Blossom in Adversity

C92. Father-Daughter Conversation.

Chapter 92: Father-Daughter Conversation

Hua Zhi gave the last two hundred taels silver note on her to Chen Shan, instructing him to buy top-quality herbs.

Shao Yao thought for a moment and decided to accompany him. She was afraid that the herb shop here might cheat Chen Shan by giving inferior quality herbs.

Moreover, she realized that with her presence, there was no need to order specific prescriptions. They could just buy a bunch of herbs directly!

Sitting back by the charcoal pot, Hua Zhi noticed her father's tea cup was empty and got up to refill it. Hua Pingyu didn't want to trouble her and quickly said, "Not thirsty, just stay seated."

Hua Zhi sat back down obediently, just like she had done for many years.

Hua Pingyu's heart softened. He may not be good at handling household affairs or interpersonal relationships, but he had a clear insight. Over the years, he could see that Hua Zhi didn't deliberately hide herself; it was just her nature to avoid the spotlight. When the Hua family was stable, she was content to be a quiet lady of the house, even if others saw her as ordinary.

In the end, it was his neglect as a father. He used to think that Bai Lin was close to his older sister because she spoiled him. But he didn't realize that it was Hua Zhi's ability to make Bai Lin respect her that tamed his unruly nature.

Hua Zhi brought up the topic that concerned Hua Pingyu the most. "Mother is doing well, she hardly cries anymore. She says she'll save her tears until you return and drown you in them."

Hua Pingyu smiled bitterly. When would he be able to go back? "She's gentle, so please look after her. Are Qin Shi and He Shi behaving? If they cause trouble, send them away. If the Hua family is in ruins now, they may not be willing to stay obediently."

"If they weren't tied down by children, they might have other thoughts, but they all have kids and they're not heartless. They'll stay put for the sake of their children, regardless of whether they want to or not."

"Father knows you're smart, but sometimes being a little confused isn't necessarily a bad thing. Seeing through everything can be exhausting."

"What can I do? I naturally understand these things." Hua Zhi smiled lightly, her eyes downcast. "Except for life and death matters, I'll treat everything else as trivial."

"You..." Hua Pingyu shook his head and adjusted the charcoal with the tongs. "And Bai Lin? Has he made any progress?"

"I had him apprentice under Master Mu."

"Mu Qing has a good character and more knowledge than those with just a reputation. But you need to be cautious, as human hearts are fickle."

Who said Hua Pingyu was an inflexible scholar?

Hua Zhi's lips quirked slightly. He clearly understood everything, but with the Hua surname supporting him in the past, he didn't need to force himself to do things he didn't want to.

"Daughter understands. Currently, the Hua family relies too heavily on Master Mu, but it will improve after the new year. My maternal Grandfather helped find another teacher, but he's not in the capital, so it will take some time to bring him here."

Hua Pingyu turned to her. "Your maternal grandfather..."

"Maternal Grandmother came by and told me about finding a teacher. They also sent many things we can use. Father, our maternal grandparents haven't distanced themselves from us."

Hua Pingyu cleared his throat, turned back to the charcoal, his eyes gleaming with either firelight or happiness.

"Grandfather's crime is being involved in party disputes. He has to stay low to avoid implicating the Zhu family. He willingly accepted the accusation to protect the family. You may not know this: when the Hua family was exiled, he started building connections here. The fact that the whole family could settle here smoothly may have something to do with my maternal grandfather."

"Your maternal grandfather has figured it out. It's embarrassing for me, as a son-in-law, to doubt that they would act like others." Hua Pingyu self-deprecated. He feared that the Hua family would have no one to support them and was grateful for the Yue family's support.

Hua Zhi redirected the conversation to Bai Lin. "After I left, I had Bai Lin take over teaching the younger class."

"You mean Bai Lin is teaching? That's ridiculous! He's still young and hasn't even fully learned himself. It's both misleading to others and to himself. Even if it slows things down a bit, it won't delay much until you return!"

"I divided the children in our family into two groups - Master Mu teaches the older class, and I teach the younger class." Hua Zhi continued to smile lightly. "You underestimated Bai Lin. He has a solid foundation. Although he used to be playful, he didn't slack off in his studies. After the chaos in the family, he became more focused. I've heard him teach, and he has no issues. He knows the responsibility he carries and wouldn't dare be careless."

"Exactly, when there's a sense of responsibility, one naturally takes things seriously." Hua Yizheng entered with a chill, a smile on his face as he teasingly pointed at Hua Zhi. "Don't be too bold."

Hua Yizheng's heart was filled with anticipation. He wanted to see how the family would change under Hua Zhi's guidance, how far Bai Lin, taught by her, would go, and what kind of people the children in the family would become.

He believed that with Hua Zhi at the helm, the family wouldn't go off course.

Hua Zhi quickly stood up to help her grandfather sit by the fire. A servant brought in hot water, and she placed the basin in front of her grandfather to wash his hands and freshen up.

Holding a teacup, Hua Yizheng smiled as he watched his busy granddaughter. "Why did you decide to have Bai Lin teach?"

"He is the oldest male in the family, so it is his responsibility to solve family issues." Hua Zhi finished washing her hands and sat down at the lower end, looking calm and relaxed, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

But how could it be normal?

Hua Yizheng's smile turned bitter. His question was off. Who would let a child under ten years old teach unless absolutely necessary?

The door curtain lifted, and Hua Pingyang walked in confidently. "I was thinking of coming to pick you up, but it seems I missed you."

Hua Yizheng frowned at him, "Why did you leave early? Aren't you afraid of gossip?"

"Don't worry, Father. Everyone knows that the eldest Miss of the Hua family has visited from the capital. It was Shang Feng who asked me to return early." Hua Pingyang looked proud as he watched his eldest niece. "Who doesn't praise the Hua family for raising such a good girl now?"

Hua Yizheng understood. Yingshan Pass was a place for fallen officials. Talking about oneself in the capital was not advisable, but once you arrived, you found the people to be quite compassionate.

Most people had been abandoned by their families and friends. If someone's relatives came, they would not only envy them but also try to offer some help. They understood that coming here was all about kinship, and a girl coming from afar was a huge act of kinship. This hadn't happened in years.

Even though he didn't like his granddaughter being the talk of the town, Hua Yizheng knew it was inevitable. When he first saw Hua Zhi, he was also left speechless, after all.