Blossom in Adversity

C30. Determination.

Chapter 30: Determination

Liu Juan smiled, "I still want to go. If I can't go to the eldest Miss's side, I'll follow the senior maidservant beside her first. Sister Fu Dong said I am skillful with my hands, and quick to learn. I can start by learning to cook with her. Brother, you have no idea how delicious Sister Fu Dong's cooking is. I will cook for the eldest Miss in the future."

Seeing her determined sister, Liu Jiang didn't know how to bring her back. "Juan'er, I will repay the kindness of the eldest Miss for saving you. You don't have to sacrifice your whole life."

"At first, it was for the sake of the life-saving grace, but later it wasn't. It's like, it's like..." Liu Juan paused, using her limited vocabulary to describe as accurately as possible, "It's like a person feeling cold and seeing a fire ahead, wishing to throw themselves into it completely, even if it might burn them to death. For me, the eldest Miss is that fire."

Liu Juan looked at her worried brother and felt a wave of sadness. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Brother, I still have nightmares every day, but whenever I'm most afraid, the eldest Miss appears in my dreams holding a knife, covered in blood. At that moment, I'm not afraid anymore because I know she will protect me, just like that daytime and that night. These days, I no longer fear my dreams because even in my dreams, I know the eldest Miss will come."

Tears streamed down her face as Liu Juan knelt down in front of her brother. "These days with Sister Fu Dong, I have seen many things. I dare not hope to become like the eldest Miss, or even compare to Sister Fu Dong. But I still want to work hard to become like the other sisters. Although they are maidservants, they can read and write, effortlessly solving difficult tasks that seem impossible to me. I want to become like them, not like Mrs. Liu next door who revolves around men and children every day, enduring physical abuse from her husband. Brother, that terrifies me more than my nightmares."

"You foolish girl." Liu Jiang's eyes also turned red. He lifted his sister up, their years of dependence on each other showing that their bond was beyond that of ordinary siblings. Hearing her words, he couldn't hold back any longer.

"Brother, you're foolish too, afraid of finding a bad wife for you, not even allowing the matchmaker to come. Since you have money from selling me, tidy up the house, and then find a matchmaker to find a wife for you. Let's not delay it any longer. Even Er Niu Ge is about to become a father by the end of this year."

"How can I use your money?" Liu Jiang rubbed his face forcefully. "I understand, I understand. This is the first time you've been so decisive. I won't stop you. You're right, the eldest Miss is a good person. When you come of age, she will naturally arrange your marriage. She won't let you become an old maid. It's better to be with anyone in the mansion than face the earth every day. Yes, I won't stop you, won't stop you."

Having come to terms with it, Liu Jiang took his sister's package and put it on his back, leading the way out the door.

Liu Juan watched from behind, wiping away her tears with a smile. Whether people approved or not, whether she was a servant or not, being by the side of the eldest Miss made her heart at peace.

Hua Zhi looked at Liu Juan kneeling before her, slightly surprised. She didn't expect Liu Juan to be so determined.

"Did your older brother agree?"

Liu Juan bit her lip and said, "He initially disagreed, but I convinced him."

Hua Zhi propped her head on her hand for a moment of thought. "You don't need to sign a lifetime contract, just sign a three-year contract."

"I want to sign a lifetime contract. Please accept me as your servant."

Being a servant of hers, Hua Zhi looked at her in bewilderment, "Why do you insist on signing a lifetime contract? What's good about serving someone for a lifetime?"

"I think it's good, and I want to serve you for a lifetime."

"Wasn't this decision made in haste?"

"No, I have been thinking about it for several days."

Hua Zhi looked at her intently for a moment, then nodded. "Bao Xia, go handle this matter, and give her twenty taels of silver."

"Yes."

"Thank you, eldest Miss."

"Fu Dong said you are skillful, so you will follow her from now on."

"Yes."

Watching Liu Juan leave with a joyful expression, Hua Zhi couldn't help but smile, "Clearly, I accepted a servant, but it feels like I've done a good deed."

The maid looked at her as if she had done a good deed, "Which family would spend twenty taels to buy a maid?" Nian Qiu followed suit and brought in tea to feed it to the young lady.

Hua Zhi did not like the taste, reluctantly took a few sips and pushed it away. "She is here to repay a kindness. If I don't accept her, she will probably keep this in mind. It's better to take her in and find a reason to let her go in a few years. Remember this, if I forget and delay her life, it will be my fault."

"Yes, I will remember," Nian Qiu replied.

Ying Chun, who usually oversaw everything, was not present. Bao Xia was careless. Nian Qiu had to take care of everything, even though she tried to handle as much as she could, there were still many things that needed the young lady's approval.

But looking at the young lady's state, she couldn't help but think that those things were not as important as her health. Slowing down wouldn't hurt, as everyone was not starving. If the young lady didn't take care of herself, it would be a lifelong matter.

"Nian Qiu."

Nian Qiu came back to her senses and responded softly.

"Do you know what I was thinking when my life was hanging by a thread that night?"

Nian Qiu was startled, she bit her lip and knelt down.

Hua Zhi did not call her up. Several days had passed since the incident, and she had thought they would understand, but it seemed she had overestimated their resilience.

"I thought, even if I died, I could rest easy. I had already consumed most of the enemy's life, and if you all attacked together, that person wouldn't survive. You all are loyal to your master, and with my life debt, you would surely treat Ba Lin well in the future. Look, in the end, my thoughts were only about Ba Lin."

Hua Zhi smiled, "After all these years with me, you should understand that I am not really a kind-hearted person. Taking over the Hua family is just to not disappoint my grandfather, and to not let Ba Lin experience hardship too soon. He is the eldest grandson of the main branch, once the Hua family completely falls, the responsibility and suffering will fall on him. I can't bear to see him burdened at such a young age."

Looking at Nian Qiu, Hua Zhi softened her tone, "But the Hua family will eventually be handed over to him. The men of the Hua family may not return anytime soon. By the time Ba Lin and his brothers grow up and have children, even if I am willing to remain single at home, others may not accept me, let alone let me continue to run the household. I don't want to run this household, but when I hand it over to Ba Lin, I hope it's not in such a pitiful state. Nian Qiu, do you understand what I mean?"

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Author's Note:

The more details mentioned now, the more they will appear later. It's good to have some ambition to have more possibilities.

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TNote:

Continue to ask for votes, we haven't reached fifty yet! Pretty please?