Chapter 42, Family Structure

Chapter 42, Family Structure

Chapter 42, Family Structure

"I now understand that in my father's heart, daughters are no match for sons."

Hua Changxi returned to his room with a long face.

Hua Liulang followed behind her and heard her complaining. He immediately retorted, "Jiu Niang, what are you talking about? Father loves you so much that even I feel jealous."

Hua Changxi snorted: "Yes, Dad loves me, I don't deny that. But the love Dad has for me is different from the love he has for my elder brother."

"My father loves me only by buying me food and clothes, but he cares about my eldest brother's feelings and takes his face into consideration."

"Just now in the main hall, it was clearly my eldest brother who was causing trouble, but it was me that my father chased away. He was helping my eldest brother maintain his dignity, without caring whether it would save my face or not."

"In my father's heart, my elder brother is much more important than me."

Hua Liulang had a headache: "Why do you have to compete with big brother?"

Hua Changxi asked back: "Why can't I compete with Big Brother?"

Hua Liulang didn't know what to say.

Hua Changxi said sadly: "It's sad to be the daughter of the Hua family. My grandfather and his family never seem to see my value, or even if they do, they choose to turn a blind eye."

"Pharmacist Xu can only refine elixirs for third-grade warriors at best. Whenever my father sees him, he is always polite."

"I am a pharmacist who can refine the elixirs needed by sixth-grade warriors. Just now in the main hall, Sixth Brother, you saw how my family treated me."

"Especially my eldest brother. Would he dare to boss a pharmacist around outside? Just because I'm his sister, can he order me around at will?"

"My grandfather is even more ridiculous. It's not enough that I have contributed enough. He also wants to use my own money to support his grandson. In his eyes, I am not his granddaughter, but a tool whose thoughts and feelings he doesn't need to care about."

Hua Liulang said quickly: "Not really, it's not that serious."

Hua Changxi: "Of course not. When I came back, my grandfather and the others didn't even ask me if I was doing well in the errand hall. Instead, they asked me about refining medicine right away."

Knowing that Sixth Brother couldn't empathize with him, Hua Changxi waved his hand and said, "Forget it. You won't understand even if I tell you. Sixth Brother, go play. I want to rest."

Hua Liulang knew that he could not win the argument with his sister, so he had no way to persuade her and could only leave.

Hua Changxi bolted the door, opened the bag she had brought back, took out the pills inside and sorted them out. Except for the specially made body-strengthening pills and the pills left for Hua Liulang to practice martial arts, she planned to sell the rest.

She had little money to spend in the servants' hall, but she wanted to buy a house and a yard that belonged to her alone.

There are too many people in the Hua family, and there is no privacy when doing anything at home.

In the future, she will have to refine medicine more and more frequently, so she needs a secret base.

If she had refined it at the Hua family, given the tempers of Old Man Hua and Old Lady Hua, they would definitely force her to hand over the results.

Even if she could resist, trouble would arise. She could ignore other people, but she could not ignore her parents.

Hua Changxi put the pills he was going to sell into another bundle and just put them in the cabinet when he heard a knock on the door: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Third Brother!"

Hua Changxi locked the cabinet, opened the door, and looked at Hua Sanlang in surprise: "Third brother, do you want to talk to me about something?"

Hua Sanlang laughed: "I can't come to you if there's nothing wrong?"

Hua Changxi stepped aside and let Hua Sanlang enter the room: "Are you here to comfort me?"

Hua Sanlang asked with a smile: "Do you need my help?"

Hua Changxi shook his head: "No need."

Hua Sanlang sat down: "That's it, I'm looking for you for something else."

Hua Changxi looked at him: "What's the matter?"

Hua Sanlang's expression turned serious. "I studied the Qi and Blood Pills, Body Tempering Pills, and Body Strengthening Pills that you gave Liu Lang, and found that their effects are much better than those sold on the market."

Hua Changxi gave Hua Sanlang a look that showed he knew what was going on.

Hua Sanlang: "Jiu Niang, can you show me the prescription?"

Hua Changxi didn't say yes or no, but asked, "Third brother also wants to make medicine?"

Hua Sanlang smiled and said, "Come to think of it, most of my skills in refining medicine came from your guidance."

Hua Changxi asked again: "Third brother, are you refining medicine for yourself or for your family?"

Hua Saburo was stunned for a moment: "Is there any difference?"

Hua Changxi: "Of course there is a difference, answer me quickly."

Hua Sanlang: "The medicinal effect of the elixir is so good. If I can also make it, I will sell it in our pharmacy. This way, I can add some income to the family, and I and other brothers in the family will have the elixir we need for martial arts practice."

Hua Changxi: "That means I'm going to make medicine for my family. If that's the case, I'll give you the prescription, so I'll have a share of the money that the family's medicine shop earns."

Hua Sanlang hesitated: "I can't make the decision about the medicine shop."

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "Then go find someone who can make the decision and talk to him about this." After a pause, he said, "Third brother, it shouldn't be your idea to ask me for the prescription, right?"

Hua Sanlang was silent: "Jiu Niang, we are all family"

Hua Changxi interrupted him directly: "Brothers should settle accounts clearly, Third Brother, this matter is not negotiable."

Hua Saburo sighed and stood up: "Then I'll go talk to my grandfather." After saying that, he was about to turn around and leave. As he stepped out of the threshold, he turned back and asked.

"Nine Lady, what if I were to make medicine for myself?"

Hua Changxi smiled and said, "You are my third brother. It's just a few prescriptions. I am willing to give it to you."

Hua Sanlang's expression changed slightly, and he left quickly without saying anything else.

"What? Jiu Niang wants to share the money from the medicine shop? She is just a young lady, why would she want any money?"

First, she asked Hua Changxi to use money to buy medicine for Hua Dalang, but it ended in vain. Now she is asked to take out the prescription for use at home, and she wants a share of the profits.

Grandpa Hua was really dissatisfied with his granddaughter. He kept smoking his pipe, and soon the whole room was filled with the smell of pipe tobacco.

Uncle Hua looked at the old man and saw that he was unwilling to speak directly to the eldest brother. In order for his two sons to learn martial arts, he had to speak.

"Brother, if you don't take care of Jiu Niang anymore, she will really climb over all of us."

Hua Minghe glanced at Uncle Hua and said nothing.

If Jiu Niang's ability to refine medicine was cultivated at home, he would ask Jiu Niang to take out the prescription without anyone persuading him.

But the problem is that her family has never provided any support to Jiu Niang. Even though he is a father, he doesn't have the face to ask his daughter to do things for the family.

Seeing that her eldest son was silent, Old Lady Hua said angrily, "Only when the family works together can we live better and better. Everyone in our family is great, except for this Jiu Niang. Once we meet her, she will definitely cause trouble."

Hua Minghe looked at Old Lady Hua helplessly: "Mother, don't say that about Jiu Niang."

Seeing her eldest son refute her, Mrs. Hua became even more angry: "Am I wrong? The family provides her with food and drink. Now that she has some ability, she doesn't care whether the family is in financial difficulty or not. She always asks for money. Even a dog is more grateful than her."

Hua Changxi suddenly entered the main hall and said, "Grandmother, I can give the formulas of Qi and Blood Pills, Body Tempering Pills, and Body Strengthening Pills to my third brother, but from now on, I will not owe the Hua family anything."

Old Madam Hua laughed angrily: "Why, do you want to cut ties with the Hua family?"

Hua Changxi: "I didn't say we're done with each other, but from now on you and the rest of the family, don't ever say such clichés as 'the Hua family provides me with food and drink'."

Old Madam Hua snorted, "You think you can buy off the Hua family's upbringing for you with just three prescriptions? You're dreaming."

Hua Changxi sneered and was about to say something when Hua Minghe spoke up. "What are you talking about, mother?"

Old Mrs. Hua glanced at her eldest son, turned her head away and stopped talking.

Hua Minghe looked at Hua Changxi and said, "Jiu Niang, go to the kitchen and help your mother."

Hua Changxi didn't want to make too much noise during the New Year, so he said "hmm" and left.

As soon as she left, Hua Dalang quickly pulled Hua Sanlang over and said, "What's wrong with Jiu Niang? Although she had a bad temper before, she was never as arrogant as she is now."

Hua Sanlang hesitated for a moment and said, "Since Jiu Niang joined the Medical Department, she has become more and more confident."

Hua Dalang: "Does she think she can make money now and doesn't need to rely on her family anymore?"

Hanazaburo: "There must be a reason for this."

Hua Dalang shook his head: "She is still too childish. How could she know how difficult it would be for a young lady to live without the protection of her family? Does she really think money can solve everything?"

Hua Sanlang smiled and said, "Jiu Niang often quarrels with Grandmother. Their words are just for fun and should not be taken seriously. Big brother, I saw Liu Lang was so happy just now. It should be Jiu Niang who gave him the elixir again. Shall we go and take a look?"

Hua Dalang nodded and followed Hua Sanlang to find Hua Liulang.

Hua Liulang was hiding in the room to try out the effect of the bone-strengthening pill. There was a wooden stake in his room. After taking the pill, he felt full of energy. He took off his shirt and started hitting the wooden stake.

When Hua Dalang and Hua Sanlang came in, Hua Liulang was already covered in sweat from fighting.

When he saw Hua Dalang, Hua Liulang's eyes lit up, and he clenched his fists and attacked him.

When Hua Dalang saw this, he raised his eyebrows. After all, he was his younger brother, so he gave him face and started sparring with him.

All this made Hua Dalang extremely surprised at his sixth brother's energy. After sparring for more than two quarters of an hour, Hua Liulang finally lay on the ground gasping for breath.

"It was such a joy to fight!"

"Brother, let's continue tomorrow!"

Hua Sanlang pulled Hua Liulang up from the ground and asked: "Did you take the elixir?"

Hua Liulang did not hide it from his two brothers, and took out the pill that Hua Changxi gave him like a treasure: "This is the bone-strengthening pill made by Jiu Niang. I just took it and it worked very well."

"One bone-forging pill sold outside can probably only forge one bone, but one pill made by Jiu Niang can probably forge three bones."

When Hua Sanlang heard this, he immediately became interested and quickly poured out one, smelling and tasting it.

Hua Dalang shook the porcelain bottle and asked, "How many pills are there in here?"

Hua Liulang took the porcelain bottle and then said, "Nine Lady gave me fifty pills and said that if they were not enough, I could ask her for more."

After hearing this, Hua Dalang was unhappy: "Jiu Niang is generous to you, why is she so stingy to me? She even had an argument with grandfather over this."

Hua Liulang looked at Hua Dalang and said, "Brother, Jiu Niang doesn't like others to force her. If you want to ask her for help, just tell her in private. Don't involve the elders."

"Also, Jiu Niang must have some of the elixirs that I gave her. She gave them to me because she had some in surplus."

"But she doesn't have the Shackle-Breaking Pill you want, big brother. Grandfather actually wants her to give up her own body. Isn't that like cutting off Jiu Niang's flesh? She definitely won't do it."

Hua Dalang frowned: "But I am her elder brother, I don't take her things for nothing, I will definitely return a lot in the future."

Hua Liulang: "Brother, your words are just empty promises, as Jiuniang would say. Qiniang and the others may believe them, but Jiuniang won't."

Hearing this, Hua Dalang was speechless.

The three brothers had not been talking for long when they heard Old Lady Hua calling them from the yard, asking them to eat.

When she was in the menial hall, Hua Changxi was still looking forward to going home, but now her good mood was gone. She had no appetite for the New Year's Eve dinner, and after finishing it hurriedly, she went back to her room to practice.

When Yao saw this, she glared at Hua Minghe with some dissatisfaction.

When the couple returned to their room, Yao began to scold Hua Minghe: "Why can't we wait for two days to discuss this matter? Do we have to ask Jiu Niang as soon as she comes back?"

Hua Minghe looked helpless: "Father and mother, aren't you worried about Dalang?"

Yao was even more dissatisfied: "Why is it so urgent?"

"Jiu Niang has never been a stingy person. After she refined the elixir, she could think of you and Liu Lang. There is no reason why she wouldn't think of Da Lang."

"If we let the brothers and sisters discuss Dalang's matter in private, how could they possibly quarrel?"

"The old man and the old lady got involved, and the matter was not resolved. Instead, it affected the brother-sister relationship between Dalang and Jiuniang."

"No wonder Jiu Niang didn't want to tell her family that she could make medicine. Look at her family. They're eager to take advantage of Jiu Niang before anything has happened."

Hua Minghe disagreed: "It's not as serious as you say. We are all family."

Yao snorted, "You know your daughter's temper. After what happened today, if she has any problems in the future, I'm afraid she won't tell the family."

Hua Minghe scratched his head in pain, "It's not my father and mother's fault. They care too much about their children's future. Knowing that Jiu Niang can make medicine, the sons and daughters of the family can practice martial arts in the future, let alone them, even I can't sit still."

Yao lowered her eyes: "Even if you care about your children and grandchildren, you can't ignore your granddaughter's feelings."

Hua Minghe was silent for a moment: "I will remind my father and mother to be more careful in the future."

Yao didn't say anything else. Jiu Niang was a girl who took herself very seriously. If her family continued to ignore her thoughts and feelings, it would only push her further and further away.

On the first day of the first lunar month, after paying New Year's greetings to the elders at home, Hua Changxi did not go out to play with Hua Qinnan and the others, but continued to stay in the room to practice.

Yao came and called her several times, but failed to get her out of the house.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, married women returned to their parents' homes. Hua Sangu and Hua Erniang both came back accompanied by their husbands, but Hua Wuniang was nowhere to be seen. The marquis's mansion only sent a maid to deliver some New Year gifts.

After Hua Wu Niang was carried into the Marquis's Mansion, she did not communicate with her family. Aunt Hua Si was very worried. When she saw the people from the Marquis's Mansion, she could not help but ask, "Chun Yu, is Wu Niang living well in the Marquis's Mansion?"

The person who came was Chunyu, the maid given to Hua Wuniang by Madam Zhou from the wealthy family.

Chunyu smiled and said, "Don't worry, Madam. Aunt Hua is very popular with the Third Master and the Third Madam in the Marquis' Mansion."

Almost no one in the Hua family believed this.

If Wu Niang really wanted to live a good life in the Marquis' Mansion, why didn't she contact her family for so long?
Chun Yu thought about how the Third Madam had stipulated that she must be back within two hours when she went out, so she said, "The Marquis' Mansion is quite busy these days, so I have to go back."

Hua Changxi put the strengthening pills he had refined into a purse and handed it to Chunyu: "This is my New Year gift to my fifth sister. Please pass it to her for me."

Chunyu took it and left in a hurry.

Later, when Hua Sangu and Hua Erniang left, Hua Changxi also gave them each a bottle of body-strengthening pill.

Starting from the third day of the New Year, Hua Changxi no longer stayed at home. She went out shopping after breakfast. Hua Liulang wanted to follow her but was sent away by her.

She wanted to sell pills and use the money to buy a house, but she didn't want anyone in her family to know about it.

She had understood the power structure of the Hua family very early on. Old Man Hua was the head of the family, followed by her father and two uncles, and then her eldest brother and his grandsons.

Old Mrs. Hua shares Old Mr. Hua's power, and her mother and two aunts are all under her control.

She and Hua Qinniang are the lowest class in the family. Anyone can control them and lecture them.

In the Hua family, she has no right to speak. Even if she shows her value, this value is to serve the men in the Hua family.

Not only will she not receive any recognition, but she will be suppressed instead. If she does not meet their expectations, she will be greeted with all kinds of accusations and moral blackmail.

She couldn't completely cut off all ties and love and break away from the Hua family, but she could break out of this family structure!
(End of this chapter)