As the days of back-and-forth visits accumulated, the marriage between Hua Ling and Yu Xiasheng was all but settled. Yet out of consideration for Hua Xin, and after speaking with Third Aunt, Hua Zhi paid a personal visit to the Yu Family as a gesture of sincerity.
The Yu Family was quite surprised by her arrival. If this were a matter of the impending engagement, it should, by all propriety, be the Yu Family calling upon them.
Hua Zhi had never been one for circuitous speech. After the customary pleasantries, she came straight to the point. “There is a sister above Hua Ling, and for the sake of harmony within the household, I cannot allow Third Sister’s engagement to be formalized first. I have already asked senior members of the Cai Family and the Zhu Family to help look into suitable matches. There should be word before or shortly after the new year. I ask for your understanding, Madam, in pushing back the formal exchange of gifts slightly — it will not be a long delay. Please be assured.”
There was in fact more than one sister above — there were two — yet Madam Yu, seeing that Hua Zhi had apparently forgotten to count herself, felt her heart soften considerably, and found she could not bring herself to object. “It is perfectly fine. The Third Young Miss is still quite young — a few more days at home with her family can only be good for her. Once a girl leaves her family, she becomes a grown woman, and even the impulse to be indulged and coddled fades with time.”
“You see things clearly.” Hua Zhi rose and offered a respectful bow. “Thank you for your generosity.”
Madam Yu smiled and shook her head, gesturing for her to sit back down. “It is only a matter of timing — it inconveniences me not at all. That said, the eldest young miss should also know that if my son places in the top of the examination, he may receive an official posting shortly after, and the wedding may need to be arranged somewhat hastily. But please be assured — my son is already nineteen, and I have been preparing for his wedding for years. Aside from the timing being rushed, there will be no corner cut in any other regard.”
“Indeed. I have already spoken with Third Aunt, and she understands that such things are beyond anyone’s control — she will have no objections. As for the dowry, I will make sure it is prepared with all urgency. If time is short, that cannot be helped — but no matter the circumstances, the Hua Family will not send their daughter off poorly.”
With those words, Madam Yu was wholly satisfied. Whatever lingering misgivings she had carried with her to the capital were put to rest. The Hua Family truly was not short of money these days — they were not so reduced as to be unable to put together a respectable trousseau.
A few further details were settled, and Hua Zhi rose to take her leave. Madam Yu made to keep her, but she graciously declined.
As she departed, Yu Xiasheng came out to see her off. His respect for the eldest young miss had always been genuine, and now that their relationship had changed, that regard remained entirely unaltered. Madam Yu watched this from the side and understood — her son represented the attitude that a considerable portion of the scholarly community held toward Hua Zhi. For a woman to earn that from men of letters was a remarkable achievement indeed.
And yet, the cost had been her entire lifetime.
The carriage made its way directly toward the Zhu Family residence.
Passing the Yunlai Tavern, Hua Zhi lifted the curtain and glanced out. Her brows rose involuntarily. “Why does the business look so much quieter than before?”
“It is.” Ying Chun now moved in commercial circles, where news traveled quickly and freely. “Ever since the Second Master of the Bai Family split off and left the capital, the tavern fell into the First Master’s hands. The First Master holds an official post and has no time for trade matters. The First Madam’s ability in this area is likewise no more than adequate. They left everything to a trusted manager. As far as I know, it is not only this establishment that has suffered — the Bai Family’s other ventures have also declined considerably.”
“I recall the head steward of the Yunlai Tavern being quite capable.”
Ying Chun covered her mouth with a smile. “The Second Master of the Bai Family is not one to take a loss, either. When the household was divided, he declared that those managers had all been trained and brought up by him, and that he would be taking them with him. A good half of the managers across the Bai Family’s various establishments followed him out the door — which is why things have deteriorated so swiftly.”
“…” Poaching staff — and poaching them so thoroughly. Losing people means losing everything else. “Keep an ear out for any quiet word. If the Bai Family intends to sell this property, I want to buy it.”
Ying Chun thought about it and felt it was genuinely possible. Better to sell and get something concrete than to have it sit there losing money. Still — “What if the Bai Family chooses not to sell and only leases?”
“They may not sell the other establishments — but this one they can only sell.” Hua Zhi turned the hand warmer in her palms. “This location is exceptional, and the height of the building is rare in the capital. The rent would be substantial, and anyone moving in would face enormous upfront costs. Only by purchasing outright could one run a business here with any peace of mind — otherwise, who would pour money into a leased premises only to worry about the Bai Family reclaiming it at any moment?”
Ying Chun put herself in that position and thought it through, then nodded. “That is true. Unless one simply continued operating it as a tavern without changing a single thing, anyone intending to transform it would need significant initial investment, and no tenant could feel secure. But if they do put it up for sale, there will certainly be many interested buyers.”
“And you still think there is a bargain to be had.” Hua Zhi tapped her on the forehead. “The Bai Family is no fool — it will simply go to whoever offers the highest price.”
“If that is the case, we truly cannot show our faces. The moment your name is mentioned, the price would double and then some.”
“I will find someone to act on our behalf when the time comes.” Hua Zhi genuinely could not afford to underestimate her own reputation in this regard. Since news of her involvement in the Seventh Division had spread, her name as someone who turned everything she touched to gold had only grown louder. Any establishment she showed interest in would immediately be fought over.
The Zhu Family had already received word that she would be coming today. The Old Madam, unwilling to play games with her granddaughter, had gotten out of bed against everyone’s advice, and had even applied a little rouge and powder to mask the pallor of illness.
“Mother, you need not go to all this trouble. Zhi’er is someone who remembers kindness above all else — she holds in her heart how you and Father have treated her, and she will not grow distant from you over something like this. And please do not be distant with her either.”
Zhu Shi hovered anxiously before her mother, heart aching terribly. Just a few days ago, she had been perfectly energetic — but this one bout of illness had hollowed out her vitality entirely. Older people could not afford to fall ill; one illness, and they seemed to age before your very eyes.
The Old Madam patted her hand. “It is precisely because I know Zhi’er is good that I must show her I still care. Feelings are never unchanging — spend one part, and there is one part less.”
“Mother…”
“You, her own mother, still do not understand Zhi’er as well as I do.” The Old Madam sighed — the sound holding both satisfaction and resignation. “That child — she cannot bear to receive kindness from others. Whoever is good to her, she protects with everything she has. She already manages more than enough inside and outside that household. I could not bear to have her worrying about what is happening on my end. When you go back, do not mention any of this business from your family home either. They each have their own calculations, but on the surface things are still manageable, and your father is still here, as am I — nothing will fall apart.”
Zhu Shi’s tears came pattering down. She had spent these past few days regretting ever having come back. If she had not come, she would never have seen that calculating gleam behind the eyes of the elder brother who had once protected her. She would not have seen the two brothers who had once been close now watching each other with wariness and suspicion. It was too painful.
Wiping away her tears, the Old Madam wanted to scold her for being so useless — yet in her heart a strange and tender feeling surfaced: that her daughter was still this useless was, in some way, wonderful. Of her three children, at least one remained as they had always been. She might cry easily, be timid, and lack initiative — but she had never learned those calculating and circuitous ways of thinking. That was truly something to be grateful for.
“I have spent my whole life without ever making sense of it. How two people with personalities like yours and your husband’s ever managed to produce a daughter like Zhi’er — I truly cannot fathom. And I notice Bailin does not seem to take after either of you either.”
“Mother! How can you speak ill of your own daughter like that!” Zhu Shi was half-mortified, half-indignant, then thought of her son and confessed honestly, “Bailin has always been brought up under Zhi’er’s wing. She has spoiled that boy terribly.”
“…” The Old Madam felt not even a flicker of surprise. If such indulgence could produce grandchildren like that, she would willingly send every Zhu Family grandchild before Zhi’er and let her spoil them as she pleased.