After the discussion, Shaoyao had not come over yet, so Hua Pingyang sent her back to the house. When he pushed her to the door, Hua Zhi wanted to stand up and step over the threshold, but Hua Pingyang held her down to prevent her from moving, and also did not allow his injured eldest brother to help. He signaled his second brother to come over, and the two of them carried the wheelchair over the threshold.
Hua Zhi originally felt embarrassed, but then she changed her mind and realized that she was injured because of these people. If she did not accept their kindness, they would probably feel even more upset, and this would inadvertently distance the family members from each other. Appropriate acceptance would be good for everyone.
Thinking of this, she felt relieved. She smiled at her second uncle and let her fourth uncle push her back to her room.
The night at Yinshan Pass was neither too cold nor too hot, but very comfortable. The shadows were stretched out by the moon, and the children looked as tall as adults.
Hua Pingyang got a headache when he saw the child, "Don't be too indulgent. How can you let him sleep in your room all the time?"
"How old is he? Even if boys and girls sit at different tables, he must be seven years old." Hua Zhi replied in a low voice, "His only relative gave him to me before he died. I am the only person he has recognized. Everything will be fine after this period when he feels the most insecure."
"You, why do you have to take everything on yourself?"
"What else? The Hua family would have fallen apart if I hadn't supported them. We would have all died that night if I hadn't supported them. Zeng Han's world would have collapsed if I hadn't supported him. These things, one after another, never gave me the chance to choose."
Yes, there was never a choice. The more capable you are, the more responsibilities you will bear. Hua Pingyang patted his niece on the shoulder and said, "Uncle was wrong. The Hua family is just a group of scholars who are powerless when they leave the court. They are so useless."
"A military commander can still fight even if he is no longer an official, and a civil official can still hold a pen even if he is no longer an official. Isn't my father popular now? Even his clothes are washed by people." Hua Zhi smiled, "If my mother knew that my father's underwear was washed by women, my father would definitely be drowned in vinegar when he goes back."
"If your mother really knew, your father would punish you." Hua Pingyang couldn't help laughing when he recalled the scene at that time. It happened after his eldest brother became a teacher. One time he came out with the basin after taking a bath, and before he could figure out what had happened, the clothes in the basin were snatched away. They only saw one leg of his underwear flying in the wind. The woman not only ran fast but also had a loud voice, shouting that she would bring it back after washing. The eldest brother could not catch up with her and could only stomp his feet and shout that it was an insult. They laughed so hard that their stomachs hurt.
But it only happened that once. From then on, my brother would wash his clothes with the bath water before going out every day. He was very careful.
Seeing that Fourth Uncle was no longer so depressed, Hua Zhi brought the topic back to the topic, "Fourth Uncle, do you all think I am very capable?"
There was no doubt about this, so Hua Pingyang nodded, "Who dares to say you can't do it?"
"It's just forced."
They had already reached the door of the room. Hua Pingyang stopped pushing the wheelchair forward and walked around to the front to face Hua Zhi. He heard the bitterness in her words and saw her bitter smile.
"How can I really be that capable? Even if I do know something, I am far from being proficient in it. But when there is no way out, when there is no one to rely on except myself, when there are people I must protect, when there is no other choice in front of me, what else can I do except to make myself capable? Human potential is unlimited. If you push yourself hard, you will know everything, even those you don't know will be known."
She was well-versed in free-fighting, but when she faced the enemy for the first time on the farm, her body, which had been pampered for many years, was completely uncoordinated, and her physical reaction was far from enough. What was worse was that she had no belief in killing anyone at all. She grew up in a peacetime and learned those things just for self-defense. She forced herself to be ruthless and held on with that ruthlessness that had never faded.
After that she started to exercise, but in fact, no matter whether it was that time in Zhenyang or this time, she used the same tactic—fighting life with injury, the brave one wins when two meet on a narrow road. She used her own injuries to exchange for the enemy's life, and she never retreated unscathed. This was a method she came up with when she had no other choice, and it also forced herself to hit the enemy's fatal spot with every move.
Thinking about it now, she actually didn't know when she became so ruthless, and she was probably close to treating people's lives as worthless.
Hua Zhi laughed at herself, and called Zeng Han, who was leaning against the door, over. She touched his head and said something that had nothing to do with him, "You will become like this too. You don't know when you will become capable. You will know everything you didn't know before, and even your heart will become hardened without you noticing."
Hua Zhi raised her head, a helpless arc appeared on the corner of her mouth, "Because only in this way can those behind us live in peace and stability."
Hua Pingyang's lips trembled, but he couldn't say a word. Yes, if he didn't have to, who would be willing to be so capable, who would be willing to grow thorns all over the body.
"So, Fourth Uncle, don't feel useless, don't feel like you owe me a lot, soon we will be the same role." Hua Zhi smiled, "We are both protectors."
"I understand." Hua Pingyang's voice was a little unstable, but his expression was relaxed. Zhi'er knew everything. She knew that they felt useless, that they were ashamed of relying on their niece for protection, and that they couldn't hold their heads up in front of Zhi'er. Zhi'er said this not only to him, but to all the men in the Hua family.
"We all know it."
Hua Zhi was suddenly surprised, lowered her head and smiled, "Then I'll go in, that's all."
Shaoyao, who had been hiding in the house and listening for a long time, suddenly jumped out from the corner, grinned at Hua Pingyang, picked up Hua Pingyang and his wheelchair, walked over the threshold and into the house. Zeng Han immediately followed her in, and the door closed again with a click.
In the corridor, many members of the Hua family came out one after another.
Inside the room, Hua Zhi instructed Shaoyao to make the bed. Zeng Han had been sleeping under her bed these days.
Zeng Han never speaks actively, but he will answer when asked questions, and he will always stay where he can see Hua Zhi.
Hua Zhi neither tried to get close to him nor distance herself from him. She treated him like an ordinary child in the family. Sometimes she would say a few words to him, sometimes she would make a small toy for him, and when he drank water, she would ask him to drink a glass of water as well. When he ate, she would ask him to eat slowly, and would force him to eat some because he only ate meat and not vegetables. She would also talk to him when she had free time.
At this moment, Hua Zhi pulled him over and asked casually, "Do you understand the game Sister Shaoyao and the others played today?"
Zeng Han's dark eyes lit up, "I understand."
Shaoyao stopped making the bed and looked at Huazhi. Huazhi didn't know how much he understood, so she asked tentatively, "Do you want to play a game with Sister Shaoyao?"
Zeng Han nodded immediately, looking a little impatient.