Blossom in Adversity

C10. Decisive Action.

Chapter Ten: Decisive Action

"With you at the helm, let us speak without restraint. Assemble them all here, Cui Xiang. And bring the patriarch's two concubines, as well. There is nothing we cannot discuss now that you hold the reins."

Cui Xiang was the name of Suyun Mama, she went to the inner room, and after the children came, the old lady sent the concubines to that room.

Once everyone was gathered, without any preamble, Hua Zhi went straight to the point, "My suggestion is to cut off ties with our maternal family."

As soon as the words landed, the room became restless. The maternal family was the backbone, the support, and the ones they could turn to in times of trouble. Moreover, their maternal family's status was not low, they might be able to offer significant help.

The old lady scanned the room, and everyone settled down, "Why?"

"Cutting ties is beneficial for everyone." Hua Zhi looked at everyone, "You may think of them as your maternal family, but to them, you are married off daughters, water thrown out. Their primary concern is whether their own children’s future will be affected by continuing to associate with the Hua family, which the Emperor dislikes, whether it will bring the Emperor's displeasure upon them, and whether it will affect their own careers."

Seeing that everyone was listening attentively, Hua Zhi continued, "It's not that parents won't care about you, if you go seeking their help, they will naturally assist you out of love. However, this love is limited, no one can say how long it will take for the Hua family to regain its former glory, or whether their parents' love will endure until then."

Hua Zhi smiled, "Cutting ties now shows a determination not to burden the maternal family. The maternal family will appreciate your maturity, feel guilty for not helping, and when the ties are restored in the future, there will be no lingering doubts in their hearts. Only when people have equal footing can they have equal conversations. Do not try to test people's hearts in times of hardship, I fear everyone will be disappointed."

If parents and elder siblings truly cared, visible or invisible contact could be maintained. It all depended on their intentions.

The room fell silent, every breath was audible. The children seemed to have understood, breathing quietly so as not to disturb the adults.

"I was going to argue with the eldest miss, but upon careful consideration, her words make perfect sense. No matter how well-treated one is at home, once married off, one becomes part of another family, with shared honor and disgrace with the in-laws. The maternal family may help temporarily, but how could they help forever? Even if parents love their own siblings, they might come to me and scold me for being a troublemaker." Wu shi smiled wryly, patting her stomach. She was somewhat relieved not to have received permission from her mother-in-law to send her back home.

"Yes, even if parents love me, isn't it more important to have sons and grandsons?" Xia shi, the third wife, took up the conversation, bitterness in her mouth. Although she shared the same surname as her maternal family, she was now considered an outsider by them and her in-laws, making her feel pitiable.

Swallowing the bitterness in her throat, the old lady said, "Then send each family a message back, from tomorrow the Hua family will not receive any visitors."

"Not receiving guests is fine, but closing the doors is not acceptable. Grandmother, we need to find a way to earn some money, living in the northern region without proper funds will be difficult."

The old lady had this thought in mind, but was unable to figure it out. Now, hearing her granddaughter's direction, she quickly sat up and asked, "What do you have in mind? Dealing with those money-sucking leeches with less silver won't be of help."

"Living cannot be separated from food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. I plan to start by focusing on food. Grandmother, you know that I have no other hobbies, just a sweet tooth. We have many talented cooks among us, and I dare say Ying Chun and Fu Dong are master chefs, I can even challenge the palace chef."

The old madam, of course, was well aware of her granddaughter's culinary talents. Her visits were always a delightful gastronomic adventure, so much so that she'd come to associate her with the most exquisite, mouthwatering dishes.

It wasn't surprising, then, that her heart softened at the mere mention of her granddaughter's cooking. "There are countless food vendors in the bustling city," she mused, her eyes filled with a mixture of pride and hope, "Do you think you could make a living with your culinary creations?"

"What do you think of the taste of those foods?"

"Of course, no need to say."

"Have you ever eaten from elsewhere?"

"... Not really." The old madam nodded thoughtfully, thinking that selling unique food could indeed be profitable.

"I'll give it a try first. If it doesn't work out, I'll think of another way. I'll definitely earn money."

"Alright, give it a try." The old lady glanced at Suyun Mama. Suyun Mama understood and opened a compartment at the bottom of a cabinet, taking out a money box.

"These are all the valuable things in grandmother's possession. Keep half for emergency, and the other half is for you. If it's not enough, everyone can pitch in from their own family."

Hua Zhi initially didn't want to accept, but then realized that this concerned everyone in the Hua family. Everyone needed to be involved in the investment for her to take it seriously, and the more money she had, the more flexibility she would have.

In the money box, besides a roll of silver bills, there were also some pieces of jewelry that looked outdated, likely having been around for some time.

There were a total of eight silver bills, two hundred taels each. Hua Zhi took four of them, refusing the jewelry when the old lady wanted to divide it. "It's not yet time to pawn these. You keep them for now. If I run out, I'll come to you for more."

The old madam then gave her another silver bill, saying, "Do well. Grandmother believes in you."

Unexpectedly, several aunts had reservations. Hua Zhi said, "No matter how much money is earned, it will all go into the family's fund until Grandfather and the others return. As for how it will be divided in the future, that will be decided by Grandfather and Grandmother. However, there likely won't be much left. There are too many expenditures that require money, and Grandfather and the others cannot be short of silver. If possible, I also want to use funds to explore avenues in the capital. Grandfather may not have committed a serious crime, so he might be able to return."

"Really? He can come back?" Xia shi stood up excitedly, "As long as my husband can come back, anything is fine."

Zhu shi and Wu shi both nodded, even Qi shi, who usually had little to say, was staring intently at Hua Zhi. Money was nothing compared to the return of their loved ones.

"Wait a moment, Eldest Miss." Xia shi hurriedly left the room in a flurry, a sight that made the old lady smile. After so many years, she still had moments of urgency.

Shortly after, Xia shi returned with a money box in her arms. Without saying a word, she handed the money box to Hua Zhi, "I kept a bit for myself, the rest is for you."

Seeing Xia shi's gesture, Zhu shi naturally had to support her daughter as well, and quickly sent a maid to fetch her own hidden stash.

Regardless of what was going on in their minds, Wu shi and Qi shi had to show support at that moment. Hua Zhi accepted the four money boxes without objection, "I will do my best to make this money grow. Aunts can check the accounts at any time."

Xia shi, still full of excitement, said, "We trust you, we all trust you."