As it was almost noon, Gu Yanxi pricked up his ears to listen to the movements coming from the Moon Gate.
When seeing Hua Zhi walking slowly towards him in that cloak with a fiery red fox fur collar, Gu Yanxi couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips. When it comes to punctuality, many men are not as good as her.
"Have you recovered?" Gu Yanxi asked when she came closer.
Hua Zhi felt unbalanced for a moment, but she didn't show it on her face. She just nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern. I'm feeling better now."
Not only did she recover from her grandmother's death, but she also recovered from the fatigue brought by her trip to the north.
It seemed as if everyone had forgotten that she had just returned from the north and had not even had a rest to immediately busy herself with her grandmother's funeral arrangements, but this person remembered that her journey back was not an easy one.
Hua Zhi lowered her eyes, hiding the rippling light.
"I'm going to class first, Mr. Lu, please do as you please."
Gu Yanxi stepped aside and watched her enter the clan school. His thin figure made him frown. She had lost some weight after the trip to the north, and now she looked even thinner after being busy these days.
Thinking that she still had to observe mourning for another year, Gu Yanxi decided to write to urge her after he returned. He would feel more at ease with Shaoyao by her side. Besides, he could also use Shaoyao's hand to get some good things from the warehouse. Hua Zhi never had any way to deal with people who were good to her, and Shaoyao was one of the people she could do nothing to.
Gu Yanxi walked towards the servants who were already prepared at the other end, thinking that one day, he would become one of them.
As soon as the twelfth lunar month began, the days seemed to pass faster. Although the Hua family was still in mourning, they started to buy all the necessary things. The white silk was removed, and all traces of the old lady's existence faded away little by little. When the funeral was over, the handover of the family was also completed without causing any waves.
The three sisters Hua Xin came to Hua Zhi more and more frequently. They were secretly competing with each other, and all wanted to do better than the other two. Appropriate competition was a good thing. Hua Zhi saw it but did not break the balance. She punished those who made mistakes and praised those who did well, trying to treat them equally. Hua Rong, who originally thought she would get some special treatment, had to work harder.
Although Hua Zhi appears strong, she acts in an orderly manner and does not interfere too much in the affairs of their respective courtyards. This makes the Hua family feel at ease and they support her even more.
Obey her arrangements, do what you should do, and know what you will get. There is nothing better than this. Other families may not be good, but the Hua family needs such a head of the family.
Seeing the young lady put down her pen, Baoxia hurriedly wrung out a hot towel to cover the young lady's hands and gently rubbed them. After holding the pen for a long time and the weather was cold, the young lady's hands became stiff.
Nanny Su gently blew dry the ink, picked up the long piece of paper and carefully put it aside. The eldest girl did not talk about filial piety all the time, but she always did a lot of things. Not only did she copy a copy of the Ksitigarbha Sutra for the old lady every day, she also read it when she had time. She cared more than anyone else.
"It seems that Second Aunt's injury has improved. Has Doctor Chu said when she will be fully recovered? With Third Aunt's injuries, I'm afraid she and her family will not be able to celebrate the New Year."
"I asked, and Doctor Chu said that it's unlikely that he will be completely healed in such a short time. After all, there won't be any outsiders coming to the house. Just cover it up, and put on some makeup during the reunion dinner, and it will be almost covered up."
Nanny Su soaked her hands in hot water, rubbed them vigorously, and then massaged Hua Zhi's shoulders with appropriate strength. She had served the old lady all her life, so her hand skills were beyond the reach of the maids. After the sore and numb feeling, Hua Zhi felt her shoulders relaxed a lot.
"Go call Xu Jie."
Bao Xia responded crisply and walked out of the house briskly. Xu Jie had begged her many times, but she had just been punished by Yingchun, so she didn't dare to speak carelessly in front of the young lady. Fortunately, the young lady herself was also thinking about her.
Xu Jie came very quickly.
"Are there any inns and restaurants in Beijing that have old ties with the Hua family? To be more precise, are there any that have old ties with my fourth uncle?"
"This little one knows a little, but the people who serve the Fourth Master should know more. Why don't you ask one of them to come over and ask?"
"That's right, Liu Xiang. Go to Fourth Aunt and tell her the reason. Ask her to assign someone who is familiar with this matter."
"yes."
While waiting for someone, Hua Zhi asked about the situation on the farm.
"After processing all the oranges, I let all the farmers go. I also made an agreement with them that I will continue to look for them if they come back next year."
"Liu Jiang was also released?"
Xu Jie was surprised, "Didn't Liu Jiang already sign the death contract?"
Signed a death contract? Hua Zhi looked at Bao Xia. When did this happen
Baoxia looked confused, "We signed a death contract, but Yingchun didn't tell you?"
What else did Hua Zhi not understand? She was afraid that everyone around her knew about this except her. It wasn't that they were hiding it from her intentionally. She didn't know if it was because of the chaotic management or because everyone was too busy recently and had forgotten about it. She was more inclined to the first opinion.
"Go figure out what went wrong and don't let it happen again."
Bao Xia, who had always been trusted by the young lady, was ashamed and said, "It's our fault. There will definitely not be a next time."
Hua Zhi did not dwell on this question and turned to Xu Jie and said, "Tell Liu Qi and Liu Jiang a message. I built the workshop and I will not abandon it. The cans in the cellar need to be carefully taken care of and nothing can go wrong."
"yes."
As they were talking, Liu Xiang led a tall and thin man in, "Miss, this is Du Cheng, he used to run errands for the fourth master."
Hua Zhi nodded slightly. Fourth Aunt understood her. This was the kind of person she wanted. "Du Cheng, do you know which inns and restaurants in Beijing have a history with Fourth Uncle?"
"I know that the famous Yunlai Restaurant in the capital is owned by Mr. Bai Mingxia, a good friend of the Fourth Master."
"What was that person's attitude after the incident at the Hua family?"
"Mr. Bai sent someone to deliver a silver note of 2,000 taels, and told his servants to tell them that if they needed help, they could go to the restaurant to find him, and he would definitely help as long as he could. Madam Four just accepted the gift and returned the note."
In other words, this person did not draw a line with the Hua family as soon as something happened, and he also promised to help, which is enough to show his character. Such a person is worth cooperating with.
"Go there and tell him that the Hua family girl wants to discuss a deal with him and asks him to find time to meet her."
The young lady went to meet a stranger in person? Du Cheng subconsciously looked at the oldest person in the room.
Nanny Su lowered her eyes. She always knew her place. No matter what decision the eldest lady made, she just had to obey.
Xu Jie hesitated and said, "I wonder if I can go there for you?"
"He won't see you." To put it more clearly, as a servant, you are not qualified to have a talk with him. Instead of exploiting the friendship between Fourth Uncle and others, she would rather give benefits and settle the matter with others. It is always a debt of gratitude if you get something for nothing from others. In this world, you should never owe favors to others.