Page 78
With the conversation reaching this point, and the other party being polite, Nanny Sun couldn’t very well insist on stating her purpose directly.
If she were to ask to borrow someone now, Young Master Lian might well have a reason to say that her two servants were still needed to attend her at mealtime and refuse to let them go.
So, it was better to sit down and wait until they had finished eating before speaking.
This meal turned out to be a real torment for Nanny Sun. She had never seen anything like it, at least not in Driftfrost Hall.
The master ate at the main table while the two servants ate at a lower table. The food on both tables was the same, looking especially delicious, and clearly not the big pot rice from the Imperial Kitchen.
Canglan Court seemed to have no rule about not speaking while eating or sleeping. The master led the conversation, praising how delicious the dishes were while eating; the two servants, mouths greasy, agreed on how tasty everything was, making Nanny Sun somewhat hungry herself.
In Driftfrost Hall, there had never been a meal shared between master and servant. Nanny Sun felt a hidden envy in her heart.
Young Master Lian seemed to be quite unpretentious, and she seemed nice to her servants, but after all, she was only a Daying. Spending ten or eight years in the palace, she would still not reach the status of Beauty Li. Thinking about it, there wasn’t much to envy.
Nanny Sun waited torturously. The three diners ate heartily, taking dishful after dishful, bowl after bowl of rice. Young Master Lian had finished two bowls and seemed to want more, but alas, there was no more rice, leaving Nanny Sun slightly stunned.
In the harem, she had never seen any consort eat as much. Her own master, Beauty Li, would be full after half a bowl, never eating this much.
Finally, the food was completely finished. Young Master Lian had ended her meal, and Nanny Sun sighed with relief, having really struggled with the wait.
Just as she was about to stand up and state her purpose, Young Master Lian, with a smile, said to her, "I’ve just finished eating, and things are a bit of a mess here.
I might ask Nanny to wait a moment more.
Are you thirsty, Nanny? If you’re thirsty, perhaps start with a cup of tea to moisten your throat? "
Well, the pots, pans, and dishes did indeed look a bit messy. Having waited through the meal, waiting a little longer for tidy-up wouldn’t hurt—only that she preferred not to drink the tea, lest it give Daying Lian an excuse to delay further.
With this thought, Nanny Sun shook her head, about to offer some polite refusal, when before she could speak, seeing her shake her head, Young Master Lian started busying people to clear up, directing those washing dishes and wiping tables.
Nanny Sun felt nearly suffocated as she couldn’t voice her thoughts. She felt like the only idle person in the room, an unnecessary outsider that made her restless.
The clearing was done, and they mentioned they still needed to wash dishes and tidy the kitchen. Then, they all left together.
Nanny Sun didn’t even have the chance to speak before they disappeared. She cursed inwardly at how troublesome Young Master Lian was, almost wanting to jump in and help.
Helplessly, everyone else was too quick, not giving her a chance to talk. She had no choice but to wait in the dining room for them to return and state her purpose then.
But as Nanny Sun sat waiting, no one came back. Washing dishes and tidying the kitchen shouldn’t take this long; two cups of tea’s time had passed, and they were still not back.
Nanny Sun grew uneasy. Not seeing anyone made her uncomfortable; everything here was beyond her expectations.
Suddenly, she realized that since her arrival, she hadn’t managed to speak a complete sentence; she had been led by Daying Lian all along!
She slapped her thigh, realizing the cunning of Little Daying; she had been careless. She should have followed them out from the start, keeping a close eye on Daying Lian.
With this realization, Nanny Sun suddenly stood up and hurried to Canglan Court’s kitchen,
The courtyard was brimming with fruits and vegetables, some ripe and ready for harvest. Nanny Sun truly couldn’t understand why Daying Lian insisted on growing these common crops suited only for farmers, considering it was a status-lowering act in the Imperial Palace.
By the time she reached the kitchen and saw that the person had long disappeared, Nanny Sun mentally cursed and anxiety surged within her.
When she had left, she had solemnly promised Beauty Li that she would definitely bring the person back. But now, arriving with no explanation and the person gone, how was she supposed to justify herself? It was even worse than Dong Mei!
Standing in place, Nanny Sun paced frantically, no, she had to search; in such a short time the individual couldn’t have gone far.
Thinking this, Nanny Sun hastened her steps, and as she neared a pavilion, she faintly heard voices.
Nanny Sun stopped and listened attentively for a while – was that not the voice of Daying Lian and her two servants? It made her search easier, thankfully they hadn’t gone far.
Fearing they would disappear again, she quickly followed the sound, rounded a cluster of sunflower trees, and saw the trio energetically collecting sunflower seeds.
Having finally found them, Nanny Sun stopped to catch her breath, leaning against a sunflower tree and gasping, as she had walked too hurriedly.
Just then, while busy working, Young Master Lian looked up and saw her, his face registering surprise as he said, "Ah, Nanny, you came too?"
What did he mean ’you came too’? She had been at Canglan Court all along and hadn’t left; how could Daying Lian treat a guest like this?
Nanny Sun felt choked up, unable to express her frustration; her head throbbed from restraining her anger, as losing her temper on the spot would mean disrespecting their ranks, turning a justified concern into an unreasonable one.
Following that, Young Master Lian, still smiling, said to her, "Since Nanny Sun has come to help, then let’s work together. We thought since you were older, resting inside would be apt, but it’s great that you’re so eager to help."
Before she could respond, he turned to his servant, "Xiao Jizi, give Nanny Sun the tool you’re holding, and you can move the harvested sunflowers to dry now."
The servant acknowledged with a "Alrighty," walked towards her with a puzzled face, shoved the tool into her hands, and then started moving the harvested sunflowers.
Young Master Lian didn’t pay her further attention and continued with his task.
Nanny Sun stood somewhat dazed, failing to understand the situation; did Daying Lian mistakenly think she came to help?
No, no, she had wasted enough time and couldn’t let herself be led astray any longer.
Regardless of the timing, she needed to at least explain her purpose; she would see how this cunning Little Daying would respond, and then react accordingly.
She refused to believe she couldn’t outsmart this young girl.
With that in mind, Nanny Sun stepped forward, intending to courteously address her issue, figuring she’d start with politeness before getting to the point.
But handling the tool for harvesting sunflowers made it awkward to bow. Trying to bow deeply was hindered by this and that, making it quite clumsy.
A nearby palace maid quickly came over to help her, noting, "Nanny, it’s not done like this." She then instructed her on how to gather the sunflower seeds properly.
Nanny Sun hurriedly tried to interrupt, "No, I..."
Seeing her struggle, Daying Lian came over and started guiding her hands, which made her more anxious, and she repeatedly said, "No, Young Master Lian, you misunderstand, I am here on an errand!"
Hearing this, Young Master Lian looked at her puzzled and asked, "Nanny, is there something else?"
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78 (Reading here)
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192
- Page 193
- Page 194
- Page 195
- Page 196
- Page 197
- Page 198
- Page 199
- Page 200
- Page 201
- Page 202
- Page 203
- Page 204
- Page 205
- Page 206
- Page 207
- Page 208
- Page 209
- Page 210
- Page 211
- Page 212
- Page 213
- Page 214
- Page 215
- Page 216
- Page 217
- Page 218
- Page 219
- Page 220
- Page 221
- Page 222
- Page 223
- Page 224
- Page 225
- Page 226
- Page 227
- Page 228
- Page 229
- Page 230
- Page 231
- Page 232
- Page 233
- Page 234
- Page 235
- Page 236
- Page 237
- Page 238
- Page 239
- Page 240
- Page 241
- Page 242
- Page 243
- Page 244
- Page 245
- Page 246
- Page 247
- Page 248
- Page 249
- Page 250
- Page 251
- Page 252
- Page 253
- Page 254
- Page 255
- Page 256
- Page 257
- Page 258
- Page 259
- Page 260
- Page 261
- Page 262
- Page 263
- Page 264
- Page 265
- Page 266
- Page 267
- Page 268
- Page 269
- Page 270
- Page 271
- Page 272
- Page 273
- Page 274
- Page 275
- Page 276
- Page 277
- Page 278
- Page 279
- Page 280
- Page 281
- Page 282
- Page 283
- Page 284
- Page 285
- Page 286
- Page 287
- Page 288
- Page 289
- Page 290
- Page 291
- Page 292
- Page 293
- Page 294
- Page 295
- Page 296
- Page 297
- Page 298
- Page 299
- Page 300
- Page 301
- Page 302
- Page 303
- Page 304
- Page 305
- Page 306
- Page 307
- Page 308
- Page 309
- Page 310
- Page 311
- Page 312
- Page 313
- Page 314
- Page 315
- Page 316
- Page 317
- Page 318
- Page 319
- Page 320
- Page 321
- Page 322
- Page 323
- Page 324
- Page 325
- Page 326
- Page 327
- Page 328
- Page 329
- Page 330
- Page 331
- Page 332
- Page 333
- Page 334
- Page 335
- Page 336
- Page 337
- Page 338
- Page 339
- Page 340
- Page 341
- Page 342
- Page 343
- Page 344
- Page 345
- Page 346
- Page 347
- Page 348
- Page 349
- Page 350
- Page 351
- Page 352
- Page 353
- Page 354
- Page 355
- Page 356
- Page 357
- Page 358
- Page 359
- Page 360
- Page 361
- Page 362
- Page 363
- Page 364
- Page 365
- Page 366
- Page 367
- Page 368
- Page 369
- Page 370
- Page 371
- Page 372
- Page 373
- Page 374
- Page 375
- Page 376
- Page 377
- Page 378
- Page 379
- Page 380
- Page 381
- Page 382
- Page 383
- Page 384
- Page 385
- Page 386
- Page 387
- Page 388
- Page 389
- Page 390
- Page 391
- Page 392
- Page 393
- Page 394
- Page 395
- Page 396
- Page 397
- Page 398
- Page 399
- Page 400
- Page 401
- Page 402
- Page 403
- Page 404
- Page 405
- Page 406
- Page 407
- Page 408
- Page 409
- Page 410
- Page 411
- Page 412
- Page 413
- Page 414
- Page 415
- Page 416
- Page 417
- Page 418
- Page 419
- Page 420
- Page 421
- Page 422
- Page 423
- Page 424
- Page 425
- Page 426
- Page 427
- Page 428
- Page 429
- Page 430
- Page 431
- Page 432
- Page 433
- Page 434
- Page 435
- Page 436
- Page 437
- Page 438
- Page 439
- Page 440
- Page 441
- Page 442
- Page 443
- Page 444
- Page 445
- Page 446
- Page 447
- Page 448
- Page 449
- Page 450
- Page 451
- Page 452
- Page 453
- Page 454
- Page 455
- Page 456
- Page 457
- Page 458
- Page 459
- Page 460
- Page 461
- Page 462
- Page 463
- Page 464
- Page 465
- Page 466
- Page 467
- Page 468
- Page 469
- Page 470
- Page 471
- Page 472
- Page 473
- Page 474
- Page 475
- Page 476
- Page 477
- Page 478
- Page 479
- Page 480
- Page 481
- Page 482
- Page 483
- Page 484
- Page 485
- Page 486
- Page 487
- Page 488
- Page 489
- Page 490
- Page 491
- Page 492
- Page 493
- Page 494
- Page 495
- Page 496
- Page 497
- Page 498
- Page 499
- Page 500
- Page 501
- Page 502
- Page 503
- Page 504
- Page 505
- Page 506
- Page 507
- Page 508
- Page 509
- Page 510
- Page 511
- Page 512
- Page 513
- Page 514
- Page 515
- Page 516
- Page 517
- Page 518
- Page 519
- Page 520
- Page 521
- Page 522
- Page 523
- Page 524
- Page 525
- Page 526
- Page 527
- Page 528