Who asked Wu's mother to take care of her?

  She couldn't think of a way out no matter how hard she tried. She didn't know many people, and even fewer were capable and willing to help her like Wu's mother did.

  Chao Sheng thought of all the people she knew, even guessing about Chen Fei, now An Fei Niangniang. However, it shouldn't be her; with her status, if she wanted to take care of Chao Sheng, why would she need to send her to Huanyi Alley? She could have directly given her a good position elsewhere.

  Chao Sheng packed up her own things - not that there was much to pack. A few clothes, two pairs of socks, a pair of shoes, some small trinkets. She left the hand cream for Man Er - no washing clothes, and the cream wasn't so necessary anymore.

  Man'er couldn't bear to part with her and took the small bundle from her, sending her off. Just as they reached the gate, Wu Mama loudly called them back.

  Man'er didn't dare not go, reluctantly handed the small package to her and whispered: "You... take care of yourself."

  Chao nodded slightly.

  Sometimes getting a good job doesn't necessarily mean you'll be on easy street from then on.

  Chao Sheng had long been mentally prepared for this.

  At the time of Yunxia Palace, she combed Chen Fei's hair once and provoked a revenge from Qingjing.

  This time was no exception. As soon as she entered the upper house, someone came to throw her weight around and tossed her a tattered garment, telling her to mend it.

  Deception is universally present everywhere.

  The needle and thread he thought were quite good before are actually not very useful here.

  She used to study, but didn't actually apply it. Whether in the palace or after entering the palace, she was always focused on looking good, drawing patterns on silk and doing delicate work. But here, she was doing sewing, mending and embroidery, and by half past noon, Cao Sheng's eyes were sore and her fingers were numb with pain.

  Others more or less have a wooden support for their embroidery hoop, but she doesn't.

  "Hey, looks good but useless..."

  "Get back where you came from, thinking this bowl of rice is so delicious."

  Chao Sheng wrapped his fingers around the cloth and gritted his teeth as he continued.

  At night, the place to sleep is by the side, the window can't be closed tightly, although it's already early spring, but the chill of the night is still heavy. Chao Sheng wrapped himself tightly, with his head inward and curled up.

  Perhaps human life is indeed resilient. The more one is in a state of poverty and hardship, the more tenacious they become, just like wild grass, which grows stronger and greener with each gust of wind and frost.

  After struggling through the first few months, Chao Sheng gradually adapted to his new job and new life.

  This position, many people have been eyeing it, and there has been a vacancy since last autumn. However, with so many eyes watching from the warehouse to the laundry room, in the end, it was taken by Chao Sheng, this little girl who was demoted due to her crime. How can others accept this?

  Chao Sheng even encountered a situation where someone used an electric iron and almost scalded her hand.

  Is it intentional? Is it accidental?

  That really hit hard, don't know if the hand is crippled or not, but it's certain that no work can be done for a while. In this case, I'm afraid someone else will have to be called in to fill the gap.

  The tide was born in the ordinary days, and the words became less and less. She looked very numb, except for doing work, eating, and sleeping. But in fact, her nerves were tight every day, and as soon as someone passed by her side, she felt that all the hairs on her body stood up like antennae with a "whoosh" sound.

  In the past, New Year's Eve told her that in the palace, one must keep an eye on all directions and listen to all sides. But how to cultivate this skill, she didn't teach.

  Now Cai Sheng knows that this doesn't need to be taught by others, experience naturally teaches everything.

  Never blindly believe what others say, never give anyone a handle on your weaknesses.

  Because you never know when someone will stab you in the back.

  She just really misses Cai Zhenzhen.

  I don't know why she hasn't come back again.

  Are you busy? Can't find an opportunity?

  Is she ill or has something happened?

  At first, Chao Sheng thought that she might have changed her job to find pearls and couldn't find herself, but she had instructed Man Er, and Man Er had been paying attention for her.

  The pearl diver has never been here before.

  If I could grow wings and fly out of the narrow alleys, I would have gone to find her long ago.

  She also entrusted the person who went out, if they could ask about the news of the Smoke and Clouds Palace, to ask on her behalf, or to pass on a message.

  But always can't meet the opportunity.

  Women, after a long day of needlework, would also chat idly. The Queen Mother's birthday, the Imperial Concubine's birthday, and the addition of two new princesses to the palace were all occasions for celebration within the palace. On these occasions, they would sometimes add an extra dish of meat, which although greasy and overcooked, was devoured with relish by them. Moreover, at such times, they always had something to talk about.

  Even the lowest palace maid always thinks she has a bit of charm, lacking only luck and opportunity. If one day she gets to see the emperor's face, who knows, maybe she'll be favored by His Majesty and rise to the top overnight. The people coming and going in Washing Clothes Alley every day look dull and dusty, their clothes are either old green or gray blue. Compared to those outside, these few upstairs are indeed whiter and more tender, much more delicate.

  But this is relative. Compared with people outside of Xīnjiāng... cough...

  Chao Sheng only found it amusing, saying that the emperor was like a lecherous and ignorant pervert who had never seen the world, and would become lustful as long as he caught sight of a woman.

  Not to mention the consorts she had seen, Chen Fei, Xian Fei, and Gui Fei, but even among the palace maids in the Yanxia Palace, there were those who were gentle and kind at year's end, elegant and clever, refined and beautiful... What kind of looks were they, that they could still serve in front of the emperor and empress without being dismissed due to his violent temper?

  No, Qingjing was indeed favored by the emperor and also had the title of a talented person.

  He was so startled that the needle pierced his fingertip.

  The tide was urgent to withdraw the needle and put his fingers in his mouth to suck.

  In the past, when watching TV and such, it seemed that ancient people would suck on their wounds after being injured. In fact, it wasn't because of some magical mouthwash or disinfectant that could cure all diseases. It was just that the bloodstain on their hands couldn't be wiped off anywhere. At that time, there weren't any convenient paper towels or tissues to wipe with. If they wiped it on their clothes or headscarf, it would be difficult to wash off. Sucking on it seemed like a good solution - after sucking on it, the bleeding really did stop.

  There's a salty smell in my mouth that won't go away for half a day.

  An article of clothing was handed over to her: "This one is for tomorrow, and it's been well-mended."

  Chao Sheng responded with a sound, unfolding his clothes to take a look.

  It's a good piece of clothing, a light blue long shirt. The fabric feels soft and warm to the touch, not as thin as silk, nor as rough as hemp.

  It was just a good piece of clothing, but the sleeve had been torn open with a long slit. It looked like when it got caught, the owner of the clothes was probably in a hurry and pulled hard to tear it off, leaving behind some frayed threads at the broken seam.

  Embroidery can be embroidered, but in general, after embroidering the top, it is inevitable to leave embroidery marks, more or less, which are always difficult to avoid. Careful observation will definitely reveal them.

  Chao Sheng thought for a moment, then put his clothes aside and carefully picked up the thread.

  The fingertips that were just pricked by the needle still throbbed with pain, Chao Sheng picked up a deep green silk thread, held it against the light to compare, then placed it on the collar of her clothes to match the color, and nodded.

  Since it's inevitable to leave a mark, I can only think of ways to cover it up.