Fu Xiao hurried toward the direction of the kitchen as soon as she finished washing up. The sun was visible at the horizon and it was time for her to start her daily chores.
She had to prepare warm water for her lady and the Young Masters so that they all could wash up. She also had to help her lady in getting dressed, and then, she also had to prepare breakfast for everyone. So much work but she neither had enough time nor a helping hand. Yet, she had no time to wallow in her misery.
Rushing inside the kitchen, she was surprised to see how different it looked from the night before when she came to check it. Every single corner of the kitchen was glistening under the brightness that filtered inside through the huge window that was opened wide. There was no sign of the heavy layers of dust she noticed last night. All the utensils were freshly washed and arranged accordingly in the cabinets. Fresh vegetables, fruits, and other rations were covering every inch of one of the three wooden tables.
Fu Xiao's shocked eyes surveyed the entire kitchen and stopped at the woman who was busy starting a fire. A moment later, the fire came to life and her lady stood up with a satisfied smile on her lips.
"You are here." Xiang Ling said when she noticed Fu Xiao. "I have boiled water for the Young Masters. Help me deliver it to them. I will start preparing the meal in the meantime." She told the girl before she picked up the knife and started chopping vegetables.
It took Fu Xiao a few precious seconds to move her body. Walking forward to grab the warm water, she glanced at the food rations and asked, "My Lady, aren't these from..."
"From house back in the city? Yes." Xiang Ling knew exactly what the girl wanted to ask. The vegetables and other rations didn't appear from thin air, they were the ones she bought in Dongzhi City.
"When did you pack all these?" Fu Xiao couldn't resist asking. She didn't see any big boxes in the carriage the previous day. Yet, all the rations were now sitting in front of her eyes.
"Probably when you didn't notice." Xiang Ling answered with a warm smile that left Fu Xiao too dazzled to question her vague answer. Since when did her lady learn to smile this warmly? The last time she saw her lady smiling this warmly at her was years ago during their childhood.
Realizing that if she wasted any more time then her lady would be working alone, Fu Xiao quickly grabbed the basin of water and set out to deliver it to Master Wei. One by one, she delivered the water to all five Young Masters and informed them to gather in the dining hall for breakfast after an hour.
Xiang Ling watched the young girl struggling and realized that Fu Xiao was having a hard time completing the household chores all alone. There was a dire need for more servants. Deciding to take care of this matter at a later time, she returned her attention to preparing the breakfast.
A couple of minutes later, Fu Xiao returned to the kitchen and noticed that Xiang Ling was only cooking porridge and chicken soup for breakfast. "My Lady, why cook so little? We have a lot of vegetables and meat. Should I prepare some more dishes?"
Xiang Ling slowly shook her head negatively before she turned to look at the girl and answered, "The situation in the village is dire. The refugees are barely getting to fill their stomachs and from what I saw yesterday, Li Xian is deeply involved in helping those refugees. If we cook a big meal, I'm sure he will not like it. That's why, it's better to have a simple meal from now on until this situation is resolved."
Fu Xiao nodded her head in understanding but then another question popped into her mind and she quickly asked, "My Lady, are we not leaving for the city?"
This time, a small sigh left Xiang Ling's lips as she turned her attention back to the soup that was almost cooked. "I don't think Li Xian will agree to return until the situation with refugees is sorted out. And since we came here to bring him back, we can't return without him. I think we will be staying here for a while."
Fu Xiao again nodded her head in understanding. As she watched her lady working beside her, she was unable to suppress the smile that bloomed on her lips. It had been years since she last chatted with her lady for this long. Her lady never seemed to have enough patience to answer anyone's questions, let alone a maid's.
What both the women didn't notice was that while they were talking, Li Xian and Zhe Yuan were standing at the entrance of the kitchen, listening to Xiang Ling's words in amazement.
"I'm tempted to believe that she has lost her memories for real and all this isn't an act." Wen Zhe Yuan whispered as he gazed at the back profile of his wife who was busy cooking porridge for them.
"So am I." Li Xian added as he too kept his gaze fixed on her. Never did he expect Chen Xiang Ling to understand his thoughts this well. No matter how hard he tried, he was unable to see any similarity between the current Xiang Ling and her past self.
"But what if she regained her memories one day?" He suddenly found himself asking and realized that he didn't like this thought at all.
Wen Zhe Yuan remained silent for a while as he kept looking at Xiang Ling who was still oblivious to their presence right behind her at the entrance of the kitchen. After a few moments had passed, he finally answered - "Then let's make sure that she will not turn into her old self even after regaining her memories."