Xu Zhuohua sat in the meditation room, staring blankly at the wide-open door.
The sky was a clear, deep blue, dotted with fluffy white clouds. It was far more beautiful than the smog-polluted skies of modern times. The azure blue sky slanted down to the ground, and the leaves swayed gently in the wind.
However, as a rising star in the history department, Xu Zhuohua understands better than anyone what the phrase "late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China" represents.
It was not a clear blue sky and white clouds, but rather a scene of starving people everywhere, where the rich feasted on meat and wine while the poor froze to death on the streets.
How does a woman, a beautiful woman, a beautiful woman with no background, manage to survive in this place?
If Xu Zhuohua had been luckier, she could have married a hardworking man, hidden away in a place free from war, and lived a peaceful life, eventually witnessing the days when the red flag fluttered in the wind.
Xu Zhuohua slowly realized that, under these circumstances, the first thing she should consider was preserving her innocence while in the nunnery.
She looked down at the heavy military uniform in her hands; perhaps this was a turning point.
A brilliant plan to play dumb and outsmart the enemy instantly flashed into my mind.
Just then, two figures, one fat and one thin, appeared at the door. The fat monk looked around and, seeing that only Xu Zhuohua was in the meditation room, swaggered in.
"Let's see where you run this time!" she said as she walked towards Xu Zhuohua, extending her hand, which was as fat as a pig's trotter.
Xu Zhuohua suddenly stood up, her wide robe slipping down due to the speed, revealing half of her fair shoulder and the red thread hanging on it.
The fat monk was immediately overcome with lust, "It's not too late to take the initiative now."
Xu Zhuohua immediately picked up the military uniform left behind by Cheng Muyun and said sternly, "Do you know what this is? Do you know who was in this meditation room just now?"
The fat monk stopped in his tracks, his breath caught in his throat, and a look of panic crossed his greasy face.
Xu Zhuohua knew she had been intimidated, and felt much relieved. "You've really got a death wish! I'm Cheng Muyun's woman now, do you dare touch me?"
Jinghuai stood at the door, hunched over and shaking his head, while the fat monk also took several steps back.
The fat monk glared angrily at Jinghuai, "This is all your doing! You caught her, but she got away and even hooked up with Young Marshal Cheng!"
Jing hugged her small, thin body, so much so that she could barely stand up after being yelled at by the fat monk. "I'm not full, and I have no strength."
The fat monk flicked his sleeves, put his hands behind his back, and left with his belly sticking out. "Hmph! Don't even think about getting any money for incense this month."
Upon hearing this, Jinghuai instantly collapsed to the ground, her eyes lifeless.
The monthly donation for incense offerings isn't much, but for the entire nunnery, it's a lifeline. Everyone there is an abandoned group, sticking together for warmth. Unable to leave the temple, they rely on the donation money to buy food and barely survive.
Previously, the Xu family would occasionally send supplies, and everyone lived quite comfortably. Now that they have nothing left, those few frail sisters probably can't withstand the monks' torment day and night.
Jinghuai looked at Xu Zhuohua in disbelief. Her beauty and youth aroused a sudden surge of jealousy. Jinghuai actually stood up and walked step by step to Xu Zhuohua.
He questioned, "Have you really hooked up with the young marshal?"
Jing Huai's gaze was terrifying. Xu Zhuohua swallowed hard and raised her voice, "Otherwise what? Do you think I stole my military uniform?"
Upon hearing this, Jinghuai exhaled, and her back slumped down at a speed visible to the naked eye, making her hunchback even more pronounced.
"Shuhua, can you please not hold a grudge about what happened before?"
Xu Zhuohua thought she would lash out, after all, a woman's jealousy should not be underestimated, and Jing Huai was the one who bullied the original owner the most before.
Now she's scared. Xu Zhuohua has found a backer, and she's afraid of being retaliated against, so she bowed her head and apologized.
Xu Zhuohua didn't actually feel anything special, but the anger of this body infected her.
"Hmph, that depends on your sincerity. First, give me back my meditation room!"
The original owner used to have a maidservant by her side and lived in a fine meditation room, but Jinghuai later took it away.
"Okay, I'll return it to you right away."
The two walked back to the nunnery together from the meditation room.
Actually, this nunnery used to be quite popular, mainly with wealthy housekeepers' wives or wives of rich merchants coming to offer incense. They would also occasionally take the opportunity to cultivate relationships. In the old days, women were not allowed to show their faces in public, but no one cared what they did in the nunnery.
Later, for some reason, things fell into chaos here. Powerful and influential people all ran away, and the number of worshippers gradually decreased.
Afterwards, the abbess sealed the gates of the nunnery, ostensibly to protect the defenseless women, but in reality, to control them.
The nunnery's gate is connected to the temple's back gate, and even the well can only be accessed through the temple's well.
The original owner was attacked by the fat monk while fetching water.
The closer Xu Zhuohua got to the nunnery, the angrier she became. Women in this era had such a hard life.
Not only are they struggling, but they also fail to learn to unite and instead kick each other when they're down. No wonder things are getting worse and worse.
So when Jinghuai returned carrying the water bucket and Xu Zhuohua returned in her military uniform, the skinny nuns all looked at her with resentment.
A slightly wealthy-looking nun, holding an iron spoon, stared blankly at the two of them. Her eyes were long and narrow, and she looked shrewd and selfish.
When Xu Zhuohua saw her, she couldn't help but shrink back. This person was called Jing An, the leader of the nunnery. Jing Huai dared to be so outrageous to the original owner of the body because she was instructed by Jing An.
"Didn't work?"
Jing'an's voice wasn't loud, but it was incredibly intimidating. The silence was palpable; everyone who had been rustling stopped what they were doing and looked at the two people standing at the door.
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