As Granny Xu had said, the four of them were palace maids, and if one of them made a mistake, they would all be punished.
This is the method used in the palace to manage maids. There's no need to reason with them; they naturally restrain each other, and it's the most effective method.
Sure enough, Tang Qingluan, who had been so assertive just moments before, turned deathly pale: "Who wants to go back to the Rongguo Mansion!"
She dared not return to the Rongguo Mansion, nor did she want to spend her life toiling in the imperial mausoleum, farming and raising chickens.
The commotion didn't bother Wan Youyou; she continued fiddling with the bobbins, watching them spin and twist out wool yarn.
He stopped the bobbin and fiddled with it from time to time, recalling the books he had seen in the mansion's library while pondering how to make both bobs rotate at the same time.
From a young age, she understood that she was different from the other sisters in the mansion. Because her mother was the daughter of a guard, not only did her father ignore her mother, but even the maids would speak coldly to her. Her daily life was also the worst.
Knowing that her grandfather liked the children in the family to study, she never went out and studied diligently every day. Eventually, she became a talented woman who could speak eloquently and was the most favored woman in the family. Her grandfather would take her to banquets to show off.
Out of respect for her, the servants in the house dared not treat her lightly anymore, and the mother finally lived a life free from worries about food and clothing.
Actually, she disliked showing off and just wanted to stay quietly in the garden watching the flowers bloom and fade.
Just as her maternal grandfather was trying to choose a husband for her from among the sons of imperial relatives and high-ranking families, her family was raided.
Her clansmen were exiled, her mother committed suicide, and her illustrious reputation naturally led to her being chosen as a palace maid. Without hesitation, she left the capital and came to the Di people.
While others were afraid to eat milk tablets on the street, she dared to. After having diarrhea twice and taking medicine given to her by Abu without any problems, Wan Youyou now drinks milk tea and eats dried meat every day.
Upon arriving at the tribe, she took off her cotton robe and put on a worn sheepskin robe given to her by the matron, just to keep warm.
She didn't take Tang Qingluan and the others' mockery to heart at all.
Just as Granny Xu said, having already fallen into the mire, instead of thinking about how to live a good life, she still clings to her status as a rich young lady and a noblewoman of a wealthy family, which is just courting death.
The little argument passed quickly, and the three of them turned their attention back to Wan Youyou, feeling somewhat indignant again.
We've all worked so hard combing the wool, why should that lowly maid sit there doing nothing?
Tang Qingluan's eyes darted around, and she stood up, saying to the maids sitting in another group, "Xia, take these combed wool pieces to Miss Wan!"
The maid named Xia put down the wool she was holding and came over to Tang Qingluan, puzzled, and said, "Miss Tang, Granny Xu said that if you can't comb a whole box of wool, you can't eat. Why did you give it to Miss Wan?"
Tang Qingluan snorted coldly and glanced at Wan Youyou: "Granny Xu said that everyone should work together. Miss Wan hasn't even combed a box of wool yet, so she probably won't even have a meal."
It doesn't matter if she misses a meal, since some random man cares about her and will bring her medicine soon. It's all our fault..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wan Youyou suddenly stood up and looked over indifferently with her slightly narrow eyes.
Tang Qingluan assumed Wan Youyou was about to be embarrassed and angry, so she quickly took a step back, grabbed Xia in front of her, and said to Wan Youyou, "What are you trying to do? I didn't say anything wrong!"
Wan Youyou acted as if she hadn't seen her at all, and simply said, "Idiot!" before taking two plumb bobs and walking out of the tent.
A series of soft chuckles suddenly rippled through the tent, mocking Tang Qingluan for trying to provoke others and being looked down upon instead.
Tang Qingluan's face immediately turned bright red. She threw the wool she had combed on the ground and ran out the door to chase after him.
Today I must teach that lowly servant girl born of a lowly person what proper etiquette and respect for hierarchy are.
But as soon as she stepped out of the tent, she stood still, her expression shifting.
Not far away, Wan Youyou was walking towards the tents where thread was being spun, and a group of knights was coming towards her.
The group of knights stopped in front of Wan Youyou...
Tang Qingluan called out in a low voice to those behind her, "Come quick and see! That wretched maid Wan Youyou is blocking the young master and the others!"
Before she finished speaking, the noble ladies who were still posing elegantly in the tent rushed over and saw a scene that made their eyes blaze with fury.
Among the knights, Zhao Tingduo, the leader, listened to Wan Youyou say a few words and then followed her into the tent next to them.
Tang Qingluan clutched her neck, as if she couldn't breathe, and said in a hoarse voice, "How dare she... how dare she seduce a man in public?"
Jiang Wanru pinched her fingers hard: "You lowly servant..."
She wanted to curse like Tang Qingluan, but her family rules were strict and she wasn't good at using foul language, so she couldn't say anything else except that one sentence.
Cao Jing's cold face also showed astonishment: "Isn't Granny Xu going to do anything about it?"
The three seemed to realize something, exchanged glances, then quickly looked away, clearly wary of each other.
They were all legitimate daughters of their families. Even if they were immature before, they had matured after this great calamity, and there were some things that could not be said openly.
The four of them were rivals from the very beginning.
At that time in the palace, the Empress Dowager said some things. On the surface, she wanted them to serve the young mistress well, but her words implied that they needed to gain a foothold in the tribe.
For a woman, the simplest way to gain a foothold in the world is to get married and have children.
In the tribe, there is only one young man with the highest status.
They had already seen Zhao Tingduo's appearance; she was the kind of woman that women in the capital would flock to pursue. It would be a lie to say they weren't tempted.
However, after the newlyweds finished their tea ceremony, Granny Xu called the four of them aside and gave them a stern lecture.
They were told that they were bestowed by the Empress Dowager and were not allowed to disgrace the Wu Dynasty by doing anything disrespectful. Even if they had feelings for the young master, they had to inform her first and were not allowed to act on their own.
Tang Qingluan and others came from prestigious families, and although they had fallen from grace, their inherent arrogance remained.
They are all young girls, and it's hard for them to lower themselves to actively seduce a man.
Moreover, they were competing with each other, neither wanting to lose their sense of superiority.
But things are different now. Wan Youyou has already spoken to Zhao Tingduo before everyone else.
Pooh!
A lowly servant's offspring is just that shameless!
The three could no longer suppress their excitement. They couldn't bring themselves to throw themselves into each other's arms, but noble ladies were masters of serendipitous encounters.
Just as the concubines in the palace were most likely to bump into the emperor in the imperial garden, if they showed panic and dismay, it would naturally arouse the man's pity and curiosity...
Several people began to consider how to "coincidentally" meet each other.
It sounds good, but it's difficult to implement.
Kara Valley is not small, covering an area of ten miles. The tribe's tents are scattered throughout the valley, empty and completely visible to each other.
Unlike the courtyards and houses of the Wu Dynasty, this terrain is not like that where there are covered walkways, artificial hills and flowers and trees between the buildings, so that you can encounter them unexpectedly while walking.
If they wanted to get to the direction of Zhao Tingduo's white tent, they would not only have to pass through flocks of sheep and cattle, but even the sheepdogs running freely in the valley would bark at them.
Unless, like Wan Youyou did today, she directly blocked the way for the horse team.
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