The side branches of the Hua family were not taken care of by the empress dowager. After their property was confiscated, they first rented a cheaper house in the east of the city. Later, when the main branch of the Hua family gradually settled down, the old lady took the initiative to help them rent a better and larger house in the south of the city. Later, when Hua Zhi was in charge and had no shortage of money, she asked Fourth Aunt to pay the rent for them every month.
She had thought about helping them buy the house, but buying all three large houses would require a considerable sum of money. She had many other needs for the money right now and could not spend it all here for the time being.
Because of this happy event, the fourth branch has been busy for some time. With the support of the legitimate branch, the family, which was originally thought to be in financial difficulty, has now become more generous and open-minded. People from several branches, including the legitimate branch, came to help two days ago.
On this auspicious day, even the door that is usually closed is wide open, and people coming in and out walk lightly.
Hua Zhi's carriage drove directly into the front yard, followed by Nanny Su. The people here immediately guessed who the visitor was. The housekeeper sent someone to report to the backyard while hurriedly coming to greet them.
"Meet Mammy."
Nanny Su was an elder in the Hua family, and her status was different from that of other servants. She returned a half-bow, turned around and opened the carriage curtain, and Yingchun helped Hua Zhi walk out of the carriage, looking around. The servants who met her sight lowered their heads.
The housekeeper bowed deeply and said, "I am Liu Xin, your humble servant, and I am honored to meet you, young lady."
"No need for formalities." Hua Zhi stepped on the wooden stool and got off the carriage. She was wearing a lake blue coat today and her hair was combed into a bun with only small white flowers as decoration. Apart from that, there was nothing else, and her look was still plain.
"Let the young lady know that the masters are all in the backyard now..."
"lead the way."
"yes."
This was Hua Zhi's first time here. She looked around and found that the house was not small, but it was not exquisite either. And this was after it had been replaced. She could not imagine what kind of place they lived in when they first fell from the clouds.
"The eldest lady is here." As I walked through the second door, I saw the fourth wife leading the masters of the four rooms, big and small, coming to greet me.
Hua Zhi squatted down and saluted, calling her fourth uncle "grandmother".
The fourth wife helped her up with a smile on her face and forced her to accept the greetings of the other women, some of whom were elders whom she had to call aunt.
After accepting the gift, she leaned forward and returned a half gift. Status is one thing, but seniority is another.
Seeing her like this, the Fourth Madam was even happier. It would also be a good thing for their side branches if the main branch had a head who knew how to act and was capable of taking responsibilities.
"Everyone is here and waiting in the house. Shall we go over?"
Hua Zhi agreed and walked in side by side with the Fourth Madam. The paint on the corridor had peeled off in some places. Although it was cleaned up, it still made people feel sad when looking at it.
The Hua family was once extremely prosperous, and even its branches were kept in a wealthy environment.
"I have saved some money, but I can't change your place for the time being. I want to use it to make money, and I also don't want to be too conspicuous and attract other people's attention."
The fourth wife's eyes also fell on the not-so-dignified parts of the pillars. She sighed and said, "Young lady, you don't need to explain this to me. Although I have been trapped in the inner house for my whole life, I understand all the principles that I should understand. My life is not as good as before, but it is much better than that of the He family. I heard a while ago that the old house that the He family had saved with great effort was sold, and the whole family moved to the east of the city. We can move out of there, but they can only move in. With such a comparison, how can I be greedy? Be content."
Looking at her fourth uncle's grandmother who was thinner than before but in better spirits, Hua Zhi had a smile on her face. It was because of such a member of the Hua family that she was willing to work hard for them. This feeling became even deeper after entering the main courtyard and seeing everyone in the yard with smiles on their faces. She felt that no matter how hard it was, it was worth it.
After greeting each other, Hua Zhi was escorted into the main hall, and then invited to the main seat. She smiled and shook her head, walked to her mother's side, helped her sit down, and sat down beside her. "It's not right for the mother to sit down while the daughter sits up there, looking down on her. It's fine to sit here."
Everyone in the room laughed and no one forced her to do anything. In fact, Hua Zhi's behavior made them even happier.
The eldest daughter-in-law of the fourth room smiled and said, "I'll go call Qin'er out."
Hua Zhi hurriedly stopped him, "I know the weight of the wedding dress, don't bother her, I'll go check on her later."
It was an unintentional remark, but it took on a different meaning when heard by others. Yes, if the Hua family was doing well, the eldest daughter of the Hua family should have been married two months ago. Wedding clothes have always been prepared early, and they might have been completed when the family's property was searched. She was well aware of the importance of the wedding clothes.
Seeing her mother turn her head to wipe her eyes, Hua Zhi realized belatedly that she had said the wrong thing. She held her mother's hand and changed the subject, "While everyone is here, I'd like to say something. I plan to go north in four days..."
A daughter-in-law from the fourth room exclaimed, "Again?"
Hua Zhi didn't mind being interrupted, she nodded and said, "I will go there every six months. You should know what to bring and be prepared. You can prepare more things this time in the middle of the year. I will ask the guards to escort you. The weather is bad at the end of the year, so you need to keep it as simple as possible. There is another thing you need to remember."
Hua Zhi looked solemn, and everyone couldn't help but feel worried. "Don't mention a word about grandma's passing in the letter. Now they all know that I'm the head of the Hua family. If they ask anything, just tell me."
As for why it couldn't be mentioned, even if Hua Zhi didn't say it, others would understand. In the final analysis, the one who really wanted to hide it was only Old Master Hua. Yes, his wife, who had been with him for hundreds of years, passed away when he was not around. How could he accept it
The third wife lightly tested the corner of her eye and forced a smile, "Don't worry, we can save it."
The others nodded in agreement.
On such a happy day, Hua Zhi didn't say anything to ruin everyone's mood, and instead talked about what they had gained from their trip south.
Knowing that the family was going to add a new business, everyone was delighted. They had blind trust in the eldest girl when it came to business. Now, all the businesses of the Hua family were profitable. Take the Green Moss Lane for example. It was just a small business, but now it had become a must-visit place for outsiders. There were always long queues from morning to night, even on rainy days.
Thinking of Green Moss Lane, everyone thought of the now almost tidy Li Lai Lane. The Third House and the First House were closer, so they asked tentatively, "Does Li Lai Lane need our help?"
"The manpower needed for Oriole Lane has been practicing their skills at home for more than a month." Just when everyone was disappointed, Hua Zhi said, "But new business is needed. Each family should provide ten people."
The Third Wife immediately clapped her hands, "Okay, okay, don't worry, young lady, we will pick the best for you."
PS: Make up for what I owed yesterday.