Just then, the voices outside the door seemed to be getting fainter.
The Lady had still not entered.
Little Qian’er hurriedly prepared to get up and move forward.
But in the next second, she lay down again, as the big boy behind her pulled her hand, and at the same time, his tone seemed somewhat embarrassed.
"Hey... uh, thanks. But don’t stand up yet, check yourself, where did you hit."
Little Qian’er became anxious, pulling her hand back forcefully, her head still turned towards the door, wanting to meet the benefactor who was so close, just separated by a door.
Outside the door at this moment, a noblewoman was holding the small hand of a girl in a ruqun.
A fair lady and a little girl, followed by a large group of maids.
Zhao Kun was standing in front, holding his fists with a serious expression, listening to the noblewoman’s instructions.
It had nothing to do with the selection of maids at the Abandoned Infant Hall; she was assigning tasks for the fourth household.
The noblewoman, with an indifferent expression beside her, had a quiet ruqun-clad girl who had the features of a classic beauty as described in books, with a teardrop mole under her left eye.
She was curiously turning her head around, her attractive eyes seemingly searching for something.
Just at that moment, the noblewoman suddenly turned her gaze, and the girl in the ruqun quickly retracted her gaze, quietly looking down at the ground.
The noblewoman said coldly, "Lord Kun, have you seen Zhao Rong?"
Zhao Kun maintained a calm expression and shook his head.
Little Qing Jun’s lips slightly curled, she chuckled to herself quietly.
Rong’er brother sure runs fast.
"Always causing trouble, if he dares, let him not come back. He was just lucky to run fast this time, if he dares to deceive Qing Jun into running out again... cough cough!" The noblewoman frowned and scoffed coldly, suddenly covering her mouth with a cough.
Zhao Kun and little Qing Jun, who was secretly relieved that Rong’er brother had run away fast, quickly stepped forward with concerned words.
The noblewoman took a handkerchief and waved her hand.
"Zhao Kun, go attend to your duties. Make sure the selection of the maids is done sooner rather than later and don’t just fill the number with mediocrity."
Zhao Kun responded with a cupped fist salute.
The noblewoman, holding little Qing Jun’s hand, did not spare a glance at the large hall of the Abandoned Infant Hall and left.
In a particular moment, just before the tall elder stepped inside, his footsteps paused slightly. He turned his head to gaze at the noblewoman’s retreating figure, then calmly proceeded inside.
The voices outside suddenly disappeared, and soon the footsteps of those people seemed to be moving further away.
Little Qian’er was stunned on the spot, her crying ceased.
There was no longer any sound.
She silently lowered her head, beginning to wipe her smeared face with her sleeve, the movement forceful. The wounds stretched, but she did not react at all.
Because it truly didn’t hurt anymore.
A certain big boy, who had just breathed a sigh of relief at narrowly escaping trouble, was eating wild fruits. Seeing this, he swallowed and quietly put the fruit back into his bosom.
The little maid sat on the ground, blood streaming down her face, continuing to hold her knees, her head buried in her lap.
It was still that practiced defensive posture.
But now, it resembled more an inanimate object devoid of any life.
She didn’t pay attention to the boy next to her who liked to climb window sills, nor did she heed the names being called out by the stewards in the hall of the selected maids.
Everything outside the boundaries of her knees turned into a silent black-and-white film, playing out noiselessly.
On her little face, a radiant smile persisted.
She continued earnestly thinking about eating wood after being trapped under the logs.
Time flowed by like water.
In the great hall of the Abandoned Infant Hall, the selection of maids had long since ended.
Indeed, no one had called her name, and she was one of the few surplus little maids left.
Shadows passed by in front of her one by one.
In the end, only she and the big boy, who had talked to himself all afternoon, were left behind in the hall.
Time continued to flow past.
The sun set in the west, and wisps of blue smoke rose above the distant houses.
"Silly girl, are you hungry? Never mind, mute people are no fun, let’s go, let’s go."
The older boy sprang up, clapped his hands, and finally left as well.
At a certain moment, in the afterglow of the setting sun, little Qian’er, curled up beneath the window sill, slowly raised her head. She didn’t reach for the fruit and the cloth-wrapped medicine bottle someone had left beside her.
Instead, she kept her head down and silently left the great hall without uttering a word.
She walked along the very edge of the road, staggering, never getting in the way of others, never troubling anyone.
Though at that moment, the way was utterly desolate, not a single servant of the mansion in sight.
Qian’er hobbled back to her quiet little woodshed.
Her stomach growled loudly.
She sat hugging her knees on the cold kang bed where she used to like to sprawl and roll around.
When the last rays of sunlight also disappeared behind the distant mountains.
In the dark, peaceful woodshed waiting for the moonlight to shine, engulfed in pitch black, Qian’er rubbed her flat stomach and, with a broad smile, picked up a small wooden stick that looked quite tasty.
She had just spent a long, long time choosing it.
It had been a long time since she had enjoyed the pleasure of being picky about food.
She carefully and fastidiously cleaned the bark and splinters from its surface, holding the small stick vertically, then horizontally, comparing the two.
She smacked her lips.
She seemed like a guest seated in a luxurious restaurant, with a top-quality bass in front of her, looking left and right, elegantly searching for the best place to bite into.
Facing the most conscientiously selected meal of her life, the girl in the darkness no longer hesitated.
"Hey, silly girl, are you stupid? What’s so good about wood? I’ve tried it, it’s kind of astringent, made my mouth bitter for three days."
Suddenly, a casual voice sounded in the room filled only with firewood.
Qian’er started, with the stick still in her mouth, and turned her head in bewilderment.
Above the window sill, at some unknown point, there was a figure squatting in a posture that did not recognize kin, matching the familiar tone of voice.
The unconventional window-climbing expert Zhao Rong, with an unnecessary but stylish flourish, jumped down from the sill, gave a thumbs up, and pointed behind him.
Behind him, by the window sill, a little head was peeking out.
It was a girl in a ruqun, with a faint teardrop mole below her left eye.
Qian’er thought she looked very pretty and had never seen her before; she was standing outside the window, looking in curiously.
Little Qing Jun stood quietly, carrying a food box in both hands.
Seeing the silly-looking girl inside, biting on wood, she quickly freed one delicate white hand and waved vigorously.
A shallow smile adorned her cheeks.
Standing between the two, Zhao Rong also had a radiant smile.
Qian’er still had her mouth open wide, the stick caught on her young teeth, as if she couldn’t bear to pull it out.
She stared at these strange playmates, her eyelashes fluttering.
"What’s so funny? You also ran so slow during the day, caught by the madam again. Haven’t I told you not to wear skirts that get in the way?"
"You! If you say one more word, I won’t pick the bones out of your fish anymore!"
That night, a little maid finally got to eat fish again, but this time,
it had no bones left.