Chef Chen let out a long breath of relief only after she and Jiang Yun Sui had left the outer courtyard.
“There, there no need to be afraid.”
“It’s all right, don’t be scared,” Jiang Yun Sui comforted her in a soft, sweet voice.
Chef Chen patted her chest. “That gave me such a fright! Those Zhou people are truly despicable!”
Her face was still pale with lingering fear. “To think they would try to frame me like that.”
Even now, just thinking about it made her want to tear the Zhou mother and daughter limb from limb. When she heard what punishment they had received, she felt nothing but satisfaction.
“Thank goodness the Young Master is generous. He only deducted a few months of my wages.”
“Still, we’ll have to tighten our belts for a while.”
Her monthly pay was only one tael of silver. Losing three months’ worth stung deeply but it was far better than being thrown out on the streets or losing her life entirely.
“Yun Sui, weren’t you frightened?”
Especially by that final, blood-curdling scream. Chef Chen had hurried her away quickly, worried that a child would be terrified by what had happened. Yet she had never expected the little girl to actually turn back and look.
Jiang Yun Sui shook her head. “Not scared at all.”
After all, the one who died was a villain.
Her understanding of life and death was not so strong. She had seen plenty of it while living in the mountains. The struggle for survival among wild creatures was far more brutal than anything in the human world. Though she now walked among people, deep down she was still just a mushroom. To her, humans were no different from any other living thing.
Chef Chen, however, thought of the family Jiang Yun Sui had lost. True enough, she thought. What could be more frightening than what she has already endured?
“As long as you’re not afraid, that’s fine. Our Young Master never kills the innocent. That man got exactly what he deserved. So you mustn’t let it upset you.”
She spoke this way for a reason Jiang Yun Sui would be serving the Young Master before long, and if she grew fearful, her days would become very difficult.
Jiang Yun Sui nodded, her voice light and cheerful. “I know, Auntie Chen. I’m not scared of him. He wasn’t mean to me, after all.”
Hearing this, Chef Chen found herself relaxing even more.
Not that she feared death itself. The flinch she had felt at the doorway was only from the sudden scream. She had, after all, clawed her way out of the dead and ruined to get where she was now.
Sympathy for people like that?
Hah she had none left to give.
In this harsh world, anyone too soft-hearted or too kind would never survive.
Seeing how awkwardly Jiang Yun Sui walked, Chef Chen lifted her up into her arms.
“Auntie… will our Delicious Mushrooms still sell well?”
Chef Chen didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She had never imagined the child could be so carefree.
“As long as those mushrooms bring in silver, Auntie won’t let this setback get me down.”
Her heart felt warm and comforted. “Don’t worry. If we can’t sell them, we’ll just keep them and eat them ourselves. I work in the side kitchen, so I can always use the space there to prepare extra food for us.”
Jiang Yun Sui’s eyes lit up instantly. “Great!”
With the matter settled, both of them felt much lighter. Chef Chen also realized that the person who had been coveting her position as head cook was now gone and that lifted her spirits even higher.
Perhaps, in the end, this trouble had turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Back in their small courtyard that evening, several maids arrived to visit.
The region of Mobei was vast and sparsely populated, and the Ji family’s General’s Mansion covered a huge area. Even someone of Chef Chen’s standing was granted her own private courtyard. Ordinary maids who did cleaning work shared quarters four to a room in the servants’ block, located not far from Chef Chen’s place. Food and water supplies were limited there, but the living space itself was quite spacious.
The women who came were all friends of Chef Chen’s. When she had been taken away earlier, they had worried for her. Now that they heard she had returned safely, they hurried over to check on her and find out exactly what had happened.
Common folk had their own ways of surviving. They might not have grand ambitions, but they knew how to gather information for knowing what went on around them was the only way to stay safe and keep control of their own lives.
They knew better than to pry into matters that were none of their business.
Jiang Yun Sui was squatting beneath a pomegranate tree, drawing in the moonlight, when she caught sight of the visitors and called into the house: “Auntie Chen! Sister Erya and the others are here!”
The three maids walked over, pinched Jiang Yun Sui’s cheek gently, and smiled. “Out here basking in the moonlight again, Yun Sui?”
Jiang Yun Sui nodded earnestly. “Yes. Moonlight makes my body strong and healthy.”
“All right then, we won’t disturb you.”
The three women looked at her with pity in their eyes. In their view, this odd habit of hers was just a sign that she had lost her wits after suffering such trauma. Still, they could not deny her luck she had somehow ended up serving the Young Master himself. Thinking of this, their expressions shifted from sympathy to self-pity. Hah, they thought, we should feel sorry for ourselves instead.
Jiang Yun Sui tucked her injured foot into a small hole she had dug in the earth. While she absorbed the glow of the moon, her ears stayed pricked, listening closely to the conversation inside. She loved hearing these little bits of news and gossip.
After hearing Chef Chen’s account, the three maids joined in cursing the Zhou mother and daughter, as well as the cousin who had supplied the pollen.
“She was always lazy and useless, yet she bragged endlessly about her connections. If Zhou Zhuzhu had ever been made a cook, who knows how much she would have stolen or wasted we’d probably end up eating slop worse than swill!”
“Thank goodness the Young Master didn’t wrongly accuse anyone and caught the real culprits. How dare they tamper with food meant for him? They truly had death wishes!”
“It’s just such a shame about those Delicious Mushrooms. Where did you even find them, Auntie Chen? They’re so rare and hard to come by.”
Chef Chen laughed it off and quickly changed the subject.
Listening from outside, Jiang Yun Sui shook her little head proudly. That was all my doing, she thought.
In the future, there would be not just Delicious Mushrooms, but all kinds of other tasty fungi too. Though the climate here in Mobei was harsh and unsuitable for most varieties, Delicious Mushrooms were the only ones that could thrive in this environment which was why they had sprouted first.
Jiang Yun Sui also felt a little regretful. There had been a whole fragrant bowl of them, and she hadn’t even gotten to taste a single bite.
Having gathered all the news they wanted, the three maids comforted Chef Chen and took their leave. They had to report for duty the next day, so they needed to get to bed early.
After seeing them off, Chef Chen called out to Jiang Yun Sui: “Yun Sui, come inside now. Let’s wipe you down, wash your face, and get some sleep.”
“Coming!” Jiang Yun Sui called back.
Water was scarce in these northern borderlands. All the water used in the General’s Mansion had to be carried from the moat surrounding the city a journey that took a strong man more than an hour each way. Everyone therefore used water sparingly; full baths were only taken once or twice a month, while daily cleaning was done with just a damp cloth.
Fortunately, Jiang Yun Sui had her own special way of staying clean.
Before dawn the next morning, Jiang Yun Sui was already awake. She stretched, then hopped over to the same little hole she had used the night before and settled herself in it. Curling up like a mushroom, she let the cool morning dew settle all over her body, leaving her looking fresh and glowing.
This was her unique way of “bathing.”
The morning dew did more than just wash the little mushroom clean and leave her smelling sweet it also helped her grow stronger and healthier.
As the sun began to rise, beads of dew clung like clear crystals to her hair, her cheeks, and her clothes. Some were even absorbed directly into her skin.
Soon, roosters started crowing from all directions, and sounds of movement came from Chef Chen’s room.
Jiang Yun Sui stretched again and patted her face gently with her small hands, just like a cat grooming itself. Then she walked briskly back inside, feeling full of energy.
Her foot had improved greatly overnight, and she was now able to walk far more steadily than the day before.