Chapter 27: Hidden Barbs in Words

Watching the people from the Marquis's residence depart, the Hua family remained immersed in the sorrow and reluctance of Hua Wuniang's departure, when Zhong Shi suddenly spoke up to challenge them.

"Brother Bin, if you were unwilling for Wuniang to go to the Marquis's residence as a concubine, you should have told us earlier; do you think we would have forced you?"

"Your Ninth Lady truly has capability; even my husband and I dare not slight the steward and the old nurse from the Marquis's residence, yet she runs out spouting nonsense, directly offending Steward Kong and Nurse Shen."

"Just you wait and see; with the scene Ninth Lady made today, she may be fine, but Wuniang, once she enters the Marquis's residence, will surely suffer."

Hearing these words, everyone in the fourth branch grew anxious; Old Master Hua and Old Lady Hua also darkened their faces. Yao Shi was just about to speak a few words in defense of her daughter when Hua Changxi spoke first.

"Great-Aunt, do you consider our entire family to be fools in your eyes?"

"You should know better than we do exactly why my Fifth Sister became a concubine in the Marquis's residence."

"If you engaged in pulling strings and secretly profiting from it, you must admit it; do not act innocent after the fact, as if we were the ones begging you."

"Being sold and still helping the seller count the money is a foolish thing not everyone does; at the very least, the Hua family would not do such a thing."

"As for your fear of offending the steward and old nurse from the Marquis's residence, that is because you have requests of the Marquis's residence, whereas I do not."

"I have only one thought: I cannot allow the Marquis's residence to look down on my Fifth Sister; I must let the Marquis's residence know that my Fifth Sister has a natal family to rely upon."

At these words, the fourth branch, who had harbored some resentment toward Hua Changxi, all stiffened in expression.

Speaking thus, Hua Changxi suddenly fixed her gaze on Hua Tai, who stood silently to the side: "Great-Uncle, you surely witnessed with your own eyes how the people of the Marquis's residence slighted my Hua family and my Fifth Sister."

"My Fifth Sister was formally taken into the household as a respected concubine of the Marquis's residence, not sent to be a slave who cannot fight back when beaten or curse back when scolded; even if there is a great disparity in status between our family and the Marquis's residence, it should not require us to bow and scrape or fawn over two servants of the Marquis's residence, should it?"

Hua Tai watched Hua Changxi with considerable interest.

Bowing and scraping, fawning over two servants of the Marquis's residence...

Was this mocking him and Zhong Shi for lacking backbone and having no spine?

"Hahaha~"

Hua Tai laughed several times: "So you are Ninth Lady; no wonder my mother, after meeting you just once, could not stop thinking about you."

Saying this, he turned to smile at Old Master Hua and the others.

"There are few young ladies who can make my mother remember them; seeing you today, your Ninth Lady is indeed extraordinary, truly leaving a deep impression."

Old Master Hua forced a smile; he naturally understood the sharp barbs exchanged between Hua Tai and his ninth granddaughter, yet he could not say anything.

Regardless of anything else, his ninth granddaughter was standing up for the Hua family.

Hua Changxi also smiled and said: "My visit to the main clan's ancestral home last time was also unforgettable for me; were it not for that journey, I might never have entered the Medical Bureau."

Hua Tai assumed the posture of an elder: "Ninth Lady, you are a young lady; a young lady ought to stay properly at home. Tell me, running off to work as a laborer in the Medical Bureau—is this not simply causing your grandfather, grandmother, father, and mother unnecessary worry?"

Having spoken, Hua Tai looked toward Yao Shi: "Wife of Minghe, I think very highly of your Ninth Lady; teach her well, and in the future, I will certainly have my mother arrange a good marriage for her."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi laughed outright, then immediately reined in her smile and looked faintly at Hua Tai: "Great-Uncle, I suddenly recall a story."

Hua Tai politely feigned curiosity: "What story is that?"

Hua Changxi said: "The story of raising pigs; keeping pigs in a pigsty, feeding them until they are white and fat, just waiting for them to grow large enough to be sold and slaughtered."

The smile on Hua Tai's face did not diminish: "Pigs, once grown large, are naturally meant to be sold; otherwise, why raise pigs?"

Clansmen are the resources of the clan; this has been so since ancient times. Wanting to resist? Heh...

Hua Changxi said: "Great-Uncle Hua Tai must not have heard the saying: first pigs, second bears, third tigers; sometimes, when encountering a pig, even fierce tigers and bears have no choice but to give way."

Hua Tai continued smiling kindly: "Is that so? Then I am ignorant; I truly have never heard of this."

He acted as if he took the threat in Hua Changxi's words completely seriously, as if she were merely telling a joke.

Hua Changxi stared back at him without blinking: "Great-Uncle Hua Tai, you have heard it today, and you will certainly see it in the future."

Looking at Hua Changxi, the dismissive smile on Hua Tai's face finally faded somewhat.

Seeing that Hua Changxi was actually threatening their family, Zhong Shi felt extremely dissatisfied; knowing Hua Changxi was eloquent, she turned her spearhead toward Old Master Hua and Old Lady Hua.

"Who exactly runs this household, you two or Ninth Lady? Do you simply allow a young lady to spout nonsense before her elders and guests?"

Seeing that Hua Tai's expression had also changed, Old Master Hua knew he could not let his ninth granddaughter continue her recklessness, so he immediately instructed Yao Shi: "Take Ninth Lady back to her room to rest."

This time, Hua Changxi did not resist; she had said what needed to be said, so she allowed Yao Shi to lead her into the Hua family courtyard.

Even though his own granddaughter had torn away the fig leaf, Old Master Hua still smiled apologetically at Hua Tai and his wife: "This girl Ninth Lady is wild by habit; please, Brother Tai and Sister-in-law, do not take her words to heart."

Zhong Shi snorted, intending to scold a few more words, but Hua Tai stopped her: "What kind of talk is this? I quite like Ninth Lady's temperament; it is just a pity..."

"If she were a man, our Hua clan might well produce another capable figure."

Saying this, Hua Tai looked at Hua Eleventh: "Several of my own boys will be entering the Martial Academy; Eleventh can go together with them when the time comes."

Hearing this, Fourth Uncle Hua and Fourth Aunt Hua quickly bowed in gratitude.

Hua Tai smiled; this was the attitude clansmen ought to show toward them. As for that Hua Ninth Lady...

"Very well, Fifth Lady has been taken away; your aunt and I shall take our leave. If you need anything, just come to my home to find me; if it can be done, I will surely do it for you."

"Brother Tai and Sister-in-law, take care on your journey!"

The Hua family watched as the carriage carrying Hua Tai and his wife departed.

Inside the carriage, Zhong Shi grew angrier the more she thought: "That Hua Ninth Lady lacks rules and decorum; she simply does not put you or me in her eyes. That whole family of Hua Bin did not even try to stop her, lacking any sense of observation; they deserve to decline further and further."

At this moment, Hua Tai's expression also turned cold: "...Fortunately, she is only a young lady."

Zhong Shi was startled: "What? Do you actually think highly of her?"

Hua Tai looked at his wife: "If she were truly a man, given her courage to confront me and Steward Kong head-on, she would never amount to nothing."

Zhong Shi scoffed: "Was Hua Minghe not bold enough? Yet nowadays, is he not still merely a lowly constable?"

Mentioning this, Hua Tai's expression inevitably grew serious: "What exactly is the background of Yao Shi's natal family? She is already married, yet there are still nobles intervening to suppress her husband's family?"

Zhong Shi showed curiosity: "Have you found out which noble is suppressing Hua Minghe?"

Hua Tai shook his head: "I do not know."

Zhong Shi widened her eyes: "Not even the Earl's residence could investigate it?"

Hua Tai hummed an affirmation.

Zhong Shi's expression also turned serious: "A person whom even the Earl's residence cannot investigate—how deep must their background be?"

Hua Taixi sighed: "Now do you understand why Father and Mother repeatedly warned us not to be too harsh toward Hua Bin's family?"

Zhong Shi seemed unconvinced: "Even if Yao Shi's natal family once had powerful connections, that was in the past. She has been married into the Hua family for over twenty years; if anyone from her natal family still remained, they would not have neglected her all this time."

"In my view, Yao Shi's natal family likely has no one left."

"You don't know—Hua Bin's wife has never shown her eldest daughter-in-law much kindness. Over these years, Yao Shi has endured more mistreatment than any of the three daughters-in-law."

"Why is that?"

"Isn't it simply because she has no natal family to rely on, and thus lacks any confidence of her own?"

Although Hua Taixi found his wife's words reasonable, being someone who always preferred to keep a reserve, he still resolved to heed his parents' advice: toward Hua Bin's family, he would neither be too harsh nor offer excessive support, but simply maintain this moderate distance.