Chapter 10: Becoming a Concubine

Chapter 10: Becoming a Concubine

The Hua Family of Xiu Zheng Fang.

As evening approached, the three Hua Minghe brothers returned home from their duties, and the Hua courtyard immediately became lively.

Listening to the commotion outside, Hua Changxi opened her eyes in the side room, emerging from her cultivation.

[Realm: Qi Refining Stage 35/1000]

Seeing that her realm points had increased by one again, Hua Changxi felt a sense of joy.

However, she had a new doubt.

What was the actual use of these realm points?

She could feel a surge of power accumulating within her body, but how was she supposed to use it?

The voice of Old Madam Hua calling everyone to dinner echoed from the courtyard. Suppressing her doubts, Hua Changxi walked to the door and peered through the crack to observe the situation.

Her mother and two aunts entered the main hall carrying dishes, followed closely by those playing in the courtyard. Soon, the courtyard was empty.

Rubbing her shriveled stomach, Hua Changxi felt a sense of indignation. Every time she did something that went against the wishes of the Grandfather or Old Madam, she was placed under confinement and punished by being denied food.

She wondered how many days she would be starved this time.

She just hoped it wouldn't delay her trip to the Medical Bureau to register!

Hua Changxi tugged at the door bolt, pulling and pushing several times, but she couldn't break through the iron lock outside.

She could feel her strength increasing, but she estimated that 35 realm points were still too low to break an iron lock.

Scanning the enclosed side room, especially seeing the windows sealed with mud and stone, her lip twitched. The Grandfather was truly putting a lot of effort into punishing them.

Fortunately, she possessed the soul of an adult; she wasn't afraid of the dark or being alone.

If she were a real child, being locked up once or twice would likely have scared her wits away, making her obedient to every word the adults said.

As darkness gradually fell, moonlight spilled across the earth.

Seeing the moonlight streaming through the door crack, Hua Changxi hurriedly moved her meditation mat to the door. She sat leaning against it, allowing as much moonlight as possible to wash over her.

"Whew~"

Hua Changxi closed her eyes again and resumed her cultivation under the moonlight. She could clearly feel the warm current flowing through her body becoming stronger and faster.

During this time, the courtyard became lively again for a while.

Presumably after dinner, everyone had come out to the courtyard to enjoy the cool air and chat.

Gradually, the courtyard fell silent once more, and the entire Hua residence slowly sank into stillness.

"Jiu Niang~"

In the dead of night, even the slightest sound was enough to startle someone awake.

Hua Changxi's eyes snapped open. Peering through the door crack, she saw Hua Liulang peeking in sneakily.

"Sixth Brother."

Hua Changxi’s expression brightened, and she quickly asked, "Sixth Brother, did you go to the Medical Bureau to see Pharmacist Xu?"

Since she had been taken to the Great Clan Elder's house today and couldn't go to the Medical Bureau to register, Hua Changxi had asked Hua Liulang to go on her behalf to explain why she couldn't make it.

Hua Liulang nodded. "I saw him. Pharmacist Xu told me to tell you that if you want to apply for the Medical Bureau, you must hurry and register. He said this recruitment drive is a bit strange, and he's afraid you might miss the chance if you go too late."

Hua Changxi’s expression tightened. "Why would I miss it?"

Hua Liulang: "Because there are too many applicants. When I went to the Medical Bureau today, I saw so many people, all there to apply as apprentices."

He paused, then added, "You're locked up right now, so don't worry about the registration for a moment. Here, eat something first."

As he spoke, Hua Liulang tried to shove a white steamed bun through the crack in the door.

Just then, a dark shadow loomed over Hua Liulang's head.

"Ah~!"

Startled, Hua Liulang fell back onto the ground with a thud, and the bun dropped from his hand.

Hua Changxi was also startled, but upon seeing the shadow, she felt both speechless and annoyed. "Grandmother, do you know that scaring people like that can actually kill them?"

Old Madam Hua snorted. She bent down to pick up the bun and said to Hua Liulang, "Your grandfather and I are punishing Jiu Niang to correct her temperament. It is for her own good."

"Liulang, do you realize that what you're doing is harming Jiu Niang? If her temperament isn't corrected, she will bring trouble to the family. When that happens, she won't just implicate the family; she'll ruin herself."

Hua Liulang lowered his head. "I was just worried Jiu Niang would go hungry."

Old Madam Hua: "We won't let her starve to death. Now, go back to your room and sleep. You aren't allowed to eat tomorrow either."

Hua Liulang looked at Hua Jiu Niang through the door crack, gave her a helpless look, and then slunk away.

Once Hua Liulang had left, Old Madam Hua looked at Hua Changxi. "You think you're so capable, even daring to offend the Great Clan Elder's wife. What do you need to eat for?" Having said that, she left with the bun.

A moment later, Old Madam Hua's voice rang out in the courtyard.

"Eldest, Jiu Niang's temperament must be properly tempered. If you all lack the heart to discipline her, then your father and I will play the villain."

"If you want her to become a lawless troublemaker who brings disaster to this family in the future, then feel free to hold us back behind our backs."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi was furious.

She just wanted to preserve a bit of human dignity; how was that bringing trouble to the family?

In the inner room of the main house, Hua Minghe and Lady Yao were not yet asleep.

Hearing Old Madam Hua's words, Hua Minghe said to Lady Yao, "Let's not interfere with Jiu Niang's punishment this time."

Lady Yao's brow furrowed. "But with Jiu Niang's temperament, I'm afraid she won't bow down. Are we going to have to watch her faint from hunger again?"

Hua Minghe also scratched his head in frustration. "Let's take it one step at a time. If it really comes to that, I'll go to my parents to plead for her."

After a night passed, the Hua courtyard became lively again.

At breakfast, Old Master Hua said to everyone, "I will head to the Great Clan Elder's house in a while. Jiu Niang offended Auntie Yu'e; I will go there to apologize."

Hua Mingang, the second son, immediately spoke up, "Jiu Niang caused the trouble; how can Father go to apologize for her?"

Hua Minghe frowned slightly, looking at Old Master Hua with disapproval. "Father, isn't this a bit excessive?"

"Jiu Niang did defy Auntie Yu'e, but she didn't cause a massive scene, and she provided a reasonable excuse. If we rush to apologize now, it will look as if we have done something deeply wrong."

With a *thwack*, Old Master Hua threw his tobacco pipe onto the table. "What do you mean 'didn't cause a massive scene'? How much of a scene do you want Jiu Niang to make in someone else's house?"

Hua Mingang hurriedly offered tea. "Father, please calm down. Getting angry so early in the morning isn't good for your health."

Old Master Hua did not drink the tea. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "Our eldest will graduate from the Martial Academy next year. Where is his future? Have you made any progress regarding his marriage?"

"And the third and fourth sons are also at the age to start families and careers."

"Without the clan's support, relying only on ourselves—ask yourselves, how many paths can you pave for these children?"

As these words were spoken, Hua Minghe, Hua Mingang, and Hua Mingcheng all lowered their heads.

Although they all held positions in the yamen, those jobs were coveted by others as well. To arrange positions for family members, one needed not only large sums of money for bribes but also solid connections.

Setting aside the fact that the Hua family could not produce vast amounts of silver, the connections they had accumulated in the yamen were not yet sufficient to simply insert people at will.

Old Madam Hua stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, it's getting late. Let's all eat."

Hua Minghe thought for a moment and looked at Old Master Hua. "Father, I will go ask the Chief Constable for leave in a moment. After I return, I will accompany you to the Great Clan Elder's house this afternoon."

Clan members often followed the principle of "kissing up to the high and stepping on the low." The Old Master was of advanced age; going to apologize would certainly require him to humble himself. As a son, how could he watch his father bow to others?

After all, he was a fifth-grade martial artist; the clan would surely grant him some respect.

Seeing that Hua Minghe was willing to accompany him, Old Master Hua's expression brightened visibly.

His eldest son also had a stubborn streak; they had had disagreements with the clan regarding marriage in the past, and he had not maintained much contact with them for years.

Now that his eldest son was willing to interact with the clan again, he was truly happy. After all, the future of this family would eventually rely on his eldest son to support it.

Old Master Hua smiled. "Good. This afternoon, the two of us will go see the Great Clan Elder together."

Unfortunately, plans change faster than expected.

Not long after the three Hua Minghe brothers left, the steward from the Great Clan Elder's house arrived and invited both Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua to go.

In the side room, because she could cultivate, Hua Changxi felt that this confinement was not as unbearable as previous times.

However, because of the incident last night and Old Madam Hua's claim that it was "for her own good," she guessed that her parents would likely not secretly look after her as they had done before.

She wasn't particularly worried about being hungry; the family wouldn't let her starve to death.

What worried her now was the matter of applying for the apprenticeship at the Medical Bureau.

"Mother~"

"Mother~"

Knowing that Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua had left, Hua Changxi began pounding on the door and calling out loudly for Lady Yao.

Left with no choice, Lady Yao came to the side room.

Hua Changxi: "Mother, let me out. I need to go to the Medical Bureau to register. I promise I'll be quick and will definitely be home before Grandfather and Grandmother return."

Lady Yao stood still. "I told your father about the Medical Bureau application. He does not agree."

Hua Changxi grew anxious. "Why does Father not agree? Besides, this is my business. His disagreement won't matter."

Lady Yao frowned. "He is your father; he naturally has the right to disagree. Now, behave yourself. I'll go get you something to eat."

Hua Changxi hurriedly called out, "Mother, you can't do this! If I miss the registration for the Medical Bureau, I will hate you!"

Hearing this, Lady Yao paused and turned to look at Hua Changxi, her expression shocked. "If we don't let you apply for the Medical Bureau, you will hate your mother and father?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Hua Changxi regretted them.

Her parents in this life had been quite good to her.

With her modern values, no matter how she tried to act, her behavior was somewhat out of sync with the young ladies of this era, yet her parents had been tolerant and had not tried to restrict her too harshly.

She felt quite fortunate and grateful for this.

However, the Medical Bureau application was related to her cultivation; she had to fight for it.

Seeing her daughter hang her head in silence, Lady Yao fell silent. After a long pause, she spoke. "Your grandmother always says you have a bad temperament and are constantly defying your elders. I never took it to heart because I felt you knew your place."

"But now, just because a small matter didn't go your way, you would hate your own parents? Jiu Niang, you truly make me sad. Your temperament really does need to be corrected."

With that, she walked away without looking back.

Hua Changxi shouted, "It's not a small matter! It's a big matter! It's very important!"

Afterward, Hua Changxi called for Lady Yao for a while longer, but she never managed to bring her back.

"Why is it so hard to just do something of my own choosing?"

At the fourth quarter of the Wei hour (around 2:00 PM), Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua returned.

"Father, Mother, you're back. I'll go bring you food immediately."

Seeing the elderly couple return, the second aunt immediately stepped forward to greet them enthusiastically.

Old Madam Hua shook her head. "No need. We ate at the Great Clan Elder's house."

Upon hearing this, the three sisters-in-law couldn't help but look pleased.

The second aunt smiled. "The Great Clan Elder's house provided food. I suppose they are no longer angry with our family?"

Old Madam Hua did not respond to the second aunt. Instead, she looked up at the fourth aunt without saying a word.

Sensing something was wrong, the fourth aunt couldn't help but ask, "Mother, is something the matter?"

As soon as the words fell, Old Master Hua stood up. "You talk to the children. I'm going out for a walk." With that, he strode out of the main hall.

In the side room, hearing that Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua had returned, Hua Changxi peered through the door crack.

"Huh? Why did he go back out immediately after returning?"

Seeing Old Master Hua walking out with his hands behind his back, Hua Changxi found it strange. A moment later, she heard the fourth aunt's angry scream.

"No~!"

"I do not agree!"

Hua Changxi thought something must have happened. She pressed against the door crack, trying to listen to the conversation in the main hall, but unfortunately, the voices were suppressed by Old Madam Hua.

However, it wasn't long before someone came to clear up her confusion.

"Jiu Niang, the Great Clan Elder's house really has ill intentions. They want to make Fifth Sister become a concubine for an old man in his thirties."

Hua Qiniang rushed to the side room in a fury, her eyes red and her voice trembling with tears.

Hearing this, Hua Changxi fell silent.

Her previous guess had come true!

"Don't panic yet. As long as Grandfather, Grandmother, Fourth Uncle, and Fourth Aunt do not agree, the clan won't dare to force Fifth Sister to become a concubine."

Hua Qiniang's eyes grew even redder. "But Grandfather and Grandmother agreed."

Hua Changxi looked surprised. Although Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua favored males over females, she didn't believe they were the type of people to sell their daughters for glory.

"Did the clan threaten Grandfather and Grandmother?"

Hua Qiniang shook her head. "I don't know, but the clan promised a benefit. They said they would provide a spot for entry into a Martial Academy, and they would cover all martial cultivation resources for the first three years."

"Grandmother said that if Fifth Sister agrees to be a concubine, that spot will go to Eleventh Brother."

Hearing this, Hua Changxi didn't know what to say. Given the conditions offered by the clan, even setting aside Old Master Hua and Old Madam Hua, Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt would likely be tempted.

The fourth branch had five children, from oldest to youngest: Hua Wuniang, Hua Qiniang, Hua Shiyilang, Hua Shisilang, and Hua Shisiliang.

Shiyilang was the eldest son of the fourth branch. Since the resources at home were mostly occupied by the first and second branches, he had to find another way.

Entering a Martial Academy with three years of fully covered cultivation resources was undoubtedly an excellent path for Shiyilang.

"What did Fourth Aunt say?"

Hua Qiniang's voice grew more tearful. "Mother initially disagreed, but... after being persuaded by Grandmother for a while, she hesitated. She said she had to wait until Father returned to discuss it."

Hua Changxi sighed. She could already foresee the fate that Hua Wuniang was about to face. "Go accompany Fifth Sister."

Hua Qiniang could no longer hold back and crouched down, weeping.

A short while later, Hua Shierniang was called over by Old Madam Hua to lead Hua Qiniang back to her room.

Hua Changxi felt a sense of sorrow for Hua Wuniang. This was the fate of women born dependent on a clan; if the clan decided to use her as a bargaining chip, she had no power to resist.

That day, the main hall was never quiet. After the second and fourth uncles returned from their duties, a fierce argument erupted, lasting until well after the Hai hour before the courtyard finally grew quiet.

Having been hungry for two days, Hua Changxi no longer had the energy to eavesdrop on the main hall. She could only sit leaning against the door, cultivating under the moonlight.

As sunlight once again spilled across the earth, a new day began.

By the time Hua Changxi woke from her cultivation, the sun was already high in the sky. Turning her head, she saw a paper package by the door crack. Her expression brightened instantly, and she quickly picked it up.

Seeing the several pieces of mung bean cake inside the package, Hua Changxi smiled so widely her eyes nearly closed.

She knew her parents, Third Brother, and Sixth Brother wouldn't just leave her to starve.

After finishing the mung bean cakes, Hua Changxi stood up and began pounding on the door, intending to call her mother. To her surprise, when she pulled the bolt, the door opened.

"Huh?"

Hua Changxi stared at the open door for half a second before bursting into wild joy, quickly rushing out of the side room.

The courtyard was silent; surprisingly, no one was there.

Hua Changxi looked up at the sun in the sky. Cultivating in the morning light was so comfortable that she had become too immersed to realize when her family had left.

Not bothering to wonder where they had gone, Hua Changxi hurried to her parents' room. She had to take the household register to the Medical Bureau to register.

Lady Yao almost never packed things without Hua Changxi knowing, so Hua Changxi quickly found the register in the wardrobe.

After grabbing the register, Hua Changxi went back to her room to change into clean clothes and headed straight for the Medical Bureau to register.