Chapter 14: Leaving Home

Having spent some time in the Miscellaneous Services Hall, Hua Changxi left the Medical Department when the sky was already getting late. By the time she returned to the Hua family, the three brothers Hua Minghe had already finished their shifts and come back.

Although Hua Minghe and Yao had found various reasons to placate Old Madam Hua and the family, the old lady still harbored resentment over Hua Changxi not discussing her application to the Medical Department with the family.

After waiting the whole day, finally seeing her ninth granddaughter return, Old Madam Hua was about to make a few sarcastic remarks when she saw the girl dash straight into her own room and close the door behind her.

Seeing Hua Changxi return without even a greeting, Old Madam Hua was furious. She pointed at Yao and said, "Look at the fine daughter you've raised! Does she still behave like a proper young lady?"

Second Aunt Hua stood by and said with a smile, "Mother, please calm down. I think Ninth Girl probably knows she failed the Medical Department exam and is hiding in her room to cry."

Hearing this, Old Madam Hua's expression paused, and the anger on her face slowly subsided, while Yao showed a look of worry.

Sixth Brother Hua quickly said, "It's almost time for dinner. I'll go call Ninth Girl to eat." With that, he dashed off to knock on Hua Changxi's door.

"Ninth Girl, come out for dinner!"

"Smack~"

The sound of a basin hitting the floor came from inside the room.

Then the door creaked open.

Seeing the puddle of water on the floor, Sixth Brother Hua asked in confusion, "Ninth Girl, what are you doing?"

Hua Changxi crouched down to pick up the basin and said, "My hand slipped."

Sixth Brother Hua said "Oh," then lowered his voice and said, "Grandfather and Grandmother seem to have objections to you applying for the Medical Department. Be careful when you eat dinner later."

Hua Changxi nodded. "I understand, Sixth Brother. You go back to the main hall first. I'll sweep up the water in my room and be right there."

Sixth Brother Hua, not suspecting anything, returned to the main hall.

As soon as Sixth Brother Hua left, Hua Changxi closed the door again, clenched her fists, and excitedly bounced around the room a few times.

After achieving the minor completion condition for the *Art of Purity*, Hua Changxi's mind gained many methods for cleaning spiritual plants and spiritual beasts.

There were methods for controlling water, controlling wind, controlling fire...

Just now, Hua Changxi dipped her hand into the basin, manipulated the water according to the method explained in the *Art of Purity*, and soon the water in the basin swirled as she wished.

When a whirlpool formed at the center of the basin, Sixth Brother Hua came to knock on the door, startling her and causing the basin to fall.

Hua Changxi looked at the puddle on the floor, pointed her right hand at it, and in the next moment a gust of wind swept over the water. In less than a minute, the floor was half dry.

Hua Changxi wanted the floor completely dry, but...

[Realm: Qi Refining 0/1000]

The line that appeared in her vision showed that the power stored in her body had been completely consumed.

Even though she had to start accumulating from scratch again, Hua Changxi was incredibly thrilled.

Now she knew how to use the power she cultivated!

This *Art of Purity* could not only be used to cleanse medicinal herbs, but also for other aspects of daily life.

In the future, as she accumulated more realm points, would she be able to use it for self-defense?

"Ninth Girl, come out for dinner!"

Yao's voice came through, and Hua Changxi quickly calmed down, opened the door, and walked out.

In the main hall, the dishes were already on the table, and all the Hua family members were seated.

"Ninth Girl, sit at the head table tonight."

Hua Changxi was walking toward the table where the younger generation ate when Grandpa Hua called out to her.

Because of the matter of Fifth Girl becoming a concubine in the He family, the household atmosphere had been somewhat strange these past few days. The old master decided to use the incident of the ninth granddaughter privately taking the Medical Department exam to correct the family's atmosphere.

Hua Changxi walked to the head table and sat down next to Hua Minghe and Yao.

The main hall fell silent. Everyone had stopped using their chopsticks and was watching Grandpa Hua and Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi glanced at Old Madam Hua, who was frowning in silence, and then at Grandpa Hua, who was frowning while smoking his dry pipe. Not wanting to be lectured, she decided to strike first: "I have to report to the Medical Department tomorrow."

"Ah~"

"What?!"

[GLOSSARY]

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The silence in the main room was instantly broken.

Hua Liulang walked straight to the host table: "Jiu Niang, wasn't the apprentice admission list supposed to be announced three days later?"

Hua Minghe also spoke, looking sternly at Hua Changxi: "Jiu Niang, what exactly is going on?"

Hua Changxi briefly explained what happened today at the Medical Administration: "Pharmacist Xu told me that all the spots for the female medical apprentices have already been fixed internally."

"I was lucky to meet Chief Jia of the Miscellany Hall and did him a small favor. In return, he agreed to let me enter the Miscellany Hall."

"Miscellany Hall?!"

Yao exclaimed in shock, staring at Hua Changxi in disbelief, never expecting her daughter would make such a decision.

"Heh~"

The Old Madam Hua sneered as she looked at Hua Changxi: "I thought you were so capable. After all this fuss, you end up going to be a menial laborer!"

"I suppose you've had it too easy, turning your nose up at the light work of embroidery and weaving, insisting on going out to suffer. Why don't you go to the docks and carry sacks for people!"

What does a menial laborer do?

It means doing hard manual work.

Even if it's the Medical Administration, once you get in, you'll be doing the most tiring and miscellaneous tasks.

Hua Minghe looked at Hua Changxi: "Jiu Niang, tomorrow I'll go with you to the Medical Administration and decline the position at the Miscellany Hall."

Hua Changxi met Hua Minghe's eyes squarely: "Father, I'm thirteen now. I know exactly what I'm doing. Since I've made this decision, I will take responsibility for my actions. Whether it turns out well or badly, I'll accept it."

Yao became anxious and quickly said: "Jiu Niang, have you forgotten why you entered the Medical Administration? You're there to learn medicine, not to do hard labor. How will working as a menial help you learn medicine?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "Mother, even as a menial, I can still learn medicine. Let me tell you, today at the Miscellany Hall I saw many herbs that aren't available in the market."

"Father, Mother, trust me. If I gain nothing from the Miscellany Hall, I definitely wouldn't go. Your daughter isn't that foolish."

Hua Minghe rubbed his temples in headache, while Yao also looked helpless.

The Old Madam Hua's sarcastic voice rang out again: "Hua Jiu Niang, just keep making trouble. When the time comes for you to be considered for marriage, you'll know — what decent family would take a menial laborer as a wife!"

A menial laborer — that's no different from a servant!

The Old Master Hua took long puffs of his pipe, looking at this ninth granddaughter who had never been easy to discipline since she was little, and asked in a deep voice: "Are you absolutely set on going to the Medical Administration to be a menial?"

Hua Changxi: "Yes, I must go."

The Old Master Hua was silent for a moment, then asked: "Even if it means you can't marry into a good family later?"

Hua Changxi nodded firmly: "Yes."

The Old Master Hua took another two puffs: "If the family forbids you from going, what will you do?"

Having lived in the Hua family for thirteen years, Hua Changxi had come to understand the Old Master Hua's temperament.

Hearing him speak like this, she knew he was already planning to use his authority as the head of the family to suppress her by force.

Hua Changxi understood that today either she would convince the family, or the family would make her submit, so she no longer held back: "Grandfather, I want to learn skills, I want to earn money. I don't want to end up one day in the same situation as Fifth Sister."

At these words, the Old Master Hua's face instantly darkened, and Fourth Uncle Hua and Fourth Aunt Hua's expressions also turned very ugly.

No matter how much they tried to cover it up or how high-sounding the reasons they gave, it couldn't hide the fact that the Hua family had sold off a daughter for the sake of a son's future.

Second Uncle Hua and Second Aunt Hua watched the commotion from the side, while the younger generation of the Hua family all looked as though 'Jiu Niang has such nerve, daring to go against Grandfather.'

Hua Minghe and Yao exchanged a glance, their originally firm resolve not to let Hua Changxi go to the Miscellany Hall of the Medical Administration beginning to waver.

Fifth Sister becoming a concubine — on the surface it seemed the Hua family had a choice, but in reality, they didn't.

The clan appeared easy to deal with, but that was only on the condition that the family cooperated properly. Once they refused to comply with the clan's arrangements, what awaited them might not just be ostracism from the clan.

Hua Changxi continued: "Grandfather, since the family cannot arrange a good future for every child, perhaps letting go and allowing us to find our own path might lead to unexpected gains."

The Old Master Hua raised his eyelids to look at Hua Changxi, his expression very unpleasant: "Good, very good. Our family has produced a remarkably impressive young lady."

"Even a man struggles to make a living, yet you, a young lady, speak with more ambition than any man."

"A menial from the Miscellany Hall of the Medical Administration is someone anyone in the entire Medical Administration can order around at will. Do you think you can establish yourself there just by relying on a bit of medical knowledge?"

"Let me make this clear right now: if you dare bring trouble to the family or disgrace us, I will directly kick you out of the house."

Hua Changxi, seeing that Old Master Hua no longer forbade her from joining the Chores Hall, said nothing more and paid no heed to his threats and intimidation.

Early the next morning, Hua Changxi took the steamed buns that Madam Yao handed her and said with a smile, "Mother, don’t mind how the world sees servants. You should trust your daughter—maybe I can make a name for myself in the Chores Hall."

Madam Yao smiled noncommittally and only urged, "Take good care of yourself. If you can’t get used to the Chores Hall, just come home."

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "I know. I’m off!"

The other members of the Hua family, some sitting in the main hall and some standing in the courtyard, simply watched Hua Changxi walk out of the house without a word.

After stepping out of the Hua family gate, Hua Changxi turned back to glance at the Hua residence, her eyes blazing with a bright light.

From now on, her world would no longer be confined to the Hua family courtyard.

Seventh Miss Hua and Twelfth Miss Hua stood at the doorway, watching Hua Changxi stride away with a face full of joy, their expressions somewhat complicated.

Twelfth Miss Hua muttered, "Being a servant is hard and exhausting. Grandmother was absolutely right—Ninth Sister really knows how to stir up trouble."

But Seventh Miss Hua said, "Still... being a servant also earns money." With money, they could do many things and not have to obey the family for everything.

Twelfth Miss Hua looked astonished: "Seventh Sister, I get the feeling you kind of support Ninth Sister going to be a servant."

Seventh Miss Hua paused for a moment: "Whenever we want to buy something, we have to ask the family for money. Do you think asking for money feels good?"

Twelfth Miss Hua fell silent.

Seventh Miss Hua added another sentence: "Ninth Sister found a job for herself. I think it’s a good thing. Just you wait—in the future, Ninth Sister’s confidence at home will only grow stronger."