Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C223. Three Rounds.

Chapter 223: Three Rounds

Zhu Bowen found himself envying Hua Yizheng. Among all the families in the capital, only Hua Yizheng could have raised such a remarkable granddaughter.

Thinking of his old friend far up north, Zhu Bowen sighed. A man who had once changed his clothes five or six times a day, living a life of luxury, was now enduring such hardship in his old age. He wondered how his friend was doing.

Hua Zhi lowered her head and took a sip of tea, "I plan to go north around July. If you have anything you'd like me to bring to Grandfather, please let me know in advance."

Zhu Bowen looked surprised, "Going again this year? Jingzhou is far away. It will probably take you more than two months to go there and back. Will your health allow it if you go north in July?"

"It won't take that long if I go by horse, and the weather is good now, so there won't be any delays on the road. I should be able to return in a month."

"I remember you just went north at the beginning of the year."

"Yes, it mainly depends on when I return from Jingzhou. If I return early, I'll go earlier. I'll go again at the end of the year."

Zhu Bowen hadn't expected that she had this plan. He sat up a little straighter, leaning forward slightly, "Once every six months? Will it be like this from now on?"

"Yes."

"Why do you have to work so hard? Taking good care of the Hua family is already a great achievement."

"Achievements are judged by others, what does it have to do with me? I've enjoyed the wealth of the Hua family for many years, and now I'm just doing my duty as a daughter of the Hua family." Hua Zhi looked at her energetic grandfather and thought of how his hair had turned half white in just a few months.

She understood that stubborn old man. He would certainly not regret what he had done, but he would feel guilty for dragging the Hua family into this situation.

"Now everyone looks at me as if I'm just a spectator, but I grew up from a little baby to sixteen years old. If it weren't for Grandfather's indulgence, how could I have lived a peaceful life in one place? The knowledge I have wasn't born in my brain. Everything I say and do was taught to me by Grandfather. If Grandfather had treated me this way for the sake of the family, then that would be fine, I would just repay him a little. But he didn't. He didn't know that the Hua family would face this disaster. He just indulged me and let me live the life I wanted to live."

Hua Zhi's eyes were slightly moist. If Grandfather had been kind to her with a purpose, she would not have been so grateful. But Grandfather truly indulged and spoiled her in an inconspicuous way.

"If the Great Daqing Dynasty allowed women to hold office, I would do my best to earn a future for the Hua family. If women were allowed to be generals, I would be willing to go to the battlefield to earn military merit for their return. But I don't have that opportunity. I can only do it slowly. Before that, I have to reassure Grandfather. I don't want to wait until they can finally come home and find that the most important person is missing."

By the end, Hua Zhi's voice was trembling. This was her greatest fear, so she would rather exhaust herself than present herself before her grandfather. She wanted to tell him that everything was well at home, to tell him what she had done, and to assure him that they would return home soon.

She could endure her grandfather's illness and old age, but she absolutely could not accept his passing! Especially not in such a way that he would certainly find unsatisfying.

Zhu Bowen had never seen his granddaughter so emotionally exposed. He understood what she was trying to say. As her maternal grandfather for so many years, he had never known of this granddaughter's existence, which showed just how much Hua Yizheng had invested in her.

Putting himself in Hua Yizheng's shoes, if he were exiled thousands of miles away, the greatest comfort would be knowing that everything was well at home. What Zhi'er was doing was the best solace for Hua Yizheng.

"I understand. You may go with peace of mind."

Hua Zhi stood up and curtsied. That was all she needed. The Hua family was too weak. If someone took advantage of their situation at this time, the younger ones at home might not be able to handle it.

She could leave, but she also had to build a protective net for them.

"What are you talking about? Why so serious?" Zhu Haocheng's heart sank as soon as he entered and saw this scene. He knew that his second brother had been feeling some discomfort these days because of that business deal, and now Zhi'er was here.

Could something have gone wrong while he was away?

Hua Zhi stood up and called out to her uncle, then exchanged greetings with Zhu Ziwen behind him.

When Old Master Zhu saw his eldest grandson, his eyes lit up. "Zhi'er, how about letting Ziwen accompany you on this trip south?"

"That's inappropriate." Hua Zhi refused without hesitation.

There was no rule here against marrying within five generations of kinship; in fact, marrying within the family was considered normal. Even if there wasn't Yan Xi, she wouldn't want to act out a scene of a cousin marrying a cousin.

"Is Zhi'er going south?" Uncle Zhu asked, relieved that it had nothing to do with business, and sat down on the side to inquire.

"Yes, grandfather, this matter is not appropriate."

Seeing her resolute attitude, Old Master Zhu could not force it any further. He had indeed harbored some thoughts, thinking that if these two hit it off, wouldn't this girl then belong to the Zhu family?

Unfortunately.

Before Zhu Ziwen could say anything, he was pushed out and then brought back in. Not taking offense, he smiled and said, "Cousin said she wanted to have a game with grandfather? It just so happens to let me broaden my horizons."

Hua Zhi raised an eyebrow, not afraid of this matter at all.

Everything was ready, and the few of them moved to the chessboard, taking sides. Zhu Haocheng and his son stood behind the old man, while the second uncle stood with Hua Zhi.

Onlookers watch the bustle, insiders watch the subtleties, and those from prestigious families all understand a bit about this. The only difference lies in the level of expertise, and coincidentally, the skills of the Zhu family's few sons were all quite good.

The old man was known for his steady chess style, but what surprised them was that Hua Zhi also played steadily and cautiously. She made her moves very quickly, as if without the need for much thought, and it seemed she was evenly matched with the old man.

Zhu Bowen's previous leisurely attitude was dispelled, and he truly regarded his granddaughter as a competitor.

In the first game, Zhu Bowen won by a half point.

In the second game, Hua Zhi took the black pieces and made the first move. She drank the tea in her cup and her eyes gleamed with a hint of combativeness.

When they reached the seventh move, they all noticed that Hua Zhi's chess style had changed this time. Similar to the first game's openness, this game was filled with traps, and in the end, Zhu Bowen lost by half a point.

In the third game, Zhu Bowen took the black pieces. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed himself so much, and he was excited to the point that his beard was trembling.

But in this game, Hua Zhi changed her strategy again. She used deceptive tactics, all of her formations were a mix of truth and falsehood. When you thought her move was true, it turned out to be false, and when no one saw potential in a particular move, it ended up being the key to victory. In this game, Zhu Bowen had to resign after sacrificing pieces.

The fact that the old man lost was a result that no one had anticipated!

The old man laughed heartily, genuinely happy. The fact that the Hua family had produced such a girl was a blessing for the Hua family, but it was also a blessing for the Zhu family!

"Have you read military strategy books?"

"The Hua family's library has all kinds of books, and I have read them all."