II know there's technically no winning or losing in these things, But that seems to be how it works around a house of primarily women.
You just can't win.
Maybe Lu Shan has the right idea, staying so oblivious. Especially if she has someone as scary as MingXue watching out after her.
"So I've heard you paid your respects to the kitchen before the madam"
I had just gone back to the room to give Lu Shan a dose of painkillers and recheck her status. I wasn't ready for the scary ice beauty to be sitting there judging and sipping tea. I m mean sure she's Lu Shan's friend and it's not unusual for her to pay a visit.
I'm just still scared of her from last night!
"Haha it really wasn't anything like that."
"Oh? That's what it sounded like."
Ah the gossip power of this place is just too strong. It hasn't even been an hour!
"It really wasn't anything like that. I just wanted to be clear about Lu Shan's diet plans"
"Hmm well if you say Ms. Doctor. I could have handled that though."
Oh shit I didn't consider that. There's no way this scary lady would let Lu Shan yet mistreated. I guess I didn't really need to interfere but her diet really was lacking. What's even the common knowledge of nutrition here?
Food is medicine, I'm sure that's the philosophy back then, or well now.
But they also thought that lead and stuff could cure baldness so let's not trust the ancients too much.
"Regardless, the madam wishes to speak to you."
Well Shit
----
"I heard it was a mass of rice under a basket of eggs"
"I heard there was a hug of precious oil."
"Wasn't there also animal feed?"
"Is it true you sent favors to the kitchen before the madam?"
Why does everyone keep saying that? That's not what it is but I probably already messed up somewhere.
MingXue had some younger curious girls lead me to where the Madam is expecting me. It's not exactly her room but it is hers. Isn't this just the principal's office then?
"That really isn't the case."
I repeat myself, again. But given what I've seen so far, I don't think the gossip is in my favor.
With that in mind I came sort of prepared. I don't get what these favors are but I understand the need for a peace offering. Snacks should ride the madam until I figure out what I'm supposed to be doing here. I've brought a lot anyways, what a few servings scooped out in bunch of little jars?
I barely step into the Madame's 'office" when I hear that same phrase coldly on repeat. Oh I give up
"So, I hear you've already sent favors to the kitchen. Not an unwise move."
"That's what everyone's been saying apparently. Should I even bother wasting my breathe defending myself? "
"I suppose not, but it doesn't matter. You're not here to work as as one of us and have no need cozy up."
Wait, back that shit up. If that's the case why is everyone around chit chattering like I own them red envelopes in order!
"Showing favors don't hurt either of course. You've truly been living somewhere foreign all these years, how did you ever survive in the imperial palace?"
Palace? Oh yeah, that's my cover story.
"Exactly why I didn't stay there madam. Well it was probably for the best, I'm not a very good candidate in the harem anyways"
"Obviously. Neither is our Lu Shan, soft ones don't make it out alive. You, at least, lived."
Ah those dramas really weren't exaggerating. It's a dangerous time to be a woman.
"Pardon me then for getting to the point, why have you called for me today? I don't want to assume anything."
"Yes I suppose it's simpler to speak plainly with your lot. We were rather, rushed last night. I'll give you time to keep an eye on Lu Shan but I expect you to be ready to see others."
"And how will I know? Will a maid send for me?"
"Yes someone shall come and lead you, word is you got lost last night looking for the washroom."
Well I was gone for a while, time-hopping and all. A little insulting but it's not wrong. This place might as well be a maze to me. Besides, it's a workable excuse for the lapse of time I've been gone.
"I would appreciate that yes, thank you."
"Yes, I will send someone in situations where you are needed. As promised you still have time with Lu Shan, it won't be too much of an issue as you have 'proven' you're not a freeloader."
"...thank you, it wasn't much."
"What do you think Aunt Heng?"
The old woman respectfully steps out from seemingly nowhere, giving me a mini heart attack in the process. Was she there the whole time?! Warn a girl would you!
"In response, the materials are good supplies. WE still need to run daily market purchases but the staple items are good things. Rice this clean is stupidly luxurious but I estimate it will decent to ease the food budget, especially to get this much oil at this time of year."
"And what do you say of her character?"
Are they just talking as if I'm not here? There doesn't seem to be a good time to interject, I don't even know what to say. IT sounds a lot like when your older relatives casually talk shit about you in front of the dinner table. How tiresome.
I'm broken from zoning out into my though when the old hag grabs at my hands. She quickly turns them around and makes a show of it.
"Too soft!"
She glares at my hands but her eyes are a bit distant. I can't help but that her own are in desperate need of lotion...and maybe some skin graphs. They're rough and knobby, even more so than the average chef's hands. I don't have particularly nice hands but they make a striking contrast to her own gnarled ones.
"Hands that don't know the fields or any hard labor! No veins or yellow nail but many little callouses, scars. They're not the hands of a pampered noble either, look at all these little marks. Aiya all the scholar boys have the same callouses on these fingers. I say while she doesn't look it but these are the hangs of a working scholar alright. Not much different than a midwife or a field government official. "
The madam seems to consider and take in her words with good graces.
"Very well then pass."
With that, the old woman quickly pulls away and gives a barking laugh. She seems to get away with a lot in this place. Partly I assume due to her age but the way things are run here, it could just be the old hag here has the Madam's respect and thus clearance.
"AH not bad you foreign brat. You talk like a big phooey but you got more spunk than your Lu Shan I'll give you that. "
"....."
----
"That's a good thing, isn't it? You've passed the inspection of both the madam and aunt Heng!"
It's sometimes in the late afternoon since I've escaped what I now call the principal's office. Since then I've had the Hui girls help me out in gathering some containers for whatever else I may want to bring out. They've led me to a storage barn of some sort, gather jars of assorted sizes.
They're not the prettiest and need to be cleaned up before use but they're better than just whipping out a plastic bin of nuts or other modern items.
While we're loading up on the bottles and jars, something is still bothering me about earlier. IT's at the tip of my tongue and I just can't figure it out in one of those annoyingly frustrating ways.
"Ah they're usually so stingy, if Aunt Heng says you're okay then it's fine. She'll still smack you if you sneak food thought."
"...That's just you Hui Qing..."
Even with all the complaining, I think everyone here has a level of respect for Aunt Heng. She's a harsh woman but I don't dislike her. I just don't know how to speak here...or what it is I'm exactly supposed to behave like....ah I want to give up.
Fuck can I just do that? It should be fine if it's with this crass old woman right?
"Ms. Doctor are you alright?"
"She's getting that look on her face again. I hope it's good!"
-------
An afternoon gathering supplies with the Hui girls, awkwardly waiting for death from MingXue, resetting up my temporary room to be more comfortable, and another time jump supply run later means that I've officially missed dinner. Or whatever an early supper is supposed to look like here, the majority of people work late. If you know what I mean.
It's long past the hour of getting ready, a majority of free hands are out on the ground floor doing whatever their jobs are. Let's not think too much about that just yet. It sounds very lively though.
That works for me since there's really no one in the kitchen area cept the old woman. She better be alone for this, I don't think her pride can handle being ambushed otherwise.
"Oi old woman!"
"What was that you d-"
"God! Shut up and give me your hands already."
"And why would I do that?"
I take them anyways, she's not scared of me and I'm mostly not scared of her. Mostly.
For people like this actions speaks louder than words.
I lead her to set down at plain kitchen table where a bowl of hot water with lemon and flour sits. Nest to it my stupid little paper bag. They're mostly all things that I already had lying around in my apartment but they'll do the job.
I wash her hands in the cooling mixture and let it soak as I prepare. She's annoyed by me I can tell but lets me continue anyways. Waiting to see what's next.
It's after I pat her hands dry and pull out the nail clippers that she lets out a scream and a strew of mild, for her, curses.
"What the hell be those things! Get them away from me"
"Oh shut it, it's much safer than those knives or scissors. See!"
Modern nail clippers make quick work of her thick hooves, softened by the soak. I cut them to a natural curve, careful not to go too deep. Then file down the top layer of the nails.
Next I apply a general nail and cuticle strengthening oil, nothing fancy. Some of this stuff was untouched in my cabinet anyways. With the nails done I remove the paste left on her hands and apply drops of a skin repair oil, followed by a generic but effective unscented hands and feet lotion.
"It's cold right now you stubborn old lady. You're the boss in here right, don't go washing your hands in cold water all day. Make someone else do it!"
The items are lined up and I explain to her the order. The small glass bottle for the nails obviously. The large dropper bottle for skin repair and top it off with the lotion I squeezed into the lidded ceramic jar.
"Easy right? Remember that!"
I make to leave before she can say anything but make an awkward U -turn when I realized I forgot the fleece gloves in my pocket. They're the 1 yed store variety but the tag is still attached. How generous of me right, let's sneakily pull that off first.
"Shit and don't you dare take these off when you're outside and not cooking. In fact don't go roughly cooking all week if you're just going to ruin my hard work."
She's still shocked silent after I pull on and tighten the winter gloves on her freshly moisturized hands. For good measure, because she's old, I repeat the order again.
"And keep the clippers, clean them with hot water. Especially if you use them on your feet. Shit use this stuff there too."
Okay now I can leave and thank fully she lets me go in silence.
How's that for not bad huh!
When I get back too the room I cool down by playing with the baby and chatting with Lu Shan. Ah why is everyone so socially complicated here? I just want to stay in this room and play with the baby! Oh and make sure everyone lives, including me of course.
Day 2 over here is officially over, and the message in the mirror stays exactly the same.
"Save her or die
Time left: 10 days"