Yu Shuya heard some rustling movement just as the sun rose early in the morning.
"Yu Niang." She rubbed her eyes and sat up drowsily.
She had an agreement with Yu Niang to wake up early and followed her to work. But she did not expect to get up so early. It was only five in the morning.
"Young mistress, sleep a little longer. You might get a headache if you get up so early."
Yu Niang wrapped the blanket around Yu Shuya's body to prevent her from catching a cold.
Yu Shuya shook her head.
She would not slack since she wanted to start over, not even for a day. She promised Yu Niang to work together with her too.
"Yu Niang, don't worry. I'm not sleepy, and I don't have a headache. I'll get up now."
Yu Niang held back her tears and helped Yu Shuya put on her shoes after seeing the determination in her young mistress.
She wiped off her tears and gazed at Yu Shuya solemnly.
"Young mistress, you must let me know if you feel any pain, okay? Sit by my side and don't run around, okay?"
Yu Shuya nodded. She had set her mind to help Yu Niang with the chores despite Yu Niang's repeated requests for her to do nothing.
Yu Niang had breakfast prepared even though it was still early in the morning.
"Young mistress, when you come with me, follow my lead when I greet Master Yuyan. Do you understand?"
Yu Shuya nodded. Yu Niang immediately dragged her along into the kitchen in a few strides.
She thought that Yu Niang handled all the chores in the nunnery, considering that she left early and returned late from work daily. But to her surprise, there were other nuns doing chores around the nunnery as well.
There was already someone in the kitchen when they rushed in.
"Greetings, Master Yuyan."
Yu Shuya stiffened for a moment before greeting Master Yuyan as well.
The tall, lean nun who was lighting up the stove with fire was startled at the soft voice of a girl before she returned to her senses.
"You must be Miss Yu."
Although Master Yuyan gently questioned her identity, her tone was firm, showing that she had long known of her identity.
Yu Shuya pretended to be shy and hid behind her wet nurse.
Growth impairment from malnutrition caused her to look like a seven or eight-year-old child, although she was supposed to be ten.
"Master Yuyan, she's shy. I'm sorry."
Master Yuyan shook her head and waved at Yu Shuya. "Good girl, come here."
Yu Shuya pretended to be scared when she glanced at her wet nurse. Then she lowered her head.
"Go ahead, young mistress. Master Yuyan is a good person."
The words seemed to have given Yu Shuya the courage. She slowly stepped forward.
Yuyan stroked the girl's little head and took out a somewhat shriveled wild fruit for her.
Yu Shuya stared at the wild fruit but did not take it.
"Thank you, Master Yuyan. I have no liking for wild fruits. You can keep it." She then gave Master Yuyan a shy smile.
Although Yu Shuya was drooling when she saw the wild fruit and couldn't wait to snatch and gobble it up, but looking at the skinny body of Master Yuyan, who had the same miserable look on her face, she guessed that Master Yuyan might have a hard time of her own.
Master Yuyan was indeed a kind person. No wonder Yu Niang appeared relaxed at seeing her.
Yuyan sighed and stuffed the fruit into the child's hand.
Yuyan squatted down and looked at her eye-to-eye when she found that Yu Shuya was about to decline.
"Take it, girl. You've lived in this nunnery for so many years. It's my first time meeting you, but I don't have any gifts for you. I feel bad if you don't accept it."
Astonished by Master Yuyan's insistence, Yu Shuya glanced at her wet nurse. She took it from Master Yuyan after she saw Yu Niang nodded, gesturing her to accept.
"Thank you, Master Yuyan. Thank you for the fruit. I like it very much."
Yuyan patted the little girl's head and repeatedly called her a good girl three times.
"Yu Niang, she's a good girl."
Yuyan finally turned her head to look at Yu Niang. Although she only said these few words, she seemed to like Yu Shuya a lot.
Yu Niang held back her tears and nodded.
She knew that Master Yuyan had a hard time here too. Being bullied by Master Miao Jun and the other nuns was a daily affair. She must have hidden the fruit she gave Yu Shuya for a long time but could not bear to eat it.
But her young mistress had eaten nothing nice for a long time. She kept quiet and nodded at Yu Shuya, gesturing her to accept the wild fruit from Master Yuyan.
"Let me help you with the fire, Master Yuyan."
Although she had never used such a clay pot before, it should not be too difficult. Since Master Yuyan would still need to fetch the water and clean the vegetables, she volunteered to help light the fire.
"Young mistress, you cannot do that."
Both Yuyan and Yu Niang immediately refused her offer to help light the fire.
Yuyan strode quickly towards Yu Shuya before Yu Niang could speak.
"Young mistress, you can't do such a thing. You are the daughter of a wealthy family. You cannot do these tasks meant for a servant."
Yu Shuya was dumbfounded at the solemnity of Master Yuyan.
Why was Master Yuyan even more anxious than Yu Niang?
A fallen noble was worse than a commoner. The world was full of people like Miao Jun and her gang. Even if they did not add insult to the injury, they would still snort at them.
As for Master Yuyan, not only did she have a good impression of the young mistress who had fallen out of grace, she nagged even more than Yu Niang on the tasks a young mistress should not be allowed to do.
Since both the women refused to let her do any chores, she could only sit on the stool by the side.
Yu Shuya noticed that Yuyan stood straight and proper, although she did not appear efficient. She was light-footed when she walked and was graceful when she raised her hand. She seemed to take good care of her hygiene as she would gently fold her sleeves up and tried her best to avoid the dust and water droplets touched her when she handled the vegetables.
Yu Shuya found it strange that she could see the charm of a classic beauty in a person dressed so shabbily. She narrowed her eyes when she observed the gentleness Master Yuyan exhibited when she spoke.
Master Yuyan certainly wasn't an ordinary person before she became a nun. She should be a girl who had a good upbringing.
Judging from the way she talked about what a young mistress should and should not be doing, could Master Yuyan, too, came from a wealthy family before she became a nun?
She knew her guess was correct as she continued to observe the behaviors of Master Yuyan'.
"Young mistress, are you tired?"
Yuyan had long noticed that Miss Yu's sight followed her around the kitchen. But every time she caught a glance at the little girl, she would see her nodding from time to time. Was she sleepy because she woke up too early today?
Yu Niang immediately stopped the chores she was doing when she heard of Master Yuyan's words.
"Young mistress, let's go back to our house if you're tired. I'll send you back right now."
She watched Yu Niang kneaded her forehead, wanting to send her back to the shack.
Yu Shuya shook her head.
"I'm not tired. I find Master Yuyan to be so good-looking that I was so captivated by just looking at her."
The two worried women were stunned, more so for Master Yuyan. She automatically touched her face, wanting to confirm Miss Yu's words were true.
Yu Shuya continued to speak when she saw Master Yuyan's reaction to her words.
"Master Yuyan, I think the way you move looks so graceful as if you're dancing. You look like you're playing the piano when you are cutting vegetables."
Yu Niang gazed at Master Yuyan as well.
Words from Yu Shuya reminded her of the time she first met Master Yuyan a few years back. She noticed the similarity between Master Yuyan and her mistress.
It was not only in their appearances but also in their postures and how they carried themselves.
However, her mistress was a talented lady raised by an aristocratic family of officials in the capital city. So, how could she compare Master Yuyan to her mistress?
Yu Shuya blinked her eyes to show the sincerity of her words. She found Master Yuyan beautiful.
"Good girl, you have a way with words."
Master Yuyan turned her head away and focused on the vegetables instead of talking to Yu Shuya. But she was trying hard to keep the tears from rolling down her cheeks.
Yu Niang was too focused on getting the fire up to notice the change in Master Yuyan's facial expression. Yu Shuya turned away and pretended not to notice.