Yingchun picked up the silver coins one by one and said, "Miss, these silver coins..."
"The old rules apply. You keep the things, and Nianqiu will take care of the accounts. Nianqiu, use the old method for the public accounts, and follow what I taught you for our own accounts."
They both responded in unison.
Hua Zhi glanced around the house and walked to a large box and stopped. "Make a secret compartment underneath, just like in the old house. There should be no trace of it from the outside."
"yes."
"Okay, go do your own things. I have something to think about. Don't let anyone disturb me."
Entering the inner room, Hua Zhi sat down at the desk, slowly tied up her sleeves, poured some water into the inkstone and gently ground the ink. Her mind was never idle for a moment, thinking about all kinds of things, and then listed the things to do on paper one by one, and then marked the order according to priority.
Even though I have a lot of money in my hands now, the daily expenses for feeding such a big family are not small. Not to mention taking care of my grandfather, even my own family can't last long.
The Daqing Dynasty strictly prohibited officials from engaging in business, but no one actually did so. There has always been a policy from the top and a countermeasure from the bottom.
The Hua family used to have many profitable businesses. They owned several gold and silver shops, and their teahouses and silk shops were also very profitable. Unfortunately, no one knows who has benefited from this now.
However, such a deal is too conspicuous for the Hua family. What they need most now is to bide their time and not attract the attention of the furious Emperor.
Thinking of the forest next to the farm, Hua Zhi frowned. It seemed that she had to go and see it with her own eyes. What she heard from others was not so clear. She also had to take a look at the house outside the city. She wondered if her fourth uncle had left something for her there. Gold and silver would be the best, but with her fourth uncle's attitude of treating money as dirt, this was unlikely.
When I think of my fourth uncle, I can't help but think of other people. I don't know where they are. Normally, we live under the same roof and have different likes and dislikes, but it is each person that I care about that is separated from me.
As the hottest topic in Beijing nowadays, it is not surprising that the Hua family stays indoors. What else can they do with a house full of women and children!
There is no shortage of new things in the capital, but gradually, less and less attention is paid to the Hua family. No matter how big the matter is, as long as it has nothing to do with them, it is over and done with. The Hua family, which once had two Hanlin scholars and was unrivaled in its reputation, has become a thing of the past.
But the old lady was still depressed and listless. Not only did her spirit not improve, but she looked even worse.
"There is no shortage of people with good eyesight in the capital. In the past, there were as many people who wanted to establish a relationship with the Hua family as there are people who wish they had never known anyone from the Hua family. If it were anyone else, it would be fine, but could Chen Zhi and Yu Zhengyao be anyone else? The old man only accepted three students in his life. Which scholar would not envy them? Without the old man, would they be where they are today? But you see, among the three, only Da Yi has a conscience. He helped the old man run around whenever he got into trouble, and even got punished for it. Even so, he didn't hesitate to ask his wife to send money over. I, an old woman, don't care about the money, but I feel sorry for the old man."
Nanny Su followed the old lady's words and said, "Who says it's not true? The old master treated them so well that it's not an exaggeration to say that he treated them like his own sons and daughters. But what I don't understand is why you sent someone back to Madam Chen and told her not to come over again in the future?"
"Just because he's a good person, we can't harm him. In our Hua family, whoever touches us will be in trouble. Dayi has already suffered, and we can't let him be implicated again."
"You've thought it through."
The little girl reported at the door, "The eldest girl is here."
"From now on, you don't need to report when the young lady comes, just come in directly."
"yes."
When Hua Zhi heard this as soon as she came in, her heart warmed and she smiled, "Granddaughter, you have to come more often in the future."
"Grandma will be happy if you come more often."
Nanny Su brought a round stool and placed it beside the bed. Hua Zhi sat down sideways, thinking about what she was going to say next.
The old lady patted her hands and said, "Just tell me what you want to say. You don't have to be so cautious in front of grandma."
Hua Zhi stared at the old man, whose spirit was obviously weakened, and felt a sense of closeness she had never felt before.
The people she is closest to in the Hua family are her grandfather and her younger brother Berlin. She is polite but not close enough to everyone else, including her parents. She is used to this way of getting along with others and feels that it is most appropriate in a large family like the Hua family.
In fact, they have been getting along very happily for more than ten years, but she hopes to be closer to her grandmother in the future. This old lady has a rare open-mindedness among the elderly of this generation. If it were someone else, they might not dare to let an unmarried girl be the head of the family.
"Grandma, I want to break off the engagement with the Shen family."
The old lady sat up a little because of her surprise. She really hoped that Zhi'er could stay in the Hua family, but her hope and Zhi'er's initiative were two different things. "Can you tell me why? As long as the Shen family does not cancel the engagement, you can leave this quagmire. It is not a crime for a married woman. You already have an engagement, and no one can say that you are wrong."
Such temptation is not excessive, but it is also the reason why Hua Zhi has never been able to get close to her family. They always think a lot, and at the same time think that you think a lot too. They have to say a sentence three times and leave half of it unsaid. She is very annoyed by this, but she still has to say what she should say.
"Even if the Shen family values friendship and loyalty and still wants to marry me, grandma, do you think it would be good for me to marry into the Shen family when my family has collapsed? The Shen family is very prosperous, and I'm afraid that I will be the poor creature that anyone can step on."
The old lady laughed and said, "You are not someone who can be bullied by others."
Hua Zhi did not refute her words, and talked about another possibility, "The Shen family may not have no intention of canceling the engagement. The old feelings are not enough for the Shen family to risk being disliked by the emperor to marry me, a person of little value. Rather than causing the two families to tear each other apart and lose both sides, it is better for us to take the initiative to retain this incense relationship. I think if we protect the reputation of the Shen family, they will not mind helping us a little when we need it."
The words were well-organized and logical, and clearly she had thought it through carefully. The old lady also gave up her tentative thoughts and held her hand, saying, "Zhi'er, don't blame grandma for being selfish. For the sake of the Hua family, grandma really wants to keep you. After watching you for the past few days, grandma has also seen clearly that you were hiding your incompetence in the past. The Hua family needs you to support it, but..."
The old lady's face was filled with guilt. "Zhi'er, you are already of marriageable age. If you break off the engagement now, it will not be easy for you to remarry as you wish given the current situation of the Hua family. At least it is impossible for you to marry into a family like the Shen family. Do you understand this?"
"Then I won't marry. No matter how bad I am in the Hua family, I am still the master. If I go to another family, I will be an outsider. Rather than working hard for others in my husband's family, I would rather work hard for the Hua family that gave birth to me and raised me."
This idea was really... bold. The old lady didn't know how to respond for a moment.