Chapter 9: Confinement

"Nanny Zhou, my Ninth Girl is just a rough and wild girl. I think Aunt seems angry. You must help me explain to her."

As Nanny Zhou was seeing Old Madam Hua and her party out, Old Madam Hua held Nanny Zhou's hand and kept expressing her apologies.

Nanny Zhou chuckled: "Oh, you're too suspicious. She's just a young lady; how could she be worth Madam Zhou's anger?"

Old Madam Hua and the three sisters-in-law, including Yao, didn't take this seriously.

If Madam Zhou really wasn't angry, it was already noon, and she should have invited them to stay for a meal, but now she didn't even say a polite word.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the back gate.

Nanny Zhou smiled and pulled her hand back from Old Madam Hua's: "Alright, I'll only see you to here." She paused, then said to Old Madam Hua.

"I know your family is very busy, but if you have free time and think highly of our residence, then bring a few more young ladies over to visit."

Old Madam Hua's expression changed, and she quickly forced a smile: "Nanny Zhou, what are you saying? We've been hoping day and night to come and pay our respects to Aunt."

Nanny Zhou smiled and nodded: "I know your intentions, but having intentions also requires action." Without waiting for Old Madam Hua to say anything, she waved her hand.

"Take care on your way."

Seeing this, Old Madam Hua could only lead her daughters-in-law and granddaughters away.

When they turned the alley and boarded the carriage waiting by the street, Old Madam Hua's face suddenly darkened, and her eyes blazed as she glared at Hua Changxi.

Old Madam Hua's vicious, gnashing-teeth expression made everyone else in the carriage silent as cicadas in winter.

Hua Changxi frowned, avoided her gaze, and turned her head away.

Was she wrong?

She didn't think so.

If she had actually met that great-grandaunt's scrutinizing gaze like she was inspecting goods, bent down at her feet, she would despise herself; her dignity as a person would not allow her to do that.

Along the way, no one in the carriage dared to speak, and in that silence, they returned to the Hua family.

As soon as they entered the house, Old Madam Hua exploded: "Yao, lock Hua Jiuniang in the side room, and don't give her food for a few days."

Hua Changxi broke free from her mother's grip and retorted loudly: "Why are you locking me up?"

Old Madam Hua grew angrier, pointing at Hua Changxi: "You still dare to ask? We went to visit today, and you offended the host. You're really something!"

"Let me tell you, if you ruin Fifth Girl's matchmaking, just see how I'll deal with you!"

Hua Changxi smiled sarcastically: "Grandmother, I advise you not to have such high expectations of the clan. I think today's so-called matchmaking was more likely not a good thing."

That Madam Zhou seemed to be examining their manners, but in fact she was selecting — selecting young ladies who could humble themselves and please others.

Is this how they examine a proper young lady?

And even several families together.

Who would believe there's no trickery here?

Seeing that she still dared to talk back, Old Madam Hua looked around, then strode two steps at a time to the eaves, picked up a broom, and threw it at Hua Changxi.

"Hua Jiuniang, you're really rebelling against heaven!"

Hua Changxi quickly dodged it.

"What's all this commotion?"

Old Master Hua walked out of the main hall with a grim face. The clan had suddenly come to their house, and he felt uneasy. He hadn't gone out today and had been waiting at home to hear the news early.

But unexpectedly, as soon as his old wife returned, she started throwing a tantrum.

"What are you two making a fuss about?"

Old Madam Hua quickly recounted what happened at the main clan elder's house today, pointing at Hua Changxi: "This girl cannot be left unchecked any longer."

As soon as Old Master Hua heard that Hua Changxi had offended the main clan elder, his anger was immediately ignited. He looked at Yao and said sharply: "What, your mother-in-law can't order you around anymore? Is this how you act as a daughter-in-law?"

Seeing Old Master Hua venting his anger at her mother, Hua Changxi immediately wanted to argue, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Yao covered it with her hand.

"Daughter-in-law will take Ninth Girl to the side room now."

So saying, she forcibly pulled Hua Changxi toward the side room.

Hua Changxi knew that if she didn’t cooperate, the old man and old woman would surely vent their anger on the Yao woman, so she obediently entered the side room and watched as the old woman took a lock and locked the side room.

“Grandmother, just wait and see. No one does favors for nothing—either a thief or a cheat. The clan suddenly taking an interest in Fifth Sister definitely bodes no good.”

“You and Grandfather are pouring your hearts out to curry favor with the clan, but the clan only treats you as pawns.”

The fury pent up in Old Madam Hua’s chest had largely subsided. Hearing Hua Changxi’s words, she reacted flatly: “What would a little girl like you understand?”

“Just because you’ve read a few books, you think you know everything. ‘Pawns,’ you say? I’ll tell you, if the clan really saw our family as pawns, that would be our good fortune.”

Having said that, she jangled her keys as she left.

Hua Changxi was exasperated, but she didn’t dwell on it too much, knowing it was a matter of perspective. She turned and sat down on the only rush cushion in the room.

She was no stranger to this side room; she’d lost count of how many times she’d been locked in here.

The Hua family was large, and in their two-entry compound, there weren’t even enough rooms for each person to have one. Yet this side room had been deliberately left empty, its sole purpose being to punish and confine wayward descendants.

Hua Changxi sat on the rush cushion, calmed herself for a moment, then closed her eyes and began to circulate the Little Bird Breathing and Absorption Technique.

Beneath the eaves of the main house, Second Aunt Hua, Fourth Aunt Hua, as well as Fifth Girl, Seventh Girl, Twelfth Girl, and Fourteenth Girl watched with their own eyes as Hua Changxi was locked into the side room.

Twelfth Girl laughed: “Thank heavens. Luckily Father is not home today, otherwise Ninth Girl would never have been locked up.”

Second Aunt Hua: “Even if your uncle were home today, given that Ninth Girl offended the old lady of the main branch, this confinement was inevitable. Grandfather cares far more about the clan than your uncle does.”

Seventh Girl didn’t quite understand: “But Ninth Girl didn’t do anything that terrible.”

Second Aunt Hua glanced at Fourth Aunt Hua: “Today the old lady of the main branch was sizing up the clan’s unmarried girls. With Ninth Girl’s stunt, her impression of our family’s girls is sure to have soured. It might even ruin Fifth Girl’s chances.”

Fourth Aunt Hua did not refute that.

Fourth Aunt Hua and Fifth Girl could not deny feeling a little resentment over the scene Hua Changxi had caused at the main branch’s home.

Seeing her mother and sister looking so down, Seventh Girl didn’t dare speak up either.

“Let’s go, back to our rooms.”

Watching Fourth Aunt Hua lead away Fifth Girl, Seventh Girl, and Fourteenth Girl, Second Aunt Hua felt a bit of schadenfreude.

Of the three daughters-in-law in the Hua family, the fourth sister-in-law usually preferred to stick with the eldest sister-in-law, leaving her out in the cold. Well, now if Ninth Girl really ruined Fifth Girl’s marriage prospects, let’s see how they get along from now on.

In the main hall, Old Master Hua kept puffing on his long-stemmed pipe, eyeing Old Madam Hua with displeasure: “What were you doing? Going to the main branch’s home—how could you fail to keep Ninth Girl in check?”

Old Madam Hua was annoyed: “As if I could control her! That girl has a rebellious streak a mile wide. She wouldn’t even listen to you, let alone me.”

Old Master Hua’s face darkened: “This time we need to teach that girl a good lesson. Keep a close watch on the side room. No one from the eldest son’s branch is to bring Ninth Girl any food.”

With that, Old Master Hua stood up and began pacing back and forth in the room.

“I need to go to the main branch’s home and personally apologize to Auntie.”

Old Madam Hua hesitated: “I’ve already apologized. There’s no need for you to make the trip, is there? I thought Auntie rather liked Fifth Girl; she should help with the matchmaking.”

Old Master Hua shook his head: “Fifth Girl’s matter is secondary. What worries me is the eldest son and the others.”

“Don’t let Ming He and the other two hold posts in the yamen—their positions are far too low. Now that the grandsons are all growing up, if the clan doesn’t give them a hand, what kind of future can they possibly find?”

“Our family and the clan were already distant. We can’t let this matter drive another wedge between us.”

Old Madam Hua: “When will you go? I should prepare some apology gifts.”

Old Master Hua glanced at the sky: “Tomorrow.”

The Main Branch Home.

Hua Tai, the eldest son of the main branch, remembered that today was the day for the clan’s unmarried girls to be inspected. As soon as he got off work in the afternoon, he went straight to Madam Zhou’s room: “Mother, how did today’s matchmaking go?”

Present also was Hua Tai’s wife, Zhong, who immediately said: “Mother had a hard day today. She was so tired she barely ate two bites at lunch.”

Madam Zhou waved her hand: “It’s not tiredness. I just didn’t have much of an appetite.”

Hua Tai quickly said: “Mother, you must take good care of yourself. I still have some medicinal herbs gifted by the Earl’s mansion; I’ll have a maid bring them to you shortly. Your health is what I worry about most.”

Seeing her eldest son so concerned about her, Madam Zhou felt gratified.

Zhong smiled as she served a freshly brewed cup of tea: “If you ask me, it’s because Mother is too kind to the clanspeople that you ended up getting angry over a little girl.”

Hua Tai’s expression immediately changed: “Who dared make my mother angry?”

Madam Zhou glanced indifferently at Madam Zhong and shook her head: "Just a young lady, how could she anger me?"

"It's just that today, seeing those young ladies, each as beautiful as flowers and buds about to bloom, yet being sent off to be concubines, I feel sad in my heart."

Hearing this, Hua Tai quickly stood up and made a deep bow to Madam Zhou: "I've made Mother worry for your son."

Madam Zhou sighed: "Enough, this kind of sinful business of selecting young ladies from the clan to be concubines for others is something that this old woman must do. In the future, if the clansmen want to curse, let them curse this old woman."

Hua Tai and Madam Zhong exchanged a glance and quickly said: "How is this sinful? To be selected by Mother and enter a noble family as a concubine is the blessing of the clan's young ladies."

Madam Zhou remained silent and did not speak.

Hua Tai asked tentatively: "Which young lady has Mother taken a liking to?"

Madam Zhou looked at her son: "What do you mean by my liking? I merely selected according to the standards you set."

"Must be easy to bear children, have good looks, and have a docile nature, not jealous of the main wife. After selecting again and again, only one or two are suitable."

Seeing her son staring at her with burning eyes, Madam Zhou spoke of the person she had in mind: "Hua Bin's Fifth Girl is the most suitable, and she is of age."

Hearing this, Hua Tai thought about Hua Bin's situation, knowing that Hua Bin had always known how to adapt to circumstances, and immediately smiled: "As expected, once Mother takes action, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished."

Madam Zhou looked at her son: "They have given up a young lady after all, so you should not be too stingy on your part."

Hua Tai smiled: "Mother, rest assured. With so many clansmen watching, your son will not lose the big for the small and disappoint the clansmen. Doesn't Hua Bin have many grandsons? Nowadays, no young man doesn't want to practice martial arts. Your son will give them a letter of admission to the martial academy."

"Using one young lady to exchange for a young man to enter the martial academy to practice martial arts, they are not at a loss!"

Madam Zhou nodded: "Also, be polite in attitude. That branch of Hua Bin still has some backbone." Saying this, she couldn't help but think of that Hua Ninth Girl who dared to look her in the eye.

Madam Zhou suddenly laughed: "Speaking of which, those few young ladies from Hua Bin's family are all quite good-looking. In a couple of years when they mature, they will definitely be top-notch beauties."

Hearing this, Hua Tai also laughed: "To be able to catch Mother's eye, those young ladies are considered blessed. When they come of age, Mother can help select suitable families for them."

Mother and son exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly.