Chapter 7: Looking at Each Other

On September 7th, Hua Changxi still followed Old Madam Hua to the Great Clan Elder's house.

Didn't she want to resist?

She wanted to.

It was just that if she resisted, she would definitely have to pay the price.

She didn't engage in production, had no source of income, and relied on the family for food, clothing, housing, and transportation.

The family didn't need to make any excessive punishments; as long as they didn't give her food, they could hold her firmly.

In a large family like the Hua family with many descendants, grandsons were not considered treasures, let alone granddaughters. If they said they wouldn't give food, they really wouldn't.

Hua Changxi had the experience of being hungry for three days and three nights. She was so hungry that she couldn't stand still, but she still couldn't make Old Master Hua soften his heart. She had to bow her head, admit her mistake, submit, and obey before he would let it go.

Why did she have to apply for the Medical Department?

First, if she entered the Medical Department, even if she was just an apprentice, she would have wages.

With money in hand, she wouldn't be constrained by her family in everything, and wouldn't be unable to be autonomous in anything.

Second, if she entered the Medical Department, she would have a social status, and she would be a social person.

When a young lady in the boudoir encountered something, she could only rely on her family for help.

But a social person could build their own social circle. If they encountered something, they could find friends to help. It would be difficult for the family to knead them at will.

The Hua clan's ancestral home was not in the capital, but because they produced a Dingyuan Count, the clan members also gained a foothold in the capital. After several generations of development, they were already deeply rooted.

The Hua family lived in the outer city, while the Hua clan members who were doing well lived in the Anyi Ward of the inner city, next to the Dingyuan Count's Mansion.

For the first time taking her daughter-in-law and granddaughters to the Great Clan Elder's house, Old Madam Hua was rarely generous, chartered a carriage, and went out early.

Being forced to do things she didn't want to do, Hua Changxi was naturally unhappy. Along the way, she didn't speak, just lying on the carriage window looking at the merchants and pedestrians on the street.

Old Madam Hua glanced at Hua Changxi a few times, too lazy to manage this granddaughter who was full of rebellious spirit, and kept telling the other granddaughters about going to the Clan Elder's house.

"When you arrive at the Great Clan Elder's house, you must perform well. Smile when you see people, be sweet-mouthed, be humble in posture, and know how to please the elders."

"Of course, you don't need to be overly attentive, but you absolutely cannot be too rigid, like a piece of wood."

Old Madam Hua's initial instructions were relatively normal, teaching the granddaughters the rules of being a guest, but later, the words she said became more and more severe.

"Don't look around, don't speak loudly, and don't be shallow-eyed, unable to move your eyes when you see good things."

"When you are a guest in someone else's house, you must be obedient, don't have conflicts with people, and don't cause trouble for the family."

"Whoever dares to cause trouble outside, I will use the yellow thorn stick when I get home."

Hearing that they were going to be beaten, the Fifth Daughter and the others instinctively shrank. They were already nervous about going to the Great Clan Elder's house for the first time, and now they were even more nervous.

"Also, you must always remember that your every word and action represents the face of our family. In front of outsiders, you must have a standing posture and a sitting posture."

"Whoever makes a joke in front of outsiders, I will never take such a disgraceful young lady out to be a guest again."

The expressions of the Fifth Daughter and the others became serious, and even the youngest, the Fourteenth Daughter, tightened up.

"Do you all remember?"

"Sun Pozi, we remember."

Old Madam Hua saw the obedient appearance of the granddaughters, and a look of satisfaction appeared on her face.

Hua Changxi looked at this scene and cast her gaze back to the outside of the carriage. She had always kept a distance from this kind of intimidating upbringing.

Before encountering anything, the elders would scare you first, telling you what you can't do and what you can't do, just like chanting a tight hoop spell, constantly inputting various rules into your brain.

Growing up being taught like this, one could imagine that they were all template people framed by various rules.

And the adults, they still expected the children to win face outside, but their words and deeds were framed, so where did they get the courage and motivation to conquer the outside world?

Hua Changxi couldn't change the Hua family's upbringing mode. All she could do was guard herself and not let herself be assimilated.

Two quarters of an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of a four-courtyard house.

"The Great Clan Elder's house is really imposing!"

The Second Aunt of the Hua family looked surprised, and several young ladies also had eyes shining.

The two-courtyard house of the Hua family in the outer city was already a residence that many people dreamed of, but compared with the Great Clan Elder's house in the inner city, it was a bit unpresentable.

Old Madam Hua waited for the daughter-in-law and granddaughters to get off the carriage, but didn't take them to knock on the door, but walked along the street, then turned into an alley, and finally stopped in front of a small door in the middle of the alley.

"Sun Pozi, why don't we enter from the main door?"

Looking at the small door in front of her, the Twelfth Daughter of the Hua family couldn't help but ask.

As soon as she opened her mouth, the Second Aunt of the Hua family hurriedly pulled her: "What are you asking, just follow your grandmother."

Old Madam Hua knew that the granddaughters were young and didn't understand the ways of the world, so she explained a sentence: "Because our family is not qualified to let people open the main door."

The Twelfth Daughter was also raised by the Second Aunt of the Hua family, and she was bold. Even after being stopped by her mother once, she still dared to continue asking: "Then what do we need to be qualified?"

Old Madam Hua didn't respond to this, and instead, her face sank.

Hua Changxi saw it and answered for her: "When our family's status is higher than the Great Clan Elder's house, or when our family possesses scarce value that others don't have, then we will naturally be treated with courtesy."

Old Madam Hua glanced at Hua Changxi and didn't say anything, stepping forward to knock on the door.

"Creak~"

A middle-aged woman with a round waist and thick arms was picking her teeth with a bamboo stick in her left hand, pulling the door bolt with her right hand, and opened the door.

"Who are you looking for?"

The woman continued to pick her teeth, looking at Old Madam Hua and her party sideways, her tone lazy.

Old Madam Hua smiled all over her face: "We are from Hua Bin's family. Yesterday, a clan member came to notify us, saying that Auntie Yu'e summoned us."

The woman said "Oh" in realization, and then her gaze fell on the several young ladies, Hua Changxi and the others, looking at them one by one wantonly.

"Alright, wait."

After speaking, she closed the door with a "bang."

Seeing this, Old Madam Hua didn't care, but the smile on her face faded.

Hua Changxi, however, had a bad premonition.

The woman's gaze just now was too wanton. The behavior of a servant could reflect the attitude of the master.

The servant didn't put them in her eyes, so she estimated that the Great Ancestor Sun Pozi also looked down on them. Under such circumstances, she didn't feel that there would be any good things about the person who suddenly came to them.

After waiting for ten minutes, the back door opened again.

This time, the person who came out was a woman dressed in a particular way.

"Greetings to the Old Madam, several Mistresses, and several Misses."

As soon as the woman came out, she bowed to Old Madam Hua and her party.

Old Madam Hua didn't wait for her to bend her knees, and grabbed the woman's hand: "Zhou Mama, this is really embarrassing us. Fifth Daughter, why don't you take your sisters to greet your Zhou Sun Pozi."

Zhou Shi, the first person used by the Great Clan Elder's wife, Zhou Yu'e.

Hua clan members didn't dare to be big or take a stand when they saw this person.

The Fifth Daughter of the Hua family was named, and her reaction was fast, taking several sisters to bow to the Zhou woman: "Greetings, Zhou Sun Pozi."

The Zhou woman's gaze fell on the Fifth Daughter of the Hua family following the sound. Seeing that several young ladies were all outstanding in appearance, the smile on her face became deeper, and she chatted with Old Madam Hua while leading the party into the house.

"Today is also a coincidence, there are several other families coming to the door in the clan, and you can have a good chat when you meet later."

"In the past two years, the Grand Madam has become more and more fond of young ladies coming to her side to join in the fun. If you have time in the future, you should bring more young ladies to sit around, and the Grand Madam will only be happy."

Hearing that there were other families coming, Old Madam Hua's eyes flickered, and she looked at the three daughters-in-law.

Soon, the party was brought to a flower hall.

Several families were sitting in the flower hall, all of them paired with elders and young ladies.

These people obviously knew Old Madam Hua, sized up Hua Changxi and the others behind her, and started laughing together.

The Zhou woman took the opportunity to say: "I still need to take care of the Grand Madam's side, you sit here for a while, and I will come to call you later."

After the Zhou woman left, the other families started asking about the situation of the Fifth Daughter and the others of the Hua family.

"How old?"

"Is it engaged?"

"With such good-looking young ladies in the family, why didn't you bring them out for us to see?"

Hua Changxi felt that the atmosphere in the flower hall was a bit strange. Don't look at the other families chatting happily with Old Madam Hua and Yao Shi's three sisters-in-law, but their language and attitude implicitly carried a bit of competition and rivalry.

Those young ladies were also strange, not talking or laughing, just sitting obediently beside their own elders.

After a cup of tea, the Zhou woman came to take away a family, which was a combination of an old lady, two married women, and three young ladies.

For this, the families who came first had no surprise.

Old Madam Hua was a bit puzzled, and quietly asked the Zhao surnamed old lady who was still relatively friendly with her: "Old sister, why doesn't Auntie Yu'e see us together?"

The Zhao old lady was surprised: "You don't know the purpose of Auntie Yu'e seeing us today?"

Old Madam Hua shook her head: "Yesterday, a clan member came to the house, just saying that Auntie Yu'e wanted to see the young ladies in the family."

The Zhao old lady lowered her voice: "It is indeed to see the young ladies, but it is not just to see, but to look at each other."

Old Madam Hua's eyes widened: "Look at each other?"

Yao Shi's three sisters-in-law were also surprised and unexpected when they heard this.

Seeing the reaction of the Hua family's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, the Zhao old lady was a bit strange: "How did it happen, you don't even know this, the news is too blocked."

Old Madam Hua smiled awkwardly. Their family had always belonged to the marginal figures in the clan and couldn't find any decent news at all.

The Zhao old lady saw Old Madam Hua's embarrassment and hurriedly found a supplement: "I see that the young ladies in your family are all outstanding in appearance, maybe this good thing will fall on your family this time."

Old Madam Hua was humble and polite, but still couldn't control her gaze and moved to the several granddaughters who were whispering.

The Fifth Daughter was already at the age of marriage this year. If the clan really helped to look at the family, choosing her would definitely be the best.

However, among all the granddaughters, the most eye-catching was the Ninth Daughter, who was full of rebellious spirit, but she was still a bit young.

Looking at Hua Jiuniang, Old Madam Hua's gaze fell on Yao Shi again.

For this daughter-in-law, Old Madam Hua still felt dissatisfied to this day.

First, Yao Shi was not chosen by her;

Second, Hua Minghe was her most promising son. In those years, the Count's Mansion intended to cultivate him and helped him look at a good marriage, but in order to marry Yao Shi, the eldest son offended the Count's Mansion. Their family had been excluded by the clan for these years, and a large part of the reason was because of this.

It was fine not to be valued by the clan, but what made her most angry was that Yao Shi delayed the eldest son's future.

The eldest son was a fifth-grade martial artist, but he was still just a constable at the Six Fan School.

The old man spent silver to inquire about the reason, and someone told him that it was because the eldest son married someone he shouldn't have.

Yao Shi had been married to the Hua family for more than twenty years. Regarding the situation of the Yao family, she and the old man only knew a few names, and nothing else.

The eldest son married a woman of unknown origin who also affected the Hua family's future. How could she not be angry?

Old Madam Hua looked at Yao Shi's gorgeous face, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Hua Changxi, who was sitting in the back, was chatting with the Fifth Daughter and the others about the dressing and makeup of the young ladies of other families. Seeing that Old Madam Hua's eyes on her mother were wrong, she picked up the teacup on the table and walked over: "Sun Pozi, drink tea." Then she separated the old lady's gaze with her body.

Old Madam Hua saw it and snorted.

The grandsons and granddaughters of the eldest branch really made her love and hate them.

The three grandsons all inherited the bull-headed temper of her father and protected Yao Shi very much.

As for the two granddaughters, the Tenth Daughter who went to Mount Qiyun and was not at home, let alone, this Ninth Daughter was simply a rebellious child.

Obedient and humble, these words that praised the beautiful virtues of young ladies didn't match her at all.

Old Madam Hua glared at Hua Changxi, took back her gaze, saw another family being taken away from the flower hall, and thinking that the Great Ancestor Sun Pozi called them over this time to look at each other, she called the only Fifth Daughter who was at the age of marriage to her side and whispered to her.

Looking at each other?

Because she stood close, Hua Changxi heard Old Madam Hua's instructions to the Fifth Daughter, and her heart skipped a beat.

Their marriage, the clan wanted to intervene?

If parents could still consider the daughter's thoughts and feelings in the daughter's marriage, but if the clan participated, the marriage would probably only be a naked transaction. ===== CHAPTER 8 =====