Blossom in Adversity

C31. Starting.

Chapter 31: Starting

Nian Qiu choked back her tears. She understood that the Sixth Young Master had grown up by the young lady's side, and the bond between them was no less than that of parents and children. Her feelings towards the Sixth Young Master were clearer to her than to the servants.

The young lady knew, she knew their guilt, she knew they wanted to cover her ears and shield her eyes, but they had crossed the line.

"Get up." Hua Zhi pointed out and stopped there. She understood the intention behind it, but she couldn't just follow their wishes like that.

The fruit was almost ready to be picked, and there was no time to waste.

Nian Qiu stood up, feeling uncomfortable with the words the young lady had just said. "Miss, the Sixth Young Master would not treat you like that. Even if he marries a wife who is not virtuous, Old Madam will not allow it. She promised you."

"Bai Lin will not, but how can I bear to see him caught in the middle and struggling? Grandmother, for the sake of the family's stability, would not openly stand behind me. Each person has their own difficulties. When the time comes, I may have to live separately from the family, and I will be happy if I can live leisurely."

Hua Zhi longed for that day, her spirit yearning for respite from the relentless pace of life. The weight of her busy days on her previous life had worn on her soul, leaving her craving a moment of peace. "You must also offer your comfort to the others, assuring them that this ordeal has come to an end." She hoped that her words would bring solace to those who were still struggling to cope with the recent events.

"It's the servants' fault, letting Miss worry about this."

"I am willing to worry for you all. Once everything is settled, then I will start worrying about marrying you all off."

"Miss!"

"Alright, let's not talk about that." Hua Zhi smiled. "You can all be old maidens and keep me company."

"We are willing!" They were eager for that. Nian Qiu thought to herself, fearing that their young lady would truly take this matter to heart, she quickly changed the subject and informed her of everything she wanted to know.

*

"As per your instructions, four root cellars have been dug, three in the front yard and one in the back yard. Wu San is still leading a team to continue digging. The cellars are lined with lime on the first layer and sawdust on the second layer. The waterproofing measures are also done to the best of our ability. Liu Qi has already made arrangements, and when the time comes, the men will handle the heavy work while the women do the rest. The steaming pots and other items you ordered were delivered early this morning and have been set up. We bought firewood from the tenants, but I was worried it wouldn't be enough, so I had Liu Jiang help find a few more households to deliver it."

Hua Zhi nodded. "Very good."

Nian Qiu looked more relaxed. "Liu Qi had an experienced farmer take a look and said that some of the peaches are ripe enough to be picked. He plans to go pick them tomorrow morning. However, the new things you purchased are unfamiliar to everyone, so he is afraid of damaging them. He wants to ask if you could send someone who knows how to use them to teach them."

"Those things are easy to use. When the peaches are picked tomorrow, I will go and show him how to use them. He just needs to follow my instructions." Her mother, liked to show her gentle and virtuous side, occasionally doing this and that. She had seen it all. The only difference now was that the quantity was much larger than before, but the method remained the same.