Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C388. Filling the Room?

Chapter 388: Filling the Room?

Hua Zhi led Hua Ling into the study, her calm demeanor masking an undercurrent of purpose.

“That scholar who saved you—he showed up today. Did you notice him?” she asked casually, though her words carried a pointed curiosity.

Hua Ling nodded. Among the sea of genteel scholars, there was no mistaking the one with the unusually purplish complexion.

“This morning, I sent someone to deliver something to him, but it seems he left early and missed it,” Hua Zhi remarked, her tone even as she gestured for Hua Ling to take a seat. She unfurled a blank sheet of paper, dipped her brush into ink, and began to write with the fluid precision of someone long accustomed to this routine.

The conversation shifted effortlessly as Hua Zhi addressed the matter at hand. The seafood recently transported from the South had already begun to show signs of decline—delicate goods like these required swift and meticulous care. Even those on the brink of spoilage needed immediate attention if they were to salvage any value. It was a task that demanded diligence and a level head.

Chen Mama, a trusted servant brought into the household by their grandmother from the Qin family, seemed like the ideal choice to manage this operation. With one son who had accompanied Hua Zhi’s grandfather to the Northern regions and a daughter married to a family steward, Chen Mama’s experience and connections would surely ease their grandmother’s worries about the family’s food trade.

Hua Ling, meanwhile, fidgeted in her seat, her curiosity simmering just below the surface. Unable to suppress it any longer, she finally blurted out, “Eldest sister, can I watch?”

Hua Zhi didn’t even pause, her brush gliding smoothly across the paper. “There’s nothing here you’re not allowed to see,” she replied with a nonchalance that put Hua Ling at ease.

Encouraged, Hua Ling eagerly moved closer, her eyes fixed on each stroke of ink as though committing them to memory. She read the words with care, savoring the moment. Hua Zhi was a figure she admired deeply—too far above her to imitate, but close enough to learn from. For Hua Ling, even standing in her shadow felt like a privilege.

*

Meanwhile, in the main house, there was a conversation taking place in Concubine Qin's room.

With a sharp glare and a finger pointed accusingly at her daughter Hua Rong’s forehead, Concubine Qin let her anger spill over. “You’re the eldest miss’s biological sister, and yet you just stand by while Hua Ling cozies up to her. Are you really okay with letting that happen?”

Hua Rong, though equally displeased, had spent the last six months fostering a peaceful relationship with her two sisters. She crossed her arms defensively and shot back, “Third Sister isn’t trying to cozy up to Eldest Sister. Mother, you don’t see everything, so stop jumping to conclusions!”

“Jumping to conclusions?” Concubine Qin’s voice rose, dripping with exasperation. “I’m looking out for your future! The entire Hua family is under the eldest miss’s control now. If you don’t handle your relationships wisely, how do you expect to secure any benefits later?”

Hua Rong held her ground. “Sister protects even distant relatives. Do you think she’d treat me, her own flesh and blood, unfairly? Before Third Sister got into trouble, Eldest Sister barely paid her any attention. But the moment disaster struck, she stood up for her, no matter the cost. If something happened to me, I trust she’d do the same!”

Concubine Qin was livid, her voice trembling as her frustration boiled over. “And where, pray tell, does this confidence of yours come from?”

"From bearing the Hua name and from what I’ve seen and learned in this house,” Hua Rong said firmly, her usual meekness replaced with defiance. Her gaze was unflinching. “And Mother, let me warn you—if you scheme behind the scenes and it drags me into trouble, don’t you dare claim it was ‘for my sake.’ Just remember what happened to Hua Yan before you think of pulling anything reckless!”