On the seventeenth day of the twelfth lunar month, there was heavy snow.
Li Ruanruan knelt on the bluestone floor, her knees already numb from the cold. She lowered her head, staring at her fingers that were red with cold, and heard the sharp voice of the stewardess in her ears.
"Today is the day when the Crown Prince returns home. Cheer up!" The cane in Madam Liu's hand slapped on the back of the maid next to her. "Especially you roughnecks, keep your hands and feet clean and don't taint the master's eyes!"
The sound of wind brought by the vines passed by Li Ruanruan's ears. She shrank her neck and lowered her body lower.
"Pear is soft!" Nanny Liu suddenly called her name, which made her tremble all over.
"Slave, slave is here."
"You are responsible for cleaning the corridor in the west courtyard. Remember, you are only allowed to go there between Chen hour and Si hour. The prince will be there to enjoy plum blossoms at noon. Don't rush into it."
"Yes, I have remembered this."
Li Ruanruan responded softly, and out of the corner of her eye she caught the sarcastic looks from the other maids. She knew what they were thinking - a rough maid who was not even qualified to get close to the Crown Prince.
After the meeting, Li Ruanruan walked west across the courtyard holding the broom. The cold wind carried snow particles and hit her thin clothes, making her teeth chatter from the cold. According to the rules of the Hou Mansion, the maids can only wear two layers of single clothes in winter, and even a cotton-padded jacket is a luxury.
There was a thin layer of snow on the corridor in the west courtyard. Li Ruanruan knelt on the ground and carefully swept it with a broom. Her fingers were frozen stiff and her movements were much slower than usual.
