Chapter 16: Adaptation

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The room where the servants lived was naturally nothing special. They slept on a heated brick bed that stretched the full length of the room, with a row of wooden cabinets opposite it and nothing else.

Hua Changxi glanced at the communal bed. The inner spaces had already been taken, leaving only a place by the window.

She quickly spread out her bedding, changed into her servant’s uniform, and went out to look for Du Ruo.

“Steward Du, my family doesn’t know that I’ll be staying in the Servants’ Hall. I’d like to find someone to send them a message.”

Du Ruo looked at Hua Changxi in surprise. “Who are you planning to ask? What, do you know someone in the Medical Directorate?”

Hua Changxi regarded entering the Servants’ Hall as no different from entering the workplace. In any workplace, having an older acquaintance to look after you made things much friendlier for a newcomer. Thus, she smiled and said, “I have an elder who is an apothecary on Ninth Street.”

At this, Du Ruo paid Hua Changxi more attention and asked curiously, “Since you have such connections, why come here to work as a servant?”

Hua Changxi smiled. “My elder is very busy, and I can’t trouble her with everything.”

Du Ruo asked no further questions. She nodded and said, “Then go quickly and come back quickly. If you can’t finish washing two hundred herbs, you won’t be allowed to sleep tonight.”

Hua Changxi agreed with a smile before hurrying out of the Servants’ Hall.

Outside the Twelfth Apothecary on Ninth Street, Apothecary Xu had just come out when he saw Hua Changxi dressed as a servant. His jaw nearly dropped.

“Ninth Girl, you…”

Hua Changxi smiled. “Uncle Xu, I’ve entered the Medical Directorate. I’m now a servant in the Servants’ Hall.”

Hearing this, Apothecary Xu looked deeply distressed. “Didn’t I tell you? If you couldn’t become an apprentice this year, you could take the examination again next year. Why did you run off to work as a servant?”

He knew all too well how heavy the daily workload was in the Servants’ Hall. How could a young girl like Ninth Girl endure it?

Hua Changxi smiled. “Uncle Xu, I naturally have my reasons for joining the Servants’ Hall. You don’t need to worry about me.”

Apothecary Xu could only sigh as he looked at her. “Your family actually didn’t stop you!” After a pause, he continued, “Although the Servants’ Hall is a place for rough and exhausting labor, the people there are complicated as well. If you run into trouble in the future, you must come to me.”

Hua Changxi smiled and nodded. “Uncle Xu, I’m starting work today. I didn’t know I would have to live in the Servants’ Hall. After your shift, could I trouble you to go to the Hua Family Shop and send a message for me? Tell my Third Brother that I’ll return home as soon as I have leave.”

Apothecary Xu shook his head. “I truly don’t know what you’re after, insisting on joining the Servants’ Hall just to suffer. Don’t worry. I’ll speak with your Third Brother.”

Hua Changxi thanked him and listened to another round of instructions from the apothecary before returning to the Servants’ Hall.

…

When Hua Changxi returned to the Sixth Bureau, she went to Du Ruo to receive her assignment.

“These two carts of herbs are what you must finish washing today.”

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Du Ruo led Hua Changxi to the two carts of herbs, gave her the tools for washing them, and then went off to attend to her own work.

As the third steward, she herself had to wash four hundred herbs every day.

The courtyards in each section of the Servants’ Hall were laid out in much the same way. A five-meter-wide artificial channel divided each courtyard in two, and all the servants washed herbs along its banks.

Quite a few servants rolled up their trouser legs and stood directly in the channel so they could work faster.

Hua Changxi examined the herbs she had been assigned. They were all used by martial artists. Seeing that none required special care, she followed the others, rolled up her trouser legs, stepped into the water, and began working.

[Purification Technique (Great Accomplishment): Washing Herbs 256/1000]

[Purification Technique (Great Accomplishment): Washing Herbs 257/1000]

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Watching the numbers change continuously, the corners of Hua Changxi’s mouth gradually lifted.

Not far away, Du Ruo kept glancing over at her from time to time. Seeing how deftly she worked and how quickly and thoroughly she washed the herbs, Du Ruo finally relaxed.

As a steward, she had no desire to take on an incompetent burden.

At Hua Changxi’s speed, she could finish washing two hundred herbs in one or two hours. However, she knew that, having only just entered the Servants’ Hall, it would be unwise to stand out too much. Although she very much wanted to advance the Purification Technique to perfection, she deliberately slowed her pace.

During the process, Hua Changxi secretly tasted one of every kind of herb she washed.

[Annotations to the Classic of a Hundred Herbs (Great Accomplishment): Tasting a Hundred Herbs 565/1000]

Near noon, while Hua Changxi was still bent over her work, someone passed by and called out to her.

“It’s time to eat. Go have lunch first.”

Hua Changxi straightened and looked toward the speaker. She had just opened her mouth to thank them when the person hurried away with several others.

Hua Changxi climbed onto the bank, put on her shoes, and followed them to the dining hall behind the courtyard.

After lunch, everyone hurried back to the channel and resumed washing the herbs.

No matter how slowly she worked, Hua Changxi still managed to finish washing all two hundred herbs. Seeing that everyone else was still bent over their work, she did not go to Du Ruo to ask for another assignment. Instead, she placed both hands in the water and secretly practiced the Water Control Technique.

“Changxi, have you finished washing your herbs?”

Du Ruo had suddenly appeared.

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Hua Changxi rose to her feet. “Steward Du, I’ve finished washing all the herbs you assigned me.”

Du Ruo inspected the herbs Hua Changxi had washed. Every one of them was spotless, leaving nothing to criticize.

“Since you’re finished, come with me and deliver the herbs to the Second Office.”

Hua Changxi was startled to see Du Ruo pulling a cart herself. She hurried to the two carts assigned to her and began pulling one of them.

It was difficult at first, but once the cart began moving, things became easier.

Only then did Hua Changxi truly understand how exhausting the work in the Servants’ Hall was. Fortunately, she had already begun cultivating. With her former physique, she certainly would not have been able to move the cart.

As Hua Changxi hurried to catch up with Du Ruo, she failed to notice that all the other female servants nearby were staring at her in astonishment.

Female servants were generally weaker, so when delivering herbs, they sent them in small quantities. There were fewer than ten people in the entire Servants’ Hall who could pull a fully loaded cart like Hua Changxi.

Even Du Ruo was startled. She stammered, “Changxi, you’re surprisingly strong.”

Only then did Hua Changxi notice that half of the cart Du Ruo was pulling was empty. She gave an embarrassed smile.

Du Ruo looked at her enviously. “Being strong is a good thing. The stronger you are, the faster you work, and the faster you work, the earlier you can sleep at night. Now I finally understand why your family sent you here to work as a servant.”

Hua Changxi smiled awkwardly and asked, “Steward Du, why do we have to deliver the herbs we’ve washed to the Second Office?”

Du Ruo explained, “Our Servants’ Hall is responsible for the initial processing of herbs sent from various places. After the herbs are washed, they still need to be prepared.”

“The First and Second Offices are responsible for preparing the herbs. Only after they’ve been processed are they sent to the Medicinal Stores.”

Hua Changxi listened carefully. Before long, the two of them arrived at the Second Office.

Someone there was responsible for receiving the herbs. During the handover, they recorded the types and quantities of the herbs. Once the records were complete and Hua Changxi and Du Ruo had signed them, the delivery was considered finished.

“Remember this. The next time you come alone to deliver herbs, make sure you watch the people in the Second Office count everything. Don’t let them record the wrong amounts.”

“If you fail to complete your assigned tasks, money will be deducted when your monthly wages are issued.”

Hua Changxi said, “Thank you for reminding me, Steward Du. I’ll remember.”

Afterward, Hua Changxi followed Du Ruo as they pulled the other cart of herbs to the Second Office.