Chapter 6: Patriarchal Authority

Realm: Qi Refining 1/1000

Hundred Herbs Canon (Grandmaster): Tasted 365/1000 Herbs

Hua Changxi couldn't get other medicinal herbs for now; the next chapter of the Hundred Herbs Canon could only be unlocked after she passed the exam for the Medical Bureau.

She was curious: after mundane plants and spirit plants, what would come next?

As for cultivation…

In her mind, Hua Changxi recalled the scene from her dream where she turned into a bird and breathed like one.

She knew that her cultivation should be carried out through breathing and respiration.

Thinking of this, Hua Changxi quickly tried to see if she could cultivate during the day. She originally wanted to sit cross-legged, but remembering that the bird was lying prone, she lay face down on the bed.

Unfortunately, Hua Changxi couldn't calm her mind at all. Even though she imagined the scene of a bird breathing, her thoughts were scattered, and her breathing rhythm was chaotic, let alone drawing the surrounding Qi into her body.

All afternoon, Hua Changxi kept experimenting, but she didn't succeed even by dinner time.

As evening fell, the Hua family courtyard became lively.

Yao and her two sisters-in-law were busy in the kitchen; cooking for over twenty people in the Hua family was no easy task.

Old Madam Hua, meanwhile, was spinning thread and doing needlework under the eaves outside the main hall with several granddaughters.

Old Master Hua and his three sons, Hua Minghe and the others who had returned from work, sat in the main hall smoking dry tobacco. Hua Sanlang and several other grandchildren sat nearby, chatting about what had happened outside.

When Hua Changxi came out of her room, she drew everyone's attention.

Old Madam Hua, without stopping her spinning, lifted her eyelids to look at Hua Changxi and asked, "Feeling better?"

Hua Changxi replied with a smile, "Grandmother, I'm fine now."

Old Madam Hua had always been stern with her granddaughters. She let out a faint "Hmm" and then began to lecture, "After this lesson, let's see if you still dare to run around recklessly."

"Among all the young ladies in our family, you are the most disobedient."

"I just don't understand. All of you are Hua family young ladies. Wuniang and the others can stay home quietly embroidering and weaving. Why must you insist on running outside?"

Hua Changxi was long accustomed to Old Madam Hua's nagging. Her expression unchanged, she let it go in one ear and out the other.

"Jiuniang, come in and serve the dishes."

Yao's voice came from the kitchen, rescuing Hua Changxi from Old Madam Hua's nagging.

With over twenty people in the Hua family, meals were divided into two tables: one for adults and one for children.

Before the meal, Old Master Hua suddenly waved Hua Changxi over. With a fairly amiable expression, he asked, "Did you go to the pharmacy this afternoon?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately looked at Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang.

Hua Sanlang looked somewhat surprised, while Hua Silang didn't dare meet Hua Changxi's eyes.

Hua Changxi suddenly understood why Old Master Hua knew she had gone to the pharmacy. "Mm, I went to the pharmacy to get a few doses of Qi and blood tonic medicine."

Old Madam Hua's face immediately fell. "You were kidnapped just yesterday, and today you dare to sneak out again. You really have no memory!"

"Hua Jiuniang, go ahead and act up. Ruin your reputation, and see how you'll ever marry!"

Old Master Hua let Old Madam Hua scold her for a while before continuing, "Jiuniang, you're already thirteen, a grown young lady. It's not appropriate for you to continue showing your face outside."

"From now on, don't go to the pharmacy to help anymore."

"You—"

Hearing this, the expressions of the Hua family members shifted slightly.

As for Hua Changxi being able to help at the pharmacy, the second branch and fourth branch were actually somewhat dissatisfied.

For one, since all were young ladies of the Hua family, Hua Changxi could go to the pharmacy to learn medicine while the others had to learn needlework and weaving at home. Naturally, this made the second and fourth branches feel it was unfair.

Second, Hua Changxi's displayed talent in medical texts made the second and fourth branches somewhat wary, fearing she would take away resources meant for their own sons.

Old Master Hua's words were spoken gently and mildly, yet carried an air of non-negotiability.

Hua Minghe seemed to want to say something but held back. Seeing that his second brother and his wife, as well as his fourth brother and his wife, all looked approving, he ultimately didn't speak up for his own daughter.

The eldest branch occupied the most resources in the family.

Dalang entered the martial academy, and every month a considerable amount of silver had to be spent on him.

Sanlang started studying medicine at an herbal medicine shop at age eight and handles the shop's purchasing affairs.

Now Liulang also has to go help at the shop; if Jiuniang is allowed to stay there any longer, Second Brother and Fourth Brother will indeed become dissatisfied.

Yao wanted to argue for her daughter, but since her father-in-law had spoken, as a daughter-in-law she had no right to refute him.

The couple could only look at their daughter with guilt.

Hua Changxi had already made up her mind to take the examination for the Medical Office, so naturally she wouldn't cling tightly to the Hua family's medical shop, but she was still very unhappy with the family's practice of channeling all resources to the males.

"Grandfather, I've been helping at the shop for three years. All my brothers have received wages, but I've never gotten a single one. Since I'm not going anymore, shouldn't you settle accounts with me?"

Old Master Hua lifted his eyes to look at Hua Changxi, his expression indifferent: "Where do you think your food and clothes come from?"

Old Madam Hua also cut in, exasperated: "We haven't even charged you tuition for learning medicine, yet you're asking for wages now."

Knowing that the old couple didn't value their granddaughter, Hua Changxi never expected them to completely deny her worth. Fuming, she wanted to argue back, but Yao held her firmly.

Yao had already noticed that her father-in-law was angry, and when he was angry, he would really punish her daughter.

Hua.

Old Master Hua was far less kind to his grandson. He slammed his hand down on the table beside him, "SMACK!" and barked: "If you don't learn a trade at the pharmacy, what do you plan to do?"

"You're fifteen this year, and in two years it'll be time to talk about marriage. Without learning or a skill, what good girl do you think would marry you?"

Hua Liulang shrank back a little, but still mustered his courage: "Grandfather, I don't want to study medicine. I want to practice martial arts."

First the ninth granddaughter had inappropriately asked the family for wages, and now the sixth grandson was talking back and contradicting him; Old Master Hua's face turned completely dark.

"Have you rebelled against heaven? Do you want to be the head of this family instead?"

"Your old man has lived his whole life without being able to do whatever he wants, and you, a little brat, think you have the right to choose?"

Seeing that the old master had lost his temper, Hua Sanlang quickly stood up and stepped in front of Hua Liulang: "Grandfather, Liulang knows he was wrong. Your grandson will make sure he works properly at the shop."

Old Master Hua swept his eyes over the family members, each with a different expression, then glanced at Hua Changxi, who looked unconvinced, and finally said to Hua Liulang: "Go kneel in the courtyard for two hours and reflect carefully."

Hua Changxi wanted to say something when she saw Old Master Hua punishing Hua Liulang, but Hua Sanlang pulled her out the door.

Later, at dinner, Hua Changxi didn't eat. Looking at Hua Liulang kneeling in the courtyard, she felt irritated: "Sixth Brother, take a rest. Everyone's eating, and no one's watching you."

Hua Liulang shook his head: "Grandfather is angry. I shouldn't have talked back to him. If he finds out I'm not reflecting properly, he'll add more punishment."

Hua Changxi: "How was that just now 'talking back'? We were only reasonably expressing our demands. Grandfather is just not broad-minded enough."

Hua Liulang heard his sister's voice getting a bit loud and quickly tugged at her: "Keep your voice down. If Grandfather hears you, watch out—he'll punish you too."

"Alright, it's only two hours of kneeling. I did make Grandfather angry just now. Don't worry about me, go eat quickly."

Old Master Hua's authority was like a circlet of binding on the heads of the Hua family; no one dared challenge it. Almost everyone carried out his punishments meticulously. Hua Changxi felt helpless about this and could only return to her room in frustration.

Back in her room, Hua Changxi still couldn't calm down. She simply lay face down on the bed, once again imitating the breathing of the little bird in her dream, trying to settle her mind.

Slowly, the sounds from the courtyard faded, and without realizing it, Hua Changxi entered a state where the world contained only herself.

"Huu~"

Hot breath exhaled from her nose; Hua Changxi felt as if she had become the little bird. With each inhale and exhale, her body began to grow pleasantly warm.

When Yao finished tidying the kitchen and came to comfort Hua Changxi, she found her daughter already asleep and couldn't help but smile softly.

She had thought this girl would be sulking, but instead she had just fallen asleep.

The next day, as the first light of dawn crept in, Hua Changxi opened her eyes, feeling completely at ease.

[Realm: Qi Condensation 2/1000]

Seeing the words in her field of vision, Hua Changxi smiled with satisfaction. At the same time, she confirmed that as long as she could immerse herself into the same rhythm of breathing as the little bird, she could cultivate.

Noticing that more filth had oozed out of her body, Hua Changxi this time didn't disturb her family. She went to the courtyard to fetch water and returned to her room to bathe.

After one night, her injuries had healed a lot more, and many wounds were starting to scab off.

No wonder everyone wants to cultivate immortality. Leaving aside other things, it really does strengthen the body.

Since she could no longer help at the pharmacy, for the next half month Hua Changxi stayed in her room "recovering from her injuries," spending all her time practicing how to quickly fall into the state of breathing like the little bird.

After half a month of practice, Hua Changxi had indeed found a way. Now, though not at any time or place, as long as she could calm her mind—whether sitting, standing, or lying down—she could enter cultivation.

Of course, cultivation was fastest when lying down.

She also discovered that bathing in moonlight and morning light sped up cultivation.

[Realm: Qi Refining 33/1000]

In this half month, she had devoted all her time to cultivation, only managing to reach 33.

"I wonder if there's any other way to increase the cultivation speed?"

Though she had luckily obtained the opportunity for immortal cultivation, she knew nothing about the art of cultivation.

Fortunately, the notice for the Medical Department's additional recruitment of apprentices had already been posted.

As long as she passed the exam and entered the Medical Department, through the upgrade of medical inheritance, she would gradually pull back the curtain on the world of cultivators.

The exam for the Medical Department's additional recruitment of apprentices was set for September 20th. Those who wished to apply had to register at the Medical Department before the 15th.

Two days ago, Pharmacist Xu went to the Hua family's medicine shop to find Hua Changxi but didn't see her, so he had Hua Liulang bring a message back.

Pharmacist Xu told Hua Changxi to come to the Medical Department on September 7th, saying he would personally take her to register and also explain the exam precautions.

Today was September 6th, and tomorrow would be September 7th.

Hua Changxi had been somewhat troubled these past two days, because she knew her father didn't support her taking the Medical Department exam. If he didn't agree, her mother probably wouldn't give her the household registration document.

Just as Hua Changxi was thinking of what reason to use to persuade her parents, an unexpected visitor arrived.

"What? We're going to the main branch of the clan tomorrow?"

A member of the Hua clan came to the house. As soon as he left, Old Madam Hua called a few of her granddaughters to the main hall, instructing them to wake up early the next morning and accompany her on a visit.

Going out to visit relatives made Hua Wuniang and the others happy, but Hua Changxi, thinking about registering for the Medical Department, didn't want to go: "Grandmother, I won't go."

Old Madam Hua shot her a sidelong glance: "Usually, you love running outside at every chance. Now that I'm letting you go out, you don't want to. Tell me, are you full of rebellious bones?"

At this point, Old Master Hua spoke up, directly putting an end to it: "Everyone must go. The head of the main branch seeks us out—that's an honor for our family. We can't make them lose face."

With that, he walked out of the main hall with his hands behind his back and a stern face.

Having lived in the Hua family for thirteen years, Hua Changxi's resistance to the fact that no one could rebut Old Master Hua once he spoke only grew.

What was a feudal patriarch?

This was it—the Hua family was Old Master Hua's one-man rule.

Whenever Old Master Hua spoke, no matter what others had going on, they had to prioritize his matters first.

Seeing her daughter's displeased expression, Yao quickly pulled her out of the main hall: "It's just a visit to the clan head's house. Why are you so unwilling?"

Hua Changxi kept a tight face: "I have something to do tomorrow."

Yao chuckled: "What could you possibly have to do?"

Hua Changxi, no longer bothering to find an excuse, said directly, "Mother, I need to go register at the Medical Department."

Yao was taken aback, then fell silent for a moment. After a while, she said, "This matter needs to be discussed with your father first."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi looked Yao straight in the eye, her face full of seriousness: "Mother, this is my matter. I can decide on my own."

Yao said peevishly, "You're just a young girl—how can you have such a big idea? Your grandfather has already spoken. Tomorrow you must go to the clan head's house."

Seeing that Hua Changxi still wanted to argue, she added, "Don't make trouble for yourself. If your grandfather gets angry and punishes you, even your father's pleas won't help."

Hua Changxi thought of the several times she had been punished by being forbidden to eat for contradicting Old Master Hua, and grew irritated: "Mother, if this keeps up, I'll be suffocated to death."

Yao's expression was indifferent: "Suffocated? This is nothing. Right now you're at home. Even if the elders are strict, they won't really do anything to you."

"When you marry in the future and have to deal with your sisters-in-law and in-laws, that's when you'll know what true suffocation is."

Upon hearing this, Hua Changxi fell silent.

The Hua family had many members, so conflicts were inevitable.

Although her mother was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Hua family, she wasn't favored by Old Madam Hua. The old lady's favorite was Second Aunt, who was her own niece.

Usually, Second Aunt frequently clashed with her mother. Sometimes when things got out of hand, Old Madam Hua always took Second Aunt's side, and her mother often suffered grievances.

Since her mother was using her own embarrassing matters to persuade herself, Hua Changxi found it hard to continue arguing with her.

Seeing her daughter hanging her head, Yao-shi couldn't help but say, "Alright, go back to your room and pick out what to wear tomorrow."