Chapter 42: Family Structure

"Now I understand—in Father's heart, a daughter can never measure up to a son after all."

Hua Changxi pulled a long face and returned to her own room.

Hua Liulang followed behind and, hearing her complaint, immediately retorted, "Jiuniang, what are you saying? Father dotes on you so much normally—even I get jealous watching it."

Hua Changxi snorted. "Yes, Father dotes on me. I won't deny that. But his affection for me is different from his affection for Eldest Brother."

"Father spoils me by buying me food and clothes, but toward Eldest Brother, he cares about his feelings and considers his dignity."

"Just now in the main hall, it was obviously Eldest Brother who started the trouble, but Father drove me away instead. He was protecting Eldest Brother's dignity, without any regard for my face."

"In Father's heart, Eldest Brother is much more important than I am."

Hua Liulang's head ached. "Why do you have to compare yourself with Eldest Brother at all?"

Hua Changxi retorted, "Why can't I compare with Eldest Brother?"

Hua Liulang didn't know what to say.

Hua Changxi said dejectedly, "Being a daughter of the Hua family is rather tragic. Grandfather and the others seem never to see my worth—or rather, even if they do see it, they choose to look the other way."

"Pharmacist Xu can at most refine pills for third-rank martial artists, and yet whenever Father sees him, he's always courteous and polite."

"As for me—a pharmacist who can refine pills needed by sixth-rank martial artists—just now in the main hall, Sixth Brother, you saw how the family treated me."

"Especially Eldest Brother. Would he dare to order a pharmacist around outside? Just because I'm his younger sister, can he boss me around at will?"

"And Grandfather is even more ridiculous. I've already put in the effort, and now he wants to squeeze out my private savings to support his grandson. In his eyes, I'm not his granddaughter—I'm just a tool whose feelings and thoughts don't matter."

Hua Liulang quickly said, "It's not that bad, nothing so serious."

Hua Changxi said, "Why isn't it? As soon as I came back, Grandfather and the others didn't even ask if I was doing well in the Miscellaeneous Service Hall. The first thing they asked about was pill refining."

Knowing that Sixth Brother couldn't empathize with her, Hua Changxi waved her hand. "Forget it, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Sixth Brother, go play. I want to rest."

Hua Liulang knew he couldn't out-argue his sister in reasoning and, unable to persuade her, could only leave first.

Hua Changxi slid the door bolt shut, opened the bundle she had brought back, and took out the pills inside to sort them. Apart from the dedicatedly refined Body-Strengthening Pills and the pills she left for Hua Liulang's martial arts training, she planned to sell the rest.

She didn't have many places to spend money in the Miscellaeneous Service Hall, but she wanted to buy a house—a courtyard that belonged only to her.

The Hua family had too many people; at home, she had no privacy in anything she did.

In the future, the number of times she refined pills would only increase. She needed a secret base.

If she refined pills at the Hua residence, given Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua's personalities, they would definitely force her to hand over the results.

Even if she could resist, it would cause trouble. She might disregard others, but she couldn't disregard her parents.

Hua Changxi put the pills she intended to sell into another bundle. Just as she placed it in the cabinet, she heard a knock on the door: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Third Brother!"

Hua Changxi locked the cabinet, opened the door, and looked at Hua Sanlang in surprise. "Third Brother, are you looking for me about something?"

Hua Sanlang gave a wry smile. "Can't I look for you if it's nothing?"

Hua Changxi stepped aside to let Hua Sanlang enter the room. "Did you come to console me?"

Hua Sanlang asked with a smile, "Do you need me to console you?"

Hua Changxi shook her head. "No, I don't."

Hua Sanlang sat down. "Then that settles it. I came to see you about something else."

Hua Changxi looked at him. "What is it?"

Hua Sanlang's expression turned serious. "I took the Blood Qi Pills, Body-Tempering Pills, and Foundation-Solidifying Pills you gave Liulang and studied them. I found that their medicinal efficacy is much better than what's sold on the market."

Hua Changxi gave Hua Sanlang a look that said, "You know your stuff."

Hua Sanlang said, "Jiuniang, could you let me see the formulas?"

Hua Changxi neither agreed nor disagreed, but asked, "Does Third Brother also want to refine pills?"

Hua Sanlang smiled. "Now that you mention it, most of my pill-refining skills were taught by you."

Hua Changxi asked again, "Third Brother, do you refine pills for yourself or for the family?"

Hua Sanlang was taken aback: "What's the difference?"

Hua Changxi: "Of course there's a difference. Answer me quickly."

Hua Sanlang: "The medicinal pills are so potent. If I could refine them myself, I'd put them in our family's pharmacy to sell. That way, we'd bring in more income, and I'd have the pills I need for martial arts training, same as my brothers."

Hua Changxi: "So it's about making pills for the family. In that case, if I provide the formulas, then the silver earned by the family pharmacy should include a share for me."

Hua Sanlang hesitated: "I can't make decisions about the pharmacy."

Hua Changxi smiled: "Then go talk to someone who can." She paused. "Third Brother, asking me for the formulas wasn't just your idea, was it?"

Hua Sanlang was silent for a moment: "Jiu Niang, we're all family..."

Hua Changxi cut him off: "Even brothers settle accounts openly. Third Brother, there's no discussion on this."

Hua Sanlang sighed, stood up, and said, "Then I'll go talk to Grandfather." As he turned to leave, he stepped over the threshold, paused, and looked back.

"Jiu Niang, what if I were refining pills for myself?"

Hua Changxi smiled: "You're my third brother. A few pill formulas—I can spare them."

Hua Sanlang's expression shifted slightly. He said nothing more and left quickly.

"What? Jiu Niang wants a cut of the pharmacy's silver? A little girl like her, what does she need silver for!"

First, they failed to get Hua Changxi to pay for Hua Dalang's medicine. Now, when she's asked to contribute her formulas for the family's use, she wants a share of the profit.

Old Master Hua was extremely displeased with this granddaughter. He kept sucking on his dry tobacco pipe, and soon the main hall was filled with the smell of tobacco.

Second Uncle Hua glanced at Old Master. Seeing that Old Master was unwilling to confront his eldest son directly, he had to speak up for the sake of his two sons' martial arts training.

"Elder Brother, if you don't rein in Jiu Niang, she'll trample all over us."

Hua Minghe shot Second Uncle Hua a glance but said nothing.

If Jiu Niang's alchemy skills had been cultivated by the family, he would have made her hand over the formulas without anyone needing to persuade him.

But the problem was that the family had never provided any support to Jiu Niang. Even as her father, he had no face to demand that his daughter do things for the family.

Old Madam Hua, seeing her eldest son silent, said angrily: "Only when the whole family pulls together can life get better. Everyone in our family is fine, except this Jiu Niang—every time she shows up, there's trouble."

Hua Minghe looked helplessly at Old Madam Hua: "Mother, don't speak of Jiu Niang that way."

Seeing her eldest son talk back, Old Madam Hua grew even angrier: "Did I say anything wrong? The family feeds her and clothes her. Now that she has some skill, she doesn't care whether the family is struggling or not. All she talks about is silver. Even a dog I raised would know more gratitude than her."

Hua Changxi suddenly entered the main hall: "Grandmother, I can give Third Brother the formulas for the Blood Qi Pill, Body Tempering Pill, and Foundation Consolidation Pill. But from now on, I won't owe the Hua family anything."

Old Madam Hua laughed in anger: "Oh? Are you going to cut ties with the Hua family?"

Hua Changxi: "I didn't say I'd cut ties entirely. It's just that from now on, you and the rest of the family should stop spouting that worn-out line about the Hua family feeding and clothing me."

Old Madam Hua snorted: "Three formulas, and you think that buys off the Hua family's raising of you? How wonderful you imagine things to be!"

Hua Changxi let out a cold laugh. Just as she was about to say something, Hua Minghe spoke up.

"Mother, what are you saying?"

Old Madam Hua glanced at her eldest son, then turned her head away and fell silent.

Hua Minghe looked at Hua Changxi: "Jiu Niang, go to the kitchen and help your mother."

Hua Changxi didn't want to make too big a scene during the New Year, so she gave an "Mm" and left.

As soon as she was gone, Hua Dalang quickly pulled Hua Sanlang aside: "What's going on with Jiu Niang? She used to be a bit willful, but she's never been this arrogant before."

Hua Sanlang hesitated and said: "Ever since Jiu Niang joined the Medical Department, she's grown more and more confident."

Hua Dalang: "She thinks that because she can earn money now, she doesn't need to rely on the family?"

Hua Sanlang: "That's definitely part of it."

Hua Dalang shook his head: "She's still too childish. How would she know how hard it is for a young woman to live without her family's protection? Does she really think money can solve everything?"

Hua Sanlang smiled: "Jiu Niang often bickers with Grandmother. Their words are just heat-of-the-moment exchanges—not to be taken seriously. Elder Brother, I just saw how happy Sixth Brother looked. Jiu Niang must have given him some pills again. Shall we go take a look?"

Hua Dalang nodded and followed Hua Sanlang to find Hua Liulang.

Sure enough, Hua Liulang was hiding in his room testing the effects of the Bone-Forging Pill. A wooden post was set up in his room. After taking the pill, he felt strength surging through his whole body. He took off his shirt and started striking the wooden post.

When Hua Dalang and Hua Sanlang entered, Hua Liulang was already drenched in sweat from his workout.

Seeing Hua Dalang, Hua Liulang’s eyes lit up, and he immediately clenched his fists and charged at him.

Hua Dalang raised an eyebrow at this. After all, his little brother was family, so he obliged by sparring with him.

During the spar, Hua Dalang was amazed at how energetic his sixth younger brother was. They went at it for more than half an hour before Hua Liulang finally flopped onto the ground, panting heavily.

"That was so satisfying!"

"Brother, let’s keep going tomorrow!"

Hua Sanlang yanked Hua Liulang up from the ground. "Did you take some kind of pill?"

Hua Liulang didn’t hide it from his two brothers. Treating it like a treasure, he pulled out the pill Hua Changxi had given him. "This is the Body-Tempering Pill Jiu Niang refined. I just took one, and the results are amazing."

"A Body-Tempering Pill sold outside can probably only temper one bone, but the one Jiu Niang refined can temper about three bones."

Hearing this, Hua Sanlang grew immediately interested. He quickly poured one out, sniffed it, and tasted it.

Hua Dalang, on the other hand, shook the porcelain bottle. "How many pills are in here?"

Hua Liulang took the bottle back and said, "Jiu Niang gave me fifty. She said if it wasn’t enough, I could ask her for more."

After hearing this, Hua Dalang was displeased. "Jiu Niang is generous to you, so why is she so stingy with me? She even argued with Grandfather over it."

Hua Liulang glanced at Hua Dalang. "Brother, Jiu Niang doesn’t like being pushed. If you want her help, just talk to her privately. Don’t drag the elders into it."

"Besides, the pills Jiu Niang gave me—she definitely has more left. She gave them to me because she had extra."

"But Brother, the Shackle-Breaking Pill you want—she doesn’t have it. Grandfather even wanted her to dip into her own savings. That’s like cutting flesh from Jiu Niang—of course she wouldn’t agree."

Hua Dalang frowned. "But I’m her eldest brother. I’m not taking her things for free. I’ll definitely repay her many times over in the future."

Hua Liulang said, "Brother, that argument of yours—in Jiu Niang’s words, it’s just drawing a big pie. Qi Niang and the others might believe it, but Jiu Niang won’t."

At this, Hua Dalang was speechless.

The three brothers didn’t talk for long before they heard Old Madam Hua calling from the courtyard, telling them to come eat.

When she was in the Miscellany Hall, Hua Changxi had actually looked forward to coming home, but now her good mood was completely gone. The New Year’s Eve dinner felt tasteless, so she finished quickly and went back to her room to cultivate.

Seeing this, Yao Shi cast a displeased glare at Hua Minghe.

Once the couple returned to their room, Yao Shi began to lecture Hua Minghe. "Couldn’t whatever it was wait until after these two days? Why did you have to ask Jiu Niang the moment she came back?"

Hua Minghe looked helpless. "Father and Mother were just anxious about Dalang."

Yao Shi grew even more dissatisfied. "What’s the rush? Is it that urgent right this second?"

"Jiu Niang has never been a stingy person. She refined pills and thought of you, thought of Liulang—there’s no way she wouldn’t think of Dalang."

"As for Dalang’s matter, if they had discussed it privately between siblings, how could they have argued?"

"Now the old master and old madam got involved. Not only did the problem remain unsolved, but it also damaged the sibling bond between Dalang and Jiu Niang."

"No wonder Jiu Niang didn’t want to tell the family about her alchemy skills. Just look at this household—before anything even happens, you’re all ready to squeeze Jiu Niang dry."

Hua Minghe frowned in disagreement. "It’s not as serious as you say. We’re all one family."

Yao Shi snorted. "You know your daughter’s nature. After what happened today, if she has anything else in the future, she probably won’t tell the family anymore."

Hua Minghe scratched his head in frustration. "This isn’t entirely Father and Mother’s fault. They were just too concerned about the descendants’ future. Once they knew Jiu Niang could refine pills, the boys at home would all be able to practice martial arts. Don’t blame them—even I couldn’t sit still."

Yao Shi lowered her eyes. "No matter how much you think about the descendants, you can’t ignore your granddaughter’s feelings."

Hua Minghe was silent for a moment. "I’ll remind Father and Mother to be more careful in the future."

Yao Shi said no more. That girl Jiu Niang was someone who valued herself highly. If the family continued to disregard her thoughts and feelings, they would only push her further and further away.

On the first day of the new year, after paying New Year’s respects to the elders, Hua Changxi didn’t go out to play with Hua Qiniang and the others. Instead, she stayed in her room to cultivate.

Yao Shi called her several times but couldn’t get her out of the room.

By the second day of the new year, married daughters returned to their parents’ home. Hua Sangu and Hua Erniang both came back accompanied by their husbands, but Hua Wuniang was nowhere to be seen—the marquis’s household only sent a maid with some New Year gifts.

After Hua Wuniang was carried into the marquis’s estate, she had never contacted her family. Hua Fourth Aunt was very worried. Seeing the visitor from the marquis’s household, she couldn’t help asking, "Chunyu, is Wuniang doing well in the marquis’s estate?"

The visitor was none other than Chunyu, the maid that Grand Dowager Zhou from the main eldest’s family had given to Hua Wuniang.

Spring Rain smiled and said, "Madam, rest assured, Concubine Hua is very much favored by the Third Master and Third Madam in the Marquis's Manor."

Almost none of the Hua family believed this.

If Fifth Lady truly lived well in the Marquis's Manor, why had she not contacted her family for so long?

Spring Rain recalled that when she left, Third Madam had ordered her to return within two hours, so she said, "The Marquis's Manor has been quite busy lately, this servant must go back now."

Hua Changxi placed the Body-Strengthening Pill she had refined into a pouch and handed it to Spring Rain: "This is my New Year's gift for Fifth Sister. Please pass it on to her for me."

After taking it, Spring Rain hurried away.

Later, when Third Aunt Hua and Second Madam Hua left, Hua Changxi also gave each of them a bottle of Body-Strengthening Pills.

Starting on the third day of the New Year, Hua Changxi no longer stayed at home. After breakfast, she went out to stroll around the streets. Sixth Young Master Hua wanted to follow, but she sent him away.

She wanted to sell pills, and after getting silver, buy a house. She did not want anyone in the family to know about this.

She had long understood the power structure of the Hua family: Old Master Hua was the head of the family, followed by her father and two uncles, and then her eldest brother and the other grandsons.

Old Madam Hua shared Old Master Hua's authority; her mother and the two aunts were all under Old Madam Hua's control.

As for her and Seventh Lady Hua and the rest, they were at the very bottom of the family—anyone could manage them, anyone could lecture them.

In the Hua family, she had no right to speak. Even if she demonstrated her value, that value served only the male members of the Hua family.

Not only would she receive no recognition, but she would instead be suppressed. If she ever displeased them, she would be met with all kinds of accusations and moral blackmail.

She could not cut off all feelings and completely sever ties with the Hua family, but she could break free from this family structure!