shared this compound. Seeing Hua Zhi enter, they all bowed in greeting.
Wei Shi dismissed the others and led Hua Qin toward Hua Qin's room. Among those intentionally or unintentionally blocked by the maids from approaching, the tallest one lifted her head, eyes filled with envy and resentment.
If she hadn't been rejected, this would have been her wedding by year's end! Hua Zhi had promised to treat everyone equally - whatever Hua Qin received, she would get too! With that silver as foundation, how could her life not be comfortable?
Just wait - she would definitely marry someday!
The room was decorated with great festivity. Dressed in auspicious attire, Hua Qin sat on the bed. Seeing Hua Zhi, her eyes lit up and she stood up. "Cousin."
"Sit down. Just watching you makes me feel tired." Hua Zhi remembered saying during her own wedding gown fitting that she would only put it on when the time was near - it was truly too heavy. The entire set probably weighed about twenty pounds, and wearing the Phoenix Crown made it hard to even turn her head.
Hua Qin's face blossomed like a flower, her features even more radiant after the facial grooming and makeup.
After exchanging a few polite words, Wei Shi tactfully withdrew, leaving the two cousins sitting face to face - one on the chair, one on the bed.
Hua Zhi hadn't interacted much with this cousin, seeing her only a few times a year. If they happened to be nearby they might exchange a few words, but if separated by distance they might not speak at all year-round. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, finally squeezing out a few stiff sentences: "Don't overthink anything. Be a happy bride. If you suffer any grievances in your husband's home, don't swallow them down like my aunt did. The more you endure, the more they'll take advantage. Your natal family has brothers and relatives - they'll all support you."
Hua Qin's eyes reddened as she chuckled. "Cousin, you're only a few months older than me, but you sound like an elder advising the younger generation."
Thinking about it, Hua Zhi realized it was true - she really was doing an elder's job.Hua Qin bit her lip and leaned forward to grasp her cousin's hand. Feeling the thin calluses on her fingertips, her heart suddenly ached intensely. The daughters of the Hua family, even if not particularly favored, were raised in delicate comfort—how much more so the eldest daughter of the main branch? Yet this once-pampered young lady now had calloused hands, while they, the useless ones, remained sheltered in the inner chambers.
"It's because of you, cousin, that I feel secure. I remember every word you've said." Hua Qin looked up, her eyes red-rimmed but smiling. "It's just marriage, isn't it? Can he really devour me? If he treats me well, we'll live peacefully. If he treats me poorly, I'll send word to you. You must keep your promise and bring me back."
Who speaks such words on their wedding day? Hua Zhi couldn't help but laugh. Still, knowing her cousin had this mindset was reassuring. The weaker a woman appeared, the more she'd be bullied—this was true in any era. Those as fortunate as her mother were exceedingly rare.
"I'll keep my word. Live your life peacefully, but don't seek an escape route too readily."
"I understand." Hua Qin gazed at the woman whose gentle expression still carried an edge of sharpness. She could no longer recall what her cousin used to be like, but she was certain it wasn't like this. Yet she truly adored this version of her cousin.
"Cousin, tell me about the world outside. I've never left the capital—is it the same out there?"
"Both similar and different. The capital has countless nobles—no other place compares. The south is humid; when the sun emerges right after rain, it feels particularly uncomfortable, leaving you sticky all over..."
Hua Zhi softly shared her knowledge of the outside world with this sixteen-year-old bride-to-be, speaking of the south, then the north, eventually mentioning Yinshan Pass.
"It turns cold early there, with fierce winds and heavy snow. If you don't clear the snow from the courtyard promptly, the door might be frozen shut by morning. You have to melt snow for water. Yet in other seasons, it's extremely dry with sandstorms whipping through the air—open your mouth and you'll get a mouthful of sand. If it were a good place, it wouldn't have become an exile destination."
Hua Qin, who had been listening delightedly, now had reddened eyes again. "Grandfather and Father are living in such conditions..."
"That's why we must find a way to bring them back." Hua Zhi felt melancholy thinking of her relatives a thousand miles away. She had consulted geographical records—Yinshan Pass suffered worst sandstorms during summer and autumn. This trip would likely be arduous.
Seeing Hua Qin on the verge of tears, Hua Zhi knew she had misspoken again and quickly changed the subject. "I'll head north in a few days. You could write them about your joyful news—I'm sure they'd be delighted."
"North again?" Hua Qin tightened her grip on her cousin's hand. "But you just returned from the south. How can your body endure such constant travel?"
"I'll rest properly these coming days. It's already July—I'm behind schedule. If not for needing to go south, I would have left earlier. I need to see with my own eyes that they're well, and personally tell them everyone at home is fine—Grandmother is well, Aunt is well, including Hua Jing... everyone."
Hua Qin nodded firmly. "I understand. Everyone at home is well. They needn't worry."
Hua Zhi felt a twinge of regret for having kept everyone at a distance before. Had she connected with Hua Qin earlier, she might have gained another confidante.Pulling a silver note from her sleeve pocket and stuffing it into Hua Qin's hand, Hua Zhi inexplicably felt like a well-off elderly lady at this moment—whenever she saw a beloved junior, she wanted to fill their pockets with sweets and coins, fearing they might go hungry or be bullied.
"Don't tell anyone. Keep it safe—it might prove crucial in an emergency."
Hua Qin couldn't possibly accept it. "I've already received so much..."
"Keep it. Don't worry about me being unable to earn more."
Biting her lip, Hua Qin eventually tucked away the silver note, and along with it, the protective affection from her elder cousin.
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