Drunk on Madness - Chapter 2

Auntie Su didn’t give Li Xiang a hard time. Though the girl was dressed in new clothes, her hair and face were so filthy that her features were barely recognizable. Auntie Su quickly prepared hot water for her to bathe in a separate room.

Only after stripping off her clothes did the carefree Li Xiang notice the scars on her wrists, along with several bruises on her body. There were also three bright red moles on her chest. She touched the wounds on her wrists, why had the original owner of this body slit them? Was it because she couldn’t bear the hardships of wandering homeless, starving and freezing?

It wouldn’t be good for others to see the scars on her wrists, so after bathing, Li Xiang found a hair ribbon to cover them. Her tangled hair and the smudges of dirt on her face took three thorough washes before she finally looked presentable.

Once cleaned up, Auntie Su sat at the dining table, observing Li Xiang as she ate.

With a sympathetic gaze, Auntie Su studied the freshly bathed girl. She looked to be only sixteen or seventeen, with long lashes, a delicate nose, and damp hair casually draped over her shoulders. Her cheeks puffed slightly as she ate, like a greedy little groundhog, giving her an air of adorable charm.

After the meal, Auntie Su helped Li Xiang tidy up a bit. She then took the dishes to the kitchen with so many people in the prince’s residence, the servants had their own dedicated kitchen. Auntie Su also took the opportunity to ask if the kitchen was short on maids, hoping to secure a position for Li Xiang. After all, the prince’s household didn’t tolerate idlers.

The head cook, Wang, glanced at the young girl nearby and sighed. “Such a pretty girl, what a shame to have her stuck in the kitchen.”

Auntie Su shrugged. “There are plenty of pretty maids in the residence. If she can’t handle the work, we’ll just send her away. Just give her the usual tasks.”

“So harsh! By the way, who is she to you?” Cook Wang suddenly changed the subject.

Auntie Su replied, “She’s my niece. If she’s diligent, I’ll keep her. But if she’s lazy or sneaky, she’ll have to go. I won’t let her drag me or Momo down.” She had initially planned to tell the truth, but at the last moment, her heart softened, and she opted for a gentler explanation.

Auntie Su’s parents had died in an accident shortly after her birth, leaving behind her older brother and herself. Not long after, her brother needed money for a bride price and sold her to a trafficker, who later resold her to the Yan Prince’s residence. Those close to Auntie Su knew she harbored deep resentment toward her brother and rarely brought him up in conversation.

“Oh, I see!” Cook Wang nodded knowingly.

That evening, Su Mo came to Auntie Su’s quarters for dinner. As they ate, Auntie Su discussed and finalized Li Xiang’s fabricated backstory in front of them.

Su Mo shoveled a mouthful of rice, silently musing that in just a short time, this little beggar had won over his mother and even transformed into his “cousin.”

He stole a glance at Li Xiang, who was quietly eating beside him. After cleaning up, she was actually quite pretty, even more so than Qiuyue, the maid who served the prince’s son.

Li Xiang’s eyes were clear and innocent, her nose delicate and well-shaped, and her long lashes fluttered as she blinked, giving her a sweet, naive charm. It was hard to believe she was the same filthy beggar he had rescued earlier that day.

Auntie Su glanced at her son, then at the oblivious Li Xiang. A sudden thought struck her, her son was usually indifferent to others, yet here he was, stealing glances at this girl. Could it be that he fancied her?

“Eat up. The prince’s son is waiting for you!” Auntie Su chided, placing a piece of braised pork belly into her son’s bowl.

Su Mo replied nonchalantly, “Du En is there. It’s not like they’re in a hurry.”

He suddenly complained with a hint of grievance, “Mother, you always say I don’t spend enough time with you. But today, as soon as she arrives, you’re already shooing me away.”

Auntie Su looked at her pitiful son and felt an itch in her hands.

Meanwhile, Li Xiang, sitting nearby, scooped rice from her bowl while glancing at Su Mo. She thought to herself, I just took a bath and changed clothes, and now he’s already calling me ‘cousin.’

After the meal, Su Mo left.

Auntie Su tidied up the bed Su Mo had used as a child and let Li Xiang sleep there. She also altered some of her old clothes so Li Xiang would have something to change into. After expressing sincere thanks, Li Xiang folded the clothes neatly and placed them aside before drifting off to sleep peacefully.

The next day, Auntie Su took Li Xiang to the steward to sign a ten-year indenture contract. Li Xiang had no choice. The prince’s household required a minimum commitment of ten years.

From that day on, she officially became a kitchen maid. Like the other maids, she was assigned to a communal sleeping area for servants.

Li Xiang’s tasks were simple. In the morning, she prepared and washed vegetables. In the afternoon, she tended to the vegetable garden, watering and fertilizing the plants.

For Li Xiang, prepping vegetables was easy, just washing and chopping. But watering the garden was exhausting. The wooden buckets alone weighed a pound and a half, and it took over thirty buckets to cover the entire garden.

Under the scorching afternoon sun, Li Xiang trudged along, wearing a straw hat and struggling to carry the heavy wooden bucket with both hands.

Suddenly, a large hand took the bucket from her. “Where to?” Su Mo stood behind her, dressed in simple gray clothes, his face flushed from the heat.

Snapping out of her daze, Li Xiang pointed ahead. “Over there!”

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

Su Mo effortlessly lifted the bucket and walked ahead. “Mother was worried you might not be used to things, so she asked me to check on you.”

Li Xiang glanced at her reddened palms and hesitated before admitting, “Everything else is fine, but the bucket is too heavy. I can barely carry it.”

“How many more to go?”

“Probably… twenty more buckets to finish watering all the vegetables.”

Su Mo’s expression darkened instantly. “Don’t tell me this is all you’ve managed to water all afternoon.”

Afraid he’d think she was slacking, Li Xiang explained defensively, “Carrying the water is hard enough, and then watering each plant one by one, it’s not easy to finish even this small patch.”

For days, she had worked until dark just to complete her tasks, feeling utterly wronged. But since she was new to the household, she didn’t want to trouble Su Mo and his mother further, so she endured in silence.

“Who told you to water them one by one? You’re hopeless, and now you’re talking back?” Su Mo was so frustrated he could spit blood.

You’re the hopeless one! Li Xiang fumed inwardly.

“Watch and learn,” Su Mo said. He poured water evenly into an inconspicuous bamboo tube beside the vegetables. Soon, the water seeped slowly through tiny holes along the sides, moistening the soil around the plants.

“Damn it,” Li Xiang cursed under her breath, feeling a pang of injustice. All that effort wasted these past few days.

Su Mo asked, “Didn’t you see this bamboo tube here?”

Li Xiang retorted indignantly, “I didn’t know! No one told me!”

Su Mo frowned, biting back whatever he was about to say before replying, “Well, you’ve never seen much of the world, it’s normal not to know. From now on, just water them like this!”

Li Xiang sighed in resignation. “Got it.”

Li Xiang was unaware that no one had told her the proper way to water the vegetable garden, it was actually meant to be a subtle reprimand. Su Mo clearly knew the reason but didn’t want to spell it out, fearing it might worsen Li Xiang’s strained relationships. Every year when newcomers arrived at the estate, some degree of exclusion was inevitable, but things usually improved over time.

In the following days, Su Mo would come to help Li Xiang carry water whenever he had time. The kitchen staff, seeing the favored aide of the young master getting close to Li Xiang, gradually began to interact with her as well.

As for Li Xiang, she felt rather embarrassed that others were doing her work for her. So, she used leftover ingredients from the kitchen to make pastries as a token of gratitude for Su Mo.

Once Su Mo discovered this talent of hers, he would eagerly summon her to the kitchen to prepare food every time he visited. After finishing the watering, he would hurry over to supervise Li Xiang as she cooked for him.

Li Xiang cracked eggs into a hot oiled pan, then added the prepared rice, swiftly stir-frying until every grain was coated in egg. She seasoned it with salt, diced cucumbers, minced pork, scallions, and other ingredients, stir-frying until the fragrant, fluffy egg-fried rice was ready.

Su Mo sat nearby with a bowl, devouring the food while complaining, “This little bit isn’t even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth.”

At his insistence, Li Xiang also prepared a portion of braised pork tenderloin for him. The rich red sauce seeped into the meat, giving it a vibrant crimson hue.

She scooped a small portion onto Su Mo’s plate and packed the rest into a food container, sealing it before saying, “This is for later, I’ll share it with Auntie after dinner.” She protectively held onto the basket in her hands.

After cooking for him a few times, Li Xiang realized Su Mo had an unusually large appetite.

Su Mo loved spicy food and always felt unsatisfied. “This isn’t even enough for me alone, let alone three people. Make more next time,” he grumbled.

Li Xiang replied, “Even the most delicious food becomes tiresome if you eat too much of it.”

Su Mo pouted. “I spend my days training with weapons and doing strenuous work. This little portion really isn’t enough to fill me up.” He swallowed the last bite in his bowl.

Li Xiang said, “Then you can join us for another meal tonight.”