Chapter 25: Fifth Lady Leaves Home to Marry

[Realm: Qi Condensation 1078/1000]

[Annotations on the Classic of Hundred Herbs (Perfected): Tasted Herbs 3001/]

[Stainless Technique Perfected]

[Comprehensive Canon of Frying (Entry Level): Processed Medicinal Ingredients 1/10]

[Comprehensive Atlas of Meridians (Minor Achievement): Dissected Medicinal Ingredients 25/100]

Hua Changxi entered the Miscellaneous Labor Hall on the twenty-first day of the ninth month; a month having passed, all her metrics had improved significantly, and the Stainless Technique had directly advanced to Perfection.

After perfecting the Stainless Technique, Hua Changxi's ability to control wind and water improved further; nowadays, she could control both wind and water simultaneously.

Previously, cleaned medicinal ingredients would remain soaked with much water, but now, while cleaning the ingredients thoroughly, Hua Changxi could also drain them dry.

Besides playing a major role when cleaning medicinal ingredients, the Stainless Technique also served Hua Changxi greatly in her daily personal hygiene.

For instance, after casting the Stainless Technique once, clothes worn for several days instantly became clean as new; similarly, ground accumulated with dust would become spotless under the effect of the Stainless Technique.

On the twentieth day of the tenth month, Hua Changxi rose at three quarters past the hour of Mao (5:45), hurriedly washed and dressed, then left the dormitory.

At this time, the others in the same dormitory were only just beginning to rise one after another.

"How rare; Hua Changxi actually got up earlier than us."

"Today she is returning home; Steward Du said that as long as she finishes her duties, she may leave."

Watching Hua Changxi depart with quick steps, Sister Shi's expression was very poor; by now she already regretted it, alas, Hua Changxi would rather rise early to work than swap her day off with her.

When Hua Changxi arrived at the storehouse, it was exactly four quarters past the hour of Mao; after waiting slightly for a few minutes, the main gate of the storehouse opened.

Following the incident where Mao Wei was disciplined, the people in the storehouse dared not provoke Hua Changxi in any other aspect, except for making things difficult for her by assigning hard-to-clean medicinal ingredients.

After moving the collected medicinal ingredients onto a pushcart, Hua Changxi pulled the cart with the ingredients back to the Sixth Bureau.

An entire cartload of medicinal ingredients was soaked by her in water; activating the Stainless Technique, the ingredients immediately began tumbling and shaking within the water. By the time Lu Qingluo and the others arrived, Hua Changxi had already gone to pull back a second cart of ingredients to clean.

Were it not for the sake of keeping a low profile, given her current mastery of the Stainless Technique, she could have cleaned all 500 stalks of medicinal ingredients thoroughly in less than a quarter of an hour.

Hua Changxi dawdled until the hour of Si (9:00), before, under the shocked gazes of everyone in the Sixth Bureau, pulling the cart of cleaned medicinal ingredients to the Second Office to report completion of her duties.

"How exactly does Hua Changxi wash medicinal ingredients? How can her speed be so fast?"

Ordinarily, Hua Changxi spending an entire morning to clean 500 stalks of medicinal ingredients was already shocking enough to them; today was even more absurd, as she finished a full day's work in merely one double-hour.

Not only were the people of the Sixth Bureau surprised, but even those of the Second Office were quite unexpected when receiving the medicinal ingredients; they even specifically inspected whether the ingredients were cleaned thoroughly.

The result was that they fully met the standards.

After reporting completion of her duties, Hua Changxi quickly returned to her sleeping quarters, changed out of her laborer's uniform, and then jogged away from the Medical Bureau.

Hua Family, Xiuzheng Ward.

Hua Fifth Lady, dressed in a peach-red ru skirt, knelt in the center of the main hall with a grief-stricken expression and reddened eyes, performing her final farewells to the elders of the household.

After today, she would no longer be a daughter of the Hua family, but rather a concubine of Third Master He of Marquis Wu Yi's residence; henceforth, whether she could see her family again would no longer be up to her.

Inside the main hall, the expressions of the Hua family members were also not good; there was reluctance to part with Hua Fifth Lady, and also worry for her days ahead.

Upon seeing that Marquis Manor had sent only a steward and an elderly nurse to fetch her, and that Third Master He had not even shown his face, Fourth Aunt Hua wept until she became a tearful mess.

In the entire room, the only ones truly happy were Husband and Wife Hua Tai, who had "come to help escort the bride."

Hua Tai's wife, Lady Zhong, seeing Hua Fifth Lady finish bowing to each elder in the household, immediately smiled and stepped forward to help her up: "Fifth Lady, stop crying quickly; Marquis Manor is a place of wealth and honor; once you enter, you are destined only to enjoy good fortune."

Then, bypassing Grandfather Hua, Grandmother Hua, Fourth Uncle Hua, and Fourth Aunt Hua, she directly issued orders.

"Steward Kong and Nurse Shen from Marquis Manor have been waiting for quite some time; it would not be good to keep them waiting longer. Third Lang, quickly carry your Fifth Sister out the door."

Lady Zhong supported Hua Fifth Lady, intending to lead her out of the main hall.

Hua Fifth Lady rarely showed such backbone; ignoring Lady Zhong, she remained standing without moving, instead looking around at her relatives in the room one by one.

Today, not only had Hua Second Lady, who was already married into the second branch, returned with her husband, but even Third Aunt Hua had come with her family.

Third Aunt Hua and Second Lady Hua, who already understood life in their husbands' households very well, displayed somewhat forced smiles when their eyes met Hua Fifth Lady's.

They had married as principal wives, yet their post-marital lives were still arduous; one could imagine what Hua Fifth Lady, entering as a concubine, would have to face.

Although Marquis Manor was wealthy, everything there was beyond one's control and subject to others' restrictions; how suffocating must such a life be.

Tears brimming in her eyes, Hua Fifth Lady choked out: "It is a pity that Eldest Brother Lang, Ninth Lady, and Tenth Lady are not here; who knows when I will be able to see them again?"

Lady Zhong hastily said: "Oh, my good Fifth Lady, Marquis Manor is right here in the capital; if you wish to see your brothers and sisters at home, just send someone to notify the family, and it will be very easy to meet."

Hua Fifth Lady offered a bitter smile; was it truly easy to see her family?

She had stayed for a month at the old estate of the great clan, where Lady Zhou, the Grand Lady, had arranged for Concubine Bao, the favored concubine of her Great-Uncle Hua Tai, to instruct her.

From Concubine Bao, she learned that as a concubine, she possessed no autonomy whatsoever; to see her family, both the master and the principal wife had to nod in approval.

Third Master He was nearly old enough to be her father; she truly did not know how to get along with him.

As for Third Master He's wife, Lady Shen, it was said she was extremely difficult to deal with.

Lady Zhong could be considered easy to deal with, yet Concubine Bao had told her that several of Great-Uncle's concubines had been sold off by Lady Zhong.

Once she entered the He family, would she really be able to invite her family to visit as guests?

Unable to bear Hua Fifth Lady's dawdling, Lady Zhong instructed Hua Third Lang again: "Third Lang, quickly come and carry your Fifth Sister out the door."

Just as Hua Third Lang stood up, he was blocked by Hua Eleventh Lang: "I will carry my Fifth Sister out the door."

"Eleventh, you..."

Hua Eleventh Lang was only twelve years old; Hua Third Lang hesitated somewhat, but seeing him walk resolutely to Hua Fifth Lady's front and crouch down, he ultimately did not intervene.

"Fifth Sister, I will carry you out the door."

Looking at her younger brother, tears once again surged from Hua Fifth Lady's eyes, and she silently wept as she lay across her brother's back.

Hua Eleventh Lang found the carrying somewhat strenuous, yet pretended to be relaxed as he said: "Sister, rest assured; I will practice martial arts diligently to stand behind you."

Hua Fifth Lady choked out an "Mm."

Watching Hua Fifth Lady walk step by step out of the family gate, the Hua family members also reddened their eyes.

Hua Twelfth Lady felt distressed in her heart and could not help but seek other matters to distract her attention: "What is going on with Ninth Sister? Today Fifth Sister is leaving home, yet she does not return to see her off; is being a laborer really that important, so much so that she disregards even the bond between sisters?"

Regarding the fact that Hua Changxi had not returned, everyone in the Hua family felt somewhat dissatisfied.

Old Lady Hua several times wanted to summon Lady Yao before her to scold her, but upon seeing the couple Hua Tai and the stewardess from the Marquis's Manor present, she ultimately suppressed the fire in her heart.

Hua Wuniang was carried out of the Hua family courtyard on Hua Shiyilang's back, with the entire Hua family following closely behind.

At the entrance of the Hua family home stood a pink bridal sedan; Shen Mama, a personal servant of Lady Shen, the principal wife of Third Master He, waited at the sedan door with an arrogant expression, and upon seeing Hua Wuniang emerge, showed no intention of coming forward to offer support.

Once Hua Wuniang had seated herself inside the sedan, Shen Mama stated directly, "After such a long delay, we have finally received Concubine Hua; we should now return to the manor."

These words were not addressed to the Hua family, but rather to the couple Hua Tai.

As for the couple Hua Tai, they assumed the air of hosts and, without hesitation, began conversing with Shen Mama.

"It is all because Wuniang could not bear to leave her family that Mama has been kept waiting so long; please do not hold it against her."

"Wuniang never properly learned anything while at home; after entering the Marquis's Manor, we must trouble Third Lady to discipline her strictly, ensuring she does not cause trouble for Third Master and Third Lady."

Hearing this, Shen Mama's expression improved considerably, and a slight smile tugged at the corners of her lips: "Once Concubine Hua enters the Marquis's Manor, she belongs to Third Master; as Third Master's principal wife, Third Lady will naturally discipline her concubines properly."

Hua Fourth Aunt, despite her heart aching for her daughter, even though Shen Mama stood haughty and disregarded them entirely, still summoned the courage to step forward and plead:

"Mama, our Wuniang is most obedient and sensible; I beg Mama to convey to Third Master and Third Lady that they watch over her with greater care."

Shen Mama heard these words as if she had not heard them at all, too lazy even to respond to Hua Fourth Aunt.

Seeing the impatience on Shen Mama's face, Zhong Shi forcibly dragged Hua Fourth Aunt to the back, then smiled and said to Shen Mama, "Mama, the sedan may now depart."

Shen Mama nodded and was just about to order the sedan bearers to lift the sedan when an urgent voice rang out.

"Wait!"

The Hua family looked toward the sound and saw Hua Changxi running swiftly in their direction.