Since coming to the Beast House, with its regular routine of early to bed and early to rise, Shen Hui had been waking up earlier each day. Just past the hour of Yin, the birds under the eaves chirped and chattered noisily—thrushes, turtledoves, mynahs, and orioles—making her ears ache. After opening her eyes briskly, afraid she might be tempted to go back to sleep, she hurriedly dipped a cloth into the water fetched the night before to wash her face.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
Two familiar sets of footsteps passed by Shen Hui’s door in succession.
Though usually sharp of hearing, she now acted as if deaf, calmly using a comb to tie up her hair as usual.
It seemed her aunt had already informed Senior Maid Duan about Shiwu’s odd behavior.
For several days in a row, as soon as Shiwu got up early under the pretext of supervising the young maidservants handling waste, Senior Maid Duan would also leave. However, she would always carefully close the window lattice, continue burning calming incense, and leave the bed curtains drawn, as if she were still inside. If not for Shen Hui’s keen ears, she wouldn’t have noticed.
"Sister Ah Hui, good morning. Have you risen? I’ve brought you breakfast," Liu’er gently knocked on the door.
Though Liu’er had once curried favor with Shiwu, for a young maidservant of her age, whoever provided milk was like a mother, and whoever gave candy was like an elder sister. Shen Hui was generous and had a stronger personality than Shiwu, so Liu’er immediately switched her allegiance to offer attentions.
The weather in Chang’an was hot, and even in early autumn, mosquitoes and flies remained. Shen Hui applied mint ointment to repel insects and responded, "Mm, I’m up."
Since she wanted to stay in the Beast House and live leisurely, she didn’t seek to form cliques or command obedience from all, but she should also avoid making enemies. Liu’er was shallow, merely wanting a few extra pieces of candy. Why should Shen Hui nitpick or treat her coldly?
Shen Hui curved her eyes into a smile, unlatched the door, and went to greet Liu’er.
Liu’er stepped over the threshold carrying a food box. Before even standing still, she put on a fawning smile: "Little sister pays respects to elder sister. I went early to the Servants’ Kitchen today and, knowing elder sister loves meat, made sure to scoop plenty for you."
Breakfast was chicken shred botuo, commonly known as noodle soup.
Since ancient times, such large-pot soups were all much the same, with the trick being to scoop from the edges, let it settle, and lift slowly. Shen Hui was both amused and exasperated to see that, aside from plenty of chicken shreds, the bowl even contained a few bones used for making the broth.
This was practically scooping out the real manager of the Servants’ Kitchen.
"You’ve really put thought into this," Shen Hui didn’t skimp on candy and handed Liu’er two pieces.
Liu’er’s smile widened further as she opened the lower compartment of the food box: "Also, Sister A Wei sends her regards and asked me to bring you steamed egg custard and fried meatballs."
Some senior maidservant must have wanted braised meatballs and paid silver for them. Nanny Zhang had someone chop pork and fry meatballs, selling the leftovers at fixed prices to the other servants.
Compared to chicken, mutton, or beef, pork was slightly cheaper, but it was still meat. Commoners mostly loved suckling pigs, though some health-conscious or frugal people avoided such meat, believing it could cause illness.
"There are too many fried meatballs here; I’ll share a few with you." Shen Hui kept the rest partly for herself and partly for Qi’er.
"Thank you, sister, thank you, sister! You’re truly a bodhisattva-hearted goddess on earth. When I get my monthly allowance, I’ll go to the temple immediately to worship Buddha and chant your praises before the Buddha." Liu’er gobbled down the meatballs in a few bites, her lips glistening with oil, as if she wished she could hug Shen Hui’s legs and kowtow twice to show loyalty.
Liu’er’s words were exaggerated, and Shen Hui found them nauseating, stepping back in alarm: "Alright, alright, sincerity is what matters. Just think well of me in your heart."
Outside the door, Qi’er, who had been silently watching for a long time, couldn’t hold back her anger and pointed at Liu’er, scolding: "Shameless!"
"Who are you calling names?" Liu'er stood with hands on hips.
"You! I wonder who it was that took orders from Shiwu before, splashing dirty water in front of Sister Ah Hui's door." Qi'er was more straightforward, her cheeks flushed with anger.
Liu'er stuck out her tongue: "Sister already forgave me."
Qi'er and Liu'er were the same age—in modern times, they'd be mere elementary school students. In her rage, Qi'er became incoherent: "Anyway, you're shameless."
"Pah pah pah, you're the shameless one." Liu'er retorted with a "bounce back."
"Sister, look at her." Qi'er ran to Shen Hui's side.
Shen Hui put an arm around Qi'er's shoulder and was about to offer comfort when Liu'er imitated her, clinging to her arm and refusing to let go.
This wasn't right.
Shen Hui, feeling as if her own backyard was on fire, became flustered.
"Alright, you two, what kind of behavior is this?" She invoked the classic line, "Qi'er, I know you dislike Liu'er, but Liu'er has already apologized. You're both my good little sisters. But Liu'er, you mustn't bully Qi'er anymore, not even with words, or I'll set Jinyun on you. I mean what I say."
Only after Shen Hui's earnest mediation did the two children, Liu'er and Qi'er, reluctantly shake hands and make peace.
Shen Hui didn't find it tiresome at all.
These two were at most ten years old, sold into servitude at such a young age, forever separated from their parents, adrift like duckweed. She could even tolerate the little fool Shen Wei, let alone these immature children.
"To have such skill in winning people over at such a tender age—truly worthy of being Madam Xu's niece." Shiwu had returned to the courtyard unnoticed and snorted coldly.
"Greetings, Sister Shiwu…" Liu'er was afraid of her and hid behind Qi'er.
Qi'er, good-natured, shielded Liu'er and glared at Shiwu.
Shen Hui simply pretended not to hear.
Shiwu's punch landed on cotton, and her expression grew increasingly gloomy.
After being sold into the wangfu, she was assigned to the Beast House. Despite her excellent embroidery skills, she could only keep company with cats, dogs, and lynxes. Without a well-regarded godmother above her and lacking silver in hand, how could she ever enter the Embroidery Workshop? Later, she became sworn kin with Nanny Guan from Consort Zheng's courtyard and was promoted to first-rank maid. She thought she would have full control over the entire Beast House, but then Aunt Duan arrived.
And now this Shen Hui had appeared—truly an eyesore.
However, Shiwu had urgent business on her mind, entrusted by her godmother, and didn't indulge further in verbal sparring, hurrying back to her room instead.
Wait.
Just as she was about to enter, Shiwu suddenly felt a guilty conscience and turned sharply.
Was Aunt Duan really in her room?
Was she being overly suspicious, or was someone actually secretly following her? She had thought it was Shen Hui and deliberately glanced toward her room, but she guessed wrong.
Thinking this, Shiwu glanced at Aunt Duan's side chamber and even felt like quietly pushing the door open.
"Wait, Sister, what are you planning? Aunt hasn't risen for the morning yet." Having studied under Aunt Duan for many days, Shen Hui's ability to read expressions had greatly improved. She had long noticed Shiwu's panic and suspicion and quickly went upstairs to stop her.
"I have urgent business to discuss with Aunt Duan." Shiwu refused to listen.
Shen Hui countered, "Sister Shiwu has been in the mansion a long time and values etiquette most. Yet acting like this, disturbing Aunt Duan's rest—isn't that too presumptuous?"
She gestured for Shiwu to look through the slightly open crack in the side window.
The curtains by Aunt Duan's bed were not drawn back, as if she was still resting.
"Could it be that Sister Shiwu intends to lift the curtains?" Shen Hui remained calm and composed.
Shiwu naturally didn't dare.
Furious, she pushed Shen Hui but couldn't move her. Raising her hand to strike, she instead found her wrist caught by Shen Hui.
Shen Hui was strong; with one tug, Shiwu nearly stumbled and fell.
The two maids, Qi'er and Liu'er, seeing this, covered their mouths and giggled.
Well done, Sister Ah Hui. The food Sister A Wei saved for you wasn't eaten in vain.
At that moment, an angry shout suddenly came from inside the room: "Enough! What are you all doing gathered outside my room making a racket? Be quiet. Shiwu, what urgent matter do you have to report?"
Hearing this, not only Shiwu but Shen Hui was also stunned.
The small building had only one staircase. When had Aunt Duan gone upstairs?
Shiwu, already panicked, remained silent for a long while before finding a clumsy excuse: "We're running low on medicinal powder for the cats and dogs."
"Is that an urgent matter?" The door swung open, and Aunt Duan said sternly, "Shiwu, for overstepping your bounds, you are to slap yourself twice. Do it yourself."
"Yes, this servant accepts the punishment." Shiwu slapped herself twice, tears silently streaming down her face, then ran back to her room filled with resentment.
After watching this little drama, Shen Hui took Liu'er and Qi'er and left.
However, as she was about to descend the stairs, Shen Hui's gaze slowly fixed on a set of footprints near the railing not far away.
The size of these footprints closely resembled Aunt Duan's.
Curious, she ordered Liu'er and Qi'er to leave first. She then walked over to the railing. In her view were the outer courtyard wall and the roof of the first floor. From within the courtyard, one couldn't tell that the top of the wall was slightly higher than the roof. Although the distance between them was considerable, if one jumped from the opposite side, they could land just outside the wooden railing.
Most ingeniously, between the Beast House and the mansion wall was a small path leading to the side gate. The higher section of the wall was somewhat dilapidated, with uneven green bricks, making it exceptionally suitable as a foothold for scaling the wall.
If one climbed up from here and then leaped, they could reach the second floor of the small building effortlessly.
The route was clear and obvious.
"Young people indeed have sharp ears and keen eyes." Aunt Duan had, at some point, walked up behind Shen Hui.
Shen Hui scratched her head: "How did you discover this route, Aunt?"
"By climbing high and looking far, it becomes naturally clear." Aunt Duan said with an air of nonchalance.
"Do they teach this in the palace as well?" People in ancient times married early. In another year or two, Aunt Duan would be old enough to be a grandmother. Shen Hui couldn't close her mouth for a long time, astonished by her good physical strength.
Aunt Duan tapped Shen Hui's forehead: "What are you thinking about? However, working in the palace does indeed require good health. Otherwise, if you're sent by your master or superior to deliver something or pass on a message, and you're out of breath before you even arrive, losing your composure, you'll be punished by the nüshi specifically responsible for supervising the Palace Attendants."
"Aunt, your ability to scale walls and leap across roofs, your agile physique, truly commands this servant's admiration." Shen Hui clasped her hands in respect, genuinely convinced.
"Glib tongue." Aunt Duan asked, "Have you eaten yet?"
Shen Hui nodded.
Aunt Duan put away her pleasant expression and urged, "Then why aren't you hurrying off to practice your calligraphy?"
"Oh, yes…" Shen Hui's mouth corners turned down.
Now she not only had homework but also morning self-study sessions.
While Shen Hui was busy practicing calligraphy here, Shiwu wasn't idle either.
She resented Aunt Duan for punishing her, but she had no time to wallow in self-pity or curse. She pulled out from under her bed the still substantial amount of medicinal dregs, feeling nearly at her wit's end.
Initially, when the amount of dregs was small, she could mix them into the cats' and dogs' waste to destroy the evidence. But as her godmother gave her more and more dregs, the risk of discovery grew greater. She could only take them out of the mansion under the pretext of buying Cherry Pastries and discard them outside.
But this still wasn't a permanent solution.
Moreover, Shiwu had recently begun to suspect that the matter had been exposed, so she acted cautiously, disposing of very few dregs.
Why not bury them nearby? There were few places to bury things in the Beast House, but the huafang next door had plenty of open space.
Shiwu, racking her brains, truly couldn't think of any cleverer methods. Under such circumstances, she made a decision she would regret for the rest of her life.
Night fell.
Moonlight shone upon the roof ridge, casting the fluttering autumn leaves into a ground of menacing, claw-like shadows.
Shiwu opened the small door between the Beast House and the huafang. She hadn’t been here many times, so she fumbled in the dark, found an empty corner, and began digging a hole to bury the medicinal dregs.
Author’s Note:
Xiaohui: Auntie, Auntie, look—there are footprints here! You can climb walls and scale buildings, you’re so amazing! [Let me see]
Aunt Duan: Have you finished practicing your characters yet? [Angry]
Xiaohui: Ahhh, wuwuwu… I just wanted to praise you for being so amazing! [Bursting into tears]