Yingchun greeted her young lady at the door and whispered in her ear, "The old lady is coughing badly."
Hua Zhi looked around, "Where's Cao Cao?"
"I was looking at her just now... over there."
Shaoyao came out of the house holding a bowl and walked quickly but steadily to Huazhi, "This is for your grandmother to drink."
The water in the bowl was light green, and Shaoyao's fingertips were also green. Hua Zhi took it and asked, "Is it for cough relief?"
"Well, although it's only a temporary solution, it's not a good thing to keep coughing like this." So when she asked someone to send the herbs over, she specifically asked for a few cough-relieving herbs. "I dried some of them, and when they're dry, I grind them into powder. I make tea with them on weekdays, so I can suffer less."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
"Hey, it's not hard. I like making medicine."
Hua Zhi carried the bowl into the room and saw her grandmother with a flushed face from coughing. She didn't say much, but walked over to her and fed the bowl to her mouth.
Nanny Su also heard what was said outside and hurried to help support the old lady.
He drank while coughing, and drank a bowl of water intermittently. After coughing for a while, he gradually stopped.
Glancing at Shaoyao standing outside the door and looking in, the old lady wiped the corner of her mouth and chuckled, "It's a little bitter, but then it turns sweet, so it's not hard to drink."
Shaoyao smiled secretly outside the door and ran to look for medicinal herbs. Of course, it was not bad to drink. She picked it from the mountains and planted it with her own hands. It was not sold in any medicine store.
Hua Zhi looked at Shaoyao's back and smiled, "She is very well behaved."
"You used to be good."
"But it won't be so vivid." Hua Zhi knew what kind of character she had shown in the past, and it was not much different from a piece of wood.
The old lady laughed, she was self-aware, "Are they angry because of shame?"
"I didn't let them take advantage of me."
"That's good. You are the head of the family now. Even if they are really needed, there is no reason to let them step on your head. What's more, they are not reliable. If all the talented women in Beijing are of this level, the Hua family can't look for them when marrying a daughter-in-law in the future."
Seeing that her grandmother looked better, Hua Zhi felt relieved. "You are using the same method to knock down a whole group of people. Talented women may not be good at the Analects of Confucius and the Spring and Autumn Annals. Their strengths lie in writing poems and lyrics. If you ask your second and third sisters to write a poem, they will surely satisfy you."
"Don't fool me, an old woman. How can you write good poems without any basic knowledge? I believe you can write good poems."
"You will be disappointed. I can't write poetry."
The old lady tapped her forehead, not believing her at all. She used to be like a wooden man and didn't show anything, but what happened? What couldn't she do
Thinking of the two granddaughters who usually behaved very well, the old lady's smile faded and she sighed, "I had hoped to find someone to help you share the burden, but it looks like you will still have to bear the burden."
"My granddaughter has found a way."
"Tell me quickly, what is the solution?"
Fudong brought some cakes with his maid and left quietly.
Hua Zhi pushed the plate towards her grandmother, "It contains honey, which is good for coughs."
Although the old lady had no appetite, she still took a small piece and put it in her mouth. The soft and sweet pastry tasted great. The old lady ate several pieces in a row before putting down her chopsticks.
After making a mental note, Hua Zhi had one delivered every day. She then said, "I want Berlin to be the teacher of the class while I'm away."
The old lady was stunned. "Berlin? Where can there be such a young gentleman?"
"When we were dividing the classes, Mr. Mu and I tested everyone. Berlin had the highest score. It shows that he did not relax even during the period when the clan school was not open. It is not without benefits to let him teach a small class. To teach others, you must first learn it yourself. Explaining it again is to strengthen your memory. Naturally, you will remember it more firmly than others, and your foundation will be solid."
"But he's still a student. If he teaches others, wouldn't that delay his own career?"
"That's my other plan. I want Berlin to formally accept Mr. Mu as his teacher."
After officially becoming Mr. Mu's disciple, she became Mr. Mu's disciple. As far as she knew, Mr. Mu had not accepted any disciples yet. "Mr. Mu's knowledge was praised by my grandfather. If he had not given up the idea of taking the exam, he would have passed the imperial examination. But what reassures me more is his character. In my opinion, character is more important than knowledge."
Those who were praised by the old man were certainly not bad. The old lady was also very satisfied with Mr. Mu, who was willing to come to the clan school to be a teacher after the Hua family collapsed. She had no objection to letting her grandson become his disciple, but, "As someone's disciple, don't you need to spend more time on studying?"
"After becoming his disciple, Berlin no longer has to stay in the academy. Even if he misses the morning class, he can go to his teacher to make up for it. I think Mr. Mu will not disagree."
That makes sense. The old lady nodded slightly. "Becoming a disciple is a big deal. Normally, I should be the one to do it. But you are the head of the family now, and Mr. Mu also speaks highly of you. So you should go and discuss it with Mr. Mu. I can rest assured that you can do it."
"yes."
Hua Zhi has always been a person who does what she says. After having lunch with Berlin at noon, she told him about her plan.
When Hua Bolin heard that he was asked to teach his younger brothers, he was excited at first, but then he shook his head vigorously, "Eldest sister, how can I be a teacher now? It's definitely not possible."
"You have learned everything in the small class. Why can't it work? Or did you not learn it?"
"I have learned it, but how can I be a teacher..."
Hua Zhi knows her younger brother. He is bold and interested in being a teacher, but he is afraid that he is not good enough and cannot teach well.
After taking a sip of tea, Hua Zhi suddenly changed the subject, "I plan to go to the north when Fourth Aunt gives birth."
"Going to the North?" Hua Bolin's voice suddenly rose. "Eldest sister, you can't go. It's too far. You are a woman. How can you go to such a far place? Absolutely not!"
"I'm a woman, but I'm also a teacher." Hua Zhi frowned, "Berlin, I taught you to stay calm when things happen. What's wrong with you making a fuss?"
Hua Bolin tried hard to suppress her impatience, took a few deep breaths, and firmly expressed her opposition, "Eldest sister, I don't agree with you going. It will be November when Fourth Aunt gives birth, and she will die in the cold weather."
The more Hua Bolin thought about it, the more he felt that his elder sister would be gone if she went out. He was so anxious that his voice choked with sobs. "Elder sister, I'll go. Please let me go. I'm a man. I'm not afraid!"
"You are so young, yet you are so arrogant as to say that you are a man." Hua Zhi pressed the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief for two days, "I won't go alone. You have to believe in your sister's ability."
"But elder sister, you are only so young..." The little man, who had been able to hold back his tears, burst into tears after being comforted by his sister, "elder sister, I don't want you to go!"
"It's not that scary outside. The Daqing Dynasty is relatively stable now. I will take the official road all the way, so nothing will happen."
Hua Bailin just cried, he was so scared that he was not that scared even when he knew his father was exiled.