Hua Zhi's body had always been carefully nurtured, but ever since her injury at the estate, her hands and feet no longer remained warm as they used to be. Let alone during this journey through wind and snow—she often grew so cold she couldn't even feel her own limbs.
Though she intended to keep her distance from Lu Xiansheng, she repeatedly failed whenever she needed his help. She had always known women's constitutions were inferior to men's, but she never realized the gap was this vast.
Had it not been for Lu Xiansheng's assistance along the way, she would never have reached Yinshan Pass, and even if she had barely made it, she likely wouldn't have returned alive.
She had underestimated the cold of the northern lands.
It wasn't until they left the Chenping region that she rode alone again.
Though it was still cold here, for Hua Zhi, it had become bearable.
Meanwhile, back at the Hua family residence, the prolonged tranquility was abruptly shattered—Hua Jing, the eldest daughter of the Hua family, had returned.
Upon hearing the announcement, Old Madam couldn't conceal the joy in her eyes and brows. She promptly instructed Su Momo to prepare some tea and snacks. To appear more spirited, she no longer lay down but sat up at the table.
As footsteps approached, she smoothed her hair at the temples and lifted her gaze, brimming with warmth, toward the doorway. "Finally..."
Crash!
Without a word, Hua Jing kicked over the floor vase by the entrance as soon as she crossed the threshold. After all the valuable items in the residence had been confiscated, Hua Zhi found the place too austere and had Steward Xu procure some decorations for her grandmother's room, including this pair of floor vases.
With another crash, the second vase shattered as well.
Old Madam placed her hands on her knees, gripping them tightly. Her back straightened, her expression calm as she quietly watched her eldest daughter.
Hua Jing wrecked everything in the room that could be broken and toppled whatever couldn't. Her hair disheveled, her features twisted like a madwoman's.
"Eldest Miss, you—"
"Get out!" Hua Jing shrieked, her chest heaving violently, her resentment almost tangible.
"Daughter of a criminal—ha! Now I'm the daughter of a criminal! Mother, tell me, how did I become the daughter of a criminal? Huh? I was the eldest daughter of the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy! For twenty years after marrying into the Song family, my in-laws never dared speak a harsh word to me. How am I the daughter of a criminal?"
"Allow me to remind you—you became the daughter of a criminal four months ago."
Hua Jing swept the only intact tea set left on the table onto the floor, her voice piercing. "Didn't you teach me how to control men? Weren't you proud of how Father respected and loved you? Why didn't you stop him when he charged toward ruin? You should have stopped him with your life! Why drag me down? Why should I bear the consequences of your mistakes? Why? Huh? By what right?"
"By the right of your surname Hua. By the right of having enjoyed the Hua family's wealth and prestige for half your life. By the right of being Hua Yizheng's daughter." Old Madam dug her nails into her palms, her tone steady. "If you could enjoy the Hua family's prosperity, you must also bear its hardships. If you fear being implicated, sever ties with your natal family. The law does not punish married daughters—this won't affect you."
"Ha! Ha ha! Won't affect me? My backing is gone, and you say it won't affect me? My husband used to sneak around visiting brothels, afraid I'd find out. But now he dares bring women home—even talks about making one his concubine! How dare you say it won't affect me!""Then what do you intend to do? The Hua family has already fallen, your support is gone—this is an unchangeable fact. Your maternal family can no longer assist you. You've been married into the Song family for twenty years and have borne two sons and a daughter. Surely you won't become unsteady just because you've lost your maternal family."
"There's another way, Mother. As long as you help me, there's another way."
Old Madam instinctively knew her solution wouldn't be a good one, but this was her eldest daughter, her first child. The feelings of being a new mother were still fresh in her memory. Even though this daughter had grown beyond recognition, even though from the moment she entered until now she hadn't asked after her haggard mother and instead stabbed at her heart—this was still the child she had once poured all her love into protecting.
"Speak."
"Give me one person."
"Who?"
"Hua Zhi's head maid, Fu Dong."
Old Madam's nails dug into her palms. "Why her?"
"Song Wei likes exactly that type of timid, delicate woman. In terms of appearance, Fu Dong is first-rate, not to mention her exceptional culinary skills." Hua Jing spoke with excitement, as if it were already accomplished.
Old Madam closed her eyes. "You forgot to mention one thing—if Fu Dong goes with you, with her temperament, she'd never escape your grasp."
"Mother understands me so well..."
"Impossible." Old Madam laughed, though whether at herself or at Hua Jing's wild fantasy was unclear. "Giving a granddaughter's maid to a son-in-law as a concubine—the Hua family would never commit such a disgraceful act."
Hua Jing's expression instantly changed. She threw herself before Old Madam, grabbing her shoulders, her voice sharp enough to pierce the ears. "There is no Hua family anymore! The Hua family has fallen!"
Old Madam extinguished the last glimmer of light in her heart and met her gaze directly. "I am here. The Hua family descendants are here. With them here, the Hua family will rise again one day. Hua Jing, open your eyes wide and watch—watch how the Hua family rises again. Now, get out of the Hua family! From now on, you have no connection to the Hua family! The Hua family's glory and shame have nothing to do with you! Get out!"
"Fine, I'll go! As if I wanted to come here anyway!"
Hua Jing turned and strode out.
Passing through the outer room, she saw the wives of the various Hua branches, their clothing and adornments far less splendid than before. With affected dignity, she smoothed her hair at the temples, gave a light hum, lifted the hem of her skirt, and walked away swiftly.
"Old Madam!"
A cry of alarm came from inside the room. Wu Shi clearly saw Hua Jing, who had already stepped outside, pause slightly in her steps before walking away without looking back.
Her eyes turned cold. She had never liked this eldest sister-in-law, but never had she felt such disgust as at this moment!
Hurrying into the room, the group was horrified by the blood on the table and floor. Their mother-in-law, coughing violently, had blood at the corners of her mouth that was shocking to see.
Wu Shi lifted her skirt and rushed over, asking urgently, "What happened? Why is Mother coughing up blood suddenly?"
Without waiting for Su Momo's reply, she immediately strode out the door. "Notify Steward Xu. Have him summon Doctor Chu to the residence immediately, and quickly!"
Remembering how Zhi Er had gone to great lengths to help Old Madam conceal her illness from the rest of the family, Wu Shi smiled bitterly. This time, it probably couldn't be hidden. May the Bodhisattva protect her mother-in-law and keep her safe—otherwise, she truly didn't know how she would explain this to Zhi Er!Inside the room, Madam Zhu stepped forward and gently patted her mother-in-law's back. Seeing the old madam coughing uncontrollably with blood continuously trickling from the corner of her mouth, her eyes immediately welled up with tears. "Is there really no solution? Must she keep coughing like this?"
Su Momo shook her head. The old madam had shown significant improvement recently - usually just drinking some medicinal tea would keep her from coughing more than a few times a day. This current severe state was something they hadn't seen before.
Not daring to dwell on it, Su Momo first sent someone to the eldest young lady's courtyard to have medicine prepared and delivered. Then she waved for Chen Momo to come help support the old madam back to bed, propping her up semi-reclined with two quilts piled behind her.
After quite some time, the old madam finally began to recover. When Su Momo took the handkerchief from her hand, her heart sank - the entire cloth was already soaked through.
PS: The next update will be delayed. Readers' expectations for this book are so high that Kongkong feels both honored and apprehensive. Every chapter undergoes repeated revisions, all out of fear of disappointing you all. Special thanks to Miss Wang, our excellent error-spotter - I'll make the corrections once the editor is back at work.
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