The scene unfolded so suddenly that the two little maids’ faces turned deathly pale from fear.
They never expected the Second Young Miss to actually strike, and even more decisively than yesterday.
Xie Zhaofan, however, continued to look at the servant woman in her hand with a smile.
“Did you know?” she said, her tone even bordering on gentle. “I have a very bad habit.”
The servant woman’s hands gripped Xie Zhaofan’s wrist tightly, trying to struggle. However, she found that the arm, which looked slender and delicate, was as if cast in iron; it didn't budge an inch no matter how much force she applied.
Xie Zhaofan tilted her head slightly.
“I can’t be hungry. Once I’m hungry, I tend to get into a bad mood.”
“And when I’m in a bad mood…” Her smile grew increasingly radiant. “I tend to go crazy.”
She gave the woman in her hand a slight shake. “I wonder if your old bones can withstand me going crazy?”
The servant woman’s eyes widened instantly. It was only at this moment that she truly realized why Mammy Zhou had been sent for medical treatment yesterday.
How was this still the delicate and soft Second Young Miss? This was clearly a monster wearing a young girl’s skin!
“Spare… Spare me…” She wanted to call for help, but her neck was clamped so tightly that she could only squeeze out words intermittently.
The two little maids’ legs felt even weaker. They looked at Xie Zhaofan’s bright and beautiful face, feeling that the better the Second Young Miss smiled, the more terrifying she became.
Xie Zhaofan, of course, didn't plan on actually strangling her to death.
Although she now possessed strength far exceeding that of an ordinary person, she was still a normal person from modern society at her core. Killing someone was something she couldn't do with such cold indifference for now; scaring her was enough.
Thus, she loosened her wrist.
Thump!
The servant woman fell to the ground, coughing violently.
“Cough… Cough, cough…” She clutched her neck and gasped for breath, her face pale. She didn't dare to look up at Xie Zhaofan at all.
Xie Zhaofan crouched down and looked at her, her expression remaining calm.
“Do you understand now? I cannot be hungry.”
The servant woman nodded frantically. “Un… This servant understands…”
“Then go.” Xie Zhaofan stood up and casually shook her hand. “Go exchange this for something edible.”
She thought for a moment and added another sentence. “And make the portions larger, otherwise…” She gave the servant a smile. “I might go crazy again.”
The servant woman’s body trembled violently. How could she dare say another word of refusal?
Without even bothering to tidy up the food box, she scrambled off the ground, grabbed the basket, and ran out. Her speed was actually a bit faster than a young person’s.
Xie Zhaofan let out a soft huff as she watched her fleeing back. In this day and age, strength really did the talking.
Status, rules, allotments—in the face of absolute power, they were all as flimsy as paper.
However, she also knew that this method could only resolve the immediate crisis. If she relied on her fists to solve every problem, she would sooner or later bring even greater trouble upon herself.
What she lacked most right now wasn't the strength to hit people, but a true understanding of this world. And… more attribute points.
Before long, footsteps were heard outside again; that servant woman had indeed returned.
Only this time, her attitude was completely different from before.
Not only were the portions in the food box much more substantial, but there were also several steaming hot dishes. At least it finally looked like a normal breakfast for a young miss.
The servant woman set the food box down and stood to the side with her head bowed, not daring to breathe loudly.
Xie Zhaofan didn't pick up her chopsticks immediately. She glanced at the food on the table, then at the two clearly nervous little maids nearby.
“You two eat first.”
The two maids were stunned simultaneously. “Second Young Miss…”
“Eat,” Xie Zhaofan said in a tone that brooked no argument. “You’ve worked hard. This Young Miss allows you to eat first.”
The two little maids glanced at each other. Ultimately, they could only steel themselves to take the food and eat in small bites while standing by the table.
They ate very slowly, even taking secret glances at Xie Zhaofan’s face with every swallow.
Standing to the side, Mother Ma watched with a strange expression. Was there any need for this?
Even if she were given ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare tamper with the Second Young Miss’s food. Although the Second Young Miss was currently out of favor, she was still the Second Young Miss of the Prime Minister’s Manor in name.
Let alone a servant like her, even if everyone in the manor were added together, no one would dare bear such a consequence. If something really went wrong, not just her, but even her family behind her would likely be implicated.
Recalling that hand that had clamped onto her neck just now, the servant woman couldn't help but quietly touch her neck. Even now, she still felt a lingering fear.
She suddenly felt that perhaps from today onward, this Second Young Miss… truly could no longer be viewed the same way as before.
…
Xie Zhaofan looked at the washroom in front of her with an expression of utter despair. To be precise, she was looking at the commode bucket in the washroom that she found very hard to accept. The look on her face was as if she had seen something incomprehensible.
As the daughter of the Prime Minister’s manor, the environment she used for answering nature's call was actually considered top-tier for this era.
The washroom was kept very clean, and there was even an incense burner in the corner. The faint scent of incense could mask the less pleasant smells in the air.
There were also servants specifically responsible for handling waste nearby, so she didn't need to worry about it herself.
If judged by ancient standards, this treatment was definitely luxurious. At least it was countless times better than the pit latrines she had seen in movies and novels.
Yet, Xie Zhaofan still couldn't accept it. Her mind was currently filled with thoughts of the smart toilets back home in modern times. Automatic flushing, automatic cleaning, even warm water washing and drying functions—the whole process required almost no effort on her part; she could just pull up her pants and leave.
It wasn't like now, where even the simplest act had to be handled manually.
Xie Zhaofan felt increasingly miserable the more she thought about it.
“When will these days end…” she couldn't help but mutter softly.
With these kinds of living conditions, never mind being a daughter of the Prime Minister’s manor, even the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne probably couldn't enjoy the happiness brought by a smart toilet.
One had to admit that some things from modern civilization might seem unremarkable, but it was only after truly losing them that one realized how precious they were.
Once she came out of the washroom, the little maids nearby had already started tidying up very diligently. Their movements were brisk and their expressions natural; they were clearly long accustomed to doing such things.
Xie Zhaofan stood to the side and watched for a while, still feeling somewhat uncomfortable in her heart.
These young girls looked far too young. In modern society, they would probably only be starting middle school, carrying backpacks and sitting in classrooms, worrying about their exam grades instead of learning to serve people so early.
She did feel a sense of guilt at first, but that emotion didn't last long either.
Xie Zhaofan quickly reasoned it out. It wasn't as if she had actively chosen to be an exploiter.
Currently, she herself was still struggling to adapt to this era. Being able to ensure she didn't bully others was already good enough.
Rate on N.U.
