Looking at his eldest sister’s smile, so warm and genuine, Hua Bailin suddenly found himself truly believing that she trusted him — that unlike the others, she did not think he harbored some grand ambition to snatch the Hua Family away from Sixth Brother.

With this realization, Hua Bailin felt at ease, and at the same time felt a sudden urge to pour out his grievances to an elder who actually trusted him. “It’s one thing for others to say such things, but even my own mother keeps hinting — between every word — that I should butter up Eldest Sister. And then there are the brothers at the clan school. Once, I even overheard them debating which side they would take if I were to compete with Sixth Brother. When I heard that, I truly…” — truly felt so wretched that he, who had never once asked for a day off even when ill, took a full day away just so he wouldn’t have to look at them.

“It is Eldest Sister who handled this poorly, so do not blame them. The fault lies with the adults — they simply do not understand that the one most wronged in all of this is you. Your thinking is entirely correct: with Bailin away from home, you are the eldest among the brothers, and it is only natural that you be the one to step forward in such matters. It shall continue to be so.”

“But…” Hua Bailin was not entirely willing. He did not want to hear those kinds of words again.

“Pay them no mind. They are limited by their surroundings — all they can see, all they can think about, is what is right in front of their noses. They do not know that beyond the Hua Family there is the capital, beyond the capital there are the nine provinces, beyond the nine provinces there are foreign lands, and beyond the great sea live people entirely unlike ourselves. The world is vast, and the Hua Family is but a single drop in the ocean. You would do well to look further ahead — take all of that into your heart. When you do, you will find that these small matters are no matters at all, and that there are many ways to deliver yourself from difficulty. When it comes down to it, the reason you feel so powerless now is simply that you are still too weak. Once you grow strong, not one of them will dare try to manipulate you.”

“Just like you, Eldest Sister?”

Hua Zhi laughed. “Yes. Just like me.”

Hua Bailin pressed his lips together. He could sense, vaguely, what his eldest sister meant, though if asked to articulate it precisely he could not quite manage it. All he knew was that she was teaching him — and that she was genuinely on his side, not using her own younger brother as a reason to put pressure on this cousin of hers.

“When the mourning period ends, you will lead the main rites. Prepare yourself well. At that time you will need to bring the younger brothers to pay respects at the Hua Family ancestral graves. If there is anything you do not know, ask Steward Xu.”

Hua Bailin straightened with a start, and responded in a clear, bright voice.

For a child who has just suffered a blow to his confidence, being entrusted with something important is the surest way to help him recover. Hua Zhi offered a few more words of encouragement, and as she watched him leave — chest puffed out like a proud little rooster — she could not help but laugh aloud.

Ying Chun saw her young mistress so pleased and laughed along with her, setting a tray of fresh fruit beside her. “In this servant’s eyes, the young masters of our household are finer than any other family’s.”

“Other families’ people look just as fine to those families as ours do to you.” Hua Zhi cradled her steaming cup of tea and took a sip. “Has the household been rather idle lately?”

“Now that the weather has turned cold, the various rooms have mostly been gathering together to save on charcoal, so the benefit is less charcoal spent, but the downside is a great deal more idle gossip.” And most of it coming from the mistresses of the house, at that — Ying Chun felt helpless. She could manage the maids, but she could hardly manage the mistresses.

Hua Zhi immediately thought of card games and mahjong — since they had no concept of gambling here, spending a few rounds passing the time was the ideal choice.

“Go relay a message to Fourth Aunt. Ask her to pay Third Aunt a visit and have a proper heart-to-heart with her — let her understand that what she is doing is only harming Bailin.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Spread word as well: when the mourning period ends, Bailin will lead the main rites, with Steward Xu and Nanny Su assisting from the side.”

“Yes, Miss.” Ying Chun covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. With the way the young mistress sheltered these children, someone who didn’t know better would think the Seventh Young Master was her blood brother rather than Bailin being the cousin. And Third Madam was far too soft-eared — a few words from her own family and she was leaping about in a frenzy, having completely forgotten how the Xia Family had behaved when Third Miss got into trouble.

Just then, Liu Xiang hurried in. “Miss, Old Madam Sun has come to call. She has already arrived at the east corner gate.”

Old Madam Sun? Hua Zhi quickly rose and went out in person to receive her, asking as she went: “She did not send a calling card beforehand?”

“She did not.”

Hua Zhi asked no more and quickened her steps to the east corner gate. When she saw the old madam, she hastily offered an apology: “How dreadful of us — you have come all of a sudden, and there is absolutely no reason you should be made to enter by the corner gate.”

Old Madam Sun took her arm and helped her up. “Anyone who ought to know already knows that the Sun and Hua families are now bound to the same boat. There is no need to stand on ceremony anymore. People on the same side should be seeing more of each other.”

“You are quite right.” What else could Hua Zhi say? She led the old madam toward the rear courtyard, but Sun Madam was not inclined to go there. “I have heard that you spend most of your time in the front courtyard, and receive guests there as well. Let us go there instead.”

“As you wish.”

By now, Little Six had also received word and came hurrying over to pay his respects.

If Sun Madam still maintained a degree of polite formality with Hua Zhi, in front of her grandson that formality melted away in an instant. Her smile was full of warmth and affection. “It has not been long, yet you look as though you have grown taller?”

“I have grown a little. Hua Jiejie had new clothes made for me.”

Old Madam Sun patted her grandson’s shoulder and quietly sighed to herself. Given how attentively Hua Zhi cared for Little Six, how could one fault the boy for feeling closer to her? In Little Six’s heart, even the Sun Family likely ranked below her.

Host and guests settled into their seats, and Ying Chun served tea before stepping back silently to stand behind her young mistress.

“Honest words need no embellishment. The first reason I have come today is to thank you, Miss Hua. That Little Six has become who he is owes to how well you have taught him, and how well you have laid the groundwork on his behalf.” Thinking of everything Hua Zhi had done, Old Madam Sun had more than once felt fortunate that she stood on Little Six’s side. To pile so much credit entirely onto Little Six — few people would have had that kind of resolve.

“You flatter me, Madam. I could not possibly accept such praise.”

“You need not be modest. This is not only my sentiment — it is my husband’s as well.” Old Madam Sun waved her hand. “The second matter: I have come to bring Little Six a gift.”

Little Six looked up, already understanding in his heart.

Old Madam Sun took a bundle from her attendant’s hands and pushed it across to her grandson. “Inside is seven-tenths of the Sun Family’s entire fortune — wealth and people alike, seven-tenths of everything.”

Hua Zhi’s brow lifted slightly. More than she had anticipated. She had expected the Sun Family to offer half.

“Little Six, this is all that your maternal family can do to help you.” Old Madam Sun’s smile carried a tinge of bitterness. “The Sun Family main line has always had thin blood — no one expected that this generation would have its line cut short. The collateral branches are wolves and tigers, every one of them. I will never allow them the opportunity to attach themselves to you. These past days I have selected a few people from among our distant relatives — their characters and conduct are decent enough, and they have their abilities. Whether to use them, and how, is entirely your decision. You need not hold back. Do you understand?”

“Little Six understands.” He truly did understand what it meant to have seven-tenths of a family’s entire fortune placed in his hands. With no male heir to hold up the household, those so-called relatives circled like wolves — his grandmother must have spent tremendous effort to gather all of this for him. He suddenly recalled what Hua Jiejie had once said: that his maternal family would make arrangements for the clan, but only on the condition that they did not harm him — for he, and he alone, was the blood kin they were bound to.

And now, what his grandmother had done was proof of exactly those words.