Inside the shed, Hua Jing was wrapped in two quilts and dozing off by the fire. Her head nodded, and her body tilted to the side before she quickly sat up straight again. She didn't even open her eyes during the whole process, and it was obvious that she had adapted to the situation.
Hua Zhijing stood not far away and watched coldly. She really wanted to rush over to remove the brazier, throw away the quilt, and carry Hua Jing to kneel on the snow to apologize to her grandmother. But it was just a thought. She didn't intend to do things that would win Hua Jing's sympathy.
"Girl, do you want to wake her up?"
Hua Zhi shook her head, turned and left. It had been seven nights, and this was just the end.
The mourning hall could not be left alone, so Hua Zhi sent everyone else to sleep and knelt on the mat, holding herself in her hands and keeping the eternal lamp burning. She didn't know that on the roof not far from her, Gu Yanxi had been with her for half the night in the cold wind.
Everyone is waiting for dawn.
In the main courtyard of the Zhu Mansion, Madam Zhu helped the old man put on his court robes and said softly, "I don't know what the situation is like at the Hua family. I was planning to go there yesterday, but I thought that the Hua family might be very busy by then, and if I went there, they would have to distract themselves to entertain me, so I gave up the idea. I have to go early today no matter what."
Zhu Bowen nodded in agreement, "You go first. I can't get away today because it's a big court. I'll take half a day off tomorrow to go and pay my respects. You can bring a few capable people with you and help as much as possible."
"I know." The old lady pressed her eyes, "How could this person just disappear like that? When the Hua family collapsed, she collapsed with them. She was so cruel to just walk away. Without her to keep them in check, who knows how the younger ones in the Hua family will be bullied."
Zhu Bowen sighed, "Others can help temporarily but not forever. The Hua family still has to stand on their own feet. I just don't know who the old lady has handed over the family to."
"Of course it's the daughter-in-law of the Hua family. It can't be..." The old lady paused, "Are you saying that you will let Zhi'er take charge?"
"Seeing is believing. You will know once you go there. If Zhi'er is really the boss, our family will have to help out a little more."
"Even if I don't let her take charge, I will still help. I don't have a heart of stone that would allow me to watch my daughter and grandson suffer."
Zhu Bowen did not explain to his wife that his help was not the same as hers. He just nodded as a response to her words.
The old lady thought that the Hua family might have to buy everything from outside now, so she searched the warehouse and found a lot of things, filling two large carts. She also brought along the two housekeepers she usually used.
"mother."
The old lady was about to get on the carriage when she heard a voice and turned around. It was her second son Zhu Haodong.
"I will go with you."
Mrs. Hua would naturally not refuse. She did not ask her son and daughter-in-law to help her married sister, but if they really wanted to help, she, as a mother, would certainly be happy.
The lights were on in the Hua family all night.
There were servants sweeping in front of the door, keeping the road clean. The servants coming in and out were very restrained in their sorrow, and their every move did not seem to have let their reputation be damaged by the collapse of the Hua family.
Hua Jing looked haggard. She stood outside the shed wrapped in a quilt, looking blankly, her thoughts drifting far away.
She remembered how she was pampered at her parents' home, how her brothers would always bring her a bouquet of flowers when they went out for a walk, how she was dressed in red at her wedding, how she was taken care of by her family every time she came home, and how her sister-in-law didn't dare to say anything to upset her, and she remembered...
How could she not feel resentful? If her mother had stopped her father, if her father was still a second-rank official, she would still be the honorable eldest daughter of the Hua family, and the Song family would still have to pamper and give in to her. With the support of her mother's family, her daughter could marry into a higher position, and the help her son could get would be far beyond what anyone else in the Song family could get.
But all these are gone now. She is like a drowned dog. Everyone in the Song family wants to step on her. How can she not feel resentful!
Mother should understand her! She thought her mother would definitely help her. She was just a maid. There were hundreds of servants in the house. One more and one less would not be too much. If she was by her side, she could help her a lot. Why couldn't she be given to her
Hua Jing felt more and more that she was not wrong. Since you are unkind, then I am unjust. That's all.
She returned to the shed. The charcoal in the brazier was almost burned out. Early in the morning was the coldest time of the year, and Hua Jing was still shivering with cold even while holding two quilts that were of little weight.
She would not give up just like that. Hua Jing's eyes were full of cruelty. As long as the Hua family still wanted to marry off their daughter, they would not dare to speak nonsense. When the time comes, she would let them know what it meant to shoot oneself in the foot.
Hua Jing's behavior was reported to Hua Zhi by the servants. Hua Zhi was too lazy to bother with Hua Jing. She was looking forward to Hua Jing making a big noise.
Mrs. Wu was a little worried. "I have dealt with her for several years. She is not someone who will suffer any loss. She must be resentful of you for torturing her like this. You have to be careful. I heard from your fourth uncle that she was not like this before. I don't know when she became so unreasonable."
"When life goes too smoothly, she thinks she is the boss and the second oldest. When she falls into the mud, she will know how old she is." Hua Zhi stopped talking about her. "Someone should come to pay their respects today. I've asked my uncle and aunt to help entertain the older generation. If the ladies are from other families, I'll have to trouble you to arrange it. Second aunt has a low status, and my mother can only entertain the Zhu family. For the rest, I'll have to ask you and third aunt."
"Don't worry, we can still do this." Wu asked again, "What if a male guest comes?"
"Leave it to Berlin."
Wu was shocked. "Berlin is still so young. How can this be done? If the person who came was from my father-in-law's generation, and I let a young person receive him, wouldn't that be a joke?"
"Berlin is the oldest man in the Hua family right now. It can only be him."
Wu was speechless. Of course, if not Berlin, who else could go? The Hua family was so big, but now...
Wu's nose felt sore. She lowered her head and pressed the corner of her eye. When she raised her head again, her eyes were only slightly red. "Okay, then you have to make arrangements in Berlin and don't make a fool of yourself."
"He knows what to do. People are forced to learn. If something they don't know is forced upon them, they will learn it. No one is born knowing everything."
"You seem to be born knowing everything. No one knows more than you."
Hua Zhi's lips twitched slightly. That was because she had been learning for her entire life, from the age of three to the age of twenty-eight, and would be learning a new language until she died. Anyone who had that experience would understand more.
Nian Qiu walked in quickly, "Miss, the wife of the in-laws is here, as well as the second uncle."
No one expected the Zhu family to arrive so early. Mrs. Wu hurriedly stood up and said, "Go and greet them. They are so thoughtful."
Hua Zhi's eyes brightened, she became more energetic, and walked out quickly.
Mrs. Wu walked to the door and watched her leave, sighing deeply. She didn't know what the Hua family would face in the future. She just hoped that the world would be kinder to Zhi'er and not torture her too much.
PS: I saw some girls saying that it takes too long to write about a person's death. But girl, this paragraph is not just about the death of a person, but also about Hua Zhi really starting to be in charge. Dealing with Hua Jing is not just because she hates her for killing her grandmother, but Hua Zhi also needs to use her to establish her authority and intimidate the side branches of the Hua family. There are actually a lot of things to write in this paragraph, so it will definitely be long, and the next update will be late.