After a few days of getting along, Hua Ling and Yu Xiasheng's marriage was almost a done deal, but for Hua Xin's sake, Hua Zhi talked to her third aunt and went to Yu's house in person to show her sincerity.
The Yu family was very surprised by her arrival. If it was for a wedding, it should be the Yu family members who came.
Hua Zhi never liked to beat around the bush. After the greetings, she stated her purpose directly, "Hua Ling has an elder sister. For the sake of family harmony, I cannot arrange the marriage of my third sister first. I have asked the elders of the Cai and Zhu families to help me choose a suitable one. There should be a definite answer before or after the New Year. I hope Madam will understand and postpone the time of the greetings. It won't take too long. Please rest assured."
There is more than one elder sister, there are obviously two. Madam Yu's heart softened when she saw Hua Zhi who had completely forgotten about her. How could she say anything wrong? "It's okay. The third young lady is not very old anyway. It's better for her to stay at her parents' home for a few more days. When she gets married, she will be an adult. She won't be in the mood to act like a spoiled child in the future."
"You see clearly." Hua Zhi stood up and bowed, "Thank you for your help."
Madam Yu smiled and shook her head, motioning her to sit down. "It's only a matter of time. It won't delay me. But you should know that if my son passes the imperial examination and is assigned an official post, his marriage will have to be hasty. But don't worry, my son is already nineteen years old. I have prepared for his marriage for several years. Except for catching up with the date, I will not neglect anything else."
"Yes, I have discussed this with Third Aunt before. Third Aunt also knows that this matter is beyond our control and will not have any objection. I will prepare the dowry as soon as possible. There is no other way because of the short time. No matter what, the Hua family will not marry off their daughter in a shabby way."
Mrs. Yu was naturally satisfied with these words. Even though she had some worries before, she was relieved after coming to the capital. The Hua family really had no shortage of money now, so they could afford a decent dowry.
After finalizing some details, Hua Zhi stood up to say goodbye. Madam Yu wanted to keep her, but she declined.
When leaving, Yu Xiasheng came out to see her off. He had always treated the older girl with respect, and that respect had not changed at all despite their different status. Madam Yu saw it and understood in her heart that her son actually represented the attitude of a considerable number of scholars towards Hua Zhi, and it was rare for a woman to do this.
But the price was her entire life.
The carriage went straight to Zhu's house.
When passing by Yunlai Restaurant, Hua Zhi lifted the curtain and took a look. Her brows couldn't help but raise, "Why does it look like business is much worse?"
"Yes." Yingchun is now dealing with business matters, and she is well-informed about the news in the circle. "Since the second master Bai separated from the family and left Beijing, this restaurant has fallen into the hands of the first master Bai. The first master Bai is in the officialdom and has no time to manage these businesses. The ability of the first lady Bai in this area is also so-so, so she has handed it all over to the housekeeper she trusts. As far as I know, not only the business here is not doing well, but other businesses of the Bai family are also in a lot worse."
"I remember that the owner of Yunlai Restaurant was quite capable."
Yingchun covered her mouth and laughed, "Master Bai Er is not one to suffer a loss. When the family was divided, he said that those managers were brought up by him and he wanted to take them away. Most of the managers of the Bai family's shops left, otherwise they wouldn't have fallen so quickly."
"..." This corner is really well dug. With someone, I can tolerate a little loss in other aspects. "You should pay attention to some gossip. If the Bai family is interested in selling this shop, I will buy it."
Yingchun thought that this was indeed possible. Rather than leaving it in her hands, she might as well sell it for a real profit. However, "Will the Bai family not value it but just rent it?"
"Other shops may not be sold, but this one has to be sold." Hua Zhi stroked the hot water bottle, "This shop has a very good location, and its height is rare in Beijing. The rent must be high. Once you invest, it will be a large sum of money. Only by buying it can you do the business you want with peace of mind. Otherwise, whoever rents it won't worry that the Bai family will take it back."
Yingchun thought about it for herself and nodded, "Yes, unless we continue to run the restaurant business without making any changes, the initial investment will be necessary, and no one will feel safe renting it. But if we estimate it, I'm afraid there will be many people who want to buy it."
"Are you still thinking of picking up a bargain?" Hua Zhi tapped her forehead. "The Bai family is not stupid. Only the highest bidder will win."
"If that's the case, we really can't show up. Otherwise, once your name is mentioned, the price will definitely increase by several times."
"I'll see who to ask for help then." Hua Zhi really didn't dare to underestimate herself in this regard. After the news about the seventh part and her spread, her reputation of turning stone into gold became more and more famous. The shop she had her eyes on was bound to be snatched away by others.
***
The Zhu family had already received the news that she would come today. The old lady did not want to play any tricks with her granddaughter, so she got up from bed despite the dissuasion and even put on some rouge and powder to cover her sick face.
"Mom, you don't have to be like this. Zhi'er is the most mindful person. She remembers how you and dad treated her. She won't be estranged from you because of this. You shouldn't be estranged from her either."
Zhu lay in front of her mother, feeling very uncomfortable. She was apparently full of energy a few days ago, but after falling down, it seemed as if all her energy and spirit were drained away. People cannot afford to be sick when they get older, because once they are sick they look old.
The old lady patted her hands and said, "I should do this because I know Zhi'er is good. Love is never constant. If you use up a little, it will be gone."
"Mother..."
"You, as a mother, don't understand Zhi'er as well as I do." The old lady sighed, seeming satisfied but also helpless. "She can't stand others being nice to her. She will do her best to protect anyone who treats her well. Now she has enough things to take care of inside and outside. How can I bear to let her worry about me? Don't talk about these things about your family when you go back. Although they have their own thoughts, they are still okay on the surface. What's more, your father is still here and I am not dead yet, so there will be no chaos."
Zhu's tears fell down. She had been regretting coming back these days. If she hadn't come back, she wouldn't have seen the calculating thoughts in the eyes of her brother who used to protect her so much, and she wouldn't have seen her two brothers who were once close to each other now being wary of each other. It was so sad.
Wiping away her tears, the old lady wanted to scold her for being useless, but in her heart she strangely felt that it was really good that her daughter was still so useless. At least one of her three children remained the same. Even though she was crybaby, timid, and had no opinion, she did not learn those tortuous thoughts, which was really good.
"I will never be able to figure it out in my lifetime. How could you and your son-in-law, with your personalities, give birth to a daughter like Zhier? I don't think Bolin is like you either."
"Mother! How can you disparage your own daughter like this?" Zhu was embarrassed and annoyed, but when she thought of her son, she confessed honestly, "Bilin has actually been taken care of by Zhi'er the whole time. She really spoiled him."
"..." Old Madam Zhu was not surprised at all. If she could spoil such a descendant, she would be willing to send all the descendants of the Zhu family to Zhier to be spoiled by her.