Chapter 2 Hunger
Whether that eunuch would be cursed to death or not, Chen Hui didn’t know. She was about to die from starvation.
Chen Hui wasn’t able to kick the door open, but it caused the sole of her feet to hurt so much that even her forehead began to shake as if the wound had been ripped open.
She didn’t dare to touch her wound and could only limp back. The yard was quiet. It could be seen how anxious she was before. She was now sure that there was no one else beside her…It was truly “imprison”.
Chen Hui was helpless and could only go back to the room. According to the principle of playing games, she looked inside every room, trying to find some supplies. The result was naturally that she didn’t find anything, not even a grain of rice.
After going back inside the room, Chen Hui lay on the bad and recalled her miserable appearance with the gauze wrapped around her forehead. She felt that if she went to beg, she would be able to win the sympathy of a group of people to let them give her something to eat.
It was still very sunny and bright outside, but Chen Hui was already exhausted from walking around due to the injury. Even if her stomach was still rumbling, she couldn’t resist the sleepiness. She fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.
When she woke up again, the sky on the outside had darkened. Chen Hui sat up and rubbed her belly that had been so starved, but still felt hunger. She wondered whether that exasperating eunuch truly wanted to starve her to death.
Thinking like that, she felt that he could truly do such a thing. She had already come back to life once from death. If he cared about her life and only wanted to “starve” her as punishment, he should’ve sent someone to watch over her! He obviously didn’t care whether she died or not. Presumably, it didn’t matter whether she died from starvation or committed suicide! Anyway, wasn’t she a commoner that he snatched? Didn’t he know how to cherish her a bit? Her body was not bad and she was quite warming to the heart and delightful to the eyes.
Chen Hui’s head was confused and disoriented because of hunger. She also didn’t know what nonsense she was thinking about. If that exasperating eunuch come to see her again, she would definitely kneel under his foot and sang that she was conquered. She only wanted some food now! Forget it if she didn’t have anything to eat; why didn’t he even give her a drop of water?!
Chen Hui fell back on the bed with a thud. She felt like she was about to die. If she could return to her warm home by starving, she wouldn’t mind bearing this ordeal. She wondered whether her parents know that she was missing. Are they very worried and missed her very much…?
Chen Hui was about to fall asleep again from drowsiness, when her ears moved as if a sound had attracted her attention.
Someone had pushed the door of the room open and came inside.
Chen Hui looked over with her eyes wide open. The one who came in was a thin and small girl. She looked about ten-year-old. She walked in cautiously. When she faced Chen Hui’s suddenly widened eyes, she trembled and almost cried.
At this moment, Chen Hui had her limbs stretched out on the bad. A white gauze was wrapped around her forehead and her face was pale and haggard. With her eyes wide opened, she looked like a corpse. Everyone would be afraid when they see her.
Chen Hui didn’t know what she looked like in the eyes of others at this moment. Seeing that someone had come in, she quickly asked, “Do you have food?”
The little girl had already been so scared that her legs went soft and only didn’t fall because she held the door frame. Now that she heard the voice that was so eerie, she shivered. She didn’t hear what Chen Hui had said, her eyes rolled and she fainted.
Chen Hui struggled to get up. She saw that small and skinny girl who was so thin that her bones could be seen, lay motionlessly on the ground.
Chen Hui, “…” Was it she or this little girl who would become a starving ghost?
The small and thin body in front of her didn’t have a few pounds of meat. If it was usual, Chen Hui could easily lift her up. However, at this moment, she was powerless to defend herself. She naturally couldn’t care about others. She could only stare at the little girl and shout from time to time, “Little girl…wake up…do you know that I’m about to die from hunger and thirst?”
The little girl on the ground didn’t faint for long. When she woke up and heard that intermittent horrifying voice in her ears, she almost fainted again. It was still Chen Hui who was hard-pressed and saw her move. She quickly called her. When the little girl saw that Chen Hui’s eyes lit up as if she (CH) saw food, she realized that this lady only had a bad complexion and her sleeping habit was a bit bad, but she didn’t die. Only now did she relax, stood up and walk to the bed.
“Lady Chen…,” The little girl whispered. “This slave is called Xiao Tiao and had come to serve lady…”
“Xiao Tiao?” Chen Hui said, “The Tiao (strip) of a salted fish?”
- There are many Tiao in Chinese. Chen Hui is asking which one it is.
The little girl looked puzzled at Chen Hui. After a while she said, “This slave…this slave also doesn’t know. My mother said that it’s the Tiao of a small broom…”
- In Chinese a small broom is called tiao zhou.
Chen Hui made an “oh” sound. She realized that the literacy rate was not high in this era. Those who recognized the characters could already be considered a high-end talent. The little and yellow-skinned girl in front of her was obviously unlikely to have gone to school.
After speaking a bit, Chen Hui felt that her mouth was dry. Chen Hui said aggrieved, “I want to drink water.”
Xiao Tiao nodded and said, “Lady, wait a moment. This slave will go fetch it.”
When Chen Hui saw that other party was willing to fetch water for her, she quickly added, “I also want to eat something!” Her tone was even more pitiful.
This time, a difficult expression appeared on Xiao Tiao’s face. She sneaked a glance at Chen Hui and said in a small voice, “Big sister Ziyu said that master said to starve lady for three days…”
Ziyu? It must be that previous girl who was dressed in pink and who looked very arrogant.
“Xiao Tiao, look at me.” Chen Hui’s expression was solemn.
Xiao Tiao stared at her blankly.
Chen Hui said, “There is a big wound on my forehead. I didn’t eat anything since yesterday. My stomach is so hungry that it can eat itself. If I don’t eat anything now, I can die tonight in front of you, do you believe that?”
Xiao Tiao’s eyes widened when she heard the word “die”. She didn’t understand Chen Hui’s style of speaking and humor. She only thought that Chen Hui was threatening her with suicide. She hurriedly said, “Lady Chen, don’t take things too hard!”
Chen Hui said patiently, “It is because I don’t take things too hard that I want to eat something. Do you understand?”
Xiao Tiao thought for a moment and understood what Chen Hui meant. After she put down her fear, she a difficult expression appeared on her face again, “But big sister Ziyu said that if this slave…”
Chen Hui said in a gentle voice, “Xiao Tiao, don’t worry. If you don’t tell and I don’t tell, no one would know…I beg you. You can’t see me starve to death, right? Not to mention three days, I can’t even pass tonight….It’s fine as long as I have something to eat. I won’t be picky. Please…”
Very soon, Chen Hui slapped herself in the face.
After Xiao Tiao got soft-hearted and agreed to bring Chen Hui something to eat, she looked very forward to it. Xiao Tiao was sent here to “serve” her, but Xiao Tiao also didn’t have the freedom to enter and leave. When it was dinner time, someone opened the door and took Xiao Tiao away. After she ate, they let her come back. When she came back, she brought back a pot of water.
Chen Hui was still lying on the bed. She didn’t see if it was a man or woman who held the key. Even if there was no third person the yard, Xiao Tiao still closed the door as soon as she entered the room. Her attitude was like a lover whom she was having an affair with and she took out a steamed bun rolled in a handkerchief.
Chen Hui was so hungry that her eyes had changed color. The moment Xiao Tiao handed her the bun, she eagerly took it and took a big bite.
…Taste so bad.
The bun was smaller than her palm and was yellowish. The surface was not smooth. It was bumpy as if it hadn’t been risen well. No, the bun was so stiff. Presumably, it hadn’t been risen at all.
Chen Hui thought that she who had been living in the city, sure enough couldn’t adapt to the life in the mountains…The things of this era was even worse for Chen Hui. If she was thrown in a mountain to survive in the wild, at least there would be one day that she could go back, but coming here…
Seeing Chen Hui’s sad and desperate expression, Xiao Tiao said embarrassed, “Lady…this slave, this slave couldn’t get other food…”
Chen Hui suddenly realized that this yellowish steamed bun must be Xiao Tiao’s dinner and that she deliberately saved it for her (CH). She was immediately touched. Even her parents wouldn’t save food for her. They would only snatch away the delicious food she bought and then dump a hundred yuan bill for her to go buy it again.
At this moment, this terrible bun seemed to be coated with feelings and the taste also seemed to have become more delicious. Chen Hui took the water and drink it while eating the bun. She smiled gratefully at Xiao Tiao, “Thank you, Xiao Tiao. I will remember this grace of the meal. If one day in the future I become wealthy, I will also let you be a poultry and dogs rise to heaven!”
- Poultry and dogs rise to heaven: ride on someone’s else success
Xiao Tiao’s expression was a bit strange. She knew that Lady Chen is grateful towards her, but she couldn’t understand the meaning of “a poultry and dogs rise to heaven” and only know what “rise to heaven” meant. She wanted to say that she didn’t want to die so early, but she also felt that perhaps she heard it wrong.
Chen Hui didn’t pay attention to Xiao Tiao and only lay in the bed relaxed. A steamed bun and a belly full of water could only make her be one-third full, but anyway, she wouldn’t starve to death.
As long as she could survive these three days, she would be able to eat well. What did it matter if she bore it a bit more?
…Chen Hui found that she spoke too soon.
Thanks to Xiao Tiao’s kindness these three days, Chen Hui had a meal every day and wouldn’t starve. She didn’t forget to chat with Xiao Tiao to worm her way into being friends with her. She got to know that Xiao Tiao was original the lowest-ranked maid of the kitchen. Everyone could order her around. According to Xiao Tiao, that big sister Ziyu was originally sent to Plum Yard by housekeeper Li…That is right, the place where Chen Hui lived was called this unlucky name…Ziyu was sent to serve her. Xiao Tiao didn’t know why, but later Ziyu let Xiao Tiao come to Plum Yard instead and housekeeper Li also agreed. Xiao Tiao had a vague understanding. Chen Hui understood very well. Wasn’t it because that Ziyu saw that she had offended that exasperating eunuch and felt that she (CH) had no hope to change her (CH) fortunes, so, she searched for a way to be transferred and not bother with her (CH) anymore?
When Xiao Tiao talked to here, Chen Hui made up her mind that she would let Ziyu understand one thing: Today, you refused to bother with me; tomorrow, I will let you be unable to climb up to me! By then, she would take Xiao Tiao to live a good life and let that Ziyu be envious to death!
It had been three years since Xiao Tiao had came to Li residence. Her last owner was ruined before he sold her. Before that, she had been sold by her mother when she was six-year-old. Now, she was thirteen-year-old. However, because of the long-term malnutrition, she was of a small size and looked like she was ten-year-old. She had been working in the kitchen and seldomly walked everywhere. She only knew that the owner of Li residence was a eunuch. There was a Lady Jiang in the residence. She was neither a wife nor a concubine. Her identity was unclear. Everyone called her Lady Jiang, but master spoiled her very much. Hence, she thought that she (J) must be someone like a fairy.
The things that Xiao Tiao knew about was very little. It was basically useless to Chen Hui. She only knew that the person she time-traveled into had the same Chen surname as her. As for the name and identity, she knew nothing about. However, after comparing her hand and Xiao Tiao’s hand, she at least knew that she was not a daughter of a commoner family. Otherwise, her hand wouldn’t be so soft. With one look, one would know that she hasn’t done heavy work. Perhaps, she was a daughter of a merchant or a daughter of a small official. That eunuch Li looked like a very powerful person. Presumably, as long as other officials became a certain rank, he wouldn’t be afraid.
On the fourth day, Chen Hui had been waiting by the entrance of the yard since early in the morning. She thought that after she survived these three days, she would be liberated and could eat a warm meal. However, what surprised her and made her very furious was, what she looked forward to, became yellowish steamed buns and congee. They gave her that three meals a day without any variety! She was furious. Were they feeding a pig?! Why didn’t they just starve her to death?!
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