Chapter 17: Not Optimistic

Because she helped Du Ruo pull two carts of medicinal herbs, Hua Changxi clearly felt that Du Ruo was more enthusiastic toward her.

When the two returned to the Sixth Bureau, it happened to be dinner time, so Du Ruo took the initiative to call Hua Changxi and went to the cafeteria together.

There were very few people in the cafeteria. Not many people could finish their work on time every day. Those who were slow had to work until midnight, and some might even have to pull an all-nighter.

Hua Changxi asked: "Manager Du, if the work is done late and there is no food to eat, what should I do?"

Du Ruo: "That requires you to build a good relationship with others and have someone help you bring a few steamed buns to the dormitory. After you go back at night, you can still pad your stomach. If no one helps, you can only go hungry."

"By the way, I forgot to tell you earlier. The Menial Hall has one day off a month, and every ten days, there is also half a day of rest."

Afterward, Du Ruo told Hua Changxi some other things about the Menial Hall. After eating dinner, the two separated.

Hua Changxi returned to her accommodation. There was no one in the room. After hurriedly washing up, she climbed onto the bed, lay prone on the bed, closed her eyes, and began to cultivate.

She had worked for a day, and she was actually quite tired. As the cultivation progressed, the fatigue on her body was relieved bit by bit.

The sky gradually darkened, and it wasn't until it was completely dark that people returned to the room one after another.

Seeing that Hua Changxi had fallen asleep, the people in the room didn't intend to lower their voices; instead, their voices became louder and louder.

Unfortunately, no matter how loud everyone's voices were, Hua Changxi had no intention of waking up.

"Why does she sleep so dead?"

"Look at her young age. Today is her first day in the Menial Hall, so she must be exhausted."

Everyone's voices gradually quieted down.

Hua family in Xiuzheng Ward.

When Hua Sanlang returned home to convey the words brought back by Apothecary Xu, and the Hua family learned that Hua Changxi had to live in the Menial Hall and only had one day off a month, their expressions were all somewhat complex.

Lady Yao was worried: "Jiuniang has never left home since she was young. She didn't bring any luggage when she left this morning. I have to pack some things and send them to her."

"Stop!"

Old Master Hua called Lady Yao to a halt and looked at the members of the first branch seriously: "You are not allowed to send anything to Jiuniang."

"Jiuniang's ideas are too big, so big that she doesn't even listen to the words of her grandfather. In order to enter the Medical Department, she acted arbitrarily and didn't care about the family's opinions at all."

"Where does her confidence come from to dare to do this?"

"Isn't it from your indulgence? Anyway, if she causes trouble, you will clean up the mess for her."

"In the past, she was young, so that was fine. Now that she is getting older, can you guarantee that the trouble she causes in the future is something you can clean up?"

"Let her suffer some hardship in the Menial Hall and know how difficult it is to make a living, so she will understand how important her family is to her."

"You have to let her know that she dared to throw tantrums in the past because the family protected her. Now that she has left home, she is nothing."

Hua Minghe's brows knotted, and Hua Sanlang and Hua Liulang also tightened their faces, obviously disapproving of Old Master Hua's approach. Lady Yao simply lowered her head, covering up the reluctance on her face.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit wrong, Old Madam Hua came out to smooth things over: "Children need to be disciplined well when they grow up, especially young girls."

"Eldest son, eldest daughter-in-law, you tell me yourselves, with Jiuniang's temper, what family would dare to want her?"

"If her temper doesn't change, she will suffer great hardship when she marries into her husband's family in the future."

"Now that she hasn't married yet, we help manage more, so she can suffer less torture when she reaches her husband's family in the future."

"Your father and I have broken our hearts for this family. If you don't understand or cooperate, it really chills our hearts."

Second Uncle Hua immediately took over the conversation: "Eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, I think Father and Mother are right. None of the boys in the family have bigger ideas than Jiuniang. She shouldn't be like this; she must be disciplined well."

Saying this, he looked at Fourth Uncle Hua: "Fourth brother, what do you say?"

Fourth Uncle Hua looked at the Old Master and Old Madam, then looked at Hua Minghe and Lady Yao, and said vaguely: "Jiuniang... is not very respectful and humble."

As soon as the words fell, Old Madam Hua looked at Hua Minghe: "You don't have to listen to your father and me, but you should at least consider the words of your two brothers."

Hua Minghe hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Mother, what are you saying? It's not that we don't listen to you and Father, it's just that we feel pained for Jiuniang suffering in the Menial Hall."

Old Madam Hua said unpleasantly: "Is this hardship given to Jiuniang by the family? It's something she asked for herself. They say a fall into a pit, a gain in your wit. Whether Jiuniang can learn a lesson depends on how you do it."

Hua Minghe was silent for a while and finally compromised: "We will listen to Father and Mother."

"I hope you do what you say."

Old Madam Hua and Old Master Hua looked at each other, showing satisfaction.

Hua Shierniang leaned toward Hua Qiniang and whispered: "Seventh Sister, you said earlier that Ninth Sister's confidence would become stronger and stronger in the future. Look, even Eldest Uncle doesn't look favorably on Ninth Sister."

"When Ninth Sister is at home, she doesn't even wash the clothes of Eldest Uncle, Third Brother, and Sixth Brother. How can she endure the hardship of being a menial."

"Just watch, maybe in two days, Ninth Sister will come back in a dejected manner."

The next day, when the first ray of light shone on the earth, the sound of ear-piercing gongs rang out in the Menial Hall. People in each menial room opened their eyes one after another, preparing to get up and start working.

"Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

"Should we call her?"

"Call what? She works so fast, what's wrong with sleeping a little longer."

"Alright Qingluo, don't be a busybody. Maybe if you call her, she won't appreciate your kindness."

"Hurry up and go. If you go late, you'll have to line up again."

Menials have to race against time every day. They have to line up to eat, line up to collect medicinal herbs, and line up to hand in tasks. The job is already heavy, and if the movements are a bit slower, there won't be enough time.

At the beginning of the Chen hour (7:00), each menial had successively collected the medicinal herbs to be cleaned that day, pulled them to the canal, and started cleaning and processing.

After everyone started working, Du Ruo came over and turned around, and soon discovered that Hua Changxi hadn't arrived yet.

Having stayed in the Menial Hall for several years, she understood that Hua Changxi hadn't adapted to the Menial Hall's schedule and had gotten up late. At the same time, the people in the same room didn't call her.

After hesitating for a moment, Du Ruo didn't call anyone to shout for Hua Changxi.

Newcomers, after all, always have to suffer some hardship before they know how to strive to integrate into the team and know how to conduct themselves.

At the second quarter of the Si hour (9:30), Hua Changxi finally opened her eyes, stretched, and got out of bed with a smile, her face carrying an irrepressible joy.

She discovered that cultivating here was much faster than cultivating at home.

【Realm: Qi Refining Realm 51/1000】

After one night, not only was all the spiritual energy consumed yesterday restored, but the realm points had also increased by two points.

Hua Changxi estimated that cultivating at home for one night could only increase by two realm points, but cultivating here, she could increase by 5 realm points in one night.

Cultivating here was more than twice as fast as at home!

This discovery made Hua Changxi excited but also somewhat puzzled.

Why was cultivating in the Menial Hall faster than at home?

Could it be that the spiritual energy contained in the air of the Menial Hall was fuller than at home?

"Entering the Menial Hall was truly the right choice."

Hua Changxi looked at the sky and saw the sun hanging high in the sky, her expression changing.

She must have gotten up late!

There was no way. Cultivating during the midnight and dawn periods was the most efficient, during which the spiritual energy circulated most smoothly. She didn't want to waste this period of time.

Breakfast would probably be missed.

"Eh?"

Hua Changxi discovered that there were two coarse-grain steamed buns placed at the head of her bed, and her face showed joy: "Who put them there?"

It seemed that among her new roommates, there were still very friendly people.

Hua Changxi hurriedly washed up, took the steamed buns, and walked toward the front yard while eating.

Arriving at the front yard, the menials on both sides of the canal were busy working in full swing.

Du Ruo saw her: "You have to clean and process 500 medicinal herbs today. If you can't finish, you aren't allowed to sleep. Hurry to the warehouse and collect the medicinal herbs to be processed."

Seeing that Du Ruo didn't scold her for getting up late, Hua Changxi felt joy in her heart and immediately decided that as long as Du Ruo didn't say anything, she would always get up late. ===== CHAPTER 18 =====