Chapter 6: Feudal Patriarch

【Realm: Qi Refining Stage 1/1000】

【Commentary on the Hundred Herbs (Great Success): Tasting a Hundred Herbs 365/1000】

Hua Changxi couldn't get other medicinal herbs for the time being, so the next chapter of the "Commentary on the Hundred Herbs" could only be opened after she was admitted to the Medical Department.

She was looking forward to it. What would be after the ordinary plant and the spirit plant?

As for cultivation...

In Hua Changxi's mind, the scene of her turning into a small bird in her dream and breathing like a small bird appeared.

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

Thinking of this, Hua Changxi hurriedly tried it, wanting to see if she could cultivate during the day. She originally wanted to sit in meditation, but when she thought that the small bird was lying on its stomach, she also lay on the bed.

Unfortunately, Hua Changxi couldn't calm down at all. Although she imagined the picture of the small bird breathing, her thoughts were flying in her mind, and her breathing frequency was chaotic, let alone drawing the surrounding airflow into her body.

For the whole afternoon, Hua Changxi was experimenting, and she didn't succeed until dinner time.

At dusk, the Hua family courtyard became lively.

Yao Shi and the two sisters-in-law were busy in the kitchen. It was not an easy task to cook meals for more than twenty people in the Hua family.

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

Old Master Hua and the three brothers of Hua Minghe, who had returned from work, were sitting in the main hall smoking dry tobacco, and the grandchildren of Hua Sanlang were sitting on the side, chatting about things that happened outside.

Hua Changxi came out of the room and received everyone's attention.

Old Madam Hua didn't stop her spinning, lifted her eyelids to look at Hua Changxi: "Is your body better?"

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

Old Madam Hua was always stern in front of her granddaughters, gave a faint "Hmm," and then began to preach: "With this lesson, see if you dare to run around in the future."

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

"I just don't understand, they are all young ladies of the Hua family, Fifth Daughter and the others can stay at home honestly to embroider and weave, why do you have to run out?"

Hua Changxi had long been used to Old Madam Hua's nagging, her expression unchanged, directly letting it go in one ear and out the other.

"Jiuniang, come in and serve the dishes."

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

More than twenty people in the Hua family ate in two tables, one for adults and one for children.

Before eating, Old Master Hua suddenly waved his hand and called Hua Changxi to his side, asking with a relatively kind expression: "Did you go to the pharmacy this afternoon?"

Hearing this, Hua Changxi immediately looked at Hua Sanlang and Hua Silang.

Hua Sanlang's expression was a bit surprised, while Hua Silang didn't dare to make eye contact with Hua Changxi.

Hua Changxi immediately understood why Old Master Hua knew she went to the pharmacy: "Yes, I went to the pharmacy to get some medicine to replenish qi and blood."

Old Madam Hua's face immediately lengthened: "You were kidnapped yesterday, and today you dared to sneak out of the house again. You really don't have a long memory."

"Hua Jiuniang, just keep making trouble, ruin your reputation, and see how you get married in the future!"

Old Master Hua let Old Madam Hua preach for a while before continuing: "Jiuniang, you are already thirteen, a big girl, it's not good to continue to show your face outside."

"In the future, don't go to the pharmacy to help."

"You."

Hearing this, the expressions of the Hua family members fluctuated.

For Hua Changxi to be able to help in the pharmacy, the second and fourth branches were actually a bit dissatisfied.

For one thing, they were all young ladies of the Hua family. Hua Changxi could go to the pharmacy to learn medical skills, while other young ladies had to stay at home to learn needlework and weaving, which naturally made the second and fourth branches feel unfair.

Another thing was that Hua Changxi's medical talent made the second and fourth branches wary, fearing that she would grab the resources of their own sons.

Old Master Hua's words were very gentle, but carried an undeniable tone.

Hua Minghe was a bit hesitant, but looking at the second brother and his wife and the fourth brother and his wife, who all looked approving, he didn't speak for his daughter in the end.

The family's resources were occupied the most by the eldest branch.

The eldest son entered the martial arts academy and had to spend a lot of silver every month.

The third son started learning medicine at the pharmacy at the age of eight and managed the procurement affairs of the pharmacy.

Now the sixth son was also going to help in the pharmacy. If Jiuniang was still allowed to stay in the pharmacy, the second brother and fourth brother would really be dissatisfied.

Yao Shi wanted to fight for her daughter, but the father-in-law had spoken. As a daughter-in-law, she had no right to refute.

The couple could only look at their daughter apologetically.

Hua Changxi had already determined to apply for the Medical Department, so she naturally wouldn't hold on to the Hua family pharmacy, but she was very unconvinced about the family's practice of tilting all resources to men.

"Grandfather, I have helped in the pharmacy for three years. The brothers all have wages, but I have never received a single one. Now that I'm not going, shouldn't you settle it for me?"

Old Master Hua looked at Hua Changxi with a blank expression: "Where did your food and clothes come from?"

Old Madam Hua also interjected, not in a good mood: "I haven't asked you for tuition for learning medicine yet, but you are asking for wages."

Knowing that the old couple didn't value granddaughters, Hua Changxi never thought they would deny her value so much. She wanted to argue, but was held back by Yao Shi.

Yao Shi had already discovered that her father-in-law was angry. Once her father-in-law was angry, he would really punish her daughter.

Hua.

Old Master Hua was not so kind to his grandson, his hand "slapped" on the table beside him, and he said sharply: "You don't go to the pharmacy to learn a skill, what do you want to do?"

"You are fifteen this year, and you should be talking about marriage in two years. You have no knowledge and no skills. Do you think any good girl will marry you?"

The Sixth Brother of the Hua family shrank, but still gathered his courage and said: "Grandfather, I don't want to learn medicine, I want to practice martial arts."

First, the ninth granddaughter asked for wages from the family at an inappropriate time, and now the sixth grandson refuted and contradicted him. Old Master Hua's face sank directly.

"It's turned upside down, do you want to be the head of this family?"

"I've lived for a lifetime and can't do whatever I want. Where did a little brat like you get the right to choose?"

Hua Sanlang saw that Old Master Hua was angry, so he hurriedly stood in front of the Sixth Brother of the Hua family: "Grandfather, the Sixth Brother knows he was wrong, the grandson will properly take him to do things in the pharmacy."

Old Master Hua glanced at the family members with different expressions in the room, then looked at Hua Changxi, who was unconvinced, and finally said to the Sixth Brother of the Hua family: "Go to the courtyard and kneel for an hour, and reflect properly."

Hua Changxi saw Old Master Hua punishing the Sixth Brother of the Hua family and wanted to say something, but was pulled out of the door by Hua Sanlang.

Hua Changxi didn't eat the following dinner, looking at the Sixth Brother of the Hua family kneeling in the courtyard, her mood was a bit irritable: "Sixth Brother, you rest for a while, everyone is eating, and no one is watching you."

The Sixth Brother of the Hua family shook his head: "Grandfather is angry, I shouldn't have contradicted him. If he knows I didn't reflect properly, I will be punished again."

Hua Changxi: "How can it be considered a contradiction just now? We are just expressing our demands reasonably. It is Grandfather's mind that is not broad enough."

The Sixth Brother of the Hua family saw that his sister's voice was a bit loud, so he hurriedly pulled her: "You lower your voice, if Grandfather hears it, be careful that he punishes you too."

"Alright, it's just kneeling for an hour. I did make Grandfather angry just now. You don't have to worry about me, go eat quickly."

Old Master Hua's authority was like a tight hoop embedded in the heads of the Hua family. No one dared to challenge it, and the family almost executed his punishments meticulously. Hua Changxi felt powerless about this and could only return to her room depressed.

After returning to her room, Hua Changxi's mood was still not calm, so she simply lay on the bed, simulated the picture of the small bird breathing in her dream again, and tried to calm down.

Slowly, the sounds in the courtyard gradually became smaller, and Hua Changxi also entered a state where only she was left in the world.

"Whoo~"

Scorching breath was exhaled from her nose. Hua Changxi felt that she had turned into a small bird, and with each breath, her body began to become warm.

By the time Yao Shi finished cleaning up the kitchen and wanted to come over to comfort Hua Changxi, she found that her daughter had fallen asleep, and couldn't help but feel a bit lost.

She originally thought that this girl would be sulking, but she didn't expect her to fall asleep directly.

The next day, the morning light was slightly revealed, and Hua Changxi opened her eyes feeling exceptionally comfortable.

【Realm: Qi Refining Stage 2/1000】

Seeing the text in her vision, Hua Changxi smiled with satisfaction, and also confirmed that as long as she could immerse herself in the breathing synchronized with the small bird, she could cultivate.

Seeing that some filth had flowed out of her body again, Hua Changxi didn't disturb her family this time, and went to the courtyard to get water to bathe in her room.

A night passed, and the injuries were much better. Many wounds had begun to scab off.

No wonder everyone wanted to cultivate immortality. Not to mention anything else, it really could strengthen the body.

Unable to go to the pharmacy to help, for the next half month, Hua Changxi stayed in her room to "recuperate," using all her time to practice the state of quickly immersing herself in the small bird's breathing.

After half a month of practice, Hua Changxi really found the way. Now, not to mention anytime, anywhere, as long as she could calm down, whether sitting, standing, or lying down, she could enter cultivation.

Of course, the cultivation speed was the fastest when lying down.

She also found that bathing in moonlight and morning light would also speed up the cultivation speed.

【Realm: Qi Refining Stage 33/1000】

In this half month, she used all her time for cultivation, and only improved to 33.

"I don't know if there are other ways to improve the cultivation speed?"

Although she was lucky enough to obtain the opportunity to cultivate immortality, she knew nothing about cultivating immortality.

Fortunately, the news of the Medical Department recruiting apprentices had been posted.

As long as she was admitted to the Medical Department, through the upgrade of medical inheritance, she could always lift the curtain of the world of immortal cultivators bit by bit.

The exam for the Medical Department to recruit apprentices was set for September 20th, and those who wanted to apply had to go to the Medical Department to register before the 15th.

Two days ago, Pharmacist Xu went to the Hua family pharmacy to find Hua Changxi but didn't see her, so he asked the Sixth Brother of the Hua family to bring a message back.

Pharmacist Xu asked Hua Changxi to find him at the Medical Department on the 7th of September, saying that he would personally take her to register and explain the precautions for the exam.

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

Hua Changxi had a headache for the past two days because she knew that her father didn't support her applying for the Medical Department. If he didn't agree, she estimated that her mother wouldn't give her the household registration.

Just as Hua Changxi was thinking about what reason to use to persuade her parents, an uninvited guest came to the door.

"What, we are going to the Great Clan Elder's house tomorrow?"

A member of the Hua clan came to the house. After the clan member left, Old Madam Hua called several granddaughters to the main hall and ordered them to get up early tomorrow morning and go out with her to be guests.

Going out to visit relatives, the Fifth Daughter and the others were happy, but Hua Changxi didn't want to go because she was thinking about registering for the Medical Department: "Grandmother, I won't go."

Old Madam Hua looked sideways: "Usually, you love to run out whether there is something or not. Now that you are allowed to go out, you don't want to. Tell me, are you full of rebellious spirit?"

At this time, Old Master Hua spoke and made a final decision: "Everyone must go. The Great Clan Elder is looking for us, that is looking up to our family, we can't give people no face."

After speaking, he walked out of the main hall with his hands behind his back and a dark face.

Having lived in the Hua family for thirteen years, Hua Changxi's resistance to the fact that Old Master Hua opened his mouth and everyone couldn't refute only increased.

What is a feudal patriarch?

This is it. The Hua family is Old Master Hua's one-man show.

As long as Old Master Hua speaks, no matter if others have other things, they must prioritize his things.

Yao Shi saw that her daughter's expression fell, and hurriedly pulled her out of the main hall: "It's just going to the Clan Elder's house to be a guest, why are you so unhappy?"

Hua Changxi tightened her face: "I have something to do tomorrow."

Yao Shi laughed: "What can you have to do?"

Hua Changxi couldn't care about finding a reason and said directly: "Mother, I want to register for the Medical Department."

Yao Shi was stunned, then fell silent, and only said after a long while: "This matter must be discussed with your father first."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi looked directly at Yao Shi, full of seriousness: "Mother, this is my business, I can make the decision myself."

Yao Shi said in a bad mood: "You young lady, you have such big ideas. Your grandfather has already spoken, you must go to the Clan Elder's house tomorrow."

Seeing that Hua Changxi still wanted to retort, she said again: "Don't look for discomfort. If your grandfather is angry and wants to punish you, your father's pleading won't work."

Hua Changxi thought of the times she was punished for not being allowed to eat for contradicting Old Master Hua, and felt a bit irritable: "Mother, if it is always like this, I will be suffocated to death."

Yao Shi's expression was blank: "Suffocated? This is just the beginning. Now you are in your own home, even if the elders are stricter, they won't really do anything to you."

"When you get married in the future and face your sisters-in-law and parents-in-law, then you will know what real suffocation is."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi didn't speak.

The Hua family had many people, and contradictions were naturally inevitable.

Although her mother was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Hua family, she was not favored by Old Madam Hua. The one the old lady liked most was the second aunt, who was her niece.

Usually, the second aunt often competed with her mother, and sometimes when it went too far, Old Madam Hua always helped the second aunt, and her mother suffered a lot of anger.

Her mother used her own embarrassing things to persuade herself, so Hua Changxi didn't want to continue arguing with her.

Yao Shi saw that her daughter was drooping her head, and couldn't help but say: "Alright, go back to your room and see what clothes to wear tomorrow." ===== CHAPTER 7 =====