Chapter 7: Surviving is the top priority

Ancient embroidery is truly a highly sophisticated art. Even a small mandarin duck pattern requires five layers of embroidery back and forth. Although the technique is exquisite, Jiman also feels very tired. She felt dizzy after embroidering two handkerchiefs and when she looked outside, it was already close to noon.

Her stomach growled, but Mulu had not returned yet. Jiman put down the embroidery frame and stood at the door for a while. The aroma of the kitchen's food had already wafted over.

She decided to let Mulu have breakfast. Compared to Niesangyu, this little chicken, Mulu looked even thinner, not at all like a maid from a wealthy family. Jiman wondered if she had always been this thin or if she had become so in the past month or two due to hunger.

"Master..." Mulu finally returned. As she stepped into the courtyard, she saw Jiman standing at the door. She was not as afraid of her as she had been a few days ago, but she still came over in a respectful manner, holding a food box. "I have brought back lunch."

Jiman smiled and sat back at the table. Mulu brought out the food and said, "It seems like I came back late. I waited at the kitchen door for a long time, but Mrs. Zhao didn't let me in. By the time she allowed me in, there was only this left."

A bowl of rice, a stack of greens, and a stack of green beans, not a single piece of meat. Jiman raised her eyebrows slightly. "Has the Marquis's residence become this poor?"

Mulu was not too disheartened. She closed the door and carefully took out a package from under the bed.

"I know that the master won't eat without meat. I saved half of the chicken from yesterday, untouched and clean, thinking that the master could have some meat today."

The little girl's eyes sparkled as she carefully opened the lotus leaf-wrapped chicken, only to find that a large hole had rotted in the lotus leaf.

A mouse jumped out of the lotus leaf-wrapped chicken, squeaked twice, and then ran down Mulu's hand and back, heading for the cabinet under the bed.

"Ah!" Mulu screamed in fright, her face pale, and she dropped the lotus leaf-wrapped chicken and jumped to the side, her face full of fear and her body trembling.

The chicken, which had been eaten by the mouse, was reduced to half a bone frame. Jiman sighed as she looked at it. Niesangyu was really pitiful.

"How could there be a mouse..." Mulu, terrified, pressed against the wall, looking at the chicken on the ground, feeling so heartbroken that she was about to cry.

Jiman was not afraid of this. She had lived in a basement when she was drifting up north and had seen all kinds of cockroaches and mice.

She stood up, picked up the lotus leaf-wrapped chicken, and put it back in the cabinet under the bed to hide the evidence. Then she sat in front of the two plates of vegetables and said helplessly, "Let's eat. It's better than nothing. Later, take the handkerchief I embroidered and give it to Mrs. Liu and tell her that I want to have dinner."

"Yes, master." Mulu, seeing the cabinet closed, relaxed a bit and stood next to Jiman, feeling embarrassed.

Jiman ate half of the food and left the other half for Mulu. She also asked, "Who is in charge of the household now?"

Mulu, eating and answering, said, "Mr. Qian has always been in charge."

"No," Niesangyu shook her head. "I mean, who is in charge of the various maids and servants in the backyard for their food and clothing?"

"It used to be Lady Ling, but now the new lady has arrived, so it should be the new lady."

When Niesangyu was the Marquis's wife, the Marquis thought she was not stable enough and gave the power of the household to the always dignified and virtuous Qili. The book didn't describe how the maids and servants lived, and she couldn't go out now, so she couldn't do anything about it.

After thinking for a while, Jiman's gaze fell on Niesangyu's clothes and jewelry.

"Mulu, do you want to eat something delicious?" Jiman asked with a smile.

Mulu looked at her in confusion and nodded gently, "What does the master want to do?"

"Your master now wants to eat meat the most." Jiman patted her shoulder and said, "As long as we are alive, there is still hope. I've figured it out. I won't compete with them for anything, but at least we should have enough to eat, right?"

Mulu was silent for a moment and nodded.

There was a special doctor in the Marquis's residence, and Mulu happened to know a young doctor named Li. When Jiman asked her what was going on, Mulu panicked and explained that they were just friends.

Seeing her hurried explanation and her blushing face, Jiman understood and didn't want to embarrass her. As long as there was a way to sell some of Niesangyu's clothes and jewelry, it would be fine.

So in the afternoon, Jiman pretended to be sick in bed, and Mulu went to report to Mrs. Liu, asking her to find Dr. Li to come and see her.

"Why report to the Marquis about being sick?" Moyuxuan leaned against the door, looking at Mrs. Liu and said indifferently, "As long as she doesn't play tricks to harm people, there's no need to report anything to the Marquis."

"I was presumptuous." Mrs. Liu bowed and was about to leave.

"Wait." Ning Yuxuan remembered something and called her back.