An-Han courtyard was where the eldest lady of the Ruan family - Ruan Di resided.
Lately everyone was avoiding this place because the lady contracted chickenpox disease.
Rumor has it that her face and body was full of scabbard, she was crying and refusing to come out the courtyard. The eldest lady's pompous debutante would probably cancel.
Still, some servants couldn't avoid the place, just like Senior Maid Kuma from the kitchen. She was the unlucky one to deliver the dinner to Ruan Di's room. She masked her annoyance and went into the room carrying the food box.
"My Lady, it's time to eat!" Kuma put the food box on the table with rude gestures, "Please eat while it's hot."
Ruan Di heard the vague flattery in Kuma's tone.
A piece of fried salted fish, a plate of stir-fried river prawns, and a plate of cold vegetarian dishes, which are all onions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and even the soup exudes the mutton smell, with a thick layer. The oil floating on it makes people unappetizing.
She was suffering from chickenpox, and the most important thing was to pay attention to a light diet. Now these things were spicy or full of fats. None of them can be eaten.
Both Kuma and the ladies in the kitchen were old people who had gone through a lot of things. How could they not know that her current body was not appropriate to take these dishes?
But they dared to bully her just because she was young?
Ruan Di said nothing, but slowly moved her eyes from the food box to Kuma's face.
Slow, but piercing. Soft, yet menacing.
Kuma was so frightened by Ruan Di's eyes. The eldest lady didn't go out much these days, people around her were reduced and Kuma started to get irritated because she must also serve the meal to the lady.
How can she be rude?! So stupid! There's no easier master than the eldest lady and she might get fired because of this!
While he was thinking wildly, a maid came forward to open the food box and took out all the food inside.
While Kuma was wondering, another maid helped Ruan Di to the table. When Ruan Di sat down, the little maid serving the dishes had already put a few chopsticks into Ruan Di's bowl.
Ruan Di didn't take the chopsticks, but lightly touched the outside of the white jade porcelain bowl with the back of her hand.
However, Kuma shook as if she was testing the bowl's temperature and muttered: "It's not hot, My Lady, I already-"
"Your reward," Ruan Di looked at Kuma indifferently and said calmly.
She just said this, and Kuma's heart trembled.
The calm attitude sent a faint chill on Kuma's back.
The eldest lady in front of her exuded an evil aura, which made people feel weird.
"How could I, My Lady? It's precious food " Kuma declined in a hurry and said perfunctorily, "I, I have eaten..."
"Lyo, serve Kuma for dinner."
Lyo was the little maid helping her walk just now. The direct order from the master was usually directed at the first class servants or handmaids, but she specifically named Lyo - the youngest and lowest ranking maid in An-Han courtyard.
The surrounding maid and the elder maid in the outer room felt strange.
Lyo was a foodie, either because she was young or because she had always been hungry for half of her life, she always was particular about everything related to food. Including eating etiquette.
Although slower than many maids, she presented the bowl to Kuma with a new set of chopsticks. Pour the soup into a bowl with a new spoon beside it. Lyo also plated each and every dish on one medium plate.
Beside her was another younger maid, Miu, the one who took the food box from Kuma earlier. She was taller than Lyo and had been watching Ruan Di's tea glass.
She immediately filled the tea cup once it's empty and retreated to the side quietly.
Ruan Di internally scoffed at herself, she used to be this dumb and blind, huh? They were the only loyal handmaids who went with her to Xu fiefdom, the nobody she didn't remember their name and never rewarded.
Those she treated well were actually paid by Ruan Shu to exchange her belongings and made her infected with chickenpox.
Since she was reborn, even if it was just a dream, she would reset everything.
Kuma wasn't refusing to eat because the food was precious, it was the opposite.
Ruan Di had eaten this kind of food in her previous life.
It was cold, smelly, and unpleasant to eat, but she was stupid in her previous life and endured it, and ate it more than once.
When Lyo heard she was asked to serve Kuma for dinner, she already had some thoughts in her mind. This woman was colluding with the woman in the kitchen every day, and it took a long time to get the food every time. When she came back, the food was completely cold and the ingredients were really bad. If low ranking madi like her and Sister Miu eat better food than the master, then it was really a crime!
The girl with two hair bun was smiling, especially sweet at Kuma.
When Kuma saw that Lyo was really about to reach out for the white jade porcelain bowl, she hurriedly bowed her waist and smiled at Ruan Di: "How can I, a servant, enjoy the girl's food!"
Ruan Di picked up a book next to her and was about to read it. She flipped through it casually, as if she didn't notice Kuma and Lyo at all. When she heard this, she just raised her eyes slightly and said one word faintly: "Eat."
The words she said were like whirlwinds.
Brief, yet deadly.
Several maids in the room were standing quietly, staring at their nose or the floor attentively, no one dared to take a breath.
Anyone with eyes knows that this eldest lady has changed and become different.
They no longer dare to offend.
Seeing this, Kuma was stunned for a moment. She looked at Ruan Di with incredible eyes, unable to understand what happened.
Miu finally picked up the bowl, thinking that the situation in the eldest lady's room was about to change. She was happy and understood the situation clearly, but obviously Kuma did not.
She could first act as the eldest lady's stormtrooper and help the eldest lady charged into battle, so that she could become someone whom the eldest lady relied on.
As for Kuma, she had already lost the opportunity.
Kuma looked at this posture and suddenly understood.
It's better to eat by yourself now than to be force-fed. Thinking this, Kuma gritted her teeth, took the bowl from Miu's hand, put it to her mouth and said, "I don't need your help!"
The woman took two mouthfuls of rice and chewed it hard for a long time before swallowing it.
She was now a little older, and her teeth were not as sharp as before. This cold, hard meal was really hard for her to swallow.
She remembered that she had specially told the kitchen today to mix in more grains, to save some money. Unexpectedly, the last mouthful of rice fell into my mouth. I feel suffocated just thinking about it, and my chest hurts from the suffocation!
But at this moment, besides Ruan Di, there were several little girls in the room who were staring at her.
Kuma usually relied on her old age to scold the maids in the courtyard. Now that they were looking at her one by one, she felt like a gleam on her back. She was so humiliated that she wished she could hit her head first and die.
"My Lady," Kuma took the bowl away from her mouth and smiled carefully, "I, Kuma, would like to thank the eldest lady for the meal, but..."
Kuma observed Ruan Di's expression: "It's just that you are sick now, so you can't starve your body! I can take this food back and eat it slowly. The most important thing now is to go to the kitchen to get you hot food. This way I live up to your reward!"
Ruan Di glanced at Kuma casually without saying a word.
When Kuma saw it, she was filled with hatred, hatred and despair. In desperation, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and eat it.
All the maids present were watching, seeing that Kuma, who used to be so arrogant and proud of her age, was forced to eat that meal, and they couldn't help but laugh to themselves, relieved, what a relief!
This eldest lady suddenly showed off her power today. She has never seen such a scene before.
Kuma ate until she wanted to cry, felt uncomfortable all over, and felt cold in her stomach. Finally, she finally finished the meal.
The soles of her feet felt weak, and she bowed, but a brisk voice made Kuma feel another round of despair.
"Follow me,"
"Eldest Lady, I-"
"Everyone, follow me."
Ruan Di stood up, Lyo took the book in her hand while Miu helped her wear the hooded hat to cover her up.
She glanced at Miu and as expected, she took charge.
"Everyone, line up on the yard. Lyo, take the stool for the eldest lady."
Ruan Di silence was an acquiescence and no matter how unwilling they were, they stood under the moonlight, feeling the cold evening.
In her previous life, she had always turned a blind eye to these maids, thinking that sooner or later they would be sent off to get married, so why should she have trouble with a few girls?
It was this idea of enduring again and again and retreating again and again that led her past life to a dead end, right?