Chapter 374: What is a Family

Hua Zhi understood exactly why Zheng Zhi had arrived, so she stood up immediately and greeted him with a respectful tone, "Mr. Zheng."

Zheng Zhi, never one to waste time on pleasantries, returned the greeting before diving straight into the matter. "Is Zeng Han the son of Zeng Xian? And why has he come to the Hua family?"

Hua Zhi paused for a moment, then replied, "Before Zeng Xian passed away, he entrusted his son to my care." It was at that point that something else came to her mind—something she had almost forgotten. She bowed deeply again, her voice taking on a more serious tone. "It was thanks to your trust in me that I went to visit Zeng Xian. That meeting was a turning point, one that brought about the good karma that ultimately saved the Hua family from disaster. I am truly grateful for the kindness you showed me."

Zheng Zhi waved his hand dismissively. "That good karma was all your doing; it has nothing to do with me."

Though he didn't know the specifics of what had gone down at Yingshan Pass, compared to what was happening in the capital, he could put two and two together with just a bit of thought. "So, by bringing Zeng Han into the Hua family, you plan to keep him around for the long haul?"

"If he’s willing to stay, then yeah," Hua Zhi replied. After a pause, she elaborated on Zeng Han's situation. "His personality’s been heavily shaped by Zeng Xian. I’m hoping that by being around, I can influence him in some small way while he’s still young. People grow within their social circles, and he’s going to have to interact with others eventually. Even if he doesn’t warm up to the idea, at least if he can get along with the Hua kids, that would be a win."

Zheng Zhi’s expression shifted, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Is there more to it than that?"

"More? Like what?"

"Have you thought about what kind of future he’s going to have? What path he’ll walk?"

"That’s his journey to figure out, not mine," Hua Zhi said with a smile. "As long as he doesn’t turn to a life of crime, I’ll support whatever he decides."

A smile tugged at the corners of Zheng Zhi’s mouth. "I suddenly feel pretty lucky to have some old connections with the Zeng family and that I was the one who sent you to look out for him back then."

"I feel the same way," Hua Zhi replied.

"If Zeng Han doesn’t change at home, then when my three years are up, I’ll take him out into the world. With more experiences and a broader perspective, things will get better on their own."

A thought crossed Hua Zhi’s mind. "Mr. Zheng, what exactly are you suggesting?"

"I’m thinking of taking Zeng Han on as my student. Would that be acceptable to you?"

Hua Zhi felt happy for Zeng Han but didn’t agree right away. "I need to talk to him first. He’s at a stage where he feels most vulnerable, and I don’t want him to think that I’m just dumping him on you."

"Zeng Han is lucky," Zheng Zhi said, clasping his hands in a gesture of respect as he prepared to leave.

The longer he stayed at the Hua family’s house, the more he came to admire the young lady. Her approach to things, her open-mindedness—she stood head and shoulders above most men, let alone women. She seemed to have an innate talent, a clarity of vision that was unimpeded by anything. She was always thinking ahead, far into the future. Whether it was with Bai Lin, Sui’an, Zeng Han, or the unconventional Xiao Liu, her attitude remained the same toward all of them.

If she had been a man, and had risen to a high position, it would have been a tremendous blessing.

What a pity!

Hua Zhi had no idea what was going on in Mr. Zheng’s mind. She was busy counting the days on her fingers. The South was now in post-disaster recovery mode, which meant the floods should have started to subside. The fishermen would’ve heard the news by now, so they’d be gearing up to restock soon. She figured it would take around two weeks, maybe twenty days tops, for everything to arrive—just in time for her to open the shop after the autumn exams and before the list was announced. It seemed like the perfect window.

Thinking about the autumn exams, her mind wandered to the literary forum. There was talk about the Wei family replacing the Hua family, and she couldn’t help but wonder if that had anything to do with the Emperor. If it did, then it meant the Emperor was planning to establish a new family while cutting down on the Hua family’s influence. It made sense when she thought about it that way.

If memory served her right, Wei Rongwen from the Wei family had taken over as the chief of the Hanlin Academy after her grandfather. So, it seemed like a whole strategy to take over the Hua family’s position.

Hua Zhi picked up her pen, scribbled a big ‘Wei’ character on the paper, and circled it. The thought felt like a punch to the gut.

But there was no way she was going to tell Yan Xi about any of this. Yan Xi had already done so much for her, risking things he shouldn’t have just to help her. That was enough. If he got tangled up with the Wei family on her behalf, it would be a direct challenge to the Emperor. That could get him into serious trouble.

Setting that thought aside, Hua Zhi headed to the clan school to pick up Zeng Han. She dressed him in some fresh clothes. The kid looked lighter, more at ease now, with a spark in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Mr. Zheng is a friend of your father’s,” she began, remembering her first visit to his father. “The first time I went to see your dad was because Mr. Zheng asked me to. Do you remember that?”

Zeng Han nodded, silently.

“Today, he came to see me. He’s impressed by your talent and wants to take you under his wing. What do you think? Would you be interested?”

Zeng Han shook his head without hesitation.

“Why not?”

“To follow you.”

That response hit Hua Zhi right in the feels. It was both heartwarming and a little helpless at the same time. She sat down next to him, choosing her words carefully before speaking gently, “Zeng Han, do you know what ‘family’ really means?”

Zeng Han just stared at her, wordlessly.

Hua Zhi carried on, unfazed by his silence, "Family is the one place where no matter where life takes you, no matter how far you fly, when you're exhausted and ready to rest, it’s where you return. The Hua family is your family, and this is your home. But that doesn’t mean I want you to clip your wings and confine yourself here forever, thinking the world is as small as the space we occupy. You haven't seen the towering mountains, felt the open freedom of the grasslands, or experienced the boundless stretch of the sea... Zeng Han, the world is enormous. The capital is just a tiny corner of it. Mr. Zheng, on the other hand, is the one who can help guide you beyond it."

Zeng Han’s eyes flickered, clearly moved, yet he reached out and gripped Hua Zhi’s sleeve with surprising force.

Hua Zhi, smiling gently, took his small hand in hers, offering a comforting squeeze. "I'm not as worldly as Mr. Zheng, but I trust his judgment, his integrity, and his actions. And I trust you with him. The family will always be here for you—whenever you decide to come back. Your room will always be yours, no one can take that from you. Everything I’m saying now is for your future. Mr. Zheng has a three-year contract at the clan school, and there are still two and a half years to go. Even when you become his disciple, you'll still be able to live at home. And if, after two years, you don’t want to travel with Mr. Zheng anymore, that’s entirely up to you—I won’t force you."

After some quiet thought, Zeng Han nodded slightly, his voice soft but firm, "Because you want me to, I want to."

Hua Zhi couldn’t help but beam with genuine joy for Zeng Han. She was thrilled for him, truly. Zeng Han was nothing like Mu Qing, who was all about acing the imperial exams. Mu Qing’s approach was disciplined, structured—solid, no doubt—but maybe just a bit too stiff for Hua Zhi’s liking. Mu Qing was certainly exceptional, but his kind of greatness was, well, a little too narrow for her taste.

If Mu Qing belonged to the "academic" school of thought, then Zeng Han was definitely in the "experiential" camp. Where Mu Qing was all about theory and deep study, Zeng Han took what he learned and made it his own. His experiences had shaped him into someone who didn’t just talk the talk but walked the walk, with a distinctive flair. He might not churn out top-tier scholars, but he knew how to mold competent officials—people who would get things done.

Zeng Han didn’t have to pursue the imperial exams or a government position. All he needed was to absorb Zheng Zhi's easygoing yet sharp mindset. That would be enough. But Hua Zhi did have one concern—his temperament had a tendency to swing to extremes, and she couldn’t shake that worry.

Zheng Zhi, the man of action that he was, wasted no time. Once Zeng Han gave his word, Zheng Zhi was already there, leading the way. He gestured to a maidservant to pour tea for Zeng Han, and once he had settled into the high seat, he waited for the official "teacher" moment to begin.

Hua Zhi just watched in silence.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little…well, awkward. She’d made sure Zeng Han knew exactly what to do, but the whole ceremony felt too... casual for her taste. Zeng Han knelt before Zheng Zhi, holding a cup of tea, and formally called him ‘teacher.’ It was simple, almost too simple, but Hua Zhi watched as Zheng Zhi, clearly pleased, nodded and took a sip of tea.

"I don’t have many rules here," he said with an air of someone who had little time for formality. "Just follow the Hua family’s principles, and you can ask me anything."

"Yes, teacher," Zeng Han replied, clearly comfortable with the laid-back approach.

Hua Zhi had always thought Bai Lin’s ceremony was minimalist enough, but this? This was on another level. She’d always thought she could simplify things, but this felt almost too straightforward. She’d have to make up for the lack of formality in Zeng Han's ceremony—maybe with a little something extra down the line.

———TN: Got a Chinese novel in mind that you'd like me to translate?

Drop the title in the comments, and let me know!

If you have a specific genre you're into, just let me know, and I can focus on that too.

I've been toying with the idea of translating something from the ABO interstellar or ABO apocalypse themes, but honestly, nothing's really caught my eye yet.