Chapter 141: Differences in Family Education
Old Master Hua was furious at Hua Changxi’s departure, feeling both the shame of losing face in front of outsiders and the deep pain and disappointment of Hua Changxi disregarding her family’s feelings.
“Don’t mind her. Her wings have grown strong. If she wants to leave, let her. The family will go on without her. Everyone, sit down and eat.”
Old Master Hua suppressed his anger, gestured for everyone to start eating, and then began to eat silently.
The atmosphere was oppressive and stagnant. No one dared to provoke the Old Master at this time, so they could only pick up their chopsticks and eat without tasting their food.
At the dinner table, Hua Mingzhe and his two sons, along with Third Master He, were all extremely depressed. They had abandoned their family reunions to specifically come to the Hua family for dinner, only to witness such a farce.
The lunch ended hastily in a somber atmosphere. Afterward, Hua Mingzhe and his two sons found an excuse and left the Hua family. Third Master He also left with Hua Wuniang and their child shortly after.
The carriages of the two families drove out of Xiuzheng Ward one after another.
“That Hua Jiuniang is too disobedient and unfilial.”
Inside the carriage, for Hua Hongchen and Hua Hongtao, who were seeing Hua Changxi for the first time, today was an eye-opener.
Hua Hongtao: “Uncle Minghe is too useless. He watched Hua Jiuniang talk back to Grandpa Bin and didn’t say anything to manage her. If I were him, I would have stepped forward to teach Hua Jiuniang a lesson long ago.”
Hua Hongchen: “Yes, I used to think he was the most responsible person in Grandpa Bin’s family, but now it seems that was an exaggeration.”
Hua Hongtao suddenly sneered: “What’s the point of being cultivators? Even their granddaughter dares to talk back to her grandfather. A family like this won’t prosper.”
Hua Hongchen: “Just thinking about having to flatter such people in the future makes me feel uneasy.”
Hua Mingzhe looked at his two sons who were discussing animatedly: “Alright, stop talking. Until you obtain the Body Refining Cultivation Method, you must not show the slightest contempt for Hua Bin’s family. If you miss out on the cultivation method due to your own inappropriate words and actions, and ruin your future, you’ll have only yourselves to blame.”
Hua Hongchen, seeing his father’s anger, quickly said: “Father, don’t worry. We know the gravity of the situation. We’re just complaining in private.”
Hua Hongtao also added: “Yes, at the Earl’s Mansion, we’ve already hit it off with Hua Silang and the others.” He paused, “Hua Silang and Hua Qiniang are quite easy to get along with. It’s just this Hua Jiuniang we met today, so arrogant and distant, acting like she doesn’t put anyone in her eyes.”
Hua Mingzhe sighed: “The more capable people are, the harder they are to befriend.”
Hua Hongchen and Hua Hongtao exchanged glances upon hearing this and fell silent.
When their family was still glorious, they were often brought around by the Earl and the Heir for social events, and they had met some prodigies. Although some prodigies were approachable, most were aloof and didn’t bother with others, their attitudes even worse than Hua Changxi’s towards them today.
Hua Mingzhe: “Regardless, you still need to actively try to befriend Hua Jiuniang in the future.”
As they spoke, the father and sons returned to their mansion. As soon as they arrived home, they were summoned to the main courtyard.
The Great Clan Elder Hua Xianyiao, who was over seventy years old, had specifically waited for the three of them to return. Upon seeing them, he asked, “Why are you back so early?”
Hua Mingzhe immediately recounted the farce that had occurred at Hua Bin’s house: “Uncle Bin was extremely angered. I felt it wasn’t the right time to discuss matters, so I brought the two children back first.”
The Great Clan Elder frowned upon hearing this: “Hua Bin doesn’t know how to discipline his descendants.” He then looked at Hua Tai and said, “You should offer him some guidance when you have the chance. How can a grandfather let a junior walk all over him, and a young woman at that?”
Hua Tai thought of the arrogant and defiant Hua Changxi and immediately felt a headache: “Father, Hua Bin does have a way of disciplining his descendants. Most of his grandchildren obey the family’s arrangements. It’s just Hua Jiuniang who has gone astray.”
The Great Clan Elder snorted: “It’s still a matter of not being tough enough. If the methods were strong enough, even a wayward child could be corrected. How difficult can a young woman be to manage?”
Hua Tai: “Son believes that tough methods won’t work on Hua Jiuniang. It might even be counterproductive.”
The Great Clan Elder scoffed at this. He believed that under heavy blows, everyone would submit. As long as the fist that fell was hard enough, even the hardest bone could be shattered.
“Alright, let’s not talk about Hua Jiuniang anymore. A young woman can’t change anything. As long as Hua Bin still wants to prove himself to the clan, we can achieve our goal through him.”
Afterward, the Great Clan Elder discussed matters concerning the Earl’s Mansion with Hua Tai and Hua Mingzhe.
Seeing that they were no longer needed, Hua Hongchen and Hua Hongtao exchanged a look with Hua Wanyue, and the three siblings then left the room one after another.
“Wanyue, you’ve interacted with Hua Jiuniang at the Medical Affairs Department. What do you think of her?”
Hua Wanyue thought for a moment and said: “Hua Jiuniang’s medical skills are indeed impeccable, but I don’t like her as a person. She’s too arrogant. Even when Shu Ran from the Heir’s family actively tried to get closer to her, she was indifferent.”
Hua Hongchen asked again: “I heard she’s quite famous at the Medical Affairs Department?”
Hua Wanyue let out a scoff: “What fame? She only lectured to the laborers at the Labor Department for a period. No one at the Medical Affairs Department had ever lectured like that before, which is why she stood out.”
“Do you know that the two disciples of the current Department Head, as well as Gu Jinfan from the Duke of Xin’s household, are now lecturing at the Medical Affairs Department? After they started lecturing, there was no more room for Hua Jiuniang.”
“When Hua Jiuniang lectured, only some laborers attended. But when Gu Jinfan and the others lecture, the entire Medical Affairs Department mobilizes, and seats are hard to come by. Who remembers Hua Jiuniang now?”
Hua Hongtao said directly after hearing this: “Father asked us to actively befriend Hua Jiuniang. I think we should forget about it.”
Hua Hongchen: “We still need to maintain some semblance of politeness.”
Meanwhile, Third Master He also returned to Marquis Wu Yi’s Mansion with Hua Wuniang and their child.
“Wuniang, take the child back to your room first. I’m going to pay my respects to my father and mother.”
Watching Third Master He’s receding back, Hua Wuniang’s expression was somewhat dejected. Her treatment in the He family had indeed improved, but only in terms of food and drink.
Third Master had never taken her to the main courtyard to meet the Marquis and Marchioness, nor did he ever tell her about the He family’s affairs. Although the Marchioness and the Heir’s wife sent things every month, they had never come to see Xiao Man. During family gatherings or when friends and relatives visited, she was never invited to attend.
Today, Third Master had voluntarily offered to accompany her back to her maiden home for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although she was overjoyed, she also guessed he had ulterior motives. Judging by his behavior at the Hua family today, he was targeting Jiuniang.
Hua Wuniang thought of Jiuniang’s personality, and a worried expression appeared on her face. She could foresee that no matter what Third Master wanted to gain from Jiuniang, he would not be satisfied.
“Sigh.”
Hua Wuniang lowered her head, looking at the child in her arms, and murmured: “I hope Third Master doesn’t take his anger out on us mother and son when the time comes.”
In the main courtyard of the Marquis’s Mansion, Third Master He also informed the He family of everything that had happened at the Hua family.
Marquis Wu Yi laughed twice after hearing this: “It’s truly laughable and pathetic that when someone in the family becomes capable, their own family is the first to try and restrain them.”
After laughing, the Marquis Wu Yi’s expression turned serious: “Hua Changxi will absolutely be a significant figure in the future. Although she is a young woman and a junior, she can remain unaffected by external judgment and family emotions. These are not things ordinary people can achieve.”
The Marchioness disagreed, saying: “Such a person is ultimately too cold and heartless.”
Marquis Wu Yi shook his head: “To achieve great things, one cannot be too easily influenced.”
The Marchioness: “Hua Jiuniang is just a young woman. What great things can she accomplish? In my opinion, her personal abilities are only slightly stronger. But with her inability to even maintain good relationships with her family, one can imagine how difficult she must be to deal with in front of outsiders. Such a person is suited to be a lone wolf, not to accomplish anything.”
Marquis Wu Yi agreed with this statement and looked at his two granddaughters: “Sirong, Siqi, what do you think of Hua Changxi?”
He Sirong thought for a moment: “Hua Changxi is indeed a bit too unconventional.”
He Siqi also compared Hua Changxi’s lectures with those of Gu Jinfan, Mu Qingying, and Yuan Tianchou: “Hua Changxi’s lectures were just simple lectures. Although she attracted some people, they were all laborers, which was not very useful.”
“Although Gu Jinfan and the other two lectured for a shorter time than Hua Changxi, they managed to befriend many people, and their gains were definitely much greater than Hua Changxi’s.”
“As for their reputation at the Medical Affairs Department, Gu Jinfan and the other two are now known to everyone, while Hua Changxi is probably only remembered by the laborers in the Labor Department.”
He Sirong added: “Granddaughter believes that whether it’s medical skills or alchemy, Hua Changxi is definitely above Gu Jinfan and the other two. Her lectures catered to laborers and covered basic medical knowledge; whereas Gu Jinfan and the other two lectured on spiritual plants and elixirs, which is why they are more popular than Hua Changxi.”
“Granddaughter thinks that if Hua Changxi were willing to lecture on spiritual plants and elixirs, she would definitely not lose to Gu Jinfan and the other two. However, for some reason, she has never lectured on spiritual plants and elixirs.”
Marquis Wu Yi looked at his two granddaughters: “You are still optimistic about Hua Changxi?”
He Sirong and He Siqi nodded simultaneously without any hesitation.
He Sirong: “Granddaughter feels Hua Changxi has a very strong personality. Although she is not easy to befriend, she undeniably draws attention.”
He Siqi: “Hua Changxi was completely immersed when she was lecturing. When asked questions, she shared her insights without reservation. Granddaughter feels very fortunate to have attended her lectures.”
Marquis Wu Yi looked at Third Master He after hearing this: “Third, the relationship with the Hua family cannot be severed. In the future, let your concubine visit her maiden home more often.” He paused, “Remember to bring the child along.”
Third Master He nodded in agreement.
Marquis Wu Yi added: “We still need to obtain the Hua family’s Body Refining Technique as soon as possible. If the He family army begins body refining, it will undoubtedly become a formidable force in the future.”
Third Master He’s expression became troubled as he thought of Hua Changxi’s attitude towards him: “This might be difficult.”
Marquis Wu Yi paused for a moment and turned to the Marchioness: “In the future, let Hua Wuniang also attend social events. For any banquets our family holds, send invitations to the Hua family as well.”
“In-laws should naturally help each other. If we treat Hua Wuniang well, the Hua family won’t be able to offer nothing in return, will they?”
