Hua Zhi’s gaze swept lightly across the room, taking in the expressions of everyone present, and she had already anticipated that this sort of situation would arise again in the future.

But so what? To put it in well-worn terms — anything that can be resolved with money is no problem at all, and for her, it was no different.

A family still willing to take a Hua daughter as a bride under these circumstances spoke well of their character. Such a family was worth marrying into, and she was very willing to lend a hand.

Wu Shi gave a soft cough and smiled as she steered the conversation back on track. “Might we ask what sort of venture the First Young Lady has in mind?”

Hua Zhi exchanged a glance with Wu Shi. “I came across a method for cultivating fungi in a book. If done well, it can yield a harvest in all four seasons.”

Everyone was taken aback. Wu Shi asked, “You mean the sort of mushrooms we eat? Are those not gathered from the mountains? Can they be grown?”

“The ones we commonly eat are just one variety. As long as other types of fungi can be found, they too can be cultivated.”

Hua Zhi spoke these words with considerable confidence, for it had been precisely this that the Hua family of a former life had built its wealth upon. She had never done it with her own hands, but as a small child she had followed her father and watched the workers do it with her own eyes — every single step of the process was perfectly clear to her.

Cultivating fungi had been the path to prosperity she had settled on from the very beginning. The timing last year had simply not been right — she had needed quick money then, which was why she had put it off until this year.

Thinking of that former life’s father — quiet yet gentle — Hua Zhi lowered her gaze. Good people never lived long. He had done only good throughout his life, and still he passed away far too soon. Those who lived idly off others’ efforts, and yet remained greedy for more, had needed her life as the price of their reckoning.

She had no wish to become so shameless a person as they were, but she had never wished to become someone like her father either. It simply was not worth it.

“First Young Lady — it can truly be grown?”

Hua Zhi returned to herself and gave a gentle nod. “It can be grown.”

The Fourth Elder Aunt quickly asked, “Then what must we do?”

“Each family is to draw out ten bondservants — they must be on permanent indenture and capable. The specifics of selection you may handle among yourselves.”

“We understand such things. First Young Lady, rest assured — we will select the most capable from our households for you.”

Hua Zhi smiled and gently cut her off. “The senior stewards and managers need not be included — that would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. There will be occasions to make use of them later.”

The Fourth Elder Aunt nodded in agreement. “Understood — we’ll do as you say.”

“Steward Xu.”

Xu Dong bowed deeply. “Yes, First Young Lady.”

“This group of people I leave in your hands. Train them the same way you trained our own household servants before — have Xu Jie assist you.”

“Yes.”

The three Elder Aunts were not without their doubts, but the First Young Lady had performed so brilliantly in matters of earning money over these past months that they had developed a near-blind faith in her. Besides, their three families had not invested a single coin — only ten bondservants apiece — meaning there was nothing to lose, yet they stood to gain a share of whatever was earned. Any way one looked at it, it was a fine arrangement. Only a fool would set herself against the First Young Lady.

“Let us first be clear about a few things.” Hua Zhi’s gaze moved across the three Elder Aunts in turn. “All decisions regarding this matter are mine to make. I hope that when the time comes, no one will use their seniority to override me.”

The Fourth Elder Aunt immediately agreed. “We are well aware one must not take on work one lacks the skill to handle. First Young Lady, rest easy — if anyone were to undermine your efforts, this old woman would be the first to deal with her.”

The other two nodded in vigorous agreement.

Hua Zhi gave a slight nod. “Whether this venture succeeds or not, we shall set aside for the moment — but how profits are to be divided must also be settled now. As for our own branch, this is what has been decided: until the Hua family’s men return, all earnings go into the communal account. As far as I am concerned, the uncles of the branch families are also Hua family men — this rule applies across the board.”

So all earnings were to go into the communal account? Then what difference did it make whether she brought the branch families in or not?

The three Elder Aunts looked at one another, uncertain how to respond. Of course they longed for the Hua family’s men to return — but being condemned by the Emperor, their homecoming was far too distant a prospect. In the meantime, they still had to live.

“But you have no other source of income, and I cannot have you laboring on like this with nothing. So for this particular venture, here is what I have decided: each of your three families will receive one portion in ten of the profits. The remaining seven portions go into the Hua family’s general account. I will need capital to generate more capital. When the moment is right, I will also use it to smooth things over through various channels — every avenue must be tried, one way or another. Who knows, perhaps one of them will bring the men home.”

The three women, who had initially felt that their own branch was receiving too little, fell silent. Though they were women of the inner household, anyone who had married into the Hua family was at the very least literate, and their own backgrounds ensured they understood court affairs better than most. They knew what Hua Zhi’s offhand mention of “smoothing things over through various channels” would actually cost.

They had already received something for nothing. What face did they have to ask for more?

The three exchanged a glance. The Fourth Elder Aunt spoke. “Then we shall shamelessly accept what has been offered.”

Hua Zhi was well pleased by their lack of contention and offered an explanation of her own accord. “Do not underestimate one portion in ten. If this venture is managed well, even that single share will be enough for all of you to live without want.”

“We trust in the First Young Lady’s abilities.”

“Many thanks for your confidence. Even so, the proper rules must still be in place. Every venture I manage will have its own separate ledger — you may examine it at any time.”

Hua Zhi’s conduct was genuinely above reproach. The last trace of unease in the three women’s hearts dissolved entirely. The Fourth Elder Aunt was the first to rise. “We shall go back at once and gather the men to send over.”

Hua Zhi rose with her, and everyone else in the room stood as well. “I am grateful to the three of you, Elder Aunts.”

The three women departed in a flurry of energy. With only family remaining, the atmosphere in the main hall grew livelier.

Zhu Shi, who worried about her daughter — one task not yet finished before another began — grumbled, “You cannot eat yourself plump in a single bite. Just how much have you piled onto your plate already?”

Wu Shi echoed her. “She speaks the truth. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. We may not be able to help with the big things, but we can certainly lend a hand with the small ones. Whatever you can arrange for us, just say the word — don’t shoulder everything by yourself.”

“This matter cannot afford to be slow. Wait too long and we will miss the season.” Hua Zhi smiled. “Most of the time I am only moving my mind and my mouth — others are doing the actual work. It hardly counts as exhausting.”

If only it were truly as simple as you make it sound, Wu Shi sighed inwardly, and pulled Zhu Shi back before she could say more. Once their First Young Lady had made up her mind, no amount of persuasion from anyone would change it.

Hua Zhi took a sip of tea. “Tomorrow I must go to the estate. I will trouble Fourth Aunt to look after things at home while I am away.”

Thinking back to how Hua Zhi had stayed at the estate for a full month last time, Wu Shi’s brow furrowed. “Surely you are not going for another month.”

“I won’t be. Three days and I will definitely be back.”

“All right. Three days I can manage.”

Hua Zhi laughed. “When it comes to managing the household, I simply cannot match you. This is a good opportunity — take the younger sisters along and teach them while I’m gone. I have nothing left to teach them myself.”

Wu Shi shot her a look, then couldn’t help laughing as well. “You say you have nothing left to teach them, yet somehow I keep hearing that the three of them are at your quarters morning till night?”

And the progress they had made — who could miss it? Where once they had been somewhat sharp-elbowed and unable to settle down, that sharpness had not gone away, yet everything about them now radiated a kind of bright and capable ease. They could not match Hua Zhi, of course, but compared to the daughters of ordinary households they were more than sufficient.

For that alone, each of their mothers felt genuinely grateful to her.

Hua Zhi only smiled, and blinked at Wu Shi in mock plea for mercy. The whole room broke into laughter.