In the evening, Luo'er returned to the dormitory where the servants slept. Most of them were already asleep, and the air was filled with a variety of strange smells. Beds were lined up side by side, it was called a dormitory, but Luo'er felt it was not much different from a prison cell.
He climbed onto his own bed. The bed was stuffed with straw and topped with a rough, torn sheet and a barely adequate blanket. The dormitory was filled with loud snoring noises. Lying on the bed, Luo'er thought of Tangmo, who was probably lying in a soft velvet bed at this moment. He felt reassured, closed his eyes and slowly drifted to sleep.
At dawn, he was rudely awakened by the kitchen supervisor. If he hadn't gotten up promptly, he might have taken a few kicks.
It wasn't even dawn yet, but they had to start preparing for the day's work. Luo'er used well water to wash his face. Winter was approaching and the well water was extremely cold, instantly making him feel alert.
