After dinner today, Huang Ying dressed up again and went out to "go to the toilet". Yan 'er ran out to visit other places, leaving Zhao Zhao and Hua Mei in the room to do needlework under the light.
The clothes Hua Mei was sewing were obviously men's cotton clothes. According to the rules, the palace maids would have two sets each spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Every year, new clothes would be given to the number of people, so other than the Minister of Merit, no one else could touch the cloth or needlework.
Thus, this was a common secret among the palace maids. If the embroiderers of the Commissioner of Color had too much work and couldn't finish it on time, they would tie a red ribbon on their door. If they were interested, they could come to their door and ask for work. The reward would be the number of feet of cloth you completed, and the embroiderers would help you secretly pull a few feet of cloth.
Hua Mei was a frequent customer. Plus, her needlework was really good, so many embroiderers were willing to ask her for help. Zhao Zhao also took some work with the excuse of killing time. At the same time, she wanted to get closer to Hua Mei and find out more secrets.
After wrapping up the thread and twisting the thread, she stretched and stretched her sore body. In front of them, Zhao Zhao looked like an innocent and cute little girl. "Sister Mei, thank you for your hard work. The clothes are finally done."
Hearing this, Hua Mei's face unconsciously broke into a smile. "Just a few more needles. Fortunately, I made it in time."
Zhao Zhao picked up a silk handkerchief again, tied it with a bandage, and began to thread the needle according to the embroidery pattern she had drawn. "Counting the days, tomorrow is Sister Mei's day off," Hua Mei responded without looking up. She adjusted her expression, and her voice carried a bit of hesitation. "Tomorrow … Tomorrow …"
Her behavior successfully attracted Hua Mei's attention, and she looked over with caution and vigilance in her eyes. Zhao Zhao hurriedly waved her hand. "Sister, don't think too much. I just want to ask if you can help me take the needlework I've been working on out tomorrow and find a shop to sell it."
"Shh!" Hua Mei nervously made a shushing gesture. First, she got up to close the doors and windows. Then, she sat beside me and scolded in a low voice, "What are you thinking about? Selling palace products is a serious crime! "
Zhao Zhao took out the brocade handkerchief she had exchanged from the embroidery basket. She had already embroidered a lot of patterns on it. "Don't worry, Elder Sister. These are just substandard goods made by the department. Younger Sister has checked them carefully. There are no corresponding marks. Ordinary cloth shops might have some …" Hua Mei frowned. She still disagreed and took the brocade handkerchief and threw it aside.
"Elder Sister," Zhao Zhao cried out before she could speak, her eyes red, "I just want to leave myself a way out. Younger Sister only wants 30% of the money from the consignment sale. I won't let Elder Sister suffer a loss!"
Hua Mei's brows were still furrowed. She bit her lip and said softly, "This … It's not that I don't want to help. What if I get investigated when I come back …"
"Younger Sister understands, so I would like to trouble Elder Sister to keep it for me. In the future, when Younger Sister leaves the palace, Younger Sister will come and find Elder Sister. Younger Sister trusts Elder Sister's character!" Zhao Zhao imagined herself acting coquettishly to her mother when she was young. She shook Hua Mei's hand. Hua Mei hesitated for a moment when she saw Zhao Zhao's coquettish behavior and remembered her situation. She tilted her head slightly and thought about it. She looked at the handkerchief Zhao Zhao embroidered again and shook her head to refuse.
Zhao Zhao had no choice but to give up the idea and make other plans. She hated Hua Mei in her heart. Hua Mei really didn't know how to appreciate kindness. She had accepted the money, but when it was time to use her, she hid away.
The next day, Hua Mei followed the kitchen to buy things after stuffing some money. She sneaked out of the palace to see her grandfather. Zhao Zhao pretended that nothing had happened. She poured the night incense and had breakfast before going to work.
However, this day was destined to not be peaceful. Suddenly, a young eunuch with an anxious face came and whispered a few words in Cui Mama's ear. Her face turned pale, and she hurriedly followed the young eunuch without saying a word.
Cui Mama's action aroused the curiosity of everyone in the courtyard. The bold ones simply stood up and poked their heads at the door, such as Yan 'er. The timid ones only dared to sneak a peek or pricked up their ears to listen to every sound, such as Zhao Zhao.
"Don't look around," Huang Ying looked straight ahead. Her hands didn't stop moving, but the words she said were for Zhao Zhao to hear. "If you want to live well in the palace, you have to learn to pretend to be deaf and mute. You have to take care of yourself and keep your mouth shut." Zhao Zhao was surprised by Huang Ying's words. It wasn't that she said something wrong, but that an illiterate palace maid actually quoted the classics three times in a row.
Huang Ying seemed to feel her gaze. She twisted her clothes and said, "This is what the senior I met before said. She was originally a woman of an official's family. Because of her crime, she was sent to the palace as a slave." Zhao Zhaoyan didn't pay much attention to this senior. She lowered her head and continued to wash the clothes in her hands.
At this time, Yan 'er "flew" back like a happy bird. "Hey, what do you think Cui Mama is in such a hurry to do?"
"It's none of your business. Mind your own business!" After being glared at by Huang Ying, Yan 'er pursed her lips and did not say anything. She began to work. She was already twenty-two this year. After three years, she would be able to leave the palace. To be able to live to this age, she was not stupid. The palace was full of danger, and any secret could be fatal.
It was almost noon, but Nanny Cui still hadn't come back. The Si Yi Si also began to be a little unorganized. Only a few older people could still sit still. The younger ones, who were not stable yet, began to chatter away.
"If only Mama was like this every day. She washed and washed every day. She didn't even have time to breathe."
When someone started, there were naturally others who agreed. "Isn't that so? Today, she can finally be a little lazy. Her hands are soaking in the water every day. Her hands are going to be soaked."
"Come on, you just had a rest day yesterday!" The leader bumped the person who spoke before with her shoulder.
The palace maid who was bumped had protruding ears and complained, "What's the use of having a rest day? You can't even laze in bed. "
"That's right. You only have one day in a month. Even when you have sex, you have to wash up." The person who spoke threw the clothes in her hand and covered her lower abdomen. Her face was full of discomfort. It was most likely that she had red in the past two days. Her hands had been soaked in cold water all the time, causing menstrual pain. She couldn't rest.
"Sister Yan 'er, what do you think?"
Suddenly being called, Yan 'er didn't raise her head and replied with three words, "I don't know." Yan 'er was usually smiling. She would sweet talk to those who were superior and take advantage of those who were inferior. Therefore, she was quite popular in the Si Yi Department. However, her reply was a little cold. The few young palace maids didn't notice it. They just thought that she was in a bad mood and continued to chat excitedly.
"I say, could it be that her eunuch brother is dying?" The protruding ears laughed out loud.
Cui Mama was usually strict. Many people had accumulated resentment. They angrily cursed, "It's better if something happens. Let the old woman cry to death!"
"Enough, don't say anymore." A slightly older person couldn't bear to see them getting more and more ridiculous and spoke out to stop them.
When women came to complain, their temper was particularly irritable and they couldn't control themselves. As expected, the one who came to complain loudly, "It's none of your business. That old woman doesn't treat others as human beings just because she's the Nanny in charge. She deserves to be stepped on by others."
The one who took the lead at the beginning was a little flustered. She lowered her voice and persuaded, "Don't be like this. That Cui Zhi is also a pitiful person."
"Oh, he's pitiful. It's a pity that he was dragged down by his useless sister. Now, it's better for him to die early!" After saying that, the one who came to complain even laughed loudly. The protruding ears obviously liked to stir up trouble, so he also laughed out loud.
The one who took the lead said hesitantly, "Is Cui Mama a jinx who brings bad luck to her parents and her brother?"
The three people chatted happily and didn't notice that the originally lazy people began to work nimbly. At the moment, Cui Mama, who was standing at the door, was so angry that her face was pale and her expression was stiff, like a mask.
The three people finally gradually felt that the atmosphere was not right. The feeling of being stared at was like a knife on their backs. "Cui … Cui … Mama …" Cui Mama strode towards them and raised her hand to slap the one who was closest to her in the face. The one who was slapped directly fell into the cold water basin in front of her. The other two were so scared that they huddled together and didn't dare to pull her up.
Cui Mama was like an evil spirit at the moment. She wanted to eat the one who came to her. Kicking and kicking was not enough to vent her anger. She raised the washboard and hit the one who came to her back and buttocks. Soon, there was blood. The one who came to her covered her head and crawled forward, crying, "Mama! Mama! I'm wrong. Mama, please spare me … "
When the other palace maids saw her crawling towards them, they all stood up and hid aside. Zhaozhao also stood aside with Huang Ying and the others. Cui Mama was expressionless. Looking at the one who was crawling with blood all over her body, there was even joy in her eyes. She raised the washboard high and suddenly hit the one who came to her head. Suddenly, blood splashed everywhere. The one who came to her was stunned. She hit the head several times in succession. At first, the one who came to her trembled a few times, but later, she didn't move at all. Her face was covered with blood, and her eyes were wide open as she stared at the people who were hiding aside.
Cui Mama didn't stop until there was a "crack" and the washboard was broken in half. She gasped and stopped. The head of the corpse on the ground had been dented. White liquid flowed out and mixed with the blood, dyeing it red.
Nanny Cui held half of the washboard and coldly scanned the people present. Her eyes were like ice, making people shiver uncontrollably. Her gaze finally settled on the protruding ears and the leader who were huddled together. The two of them were so scared that they kept shrinking back. Their eyes darted everywhere, but they did not dare to meet Nanny Cui's gaze.
"Ugh —" Huang Ying bent over and vomited. Zhaozhao subconsciously wanted to help her breathe, but she couldn't move. She turned her head and saw that it was Yan 'er who was holding her left hand tightly. Her whole body was trembling. She felt that Zhaozhao wanted to help, so she used more strength as if she was holding on to a life-saving straw. She glanced at the thing that Huang Ying vomited and the thing on the ground. Yan' er collapsed on the ground and vomited, but her hand was still holding Zhaozhao's arm tightly.
When there was one, there was two, three, four, five. Finally, the others couldn't help but vomit one after another. Feeling Cui Mama's eyes on her, there was numbness but also morbid pleasure. Zhaozhao let her body slide to the ground and stared blankly at the corpse on the ground. Her body was trembling, but she didn't feel panic or fear when she looked at the blood. Instead, she felt a little excited.
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