Chapter 379: Tenderness
The carriage slowly exited the alley. After turning a corner, Hua Zhi finally looked at Hua Ling, who was sitting stiffly upright, and said gently, "It's alright now."
Hua Ling turned her head rigidly and called out hoarsely, "Elder Sister..."
Not knowing what she had been through and not wanting to press further at the moment, Hua Zhi simply reached out, drew her close to lean on her shoulder, and gently stroked her head. "It's all over. Nothing will happen. Rest assured."
Tears gushed from Hua Ling's eyes as she buried her head in her elder sister's shoulder and wept silently, only occasionally letting out an uncontrollable sob. Her lingering fear and terror were all released in this bout of crying.
Her elder sister would never know how desperate she had felt during that time. A woman taken away by a man, no matter how innocent she was, would be deemed impure. She had thought there was no way out for her.
But then her cousin from the Zhu Family arrived and told her how hard her elder sister was working to protect her reputation. When she saw the rows of coffins and heard her elder sister’s words of risking her life to defend her, she knew she had to live—no matter what she might face in the future.
Otherwise, she would be unworthy of her elder sister’s efforts, even at the cost of her own reputation, and unworthy of the care her younger brothers had shown her.
Beside this person who was by no means strong but was warm, she felt as secure as she had during the Hua family's most prosperous times. Only after being protected like this did she realize how tender this elder sister, who had forcefully shouldered the burden of the Hua family, rarely shared intimate words with them, and had little contact, truly was. Her tenderness was not on the surface but ran deep.
She was no longer afraid, not in the slightest.
Tears soaked through the clothing, warm as if flowing into her heart. Hua Zhi patted the once-proud girl, who had previously tried to compete with her, gently and rhythmically. The intense tension left her feeling dizzy and uncomfortable, her thoughts scattered and unable to coalesce. She closed her eyes lightly, not wanting the maid to notice anything.
It felt like a long time had passed, yet it might have been only a moment before the carriage came to a stop.
Hua Ling, having calmed down, felt somewhat embarrassed but chose to remain leaning against her elder sister without moving. Such closeness was rare, and there might never be another chance in this lifetime. She wanted to linger a little longer.
But she could no longer pretend. She sat up straight, took a handkerchief to wipe her face, and the maid hurried forward to help tidy her up. However, no matter how much they tried, the redness and swelling in her eyes wouldn’t fade immediately. Fortunately, the carriage had entered the front courtyard directly, so there was no fear of outsiders seeing her in such a state.
Hua Zhi stepped down first. Her legs were a bit weak, and she had to lean on Ying Chun to stand steady without showing any sign of weakness. Seeing the ladies of the inner residence gathered in the front courtyard, she smiled and said, "It's alright. There's no need to worry."
Xia Shi burst into tears immediately. At that moment, she wished she could kneel and kowtow to Hua Zhi. With her husband and son separated from her for who knew how long, if something had happened to her only daughter by her side, she truly didn’t know how she could endure.
When she saw her unharmed daughter step out of the carriage, she could no longer hold back. She rushed over, embraced her, and wept bitterly.
Having already cried her fill, Hua Ling’s emotions had stabilized. Now, she could even comfort her mother in return. Perhaps it was the courage she had mustered earlier when she forced herself to appear fierce and resolute at the Wei Family’s doorstep, but she truly felt that the ordeal was over and that it was nothing to fret about.Hua Ling was somewhat lost in thought, recalling the words she had spoken earlier—it seemed she had used up all the courage she possessed in this lifetime.
Hua Zhi exchanged a glance with Fourth Aunt and walked toward her cousin, who was paying respects to her mother.
"Thankfully, cousin arrived just in time today," Hua Zhi said with a deep, sincere curtsy. In today's situation, it was only because her cousin had escorted Hua Ling that Hua Ling's reputation could be preserved to the greatest extent.
Zhu Ziwen helped her up. "We're family; no need for formalities. Truthfully, it was your arrangements that made the difference."
Hua Zhi glanced in that direction and asked quietly, "What was the situation at the time? Third sister, she..."
"I'm not entirely clear on the details. By the time I arrived, the people you sent had already rescued her. It seemed she was unharmed. By the way, there was also a stranger present who appeared to have suffered some injuries."
Hua Zhi nodded, committing this to memory. "I'll visit Grandmother another day..."
Zhu Ziwen, facing the door, smiled before she could finish. "No need for another day. Today will do."
Hua Zhi turned and felt a warmth in her heart at the sight of the newcomer.
Though Madam Zhu had been married for many years, she still clung to her mother as affectionately as she had in her maiden home. "Mother, why have you come?"
Old Madam Zhu sighed helplessly. She hadn’t intended to visit so frequently, but the Hua family had faced one trouble after another, and she couldn’t rest without checking on them.
Holding her daughter’s hand and excusing her granddaughter from formalities, Old Madam Zhu glanced at the group still comforting each other and asked softly, "Is everything settled now?"
"Yes, it’s settled."
"Thank goodness." Old Madam Zhu clasped her hands and murmured a Buddhist chant. "The rumors outside were quite exaggerated. Did you really confront Lord Wei?"
"If we didn’t silence the Wei family, they would twist the truth."
Old Madam Zhu thought it over and nodded repeatedly. "You’re right. By making the Wei family publicly declare the matter settled, they won’t have room to stir up trouble later. Besides, our Hua family has never been on good terms with them—offending them costs us nothing. Don’t worry, your grandfather will handle the aftermath! I’ll have him go and wrangle with the Wei family."
Zhu Ziwen found this both amusing and exasperated. This wasn’t the way to show support—if his grandfather were to engage in petty disputes with the Wei family, it would only demean their standing. But seeing how pleased his grandmother was, along with his aunt and cousin nodding in agreement, he held his tongue.
Watching his cousin, who appeared exceptionally calm and composed, Zhu Ziwen felt nothing but admiration. To react so swiftly under such pressure and devise a strategy that not only protected Hua Ling’s reputation but also dealt a blow to the Wei family—only his cousin could achieve this.
Yet, he couldn’t help but feel weary on her behalf. Over the past year, troubles had piled up without respite. The Hua family consisted mostly of women and children, and she was their greatest pillar of support. Even exhausted, she had to remain steadfast. Earlier, when she stepped down from the carriage, he had clearly seen her sway, yet she still couldn’t rest now.
Managing a household was difficult, but managing the Hua family was especially challenging.
Hearing his aunt invite his grandmother to the rear courtyard, Zhu Ziwen spoke up at the right moment, "Cousin, I’ll take my leave now. If there’s anything you need, just send someone for me."
Hua Zhi knew he was avoiding impropriety and didn’t press him to stay. "I won’t stand on ceremony with you, cousin. By the way, I heard you plan to take the Autumn Examination this time?""The teacher said the time has come." Zhu Ziwen was one of the few among aristocratic families who genuinely pursued the imperial examination path. With remarkable talent, he had already earned an official rank three years prior. However, his teacher believed he still had room for improvement and thus hadn't allowed him to rush into the Autumn Examination. Now that his teacher had finally given consent, he was fully determined to achieve outstanding results.
"Cousin, wait a moment." Hua Zhi turned back to give some instructions. Shortly after, Lan Qiao arrived carrying a basket covered with an oilpaper layer, making its contents unidentifiable.
PS: Dear readers, if you've enjoyed this, please consider casting a monthly vote.
OpenNovel