Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C380. Fearless.

Chapter 380: Fearless

Hua Zhi grabbed the basket, unwrapped the oiled paper, and revealed two small jars. With a smile, she opened them, showing off fried noodles and pork jerky. “I made these for the autumn exams. Cousin, give them a try and let me know what you think of this snack idea.”

Zhu Ziwen’s eyes lit up. He’d heard horror stories about the autumn exams—no matter how much you prepared, it always felt like you were being tested to your limits. His cousin had always been sharp, so maybe she really did have something special up her sleeve this time.

He didn’t waste any time, picking up a piece of pork jerky and popping it in his mouth. The moment he bit into it, the flavor hit him—fragrant, a little sweet, and with just the right amount of salt. It was delicious!

Next, he grabbed a white, twisted mass and turned it over in his hands, a little unsure of what to do with it.

Hua Zhi noticed his hesitation. “You can either bite into it or break it into smaller pieces.”

Being the scholar he was, Zhu Ziwen opted for the latter and broke off a small piece, popping it into his mouth. It was crispy, fragrant, and absolutely tasty!

But the flavor made him pause… “Is this noodles?”

“It’s a special way of making them. Do you think it would be possible to bring these into the exam hall?”

Zhu Ziwen’s face lit up, a spark of excitement in his eyes. “Yes! Absolutely!” Then, after a second’s thought, he added, “You asked students to come on the seventh day because…”

Hua Zhi flashed a mischievous smile, “I just don’t want to do what certain people expect.”

Zhu Ziwen, coming from a family like the Zhu’s, smiled but couldn’t help but think things through. “But, if it gets too much attention, it could backfire. It might not be the best look.”

Hua Zhi shrugged. “I’m not giving it away for free. I’m selling it. And with the Hua family in business now, it’s not wrong for me to make a profit off something.”

Zhu Ziwen didn’t press her on the details of how she’d go about it. Instead, he grabbed the basket, carefully covering the jars. “This doesn’t count. You’ll need to prepare another batch for me later.”

“Of course, I’ll make more for you.”

Finally satisfied, Zhu Ziwen left, content. After all, he wasn’t just eating for free—he had to make sure his cousin got her fair share of the deal.

Turning around, Hua Zhi smiled as she caught her grandmother’s eye. “You and Mom should head back to your room and catch up. I still have some things to finish up here.”

The old lady glanced at her granddaughter, busy as ever, and then shifted her gaze to her daughter, who seemed so much more innocent in comparison. A heavy sigh escaped her lips as she wondered how on earth she’d managed to raise such a naive woman.

The third lady, now composed, quickly bowed in respect to Old Madam Zhu. After a few pleasantries, the old lady made her way to the second gate with her daughter, leaving everyone else to focus on the eldest girl.

Was she looking for their approval?

Unable to hold back, Hua Zhi had to ask. She needed to understand who was behind all of this and who was truly at fault. “Do you think Third Sister could fill me in on what happened?”

Without a second thought, Hua Ling nodded.

Hua Zhi’s smile softened, a fondness emerging for her. If enduring such hardship had made Hua Ling this brave, it might just have been a blessing in disguise. “Third Aunt, please join us.”

Xia Shi clutched her daughter’s hand tightly and followed them.

Once inside the study, Ying Chun served tea and quietly stepped outside to stand guard.

Hua Ling’s body trembled, and her mother, thinking it was out of fear, couldn’t have been further from the truth. Hua Ling was shaking with excitement, her heartbeat quickening as if she were full of untapped energy. Her voice quivered as she spoke, every word coming from a place of raw emotion.

“I ran into Wei Chengxi on the way to the city. He attacked the guards and the maid and forced me into his carriage, heading for his villa outside the city. I refused to go with him and even tried to jump from the carriage a few times, thinking it’d be better to break my neck than... than be...” Hua Ling clenched her fists. “He played with me, like a cat with a mouse—giving me just enough hope to make me think I could escape, but never actually letting me succeed. Then, out of nowhere, someone intercepted us. I saw it was a scholar and his young servant. They tried to stand up to Wei Chengxi, but they were outnumbered and all three were injured. Luckily, Wei Chengxi hesitated in the end, or else... I don’t know what would’ve happened to them.”

Hua Zhi nodded, clearly understanding the situation. If it weren’t for the impending autumn inspection, Wei Chengxi’s actions, including killing several people, wouldn’t have raised as many alarms.

“But luckily, they delayed him for a bit. By the time we could see the villa, Mr. Wang had caught up with us. Aside from... well, the verbal insults, Wei Chengxi didn’t have the chance to do anything further to me. Eldest sister, I’m not sure how badly that scholar was hurt. If this ends up ruining his future, what will happen to him?”

“Chunshan already took him and Suyun Mama to Physician Chu’s place. I’ll prepare a gift and personally go thank him later,” Hua Zhi replied, standing up and opening a cabinet to fetch a large box. She pulled out a few pills wrapped in paper. “These are sedative pills made from Shao Yao. You were quite shaken today, and you might have trouble sleeping tonight. Take two of these before bed. It might be better to sleep with Third Aunt for a few nights, too.”

Hua Ling quietly accepted the pills, unable to voice anything further. She had no choice but to accept her eldest sister’s care, though she couldn’t help but feel conflicted inside.

Meanwhile, Xia shi couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. She broke down into sobs, her voice trembling as she said, “I sent the maid back to the Xia family for help, but they... they were so cold-hearted. They wouldn’t even let her in. How could they be so heartless?”

“They’re just arrogant,” Hua Zhi replied, lowering her head to take a sip of tea. “If the Hua family falls, they won’t lose anything. But if we rise again, as a married woman, you’ll still need the support of your birth family. Even if they’re being cruel now, can you really afford to sever ties with them completely in the future? No matter how cold they are now, you need to keep that in mind.”

Xia shi’s sobs quieted for a moment, her tears still flowing but her voice failing her.

“At the beginning, I suggested cutting ties with the birth family to preserve what little affection remained. Once the situation settles and the Hua family rises again, your birth family won’t be lost to you. After all, families like the Zhu family are rare.”

The logic behind it was pretty straightforward, but the reality was that a married woman’s reliance on her family of origin was deeply ingrained. Sure, there were occasional secretive connections between the family rooms and the natal families, but those usually led to nothing but disappointment.

Hua Ling glanced over at her perceptive older sister, then turned to her dazed mother, before standing up. “Eldest sister, I’ll take my mom back to her courtyard now.”

“You should focus on resting for now. Forget about the other things, don’t overthink it.”

“Yes.” Hua Ling took a few steps before pausing and turning back. “Saying thank you doesn’t seem like enough, but I still want to say it. I’m really grateful to have you as my sister.”

“Alright, I’ll take it,” Hua Zhi replied with a playful smile. “I can barely remember the days when competitive Hua Ling used to show up.”

A blush crept onto Hua Ling’s face as she turned away, not wanting to dwell on the person she used to be. Her pace quickened as she left with her mother, feeling a little embarrassed by her past self, as if it wasn’t even her anymore.

Hua Zhi chuckled lightly, leaned back in her chair, and let out a long, relieved breath, enjoying a rare moment of quiet in the empty study.