Chapter 228: Everyone Is Sensitive

Third Master He noticed Hua Changxi's displeasure towards him, and although somewhat annoyed, he didn't take it too seriously.

Once he made Hua Wuniang his principal wife, the Marquis Manor and the Hua family would become true in-laws.

What does "in-laws" mean?

It means joining two families in goodwill and exchanging resources.

In his view, even if Hua Jiuniang was currently the person with the most resources in the Hua family, before she married, she was still a daughter of the Hua family, and the Hua family was under the authority of Old Master Hua.

What he needed to do was to strive to build good relations with the male members of the Hua family.

Regardless of whether Hua Jiuniang was willing, the Hua family could, to some extent, be used by the Marquis Manor.

On the carriage, Third Master He, while amusing He Xiaoman, asked Hua Wuniang: "Regarding Siqi and Sirong, did you mention it to Jiuniang?"

Hua Wuniang shook her head: "No."

Third Master He frowned, his tone somewhat displeased: "Why didn't you mention it?"

Hua Wuniang was actually somewhat afraid of Third Master He, and now seeing his angry expression, she became even more nervous, merely lowering her head and tugging at the handkerchief in her hands.

Third Master He, seeing her so unable to behave properly in public, grew even angrier: "From now on, when others speak to you, don't lower your head. Not only is it petty and vulgar, it also makes people look down on you."

Upon hearing these words, Hua Wuniang's cheeks and ears flushed with shame.

Seeing her like this, Third Master He's dissatisfaction grew even stronger. If not for the spiritual energy revival that had brought the Hua family good fortune, someone as incapable of proper conduct as Hua Wuniang wouldn't even be qualified to be his personal maid.

"Hua Wuniang, you listen to me carefully. As my wife, Third Master He's wife, I don't require you to be smooth and adept at handling everyone, but you absolutely must not hold me back."

"After we return to the Marquis Manor, I will speak to Mother and have her assign a governess to you. You must thoroughly rid yourself of that poor and shabby air about you, so that when you go out for social engagements in the future, you won't embarrass me."

As Hua Wuniang listened to Third Master He's undisguised contemptuous words, the figure of Hua Changxi appeared in her mind.

She thought of the words Hua Changxi had always spoken since childhood.

'Dignity is something you earn for yourself.'

'How others treat you is what you allow.'

'I don't allow others to disrespect me. Even if I can't win in a fight, I will curse at them a couple of times to let them know I'm not someone to be bullied. Bullying me comes with a price.'

These words echoed in Hua Wuniang's ears, and suddenly courage grew in her heart. She abruptly raised her head and looked straight at Third Master He.

"Since you, Third Master, look down on me so much, why bother making me your principal wife?"

Hua Wuniang's nature, to put it nicely, was gentle and non-confrontational; to put it bluntly, it was cowardly and incompetent.

Third Master He had long figured out Hua Wuniang, but now seeing her actually dare to talk back to him, he was genuinely startled, then let out a sneer.

Tsk, tsk, tsk...

Now that the Hua family has produced a Hua Jiuniang, even Hua Wuniang, who was as docile as a cat, dares to show her claws.

Hua Wuniang looked at the undisguised mockery in Third Master He's smile, feeling only shame and humiliation. Her voice trembled: "Third Master, you once said everything has a price."

"If the He family wants to form a marriage alliance with the Hua family, then accepting me, whom you look down on, is the price you need to bear."

"Husband and wife are one body. Third Master, when you mock and belittle me, aren't you also mocking yourself for marrying me?"

Third Master He saw that Hua Wuniang did not lower her head in shame as before, but instead dared to provoke him with words. He instantly became angry and embarrassed, and grabbed her chin.

"I really didn't see it coming—so you're this sharp-tongued."

"What, do you think that because I'm going to make you my principal wife, you can be disrespectful to me?"

Hua Wuniang's chin was painfully squeezed, but this time she did not back down and continued to look straight at Third Master He.

Third Master He stared at Hua Wuniang for a moment, then shoved her away.

The force was a bit strong; Hua Wuniang nearly fell.

Hua Wuniang supported herself on the stool. A conspicuous bruise was left on her fair chin. Although her chin hurt, at this moment, a smile was tucked at the corner of her mouth, and a joy she had never felt before arose in her heart.

So, contradicting, fighting back, and defying others wasn't that difficult after all.

No wonder Jiuniang so enjoyed going against her grandfather and grandmother—she must have discovered the fun in it long ago.

Third Master He waited for Hua Wuniang to sit properly again. Seeing that she did not voluntarily admit her mistake, he was displeased, but thinking that after returning to the Marquis Manor he still had to report the Hua family's situation to his family, he could only break the silence first.

"Madam Hua Wu, you're right. Accepting you is the price I have to pay. But what about you? Are you ready to pay the price you must?"

Madam Hua Wu frowned and said nothing.

Seeing that the marquis's residence was almost there, Third Master He didn't want to waste words and got straight to the point.

"Siqi and Sirong were sent to be by Hua Jiuniang's side at great cost to the marquis's residence. For better relations between the residence and the Hua family, you should also try to persuade Hua Jiuniang more, asking her to take good care of Sirong and Siqi."

Madam Hua Wu looked at Third Master He: "Third Master, you don't understand my Ninth Sister. She's not someone who listens to advice. Sirong and Siqi have helped me before, and as long as they don't cross Ninth Sister's bottom line, Ninth Sister won't really abandon them."

Third Master He was clearly dissatisfied with this answer. What he wanted was for Hua Jiuniang to give He Sirong and He Siqi special care and preferential treatment.

But he also knew that Hua Jiuniang wouldn't listen even to Old Master Hua, let alone to Madam Hua Wu.

Third Master He said resentfully: "Whose daughter doesn't mostly follow her elders' opinions in everything? Hua Jiuniang is the most unfilial and disobedient person I've ever seen in my life."

Upon hearing this, Madam Hua Wu frowned and looked at Third Master He: "Third Master, no one likes someone who doesn't like them."

"People are sensitive; they can perceive all good and evil, likes and dislikes. Your dislike for Ninth Sister—no matter how you try to hide it—Ninth Sister will certainly detect it. That being the case, how can Third Master still expect her to treat you favorably?"

Third Master He was left speechless by the question. Feeling he had lost face, he ignored Madam Hua Wu and focused solely on amusing He Xiaoman.

Madam Hua Wu also turned her head to look outside the carriage, watching the fleeting street scenes as her thoughts churned.

Those words just now had also startled her awake.

Ninth Sister wasn't very close to the family. This time back at the Hua household, she could clearly feel that Ninth Sister seemed to be separated from the family by something.

Was it because Ninth Sister had sensed that the family's care and concern for her were not pure but came with other motives?

In the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the first lunar month. Hua Minghe and Hua Dalang went to start their duties. As soon as the father and son left, Hua Changxi also bid farewell to the Hua family and left the Hua courtyard.

The Medical Department didn't start work until the sixth day of the first month, but Hua Changxi went early. After arriving at the Qihuang Hall on the thirteenth, she entered the secret realm space.

Inside the secret realm, Hua Changxi examined the spirit herbs and plants on the first four layers while thinking about how to manage and operate the secret realm in the future.

'The arrival of Xia Zhen and the others opened all eighteen divine tree secret realms of the Alchemy Saint Hall at once. From this, I can see that when the Alchemy Saint Hall appears in the future, even more secret realms will be opened. How should I distinguish my secret realm from the others?'

After pondering this question, Hua Changxi felt she should give a name to the divine tree secret realm she had obtained.

Also, the secret realm needed people to manage it. She would have to install access control for the secret realm and issue entry tokens to those managing it, to make management easier.

Secret realm name, secret realm access control, entry tokens...

Installing access control required setting up formations; forging tokens required an artifact refiner...

As Hua Changxi thought about these matters, she felt she needed to go find Tong Yao.

Tong Yao knew formation masters, and he himself was from the Artifact Saint Hall. For things needed in the subsequent operation of the secret realm, like the clothes for the spirit herb farmers, she could have him refine them.