Blossom in Adversity

C3. Leave it to Me!

Chapter Three: Leave it to Me!

The ones who needed to leave have left, and the room quickly emptied out. Lai Fu stood behind, "Old Madam, you only have one hour to pack your things. This is already an extra grace from the Emperor, please make preparations early."

"Yes, I thank the Emperor for his grace, I will leave with my family within the hour."

After Lai Fu left as well, Old Matriarch Hua couldn't hold herself up any longer and collapsed. The people around her rushed to support her, and the old nanny who had been with her for decades pinched her acupoint to wake her up.

Looking at the anxious women and children in the room, Old Matriarch Hua smiled bitterly, tears slipping from her eyes. Whether it was the children who didn't understand anything or the women who only cared about immediate gains and losses, how could the Hua family overcome this disaster?

Hua Zhi felt a pang in her heart as she watched her grandmother cry. This was the first time she had seen her grandmother cry. Whenever, her grandmother had always been calm, as if nothing could go wrong as long as she was there. But now, even her grandmother was overwhelmed by this great change, and the Hua family had no one left to protect them.

Looking around, her mother, the eldest branch's wife in the Hua family was known for being delicate and sentimental. She couldn't be relied upon at a time like this.

The second branch's wife, being a concubine-born, had no say in the family, and even if she wanted to speak up, her grandmother would never agree. The other wives wouldn't let a concubine-born wife like her take the lead.

The third branch's wife, being the lowest born among the wives, had limited perspective and couldn't handle the current turmoil in the Hua family. Moreover, their legitimate son had been taken away, and it was unknown how long it would take for her to recover.

The fourth branch's wife, was actually quite capable, both in terms of her background and perspective, but...

Looking at her visibly pregnant belly, Hua Zhi smiled bitterly. Under normal circumstances, she could have tried to take charge. At most, she could have provided some ideas from behind the scenes.

But how could she allow a pregnant woman to bear this pressure now?

In the end, the once prestigious hundred-year-old family had no one who could handle the situation. The men in the Hua family had not tarnished the family's reputation, but the current generation of women were lacking.

Hua Zhi didn't know what she was feeling. Once forced into a tough shell, she had thought she could live quietly for the rest of her life. Now, she was forced onto the path of a strong woman, under such circumstances. She hoped that her ending wouldn't be a tragic one.

She pulled her brother to their mother's side and supported her. Hua Bailin's heart skipped a beat, softly calling out, "Sister!"

Hua Zhi turned back and smiled, full of helplessness. "Take care of mother."

At that moment, Hua Bailin didn't understand the emotions in her sister's eyes, but he felt incredibly upset. It wasn't until he grew up that he understood the sacrifice his sister had made, and the pain he felt at that moment was actually due to heartache.

Hua Zhi pushed through the crowd and crouched down in front of her grandmother, asking softly, "Grandmother, do you trust me?"

"Trust you? You are the descendant of the Hua family," the old lady reached out to touch her granddaughter's face. "Of course, I trust you."

Hua Zhi nodded. "Then temporarily hand over the matriarchal to me."

The old lady looked at her quietly for a moment, pleasantly surprised to see no fear or panic in her eyes, unlike the others. Yes, this was her granddaughter, taught by the old master himself.

"Alright, I entrust the entire Hua family, including the elderly, the weak, the women, and children, to you," the old lady said.

Hua Zhi smiled, stood up, and faced the crowd, "We only have an hour. Now, everyone please go back and bring as many things as you think are necessary. We need to leave here."

The second branch's wife hesitated and asked, "Leave here... but where to?"

"Regardless of where we go, we must leave first," Hua Zhi responded without hesitation, addressing everyone, "This is the residence of a second-rank official. Grandfather has been dismissed, so we no longer have the right to stay here."

"Go to the house in the southern part of the city," the old lady interjected, "It won't be sealed off."

No one asked why that place wouldn't be sealed off. Some decisions were made, and the terrified women just hoped for a safe place.

"Remember to bring the knee and wrist protectors that grandfather and father use in winter, and be quick about it," Hua Zhi instructed.

No one dared to be vague about this matter, even the eldest branch's wife tightly held onto her son, who was almost taken away, and went back to pack.

Before Hua Zhi could say anything, the old lady spoke first, her expression looking slightly relieved, "You should go pack as well. In order to protect the Hua family, I will hold on."

"To plan for the future, grandmother, this is not the end of everything. We still have a chance to turn the situation around," Hua Zhi bowed respectfully, then quickly left with a few maids.

Time was running out.

The old lady covered her eyes and suddenly laughed, "Before, I couldn't understand why the old man ignored other outstanding grandchildren in the family and loved Zhi'er so much. Isn't she just a little obedient? There are many girls like this in every family. Now I understand that the old man was not wrong, it was me who was wrong."

"Yes, I never realized that the eldest miss had such courage before."

"Come on, help me back, there's not much time left."

*

As soon as she entered her own courtyard, Hua Zhi instructed, "Take everything out, divide it into five parts. each person will carry one part. Try to take as many seasonal clothes as possible, and bring anything else that you think will be useful."

Once inside the house, everyone busied themselves. Nian Qiu, while packing, asked, "Will we be searched when we go out?"

"It shouldn't happen. They have already searched our house once, and they believe that even if we hide something, it won't be much. No one will risk the empress dowager's displeasure for such a trivial matter."

"That's right. The women of the Hua family were saved by the empress dowager. If they search us, it would disrespect the empress dowager," Bao Xia added.

Hua Zhi went to the chest of drawers and saw signs of it being rummaged through. She found three books and placed them in her bag. She sat down and thought about what to do next.

She withdrew three books and slipped them into her bag. Pausing her packing, she sat down to contemplate her next move.

Her grandfather and father had served in the same imperial court, so they must have been stripped of their official robes and banished without delay. Simultaneously, the imperial guards would have initiated a search of the Hua Mansion. This would take approximately an hour.

Considering the elapsed time, Grandfather should be two hours into his journey. She needed to prepare. He couldn't leave like this. The north grew cold early, and by the time they arrived, it would likely be freezing. And to think Grandfather was only wearing a thin shirt...

Hua Zhi rubbed her temples, closing her eyes to mentally calculate every detail. Time slipped away unnoticed.

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TNote:

Thank you for your patience and kind words. This story holds a special place in my heart, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do. There’s an adapted drama based on the novel that has received positive feedback. However, I recommend reading the novel first to fully appreciate the story before watching the drama.