Thinking that the rural people did not live in a luxurious state, Liu Yan refused to eat with them on the same table. So, she nodded and left.
Qiao Xuan smiled and went for lunch, leaving Liu Yan alone in the kitchen.
Liu Yan looked at the dish that was left for her. There was half a bowl of rice, with yams and beans, as well as some slices of gourd.
All were vegetables, and there was not much oil in them. How could this be edible?
Ms. Fang told Ms. Qiao to put in as many seasoning spices as possible, which was much better than before, considering that the family had plenty of money for the moment. At least right now, the dishes were not tasteless.
But compared to the kitchen of the County Magistrate's home, the dishes definitely paled in comparison.
Liu Yan was a secondary maid, who was used to eating meat during every meal. Whenever Qiao Wei was happy, she would even give the maid some desserts or leftovers of the delicious dishes. So, Liu Yan was not at all used to the poverty she had to face now.
Seeing the rice and vegetables, Liu Yan suddenly felt unhappy.
How could this food be eaten?
She was not satisfied, but Qiao Xuan, who was very cautious towards her and could punish her whenever she made mistakes, would never mistreat her.
If she were in anyone else's family, she would not even end up being given a bowl of rice.
Liu Yan could not stand it any more. She ate a small portion of the dish, put down the chopsticks and bowl and returned to her wing-room.
She kept sobbing lying on the hard and shabby wooden bed.
Liu Yan had a very difficult time throughout the night.
The following day when Liu Yan woke up, she was feeling very sore on her limbs and back.
She felt like dying, all alone in this place.
But she was here on a mission and she could only leave when she was done with the task.
That made Liu Yan feel motivated.
Her mission was not about serving the whole family, so she refused to get out of the bed, when she woke up.
What if she was asked to do hard labor work?
Liu Yan did not get up until a long while later.
Ms. Fang was alone at home, taking care of her grandchildren.
The others were out for work, except for Shao Yunduan, who was studying in the room.
Qiao Xuan was making lipsticks in the floral field.
Ms. Fang would have gone out with her grandchildren to visit others, but for the fact that she had to keep an eye on Liu Yan.
She glanced at Liu Yan's room, feeling very displeased.
How could a maid be so lazy? She should have been sold away.
Liu Yan combed her hair, washed her face and found two steamed buns for breakfast. She ate them up in silence.
The steamed buns were cold, and stiff. For Liu Yan, they were like wax.
Liu Yan was greedy for the steamed buns with meat and ground-meat porridge.
She desperately wanted to go back to where she came from.
Liu Yan gave herself a pep talk and then went upto Ms. Fang. "Greetings, Madame Shao…"
She came to Ms. Fang and said with a flattering smile, "Young Master Grandson and Lady Granddaughter are so good-looking. They must have a great fortune in the future."
Shao Junyan and Shao Qing were eating loquats and plums, seated on the chairs next to Ms. Fang.
The bright yellow loquats and dark red plums were big and plump, and the juice flowed across the lips when they took a bite. The flesh was thick and tender, and the fruit was full of flavor. The two children ate everything with relish and had satisfied smiling faces. It looked delicious at first sight.
Liu Yan could not help but feel like eating the fruit as well. She gulped down the saliva, and reached out for the basket.