Blossom in Adversity

C14. Seeking the Support of Ancestral Master.

Chapter 14: Seeking the Support of Ancestral Master

Hua Zhi took a few sips of tea in a calm manner, appearing more composed than those several years older than her.

The old madam forced herself to contain her surprise, cleared her throat, and said, "Your decision is beneficial to our Hua family but may not be without consequences for you... Nevertheless, even though reluctant, I will agree to it. But there is no need to rush into it now; let Shen family be the one to hurry."

The old madam did feel some sympathy towards Hua Zhi and hoped to delay the matter to see if there would be any changes, even though she couldn't think of a solution at the moment.

Hua Zhi nodded obediently and changed the topic, "There are only two estates left in the family that have yielded profits. I need to make some arrangements about this."

"The estates only provide for our own consumption. What else can be done with them?"

"There is one estate that is connected to a forest, do you remember, Grandmother?"

"Yes, I remember. It's almost time for the fruits to ripen. Selling them could bring in some silver."

"I do plan to sell them, but not just pluck and sell. Right now, with the fruits being abundant, they won't fetch a good price."

"Is it mostly peaches over there?" the old madam asked Suyun Mama.

Suyun Mama nodded, "Yes, it's peaches. Miss, peaches don't last long. Even if they are in the fruits, they tend to go bad quickly."

Hua Zhi smiled, "I have a plan."

"As long as you have a plan, that's good. If they can be stored longer, we can make more profit."

The old madam was surprisingly undemanding. "Didn't you mention wanting to make food before? I think those things could be sold," she suggested.

"It's all planned out," Hua Zhi replied. "We need to bring in the fruits first and start preparing."

"Just focus on what you want to do," the old madam reassured her. "If you need money, let me know. I'll figure something out."

Understanding her grandmother's offer of support, Hua Zhi softened her tone. "I've hidden some silver, and we also have over a thousand taels that everyone contributed. That should be enough for now. But Grandmother, the Hua family's assets have been seized. We need to find a way to get our money out."

The old madam nodded slowly. "You're right. We can't let anyone get their hands on it. What do you plan to do?"

“I'm planning to sell that estate or another one outside the city. However, both were bestowed by the Empress Dowager. I'm not sure if I can go through with it."

After a moment of silence, the old madam sighed, "Sell the estate. We can manage to live here, even if the Empress Dowager finds out, she should understand our predicament."

"Yes, Grandmother. I will go there in a few days and bring back what needs to be taken."

"Go ahead." The old lady patted her granddaughter's hand and spoke in a gentle tone she had never used before, "From now on, you decide on family matters. There's no need to consult me. A household can only have one head to prevent any unnecessary complications."

This was exactly what Hua Zhi wanted. She readily agreed, "Rest assured, Grandmother. I won't act recklessly."

"I trust you." She also trusted the old Master's judgment.

Without extraordinary abilities, how could he have taught her so diligently over the years?

"I don't want to hear about these matters, but there is another issue regarding the future of the Hua family that I must discuss with you."

"Go ahead."

Hua Zhi held her grandmother's hand and gently stroked it, "The ancestral clan school may have closed, but the children of the Hua family cannot be left to their own devices. I believe the family clan school must be rebuilt. Although it may be challenging to find a suitable teacher, with some effort, a solution can be found. Our grandfather was a great scholar, and his descendants should not only surpass him but also contribute to the family's legacy. We cannot let his reputation fade away."

The old madam's eyes welled up with tears. This matter had been on her mind these past few days. The Hua family was known for their knowledge, and their descendants should not fall behind in academics!

However, given the current situation of the Hua family, who would dare to get involved or teach the children if they valued their own reputation? And those lacking knowledge wouldn't be qualified to educate the Hua family's descendants.

"I also wish to rebuild the family clan school, but, my dear, some things are not as easy to resolve," the old madam replied.

"One must try before knowing the outcome." Hua Zhi took out some name cards and motioned for a pen and ink. She helped the old lady sit up a bit more and said, "You should leave your name on these cards."

Seeing the names on the cards, the old madam, even though aware of the slim chances, signed 'Hua Qin Shi (Matriarch Qin of Hua Clan)' with teary eyes. She appreciated her granddaughter's enthusiasm, knowing that it came from a genuine desire to benefit the Hua family.

Though she was not as pessimistic as the old madam, Hua Zhi knew something about the family clan school teachers. She had heard her grandfather talk about scholars and their qualities during their chess games.

Being a teacher at the family clan school required more than just knowledge; one's character and temperament had to be scrutinized as well. She didn't believe that all the potential teachers would disregard their past connections.

After bidding farewell to her grandmother, Hua Zhi ordered the steward to come and see her while she went to the small office on the east side, where she managed her affairs.

Steward Xu quickly entered the room.

"Miss."

Hua Zhi put down her pen and gestured for him to sit, "Currently, our family consists mostly of women and children, so we need to be more vigilant about security. I want you to reorganize the security arrangements based on the previous ones. It would be best to have two groups on patrol each night, in case of any emergencies."

"Yes, I will arrange it immediately." Steward Xu handed her a ledger, "The new register is prepared. Please review it."

Nian Qiu took it and quickly glanced at it. Currently, the Hua family had a total of 183 servants, including 99 male servants and 84 maid servants, all under death contracts. Only 22 had chosen to leave, despite having dead contracts.

"I trust Steward Xu to handle these matters properly." After closing the ledger, Hua Zhi looked at Steward Xu with a respectful gaze, "I discussed with my grandmother and decided to sell the estate outside the city. We may incur some losses, but there's no need to hide it. Let everyone who keeps an eye on the Hua family know that we sold an estate for money. I have other arrangements that can only be implemented after the estate is sold, so speed is of the essence."

"Yes, Miss. If you have no other instructions, I will proceed immediately."

"No need to rush. There are some things that need to be retrieved from there first." Hua Zhi glanced at Bao Xia, who understood. She handed the name cards on the desk to Steward Xu, who stood up to receive them.

"Deliver these cards to their recipients personally. Don't feel hesitant. The Hua family may have faced challenges, but we have not fallen."

Steward Xu involuntarily stood a little straighter, "Yes, I understand."

"In addition, I need a few people who are familiar with the outside world. Kindly inquire if Xu Jie, Zuo Fei, and Liu Yueming are willing to work under my command."

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TNote:

"I'm not a professional translator, and my Chinese isn't fluent. I've done my best to provide a smooth translation, but mistakes might occur. Please let me know gently if you find any errors.

If you feel my translation isn't significantly better than machine translation, feel free to use any available machine-translated versions.

Please understand that I'm not being compensated for this translation."