Chapter 9 (1/2)

t.i.tle: The Dreamer in the Spring Boudoir

Chapter: 009 out of 513 - Living is the top priority

Ancient embroidery was really a high-level art. A small mandarin duck design required st.i.tching back and forth for five layers. Although the skill was Nie Sangyu's, Ji Man also felt very tired. Her head felt woozy and her eyes felt blurry after only embroidering two handkerchiefs. When she raised her head to look outside, it was almost noon.

Sure enough, her stomach started growling, but Muxu hadn't come back yet. Ji Man put down the embroidery frame and stood at the doorway for a while. The smell of food from the kitchen had already drifted over here.

She had given her breakfast to Muxu. Compared to Nie Sangyu's adolescent chicken-like body, Muxu looked even more pitifully thin. She didn't seem like a servant girl from a n.o.ble family at all. She didn't know if Muxu had been this thin in the past or if she had become thin from starving during the previous month.

”Master…” Muxu finally came back. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Ji Man standing in the doorway. Compared to the previous days, she wasn't as afraid of her and properly came over while holding a food box. ”This servant has brought back lunch.”

Ji Man smiled and went inside to sit back down at the table.

As Muxu took out the meal, she said, ”This servant seems to have gone too late again. This servant waited at the kitchen's entrance for a long time, but Aunty Zhao wouldn't let this servant enter the kitchen. By the time she allowed this servant to enter, only this was left.”

A bowl of rice, a small plate of Chinese cabbage, and a small plate of green beans. She didn't even see any shredded meat with the green beans. Ji Man slightly raised her eyebrow, ”Is the marquis's residence this poor?”

However, Muxu didn't seem disappointed. She turned around, closed the doors, and took something out from the chest underneath the couch.

”This servant knows that master won't eat a meal without meat. This servant tore yesterday's chicken into two portions. This servant hasn't touched this leftover portion at all. It's very clean. This servant left this part so that master can eat some meat today.”

The young servant girl's eyes were bright as she carefully opened the lotus leaf while still crouched down on the floor. But, she discovered huge hole in the lotus leaf.

A mouse came burrowing out from the lotus leaf. It squeaked twice before climbing down onto Muxu's arm, then jumping down to the floor and towards the chest underneath the couch.

”Ahhh!” Muxu screamed. Her small face was deathly pale. She tossed the lotus leaf and chicken and jumped to the other side. Her face was full of dismay and alarm. Her body started to tremble without stopping.

Ji Man looked. There were only bones left from the lotus leaf chicken that had been secretly eaten by the mouse. She sighed. Nie Sangyu's life was too tragic.

”Why was there a mouse…” Muxu clung to the wall in fear. Seeing the lotus leaf chicken on the ground, she felt so distressed that she wanted to cry.

Ji Man actually wasn't scared about the mouse. When she had been a migrant worker living in Beijing, she had lived in bas.e.m.e.nts and had seen plenty of c.o.c.kroaches and rats.

She stood up, picked up the lotus leaf chicken, and stuffed it back into the chest to dispose of the stolen goods. Then, sitting in front of the two vegetarian dishes, she helplessly said, ”Let's eat first. It's still better than nothing. Later, bring the two handkerchiefs I finished embroidering to Liu Mama. Tell her I want to eat dinner.”

”Understood.” Muxu closed the chest and slightly relaxed her body. Feeling embarra.s.sed, she went to stand at Ji Man's side.

Ji Man ate half and left the remaining half to Muxu. Then, she casually asked, ”Who manages the residence?”