Chapter 27: Hidden meanings in words
After watching the people from the Marquis’s Mansion leave, the Hua family members were still immersed in the sadness and reluctance of Hua Wuniang’s departure, but Madam Zhong started to cause trouble.
“Brother Bin, if you were unwilling for Wuniang to become a concubine at the Marquis’s Mansion, you should have told us earlier. Would we have forced you?”
“Your Jiu Niang is truly capable. Even my husband and I wouldn’t dare to slight the steward and nanny from the Marquis’s Mansion, yet she ran out and spoke nonsense, directly offending Steward Kong and Nanny Shen.”
“Just you wait and see. Jiu Niang caused such a scene today, and she’ll be fine. But Wuniang, who has entered the Marquis’s Mansion, will suffer.”
Hearing this, the Fourth Branch became anxious. Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua also had grim expressions. Just as Madam Yao was about to defend her daughter, Hua Changxi spoke first.
“Grandmother Earl, do you think our family are all fools?”
“You should know better than us why my Fifth Sister ended up becoming a concubine at the Marquis’s Mansion.”
“If you engage in matchmaking and profit secretly, you must own up to it. Don’t act innocent after doing it, as if we were begging you.”
“Not everyone would be foolish enough to help count money after being sold. At least we, the Hua family, wouldn’t.”
“As for you not daring to offend the steward and nanny of the Marquis’s Mansion, it’s because you have requests from the Marquis’s Mansion, while I do not.”
“I have only one thought: I cannot let the Marquis’s Mansion look down on my Fifth Sister. I want to let the Marquis’s Mansion know that my Fifth Sister also has a family to rely on.”
At these words, the Fourth Branch, who had been slightly resentful of Hua Changxi, stiffened their expressions.
Having said this, Hua Changxi suddenly turned her gaze to Hua Tai, who stood silently by the side: “Granduncle Earl, you must have seen how the people from the Marquis’s Mansion treated my Hua family and my Fifth Sister with disrespect.”
“My Fifth Sister is being formally taken in as a legitimate concubine by the Marquis’s Mansion, not becoming a servant who cannot fight back or retort. Even though the status of our family and the Marquis’s Mansion differs greatly, it doesn’t mean we have to grovel and fawn over two servants from the Marquis’s Mansion!”
Hua Tai watched Hua Changxi with great interest.
Groveling and fawning over two servants from the Marquis’s Mansion.
Was this a jab at him and Madam Zhong for being spineless and not standing tall?
“Hahaha~”
Hua Tai laughed a few times: “You are Jiu Niang, aren’t you? No wonder my mother was so impressed after meeting you once.”
He then turned and smiled at Old Master Hua and the others.
“There are few young women who can make my mother remember them. Seeing you today, your Jiu Niang is indeed extraordinary and truly leaves a deep impression.”
Old Master Hua forced a smile. Of course, he understood the subtle barbs in the words of Hua Tai and his ninth granddaughter, but he couldn’t say anything.
Regardless, his ninth granddaughter was standing up for the Hua family.
Hua Changxi also smiled and said: “My visit to the Great Clan Elder’s home last time was also unforgettable. If it weren’t for that trip, I might not have been able to enter the Medical Affairs Department.”
Hua Tai put on an elder’s demeanor: “Jiu Niang, you are a young woman. Young women should stay at home. What are you doing running off to be a laborer at the Medical Affairs Department? Aren’t you just making your grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother worry for nothing?”
After speaking, Hua Tai looked at Madam Yao: “Daughter-in-law Minghe, I think highly of your Jiu Niang. Teach her well, and I will definitely ask my mother to find her a good marriage in the future.”
Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi burst into laughter. Then, her smile vanished, and she looked at Hua Tai calmly: “Granduncle Earl, I suddenly thought of a story.”
Hua Tai, playing along, feigned curiosity: “What story is it?”
Hua Changxi: “The story of raising pigs. You keep pigs in a pen, raise them until they are plump and white, just waiting for them to grow big enough to be sold and slaughtered.”
The smile on Hua Tai’s face did not diminish: “Pigs, once they are grown, should naturally be sold. Why else would you raise them?”
Clan members are resources for the clan, and it has always been this way since ancient times. To resist, forget it.
Hua Changxi: “Granduncle Hua Tai, you must have never heard the saying, ‘One pig, two bears, three tigers.’ Sometimes, when encountering a pig, even fierce tigers and bears have to back down.”
Hua Tai continued to smile: “Is that so? I must be ignorant. I’ve truly never heard of that.”
He completely acted as if he didn’t take Hua Changxi’s veiled threat seriously, as if she were just telling a joke.
Hua Changxi met his gaze without blinking: “Granduncle Hua Tai, you heard it today, and you will definitely see it in the future.”
Hua Tai looked at Hua Changxi, and the dismissive smile on his face finally lessened a bit.
Seeing that Hua Changxi had even threatened their family, Madam Zhong was very displeased. She knew Hua Changxi was eloquent, so she turned her attention to Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua.
“Are you two in charge of this household, or is Jiu Niang? Are you just letting a young woman speak so wildly in front of elders?”
Old Master Hua saw that Hua Tai’s expression had also changed and knew he couldn’t let his ninth granddaughter continue to act recklessly. He immediately said to Madam Yao: “Take Jiu Niang back to her room to rest.”
Hua Changxi did not resist this time. She had said what she needed to say. She let Madam Yao pull her into the Hua Family Courtyard.
Even though his granddaughter had torn off the fig leaf, Old Master Hua still smiled apologetically at Hua Tai and his wife: “This girl Jiu Niang is too wild. Please don’t take her words to heart, Brother Tai and Sister-in-law.”
Madam Zhong snorted, wanting to scold them, but Hua Tai stopped her: “What are you saying? I quite like Jiu Niang’s temperament. It’s just a pity…”
“If she were a man, I fear our Hua clan would have produced another capable person.”
Saying this, Hua Tai looked at Hua Shiyilang: “I have a few boys who are about to enter the Martial Arts Academy. Shiyi Lang, you can go with them then.”
Upon hearing this, Fourth Uncle Hua and Fourth Aunt Hua quickly bowed in thanks.
Hua Tai smiled. This was the attitude clan members should have towards them. As for that Hua Jiu Niang…
“Alright, Wuniang has been taken away. Your sister-in-law and I will be going back. If you need anything, feel free to come to my place. I’ll help if I can.”
“Brother Tai, Sister-in-law, please go slowly!”
The Hua family watched as Hua Tai and his wife’s carriage departed.
Inside the carriage, Madam Zhong grew more and more angry: “That Hua Jiu Niang is so unruly, she completely disregarded you and me. Hua Bin’s family didn’t stop her either, they have no foresight at all. It’s no wonder they’re getting worse and worse.”
Hua Tai’s expression also turned cold at this moment: “. Fortunately, she’s just a young woman.”
Madam Zhong was taken aback: “What? You think highly of her?”
Hua Tai looked at his wife: “If she were truly a man, given her courage to confront me and Steward Kong head-on, she wouldn’t be mediocre.”
Madam Zhong scoffed: “Hua Minghe is bold enough, isn’t he? Yet he’s still just a constable now?”
Mentioning this, Hua Tai’s expression became serious: “What is Madam Yao’s maternal family’s background? She’s already married, and yet a benefactor is intervening to suppress her husband’s family?”
Madam Zhong looked curious: “Have you found out which benefactor is suppressing Hua Minghe?”
Hua Tai shook his head: “No.”
Madam Zhong’s eyes widened: “Even the Earl’s Mansion couldn’t find out?”
Hua Tai nodded.
Madam Zhong’s expression also turned serious: “Someone that even the Earl’s Mansion can’t investigate, how deep must their background be?”
Hua Tai sighed: “Now do you understand why Father and Mother repeatedly warned us not to be too harsh on Hua Bin’s family?”
Madam Zhong seemed unconvinced: “Even if Madam Yao’s maternal family has a great background, that’s in the past. She’s been married into the Hua family for over twenty years. If anyone from her maternal family were still around, they wouldn’t have ignored her for these twenty years.”
“I think Madam Yao’s maternal family is probably gone.”
“You don’t know, Hua Bin, her eldest daughter-in-law, doesn’t give her much of a good face. In these years, Madam Yao has endured the most grievances among the three daughters-in-law.”
“Why is that?”
“It’s because she has no maternal family to rely on, and she herself doesn’t have much confidence.”
Although Hua Tai felt his wife’s words had merit, he, who always liked to keep his options open, decided to follow his parents’ advice. He wouldn’t be too harsh on Hua Bin’s family, but he wouldn’t help them too much either. He would continue to maintain a distant but not hostile relationship.
