Chapter 388: Filling the Room?

Hua Zhi led Hua Ling into the study, her calm demeanor masking an undercurrent of purpose.

“That scholar who saved you—he showed up today. Did you notice him?” she asked casually, though her words carried a pointed curiosity.

Hua Ling nodded. Among the sea of genteel scholars, there was no mistaking the one with the unusually purplish complexion.

“This morning, I sent someone to deliver something to him, but it seems he left early and missed it,” Hua Zhi remarked, her tone even as she gestured for Hua Ling to take a seat. She unfurled a blank sheet of paper, dipped her brush into ink, and began to write with the fluid precision of someone long accustomed to this routine.

The conversation shifted effortlessly as Hua Zhi addressed the matter at hand. The seafood recently transported from the South had already begun to show signs of decline—delicate goods like these required swift and meticulous care. Even those on the brink of spoilage needed immediate attention if they were to salvage any value. It was a task that demanded diligence and a level head.

Chen Mama, a trusted servant brought into the household by their grandmother from the Qin family, seemed like the ideal choice to manage this operation. With one son who had accompanied Hua Zhi’s grandfather to the Northern regions and a daughter married to a family steward, Chen Mama’s experience and connections would surely ease their grandmother’s worries about the family’s food trade.

Hua Ling, meanwhile, fidgeted in her seat, her curiosity simmering just below the surface. Unable to suppress it any longer, she finally blurted out, “Eldest sister, can I watch?”

Hua Zhi didn’t even pause, her brush gliding smoothly across the paper. “There’s nothing here you’re not allowed to see,” she replied with a nonchalance that put Hua Ling at ease.

Encouraged, Hua Ling eagerly moved closer, her eyes fixed on each stroke of ink as though committing them to memory. She read the words with care, savoring the moment. Hua Zhi was a figure she admired deeply—too far above her to imitate, but close enough to learn from. For Hua Ling, even standing in her shadow felt like a privilege.

*

Meanwhile, in the main house, there was a conversation taking place in Concubine Qin's room.

With a sharp glare and a finger pointed accusingly at her daughter Hua Rong’s forehead, Concubine Qin let her anger spill over. “You’re the eldest miss’s biological sister, and yet you just stand by while Hua Ling cozies up to her. Are you really okay with letting that happen?”

Hua Rong, though equally displeased, had spent the last six months fostering a peaceful relationship with her two sisters. She crossed her arms defensively and shot back, “Third Sister isn’t trying to cozy up to Eldest Sister. Mother, you don’t see everything, so stop jumping to conclusions!”

“Jumping to conclusions?” Concubine Qin’s voice rose, dripping with exasperation. “I’m looking out for your future! The entire Hua family is under the eldest miss’s control now. If you don’t handle your relationships wisely, how do you expect to secure any benefits later?”

Hua Rong held her ground. “Sister protects even distant relatives. Do you think she’d treat me, her own flesh and blood, unfairly? Before Third Sister got into trouble, Eldest Sister barely paid her any attention. But the moment disaster struck, she stood up for her, no matter the cost. If something happened to me, I trust she’d do the same!”

Concubine Qin was livid, her voice trembling as her frustration boiled over. “And where, pray tell, does this confidence of yours come from?”

"From bearing the Hua name and from what I’ve seen and learned in this house,” Hua Rong said firmly, her usual meekness replaced with defiance. Her gaze was unflinching. “And Mother, let me warn you—if you scheme behind the scenes and it drags me into trouble, don’t you dare claim it was ‘for my sake.’ Just remember what happened to Hua Yan before you think of pulling anything reckless!”

Concubine Qin’s expression faltered for a moment before she quickly recovered. “Rong’er, I am your birth mother! I would never harm you.”

But Hua Rong felt a chill run through her.

If her mother had to say that out loud, wasn’t it already a warning?

Could she truly trust her intentions?

Suppressing the wave of unease rising in her chest, Hua Rong cautiously asked, “Mom, could you tell me what you're planning?”

Concubine Qin quickly scanned the room, her eyes signaling the maids. Without a word, they shuffled out, leaving just the two of them. After making sure the door was firmly shut, Concubine Qin dragged a nearby stool over and settled next to her daughter, her face betraying an almost giddy excitement. In a voice barely above a whisper, as if sharing some secret, she leaned in and said, “I’ve found you a good match.”

“Mom, I’m still in mourning! Are you trying to get me dragged through the gossip mill?” Hua Rong replied, her voice tinged with disbelief.

“Shhh! Lower your voice!” Concubine Qin hissed, her urgency growing. “I’m not asking you to get married right now. What’s the rush?”

But Hua Rong’s stomach dropped. In a family where mourning was supposed to be taken seriously, her mother, of all people, seemed willing to overlook it. Concubine Qin, who had gained her place in the household by securing the favor of Hua Rong’s grandmother, was the one who should be respecting this time of grief the most. Yet here she was, discussing marriage plans as if nothing had happened.

Their stepmother, though soft and passive, had always treated Concubine Qin well—never too harsh, never neglectful. Despite being born from a concubine, Hua Rong had it better than most illegitimate daughters, living in a much more comfortable position than others in her situation. But that didn’t mean she could afford to ignore the power dynamics within the family.

Hua Rong had once entertained the idea of acting on her mother's suggestions, but over the past year, she’d been grateful for not following through. Her respect for their stepmother and the fear of what might happen if she crossed the wrong people kept her in check. The legitimate daughters of the family weren’t exactly known for their mercy. If they wanted to make life difficult for her, they could do so easily.

It was this knowledge that made Hua Rong so fearful—fearful that Concubine Qin might bring down trouble on both of them.

Forcing herself to push her fear aside, Hua Rong lowered her gaze and softened her tone, trying to regain composure. “May I ask which family is reaching out?”

Concubine Qin, thinking her daughter was simply being modest, answered without hesitation, “The Xie family.”

Xie Family?

Hua Rong quickly sorted through her thoughts. There were two Xie families in the capital. One was on par with the former Hua family, which was impossible, and the other was...

"Xie, a clerk at the Ministry of Revenue."

Indeed!

Hua Rong wasn’t familiar with the Xie family enough to make any clear judgment about whether it was a good match or not. But what really piqued her curiosity was the question, "Mom, I haven’t seen you leave the house lately. How did you get involved with the Xie family?"

Concubine Qin wasn’t having any of it. She snapped back, steering the conversation away. "Are there any real friends who can pass my test?" she asked, with a sharp edge to her voice. "Don’t think you can underestimate this clerk from the Ministry of Revenue just because he holds a fifth-rank position. He’s in his early thirties, with a bright future ahead. When word got out that he was looking for a concubine, let’s just say, a lot of people were watching. If I didn’t have some connections with a woman from the Xie family, this opportunity might never have landed in your lap."

A cold shiver ran down Hua Rong’s spine. "Concubine? Opportunity? Mom, are you seriously asking me to become someone’s secondary wife?"

"We’re doing this properly through the matchmaking process," Concubine Qin shot back. "Stop worrying about how the eldest sister will treat you. It’s not the same as what happened to Hua Yan!"

"Weren’t you also in a rush to become Father’s concubine?" Hua Rong couldn’t help but fire back.

The slap came fast and hard, its sharp crack ringing through the quiet room. Hua Rong stood frozen, her face stinging with the impact. She didn’t know how to face a mother who was willing to send her off to become someone else’s secondary wife.

Concubine Qin stood there, her anger cooling into regret as she saw the handprint left on her daughter’s face. Tears started flowing as she murmured, "How could you say that to me? I’m your mother."

"Yes, a birth mother who would send her daughter off to be someone else’s secondary wife," Hua Rong said coldly.

"Rong’er!" Concubine Qin rushed forward, clutching her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face as she spoke with a mix of urgency and sorrow. "Everyone in this world might hurt you, but I wouldn’t. Why is it that you believe Hua Zhi could treat you kindly, but not me? I can’t just stand by and watch you waste the best years of your life!"

Hua Rong turned, her expression calm but resolute. "Yesterday, Second Sister and I went out with Third Sister. Third Sister said she didn’t want to marry, that staying at home under Eldest Sister’s protection was enough. I realized I felt the same. Why leave home to face hardship when Eldest Sister has always shielded us? Trust doesn’t come out of nowhere, Mother. We trust Eldest Sister because she’s never let us down. She doesn’t speak much, but her actions always prove she’s there for us."

Concubine Qin’s voice softened but grew more desperate. "But women can’t escape marriage forever. Do you think the Hua family has many options left? The Xie family may be seeking a secondary wife, but their previous one only left behind a daughter—"

"I think the Hua family is fine just as it is," Hua Rong interrupted, her tone steady yet unyielding. She gave a small bow and walked away without so much as a backward glance.