Chapter 384: Zhu Shan's Thoughts

Hua Zhi lifted the curtain and met Zhu Shan's surprised then embarrassed gaze. She didn't know whether to laugh or be angry at Zhu Shan's boldness. She had come out with only one maid and had even dismissed that maid, not afraid of getting into trouble or damaging her reputation.

However, she also understood why her cousin had come. She must have heard from someone that the new business had opened and had come to show her support in this way.

"Go back," Hua Zhi said. "I'll have someone pack up a portion of everything and send it to you later."

"Yes..." Zhu Shan hadn't interacted much with this cousin before, and she had always looked down on her a little. She was the eldest daughter of the Hua family but was overshadowed by her other sisters. At that time, her mother had said that her cousin's personality was like her aunt's, and she had believed it.

But over the past year, her cousin had fully proven that she was not weak. For some reason, Zhu Shan was still a little afraid of her cousin, especially after learning that her family wanted her to marry her cousin... She dared not disobey her cousin. She had never told anyone that she liked that cousin who had once secretly picked flowers for her.

The maid bowed gratefully to Hua Zhi, afraid that the young lady would change her mind, she quickly climbed into the carriage and gestured for the coachman to leave.

Zhu Shan secretly lifted the curtain of the window and looked out. Her cousin had already turned onto Liyun Alley. She was with the third young lady of the Hua family, and only two maidservants were attending to her. She walked so openly on the street, yet no one looked down on her, and people would even make way for her.

How enviable, Zhu Shan bit her lip. Just now, she actually wanted to ask her cousin to take her along, but...

"Qingqing, do you think my cousin doesn't like me?"

The maid was surprised. "How could that be? I haven't seen any sign of that."

Zhu Shan lowered her head and twisted her hands. "Every time we meet, my cousin only says a few polite words to me. Once, when my cousin came to the Zhu family, I gave her two handkerchiefs that I had embroidered myself, and I wanted her to give one to my cousin, but I don't know if she really forgot or did it on purpose, she left it behind."

The maid didn't know about this. Although she was only fourteen or fifteen years old, she was thoughtful and calm, otherwise, the eldest lady would not have placed her by Zhu Shan's side.

After thinking about it, she asked in a low voice, "Does the old lady know about this?"

Zhu Shan shook her head. "How dare I let my grandmother know, but my mother knows."

"What did the eldest lady say?"

"Mother was a little unhappy." Although Zhu Shan was young, she had the necessary scheming.

She didn't say everything to the servant. In fact, her mother was not only unhappy, but she also said some very unpleasant things. Her mother always felt that the Hua family's status was too low now, and she was too wronged to marry into it. Although she also thought there was some truth to it, if the person was her cousin, there was nothing she couldn't endure.

Moreover, her aunt's personality was so soft, and she didn't have to worry about being controlled by her mother-in-law when she married into the family. Although her cousin was powerful, she wouldn't be in charge of the family forever. Her mother had said that the Hua family would eventually be handed over to her cousin.

As the eldest grandson of the Hua family, her cousin would be the one in charge in the future, wouldn't he?

Thinking about this, Zhu Shan's face turned a little red.

Qingqing was wholeheartedly concerned about her young lady. After thinking about it, she said, "The eldest young lady may have really forgotten. Just now, I didn't even say that you were here, but she saw you at a glance. It shows how much she cares about you, how could she dislike you?"

Zhu Shan felt reassured. She hadn't done anything to upset her cousin, and even now, she had obediently gone back, hadn't she?

*

Hua Zhi found her thoughts wandering back to Zhu Shan. She couldn’t help herself—whenever she looked at the girl, the elders’ insistence on matching her with Bai Lin came to mind. Deep down, Hua Zhi disagreed with the idea, which was why she had kept her distance from Zhu Shan, carefully avoiding any behavior that might lead to misunderstandings.

Cousin marriages were nothing unusual in this time and place, but Hua Zhi’s broader perspective made her all too aware of the potential downsides. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a valid argument in this world, and she couldn’t outright reject the proposal on those grounds alone. Instead, she chose to wait and see—was Bai Lin truly interested in Zhu Shan? If he was, she would step aside and accept their union. But if this arrangement was just another calculated move for family gain, she would hold her ground, even if Bai Lin agreed to it.

That said, the matter couldn’t be dragged out indefinitely. When Bai Lin returned from his travels, they would have to settle it one way or another. Zhu Shan was already fourteen, and noble families typically arranged marriages for their daughters early. Bai Lin couldn’t afford to leave her future hanging in the balance much longer.

*

The sound of people became louder and louder, and they had reached the entrance of Liyun Lane. Various aromas filled the air, and people kept coming out of Liyun Lane with food, passing through the arch bridge and entering Lutui Lane. There were also people constantly coming from Green Moss Alley through the arch bridge into Liyun Lane.

The arch bridge was built by Hua Zhi. It was located between the two alleys.

Hua Ling saw such a scene for the first time and murmured in amazement, "There are so many people."

Ying Chun covered her mouth and chuckled. "When we first started renovating here, people kept asking when it would open. Later, when Miss set the date, Manager Chen posted a few notices over there in Liyun Lane and told everyone about it. Whenever someone asked again, they would just tell them the date. Miss, look, there's no need for you to think of any other way to promote it, people are already crowding in."

"That's great. When the seafood shop opens, have Chen Liang put up a notice here as well."

Even Hua Ling smiled at this.

As if on cue, Chen Liang, his forehead beaded with sweat, pushed his way through the crowd. The man, noticeably darker than before, looked sturdier and more relaxed. "Miss, when did you arrive? I wouldn't have known if I hadn't heard the customers mention it."

Hua Zhi was well aware that her face was quite recognizable in the capital. She had only been standing here for a while and had already drawn countless gazes, and by extension, so had Hua Ling. She tried to remain composed but couldn't match her eldest sister's innate nonchalance.

Hua Zhi didn't really care. Given the situation, she didn't need to ask how business was doing. She simply instructed, "Remember to prioritize hygiene for food items. Don't compromise quality just because there are more customers. It's okay to sell less, as long as the food is good, people will be willing to wait. A tarnished reputation, however, cannot be bought back with any amount of silver."

"Yes, I've repeatedly emphasized this to them during their training, and I'll keep a close eye on it. Please don't worry."

"Tell everyone, their monthly wages will be doubled."

"Yes, I'll thank Miss on behalf of everyone."

Hua Zhi glanced back at the opposite alley, where the new shop had taken away a significant portion of the foot traffic. "Do the same for the Green Moss Alley. Double their wages on top of the double for yours."

Chen Liang immediately beamed. Working for Eldest Miss was truly satisfying. She didn't micromanage or demand constant reports. As long as the results were good, she was tolerant of adjustments, and she even rewarded better performance. That's why everyone working for Eldest Miss went all out to do their best, eager to live up to her trust.

"Oh, and take some of everything and send it to the Zhu family."

"Yes, I'll go personally."

Hua Zhi nodded. Seeing a few young masters eyeing her from a distance, she decided to leave without giving them a chance to approach. She knew there were people assigned by Yanxi to protect her, but she preferred not to expose them unless absolutely necessary. In the capital, one could never be too sure if someone might recognize them.

———TN: Ah, dear little Zhu Shan... I must say, I'm quite disappointed in you and your sneaky little schemes. Did you really think Hua Zhi wouldn’t see right through your petty, small-minded plans?