It took the Hua family ten days to tidy up the old house so that it was barely habitable. Without any discussion, everyone was eager to go back.
The alley was filled with packages of all sizes, carriages borrowed from various families, and people who came to help, led by the Zhu brothers, and there was a sense of hustle and bustle in front of the gate.
Hua Zhi, who had stayed in the old house for ten days without going out, saw this scene when she came over. She did not get out of the carriage, but told the coachman to drive it to the back door.
"Miss! You're back." The doorman was overjoyed and quickly sent someone inside to report the news.
"I'm back. Is everyone ready?"
"Yes, I'm ready!" The doorman replied with full energy, his mouth almost stretched to his ears with a smile. Wasn't he going home? He was the Hua family's servant, born and raised in the Hua family, so that was his home!
Hua Zhi smiled, nodded at him and walked inside.
The sounds of greetings along the way, the same brisk footsteps, the same smiling faces, although the spirit of the Hua family has never been completely lost, it has not until now that it has truly returned in full. This sense of belonging to the family can only be felt when you are in it, and this is especially true for the Hua family, which has always been united and rarely dirty.
After this journey, Hua Zhi felt a lot lighter.
"Eldest sister."
Hua Bolin ran over to help her, but Hua Zhi dodged him and glared at him, saying, "Do you think I'm old?"
"My eldest sister is not old." Hua Bailin retorted quickly and took his hand back. He would never say that he just wanted to get closer to his eldest sister!
Hua Zhi tapped his forehead, looked at the thriving crowd and smiled, "Everyone is very happy."
"Yes, I don't know how many people stayed up last night, hoping that the day would come soon." Hua Bolin touched his nose. He was one of them. "The books have been packed. Don't worry, elder sister. Not a single one has been left behind."
"Stuff from Grandma's house..."
"Several maids went to clean up the mess. I went to check it out before, and nothing was left behind."
Hua Zhi nodded, "Tell everyone that we will set out in a quarter of an hour. Also, hold grandma's spirit tablet and we will take her home."
Hua Bolin felt a lump in his throat and nodded vigorously.
Hua Zhi returned to her own courtyard. Nian Qiu came to greet her when he saw her. "Why are you back? Everything is packed. Nothing is left behind."
"Those who came out together should go back together." Hua Zhi looked at the almost empty room, her eyes falling under the big box.
Without waiting for her to ask, Nian Qiu said hurriedly: "Don't worry, everything inside has been taken out."
Having a few capable maids really saves a lot of trouble. Hua Zhi took one last look at the room and said, "Change your clothes."
In the front yard, the team was arranged just as they had been when they came. Hua Zhi was in the front, taking the old lady's place. Bolin stood behind her, holding the spirit tablet. The girls all sat in the carriage, and the wives covered their faces with scarves and supported each other. The children who had been young had grown taller to varying degrees. Behind them came the maids and servants, all in neat rows, their expressions solemn and trying to suppress their excitement.
Hua Zhi looked at everyone quietly and said, "Let's go home."
Everyone responded with a roar, and the noise spread to the outside of the door. Everyone fell silent and stared at the door.
Hua Zhi, dressed in official uniform, walked out first, followed by Hua Bailin, holding the spirit tablet. The brother and sister stopped and bowed to everyone, thanking them for not leaving when the Hua family was in trouble, and thanking them for coming today.
Everyone avoided it and returned the greeting.
The long line stretched from the South City to the North City. Passers-by all stopped to watch. Even the noisy teahouses and pubs fell silent for a moment.
They vaguely recalled the scene two years ago. It was also such a long line, but the one standing in the front at that time was the old lady of the Hua family, while now she had become a spirit tablet held in the hands of her grandson, and standing in her position was the eldest daughter of the Hua family, the current tutor.
Two years is enough time for many people to live and die, and for several noble families to be replaced by the old and the new. However, the Hua family has never fallen from the altar, and the people of the Hua family have never bent their backs. Two years have passed, and they are still the Hua family that all the literati in the world yearn for!
Regardless of their usual views on women serving as officials, at this moment everyone expressed their respect by standing and watching. Perhaps they had different ideas, but this could not erase the contribution that the young lady had made to Daqing, nor could they fail to acknowledge her efforts in the past two years. They respected the young lady who almost sacrificed her life for this, and this had nothing to do with gender.
Gu Yanxi followed in the dark all the way. Two years ago, he didn't have the chance to accompany her out of the Hua family. Now he wanted to accompany her back, and he wanted to accompany her on the road ahead.
Carriages and horses stopped and pedestrians gave way. Hua Zhi thought a lot along the way, but it seemed as if she was thinking of nothing. She only knew that her home was just ahead. She didn't need her brain to find the way, her feet knew how to go. When she actually entered Hualin Lane and saw the open door of the Hua family, she felt that the dust had settled in her heart.
The Hua family’s disaster is truly over.
All the ancestral tablets that the Hua family had taken away before were returned to the ancestral temple and arranged in order, and the life tablets were sorted out. Finally, Hua Zhi placed her grandmother's tablet in her place, burned incense and paper, and led all the young men in the family to perform the ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows to the ancestors of the Hua family.
After finishing all this, Hua Zhi looked up at the crowded place and let out a long breath. She walked out the door and said to the women waiting outside, "Go back and rest, have a good rest, save your energy, and wait for Grandpa and the others to come back and then we can have a good time."
Everyone nodded in delight. Wu asked on behalf of everyone, "How long will it take for them to get home?"
"They are eager to go home, so they won't be delayed on the way. It will take about ten days to arrive."
We have waited for two years, so ten days are nothing. Everyone encouraged each other and went back to the backyard in groups of three or four.
Hua Xian, who hadn't been home for a long time, didn't know what to do. Her boudoir was still there, so she could live in it anytime and anywhere...
"My cousin's yard is next to Berlin." The aunt was very easy to understand. Hua Zhi understood it at a glance. "I arranged it according to Berlin's. If you don't like anything, just tell Butler Xu. Coming back here is like coming home. Don't think it's strange."
Yang Sui'an's uneasy heart was calmed down by these words, "Sui'an thanks cousin."
"What I said before still counts. Don't feel insecure because your last name is not Hua. The Hua family will have you as well as they have you, but the requirements for you will also be the same as for the Hua family. This will not change just because your last name is Yang. Do you understand?"
"… yes."
Hua Zhi smiled and nodded, "Berlin, take your cousin over there to get to know the family. By the way, I've added a few more servants for you. If anyone doesn't follow the rules, just tell me. I don't want you to have such a beautiful thing as a red-sleeved lady."
Yang Sui'an was already sixteen years old and was now seeing the family. He naturally understood these things. Upon hearing this, his face turned red, and Hua Xian, who had not left yet, covered her mouth and laughed.
After Hua Bolin took her embarrassed cousin away, Hua Xian stepped forward, held her niece's hand, and sighed, "Thank you, aunt."
"We are one family, so just take good care of him. The Hua family's heaven will soon be back, and no one will be able to bully you in the future."
"Even now, I have never been bullied." Hua Xian touched Hua Zhi's thin shoulders, "You protected all of us very well, but it was hard for you."
Hua Zhi lowered her head and smiled. She didn't feel bitter, but now that things had come to this, she could finally say that she had a clear conscience.
PS: Book recommendation: "Come On, My Violent Queen". The author is a screenwriter sister who has helped me before. The quality is absolutely guaranteed. Please go to the book review section to leave a review to increase popularity. Girls know that when recommending a book, we don’t consider relationship, we only consider quality.