At noon, the weather was warm.
Yan Yunuo brought along Xu Bingyue and Yan Yuqing, who she had already promised earlier, to follow Chen Ji to the outside of the courtyard of Xinzheku. Bai mama was standing in the courtyard because she had agreed on the time with Chen Ji beforehand. At this point, she had been waiting outside the door for a long time.
“Mama!”
Chen Ji flicked his horsetail whisk and smiled at Bai mama: “These girls are Su Wan's sisters. It's okay to let them go in together to visit her, right?”
“Ai, this is usually not allowed.”
Bai mama pretended to be in an awkward situation: “However, since Chen gonggong has spoken, this old slave naturally has to give you face. Now that there are not many people in the courtyard, Su Wan also just came back. Come in and see her. Remember to be quick.”
Bai mama beckoned as she spoke, she summoned a palace servant from the Xinzheku.
“Yue Mei, you take them to meet Su Wan.”
Yue Mei was Bai mama's confidant. Upon hearing Bai mama's words, she immediately stepped forward respectfully: “Older sisters, please follow me!”
According to age, Yue Mei was several years older than Yan Yunuo, but the harem was a place that paid a lot of attention to the hierarchical rank. In front of these high-ranked palace maids, the people of Xinzheku will always have to respectfully address them as older sisters.
Because Su Wan lived in the innermost place, Yue Mei led the crowd through most of the courtyard of the Xinzheku. Looking at the haggard palace maids, Yan Yuqing and Xu Bingyue furrowed their brows, Yan Yunuo even had an uncomfortable look on her face: “Miss Yue Mei, what does Su Wan do in the Xinzheku? Is it difficult?”
Yan Yunuo couldn't help but inquire about Su Wan's current situation. She was anxious to know how Su Wan had pa.s.sed her days here. When she heard Yan Yunuo, Yue Mei just smiled bitterly: “This older sister, we of the Xinzheku do the lowest and hardest work. The newcomers generally pour night incense, sweep the latrines of the Three Halls, or clear out the weeds at the Six Halls. In short, our lives are expendable, how would we have the right to complain that it is difficult? ”
Hearing Yue Mei's words, Yan Yunuo's face went white. Yan Yuqing and Xu Bingyue looked at each other, and they shivered subconsciously. This Xinzheku was really not a place for a person to stay.
“We have arrived.”
At this time, Yue Mei's footsteps stopped in front of a dilapidated building: “This is where Su Wan is staying. She came last, so she could only live in the farthest and worst room. Older sisters should brace yourselves before entering!”
Yue Mei gave a deep look at the three, and she shook her head then left.
“Older sister.”
Looking at the shabby wooden door, Yan Yuqing subconsciously pulled Yan Yunuo's sleeve.
Yan Yunuo took a deep breath, and then stepped forward to push open the wooden door——
Creak.
They choked on dust as the wooden door opened.
Cough.
Xu Bingyue, who was standing on the far right, started to cough because of the dust, and her coughs alerted the person in the room.
“Sister Yunuo, you, why are all of you here?”
The entire room was very narrow. The only things furnishing the room was a small old, wooden bed that leaned against the wall, a tottering wooden table with a missing leg and a wooden chair.
At this time, Su Wan was sitting on the wooden bed with her head bowed down as she applied medicine on herself. When she heard the sound of movement at the door, she raised her head and looked at the three people in surprise.
“Xiao Wan!”
In contrast to Su Wan's gaze, Yan Yunuo's eyes turned red immediately——
Where was the beautiful and healthy Su Wan from a few days ago?
Presently, she was wearing a shabby, thin, coa.r.s.e slave uniform, and her long hair was a little dry and disorderly. Her previously fair face was now waxy and yellow.
“Xiao Wan, what happened to your arm?”
Yan Yunuo's eyes fell from Su Wan's face to her body. Only then did she notice that there was a long b.l.o.o.d.y stain on her arm. At this time, the blood in the wound began to clot. Seeing such a long wound, Yan Yunuo completely lost her voice to cry out, and even Xu Bingyue, who was behind her, turned her face away timidly.
“Don't worry about it.”
Su Wan was very satisfied with Yan Yunuo's performance. She smiled weakly at Yan Yunuo: “This was when I accidentally cut myself when I was working in the morning. This is nothing. I have been frequently injured these past few days. It's fine if I just slowly get used to it.”
Su Wan continued to pour all of the Jinchuang medicine powder in her hands on her wounds. The sting she felt in that instance made her whole face ghastly pale, and a layer of sweat immediately beaded from her forehead.
Blu: Jinchuang medicine powder – I'm too lazy to look it up
“Xiao Wan, I'll help you apply the medicine.”
Yan Yunuo saw how inconvenient it was for Su Wan to apply the medicine on her own and so she moved forward quickly as she spoke. Yan Yuqing and Xu Bingyue behind her also looked at each other, and they also went to the bed. The three of them bustled around to help Su Wan treat her wound. Yan Yuqing took out a clean handkerchief from her bosom and helped Su Wan wrap up her arm.
After finishing all this, Yan Yunuo sat by the bed and took Su Wan's hand into hers: “Xiao Wan, I'm sorry, you've suffered so much for me. You can rest a.s.sured that I'll think of a way to save you. I will definitely save you!”
“Sister Yunuo, I believe you. You are just like my sister. In this harem, you are my dearest person, as well as Yuqing.”
Su Wan's eyes slowly fell on Yan Yuqing and Xu Bingyue: “Yuqing and Bingyue are also good people. I'm really happy to have met them and became sisters.”
“Sister Xiao Wan, all of this is what we should do.”
Without waiting for Yuqing to speak, Xu Bingyue had already taken a step forward to hold Su Wan's other hand: “I am just a little palace maid of the Shangfu Bureau, but Sister Xiao Wan, I and Sister Yunuo will definitely think of a way to save you, you must wait for us.”
“En.”
Hearing Xu Bingyue's words, Su Wan's eyes flashed and she resolutely nodded.
Yan Yuqing, who had been silent this whole time, wanted to speak up several times, but because Xu Bingyue always grabbed the chance to speak, she could only sullenly stand at the back and looked at Xu Bingyue with an unreadable gaze…
The four sisters were not able to talk for long as Bai mama had sent someone to tell Su Wan to go out and continue working.
Seeing Su Wan's thin and small body staggering away as she carried a heavy wooden barrel, the figure of her slouching back was carved deeper and deeper in Yan Yunuo's heart–
This was what “real sisters” were. They would risk their life for you and they would be loyal to you.
Xiao Wan, I – Yan Yunuo – will remember your good deeds for the rest of my life and remember that you are my sister.
In the bottom of her heart, she vowed to repay Su Wan. Yan Yunuo's eyes became more determined when she left. She would think of a way. She would definitely think of a way…
After Yan Yunuo and others left, Su Wan returned to her room again. The heavy wooden barrel had been taken away by Yue Mei. Bai mama looked at Su Wan's still bleeding wound and couldn't help but frown: “Miss Su, why don't I find someone to call Steward w.a.n.g Yi over?”
In Bai mama's eyes, this Miss Su was not royalty but was more precious than royalty. A person with such an ident.i.ty gave herself a wound as soon as she said she would. This was the first time Bai mama saw someone treat herself with such ruthlessness.
It should be said that there were many women in the harem who could play tricks, but for the most part, they just throw tantrums or think of ways to frame others. How many people were willing to use their bodies to make a fuss?
Their bodies were precious.
“Don't call w.a.n.g Yi. Bai mama, it's good enough if you can go to the Imperial Hospital to help me get some painkillers.”
Su Wan looked down at the wound on her arm. The wound was very long and because it bled a lot, it looked very dreadful. In fact, the wound was not too deep as Su Wan accurately aimed for it to be that way. Except for bleeding and intense visual impact, such a wound will only leave a long and unsightly scar.
Su Wan wanted to use this scar to constantly remind Yan Yunuo of what she had suffered through for her, and with that saintly disposition of Yan Yunuo's, she would never be able to get out of the centre of her palm her whole life.
Of course, Su Wan's aim was to make Yan Yunuo willing to obey her for the rest of her life. She wanted Yan Yunuo to go through hardships and risk her life for said friendship!
BLEH CORNER
Blu: The power of “love and friendship”. Ew.
Teh: *Slowly claps* Sinister people be sinister
