Shen Miao was completely stunned. She never expected that Shen Li would act on her so - called "do it herself" so quickly, and it was her turn.
Shen Miao was reluctant. As a well - bred young lady, how could she do the work that only rough maids did? Moreover, Jiao Yue, a maid, was just standing there idle. How could she, a mistress, do the work?
"Sister, you know I've never done this kind of work at home before. I'm afraid I won't do it well. Look, Jiao Yue is right there. Can you ask her to boil a pot of water and bring it up?"
Hearing this, Shen Li's face immediately darkened. "Sister, this is not the He Mansion. There are no pampered young ladies here, and no one to serve us. Jiao Yue will have to prepare our lunch later. When will she have the time to boil water for you?"
"Sister, anyway, Jiao Yue will be in the kitchen to cook. Can't she just boil a pot of water for me? If I go myself, what if I accidentally set the kitchen on fire?"
Although Shen Miao's words were full of concern, they sounded more like a threat when coming from her mouth.
Shen Li naturally heard it too, and there was a hint of dissatisfaction on her face. "I believe with your intelligence, you can handle such a small task! If you don't do it well, I'll have to wonder if you're not as smart as I thought, or if you're doing it on purpose."
Shen Miao felt embarrassed, and her smile became a bit unnatural. "There's no such thing. How could I set the fire on purpose? That would probably trap me inside too. I'm not that stupid!"
"That's good! Then get up quickly, sister! Don't waste too much time!" Shen Li urged Shen Miao again.
Shen Miao's smile became even more unnatural. She looked at Shen Li and said, "I felt thirsty just now, but now I don't have that feeling anymore. I guess it was just an illusion. I'm really not thirsty now."
Shen Li seemed a bit skeptical. She looked at Shen Miao and asked, "Really? If you're thirsty, you must tell me! As the hostess here, I definitely won't treat you badly."
Shen Miao forced a smile and kept saying that she wouldn't be polite, but in her heart, she cursed Shen Li.
For lunch, Jiao Yue did cook. There were only four simple dishes and a pot of soup. The taste was certainly not as good as the food in the Shen Mansion, but Shen Li seemed not to notice. At the dinner table, she kept urging Shen Miao and Shen Zhen to eat more.
Shen Zhen was okay. When she was in the countryside before, the food she ate was cooked by the village women in the manor, and the taste was not that great. After eating like that for so many years, she was used to it. So now she didn't think Jiao Yue's cooking was that bad.
But it was really hard for Shen Miao. She had been pampered since childhood and had never eaten such simple and unpalatable food. But due to hunger, she ate a little bit of the food with a small bowl of rice. She really wanted to frown at the dinner table, but because Shen Li was there, she didn't want to spoil her mood, so she forced herself to swallow it.
After the meal, Jiao Yue cleared the plates and took them to wash.
Shen Li chatted with Shen Miao and Shen Zhen. But Shen Miao was not as affectionate as when she first saw Shen Li in the morning. At this time, she seemed a bit listless.
For every ten sentences Shen Li said, Shen Miao only gave one or two simple answers. She looked like she was sick.
"Sister, what's wrong with you? I see you're not in good spirits. Are you sick? Do you want me to call a doctor?"
Hearing this, Shen Miao, who had been hanging her head, suddenly raised it and looked at Shen Li with a smile. "It's okay, sister. I'm just a bit sleepy after the meal. I'll be fine after a rest."
After Shen Li nodded, she didn't ask anymore and started talking to Shen Zhen about other things.
Shen Miao licked her dry lips. She felt that every part of her body was crying out for water. Whether it was intentional or not, the food Jiao Yue cooked at noon was extremely salty, as if the salt was free. Coupled with the fact that she was already thirsty, after this meal, it was as if all the water in her body had been evaporated. But Shen Li and Shen Zhen were chatting so enthusiastically that she couldn't get a word in. So she could only sit there silently and lick her lips from time to time to relieve her thirst.
Finally, after Shen Li finished talking, Shen Miao immediately stepped forward and said, "Sister, you must be bored here. How about we stay here and chat with you to relieve your boredom?"
Shen Li hesitated a bit. She looked at Shen Zhen and then at Shen Miao. "I am really bored here. If someone can accompany me, time will pass faster. But do both of you sisters want to stay here with me for a few days?"
Shen Miao nodded quickly. "I'll get married soon, so I won't be able to stay in the mansion anymore. So I'd like to enjoy the good time with my sisters while I can."
Shen Zhen looked at Shen Miao in surprise. When they came out, she thought they were just here to visit Shen Li and would have at most one more meal here. She never thought that Shen Miao planned to stay overnight.
When Shen Zhen saw Shen Li looking at her again, she became even more hesitant. She didn't want to leave her mother's side, but she was afraid of offending Shen Li if she refused directly.
Although Shen Li seemed like a cute little kitten, when she got angry, she would turn into a fierce tiger.
Hesitating, Shen Zhen still said, "Elder sister, I've never left my aunt. And I don't know how to chop firewood, boil water, cook or do laundry. I... I don't want to cause you any trouble here."
Shen Li tried to persuade her to stay with a smile, but Shen Zhen was determined not to stay and wanted to go back to the Shen Mansion.
In the afternoon, Shen Li sent someone to take Shen Zhen home, while Shen Miao stayed.
"Sister, I came out in a hurry and didn't even bring any clothes to change. Since I plan to stay here for a few days, can I go back to the mansion to pack some luggage?"
Seeing Shen Zhen leaving, Shen Miao quickly stepped forward and complained to Shen Li. "I didn't bring anything. It's not good to keep wearing this dirty dress. I'll just go back to the mansion and come right back. I won't waste any time."
Shen Li nodded. "If you want to go back to the mansion, just go. You don't have to tell me about it."
Shen Miao was overjoyed. She didn't expect Shen Li to agree so readily. "Really? Sister, then I have to thank you! I'll be back soon."