C6 Hanging up a Concubine 2

"Nanny, do you believe in me?"

"Of course!" No matter what the young lady intended to say or do, the Nanny's faith was unwavering.

Mu Yunhua reveled in her nanny's blind devotion. Though her predecessor had been notoriously unreliable, she was determined to keep her word from now on!

"Nanny, I promise to treat you well from here on out. You'll live a good life, that's a certainty!" she vowed.

"Yes, yes, yes. Better days are ahead for us." The Nanny quickly dabbed at her tears and nodded, her face breaking into a smile. Merely on the strength of Mu Yunhua's promise—a promise that had been empty too many times before—she found herself emerging from the gloom.

It was true, such simple souls were the easiest to exploit, powerless to retaliate.

But that was going to change!

"Nanny, what tasty morsels have you brought?" Mu Yunhua felt the Mu Mansion's schemes were not yet finished. She needed to recover quickly. Though she wasn't particularly excited about the estate's fare, after days of barely eating and feeling weak, she was genuinely famished.

"Oh dear, how could I forget?" The Nanny quickly presented the contents of the food box.

A small bowl of chicken soup was revealed, the broth barely cresting the bottom of the bowl—it was a pitiful sight. Yet, it couldn't overshadow the large, golden-brown chicken drumstick sitting within!

"Miss, look, the kitchen had chicken soup today. I managed to snag a big drumstick just for you. Eat up before it gets cold; it won't taste as good then."

"Has Old Mrs. Zhang had a change of heart today?" Mu Yunhua eyed the chicken leg suspiciously.

Old Mrs. Zhang, the kitchen overseer, was Aunt Wan's minion. For years, their meals—whether they had any at all—depended entirely on Old Mrs. Zhang's whims. In all that time, glimpses of meat were rare. And now, this sizable chicken leg...

With her imagination failing her, she simply couldn't fathom what stroke of luck must have befallen Old Mrs. Zhang.

"Why bother with her intentions? If she gave it to you, just eat it," the nanny urged, nudging the bowl toward her.

Mu Yunhua mulled it over and realized it was pointless to squabble over a chicken leg. She had hoped the nanny would share it with her, but the nanny refused outright. Left with no other choice, Mu Yunhua decided to tackle the chicken leg on her own.

She had barely taken a bite, still chewing the meat, when laughter echoed from outside the door.

"Hey, blockhead, how's that chicken leg tasting?" No sooner had the words left her lips than a girl around twelve or thirteen sprang out from beside the door.

Dressed in a tender pink gown paired with green embroidered shoes, the colors mingled without a hint of clash. On the contrary, she resembled an early summer lotus—poised to bloom, radiantly elegant.

If not for the scornful arrogance so evident in her gaze, even Mu Yunhua might have found her endearing.

"Good day, Third Miss," the nanny greeted with due respect. However, Mu Yuyao, the third daughter of the Mu household, didn't so much as glance her way.

With a smirk and a tilt of her chin, Mu Yuyao taunted, "I asked you a question, you dimwit. How's that chicken leg?"

"Who are you calling a dimwit?" Mu Yunhua chewed thoughtfully before swallowing the meat.

"Obviously, I'm talking to you!" retorted Mu Yuyao, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Ah," Mu Yunhua acknowledged with a nod, tearing off another strip of meat. "What was it the dimwit wanted to know? Repeat it for me, I didn't catch it the first time."

"I was saying—" Mu Yuyao started to repeat herself when her maid, Little Apricot, gave her a nudge and interjected, "Miss, she's insulting you."