Chapter 1702 – The End of Hua Yuan (Part 11)
“The lady has returned.”
As Mi Hua arrived, a young woman dressed in a light green outfit approached her. The woman had her hair styled in a married woman’s bun, flirtatious eyes glimmering, and a smile at the corner of her lips, warm and inviting light sparkling in her gaze. She reached out to help Mi Hua with her burdens, looking most attentive.
“I’ve already arranged for hot water, my lady. You should take some time to wash up. The master is waiting inside, still in a foul mood.”
Mi Hua smirked to herself.
“I understand.”
The woman presented Mi Hua with neatly folded women’s clothing, assisting her with washing up and dressing, putting her hair in order. Not long after, the woman, initially in men’s attire, transformed into a charming lady, though her smile was habitually restrained, her eyes solemn, making her seem somewhat unapproachable.
“How was the examination, my lady?”
The woman half-knelt, tying the sash around Mi Hua’s waist into a bow, carefully adjusting its position and smoothing out the creases.
“It was alright, I’m somewhat confident. By the way, why is he here too?”
The woman teased, “Perhaps he’s worried that you’ll really make him eat bamboo slips.”
Mi Hua replied, “Hmph, I’m not joking with him.”
Once ready, Mi Hua made her way to the main hall, but before she even entered, she spotted a young man seated inside who looked not yet thirty.
Judging by looks alone, he was decent enough.
It’s a pity, though, he was merely a decorative pillow—pretty but useless.
As soon as Mi Hua arrived, the man began to complain.
“What time is it? Why haven’t we had our meal yet?”
Ignoring him, Mi Hua took her place on her mat, and the young woman in the light green outfit brought in the food, setting the table.
The man grew even angrier, shouting at the woman in green, “You really are a clueless fool! I am the master of this household; why are you being so attentive to her as a concubine? Hurry up and serve me, don’t provoke my anger!”
Blind as a bat, and all his concubines were siding with this woman! What’s wrong with them!
Before marrying Mi Hua, there had been seven or eight women serving in the household.
The women who once fought over him, ever since Mi Hua wed, had suddenly turned into love-struck puppies, trying desperately to please her. Whatever happened to the household struggles? He was their man; how did it help them to curry favor with Mi Hua? It drove him mad!
This was even more outrageous—this woman wouldn’t behave within the household and had to come out to compete with a bunch of men.
She wouldn’t stay home as a good wife, and the concubines kept losing their minds, desperately wanting to accompany her outside, serving her along the way.
With the concubines attending to Mi Hua, who would attend to him?
Hearing this, the concubine paused, and Mi Hua, with an expressionless face, replied, “Don’t mind him.”
Just a mad dog barking, forget about it, no need to care.
The concubine smiled, “Yes, my lady.”
The man: “…”
Whose concubines were these?
Suppressing the urge to flip the table, he held back his boiling anger.
“What are you staring at? Why aren’t you bringing it over? Are you hoping to starve your master to death?!”
Frustrated from taking heat from Mi Hua, he turned and vented his fury on others, and even when the food was brought in, he remained simmering.
“Eat!”
After that, his eyes caught sight of Mi Hua who had already picked up her chopsticks, nearly making him pop a vein.
The master of the house hadn’t said they could start eating, and she actually dared to dig in first?
Seeing the man’s foolish look, a cold smile crept onto Mi Hua’s lips.
After all these years, still as idiotic as ever.
Didn’t he realize why all these concubines were so keen to please her?
Clearly, serving Mi Hua was far more profitable and easier than serving him.
If it weren’t for profit, then what?
No woman would want to be a concubine; they competed for affection merely to secure a stable living and comfortable conditions from a man.
Before Mi Hua came, the treatment these concubines received was less than favorable; the household was a chaotic mess, and they would fight over a few dishes, fine fabric, or a few pounds of charcoal for winter. Their ignorance was truly laughable.
After her arrival, she used her means to make these women recognize a simple truth—
The men were useless; the one who could bring them quality life was her, the mistress!
The concubines fought and toiled for crumbs, but in the end, the benefits they obtained paled in comparison to those from pleasing Mi Hua as the mistress.
There were also some naïve ones who didn’t believe in reality, only to be schooled by Mi Hua.
As for producing sons to vie for favor and inheritance, that was even more ludicrous.
If Mi Hua didn’t manage things, even if a concubine’s son ended up with something, it would just be an empty shell that had been completely drained; what was there to argue about?
They would rather Mi Hua become pregnant and successful, accumulating wealth so that their own children could share in the spoils.
After all, who would trust a so-called master of the house?
Such straightforward reasoning was lost on the man.
No wonder he was increasingly disregarded by the concubines; he was truly a fool.
The man, boiling with rage, found no enjoyment in his meal and hastily gobbled a few bites before setting down his chopsticks.
As he looked up, he caught sight of the concubine kneeling by the food table, using her delicate hands to peel crabs and cut the legs for Mi Hua, fueling his anger.
He sarcastically remarked, “Did you really go for the recruitment notice issued by Lan Ting?”
Mi Hua replied, “I did.”
The man scoffed, “Didn’t you get kicked out?”
Mi Hua glanced at him.
Let him interpret the look himself.
“A woman should stay in the home, help her husband, and raise children; there’s no need to daydream,” the man said. “People know about your affairs. How do you expect friends to regard me? While you still have some dignity, we should go back quickly and settle down.”
Mi Hua coldly replied, “If the men in this household could support us as a family better than me, why would I need to step forward?”
The man’s face turned an angry shade of purple.
“Have I ever shorted you in food or clothing? Do you really need to embarrass yourself like this?”
Mi Hua said, “That is quite funny. Young master, your annual expenses alone are nine thousand guan, the expenses for the women of the residence, maidservants, servants, and guards amount to five thousand guan fixed, while your father and mother’s expenses tally three thousand five hundred guan, plus four thousand three hundred guan for festive and social expenses… meanwhile, the income from the estate’s lands and shops barely surpasses ten thousand guan. Shouldn’t you, young master, fill the gap?”
Before Mi Hua married, the household books had been in the red for years, racking up losses over thirty thousand guan.
Now, they turned losses into gains, and the household conditions were better than ever, all thanks to her.
Staying on soft rice while not knowing your place, how shameless!
The man was speechless, no refutation possible, and he felt stifled.
“Anyway, are you coming back or not?”
Mi Hua replied calmly, “The official letter from Lord Lan Ting will arrive shortly; if we leave now, won’t you fear being questioned?”
“Official letter? You?” The man nearly laughed. “If Lord Lan Ting really recruits you, I’ll kneel and eat this table!”
Mi Hua: “…”
Either eating bamboo slips or a dining table, this man’s taste grows odder by the day.
