"Oh my God, today isn't Grandma Guo's birthday, is it? Why are you so generous?" After the palace maid left, everyone was chattering excitedly.
"After working so hard for so many days, I can have enough food and meat, and have half a day off. Am I dreaming?" Lin Fufei said and pinched her face.
Xue Hengzhao shook his head in his heart.
Everyone did not dare to waste this precious time, so they naturally prepared to sleep hard.
But because they were so full, it was uncomfortable to lie down, and the meat was relatively salty, and the room was hot, so everyone was thirsty by now.
There is no carbon basin or kettle in the house, so hot water cannot be boiled.
Although there is hot water in the kitchen, where do they get it?
Fortunately, there are two large tanks outside, filled with water.
Everyone rushed to drink cold water.
"How can your stomach and intestines survive eating such greasy food and drinking cold water?" Xue Hengzhao stopped Lin Fufei, who was about to drink cold water.
She had grabbed a bowl of meat for herself before. Xue Hengzhao didn't like to owe others.
"I know, but I'm too thirsty." Lin Fufei said with a grimace, "My throat is about to smoke."
They are not children, so they don't know that they can't eat too much greasy food at one time, and drinking cold water is even more taboo.
But they were too hungry and thirsty. As the saying goes, they don't choose food when they are hungry, and they don't choose clothes when they are cold.
At this point, I really don’t have much to worry about.
Xue Hengzhao was also a little thirsty, but she didn't dare to drink cold water. She held a mouthful of water in her mouth to warm it before slowly swallowing it.
I didn't dare to drink more. I only drank two or three sips and stopped drinking.
The days in winter are short, and not long after noon, the sky becomes dark.
After everyone had eaten and drank enough, they calmed down and went to bed to rest.
Xue Hengzhao woke up from the heat, so she pulled down the quilt some more.
Lin Fufei next to her couldn't bear the heat and kicked the quilt to her feet.
In the darkness, Xue Hengzhao heard someone groaning in discomfort. As she expected, everyone was hungry.
Before dawn, some people began to vomit and have diarrhea.
After struggling until dawn, everyone looked depressed and miserable.
"Don't pretend to be dead, Grandma Guo wants you to come over immediately!"
Everyone was extremely uncomfortable at this time, but they did not dare to delay.
When I got there, I stood there in a polite manner, but Aunt Guo was late today, and it took more than an hour for her to come.
Aunt Guo looked at everyone with cold eyes before speaking: "You had enough to eat and slept warmly yesterday, but you will suffer twice as much today.
I have warned you a long time ago that when you are serving in the palace, you can only eat seven percent full. You do not know how to exercise restraint, which has led to the suffering you are experiencing today.
It’s really your own fault!”
Vomiting and diarrhea were the most tormenting. Not only were these people exhausted at this moment, but they also felt unspeakable pain in their hearts after listening to Grandma Guo's words.
But what can be done? They are guilty bodies and will suffer setbacks wherever they go.
Aunt Guo added: "I know some of you must blame me and hate me in your heart, but I want to tell you that you must accept my kindness in the future.
You people can't bear hardships, but when you are a servant, you must not be lazy and greedy.
After this incident, you will no longer want to eat meat, and you will avoid stealing and eating it in the future, causing trouble, and being punished and beaten."
These people have been tortured to the point of losing their strength, but today the rules are particularly strict.
A few couldn't bear it and fainted directly.
Aunt Guo said: "Stab someone! Let them wake up quickly! You can't die if you're in a coma. Now that you've entered the palace, the rules are outrageous!"
After finally learning the rules, I still have to go to work.
It snowed again at night, and they were all assigned to clear the snow.
The eunuch who oversaw the work didn't know where he got angry, so he used them as a punching bag.
Anyone who is a little slow will be beaten and scolded.
The dirty words are unbearable.
That night, one of them, a girl named Zhang Mingzhu, committed suicide.
She hanged herself on a tree branch next to the hut, and when she was found, she was so erect.
"She fainted twice when she was learning the rules, and was whipped several times by the supervisor," Lin Fufei said, wiping her tears. "This place really eats people without spitting out their bones."
"Death would be a relief!" Chi Su sighed softly, "Our lives are not as good as those of cows and horses. If we don't die, we will have to live next to each other."
Xue Hengzhao said nothing. She looked at Zhang Mingzhu's body and clenched her teeth secretly.
Thinking about her home being ransacked, her mother also advised her to commit suicide.
Naturally it was for her own good and he was afraid that she would be humiliated and tortured.
But Xue Hengzhao refused to die, she wanted to live. She also advised her mother not to commit suicide.
Only by living can we clear our grievances, turn over, and make a comeback.
Everyone was very depressed. When they learned the rules, although they did not dare to resist openly, they also brought out a bit of dissatisfaction.
When Grandma Guo saw it, she sneered: "What? Is it important to be dead?
Let me tell you, in this palace, the lives of servants are like ants.
If you want to blame, blame your own life!
Once you enter the palace, you have to accept your fate!
This is the last lesson I teach you. From today on, you will be assigned to various places, and you should do your own thing and wish for your own blessings!"
After saying this, Grandma Guo took her maid with her and went out without even looking at the crowd.
Then a eunuch came in and took them to the courtyard where Qian Sanchun lived when they entered the palace on the first day.
It was still the literate little eunuch Chunming who read the rosters one by one and assigned the fifty people to various places in the fourth department and eight bureaus.
Lin Fufei was assigned to the salary-saving department, and ten people went with her.
With tears in her eyes, Lin Fufei looked at Xue Hengzhao and whispered: "Sister Xue, we can't be together this time. Come and see me when you have time."
The Xixin Division was the last place they wanted to go. They spent every day chopping firewood and delivering firewood, loading charcoal and delivering charcoal. It was dirty and tiring.
Lin Fufei was born weak and would not be able to fare well wherever he goes.
Xue Hengzhao didn't speak, just nodded.
Soon these people were taken to the Xinxing Department.
Most of the rest were assigned to the needlework bureau, the wine vinegar noodle bureau and the weaving and dyeing bureau.
A group of people were named and taken away. In the end, only four people, Jin Yu'e, Qin Meijun, Chi Su and Xue Hengzhao, were left.
"You two," Qian Sanchun pointed at Jin Yu'e and Qin Meijun and said, "Concubine Rong wants two copyists. You go to Tong'an Palace!"
Jin Yu'e and Qin Meijun thanked each other profusely, and then left happily.
Only Chi Su and Xue Hengzhao were left.
"Xue Hengzhao, come with me." Qian Sanchun said and went in first.
Xue Hengzhao walked into the house. This was her first time.
The furnishings inside are not surprising, they are all old furniture.
But she still saw the celadon hat-covered bowl on the table at a glance. Although it was light in color and simple in appearance, it was the top grade from the official kiln of the previous dynasty.
The tea brewed in it is also West Lake Longjing produced in Shifeng. Even the concubines in the East and West palaces who are not of high rank can't drink it.