Zhen Zhu looked at the pond and felt a moment of difficulty. The pond must have an area of at least a hundred square meters.
How could she change all the water in the pond by herself? Not to mention where to put all that water.
"Sister Zhen Zhu, where are we supposed to put the water from the pond?"
Xiao Qi glanced at the seemingly endless pond and immediately became worried. How long would this take?
"Splash it on the ground."
She looked around and thought that splashing the water on the ground was the best method.
"Splash it on the ground..."
Xiao Qi looked at the ground beneath her feet with confusion. "Sister, do you really plan to change all the water?"
"What else can we do?"
With that, Zhen Zhu got up to find something to hold water. After searching for a long time, she found a basin, bent down, and began to scoop up water to splash it out.
"Sister, the water in the pond all looks the same anyway. Even if we don't change it, no one will be able to tell. Why don't we just leave it as it is?"
"No, first, let's get the water out. We'll do as much as we can."
She directly rejected Xiao Qi's suggestion. From the meeting today, she felt that the madam was no simple person.
If she tried to be clever, it would only harm herself in the end. Since she was to be punished, she had to work hard to satisfy them.
"Sister, this is simply impossible. I think you're just working hard for nothing. I suspect that madam deliberately wants to make things difficult for you. If you can't finish it, won't she just find another reason to trouble you?"
After all, she had grown up in the palace and had been meticulously taught by Nanny Sun for so many years. She could understand such small matters.
That madam was deliberately finding a tricky reason to make things difficult for Sister Zhen Zhu. If she couldn't finish it, who knew if she would find other excuses to torment her.
"We slaves are born with humble lives. Whether the masters are kind or punishing us is a gift. We can only accept it gladly. Don't you understand these things from growing up in the palace?"
Ever since she was demoted to a slave in her youth and had her property confiscated to be sent to the palace, she had accepted the fate of being a slave. Her greatest desire in the past was to protect her younger sister. If she could let her sister leave the palace and live a normal life, she would be content in this life.
Now that her sister was gone, she had no more attachments in this world and was merely clinging to life.
"I understand, Sister. I just feel that our lives as slaves are truly cheap. When the masters are unhappy, they take it out on us. Being beaten and scolded is a minor matter. We don't even know when we might lose our lives."
Zhen Zhu's eyes suddenly tightened. She had never known that Xiao Qi, at such a young age, had such thoughts.
"Xiao Qi, you mustn't speak carelessly."
There were informants everywhere. They had to be more careful with their words. One wrong sentence, if overheard by the masters, could cost them their lives.
"Xiao Qi, how have I taught you? Speak less and do more. Especially, don't discuss the masters' affairs!"
How many people had lost their lives for offending their masters by saying the wrong thing?
Zhen Zhu was so frightened that she quickly reprimanded Xiao Qi, fearing that Xiao Qi would follow in their footsteps.
"Sister... I, I misspoke just now. I was dissatisfied in my heart and spoke nonsense. I don't... I didn't mean to..."
Only then did Xiao Qi realize what she had just said. If someone with ill intentions heard it and spread it around, her life would be in danger.
If Nanny Sun found out, she would surely kill her.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine, a lingering fear. Fortunately, these words were spoken to Sister Zhen Zhu. If it were to someone else, her life might have been lost.
"Don't talk nonsense again in the future, do you understand!"
Zhen Zhu was also worried about Xiao Qi, and her tone became a little stern.
"I understand. I won't speak carelessly again." Xiao Qi nodded hastily, still feeling a sense of lingering fear.
"You go sit over there for now. When I'm done, we'll go back together."
Having Xiao Qi stand there wouldn't help, so she simply sent her aside. It was better for her to sit there.
"What a touching scene of sisterly affection! When did those being punished get to watch together? Your Xiliang rules are truly strange!"
Cai Qing's slightly sharp and sarcastic voice rang out. Even she admired herself. This sentence was truly well-spoken and imposing. It was sure to shock them.
She was now representing the young madam and was here to supervise. She couldn't let the young madam lose face.
"Miss, my sister was just idle and came to wait for me. She's leaving now. She absolutely didn't help me."
Fearing that Xiao Qi would be implicated again, Zhen Zhu quickly spoke up, distancing Xiao Qi. She gestured with her eyes for Xiao Qi to leave quickly.
"You are currently being punished. You're not here to chat with family. In my opinion, the punishment is too light, allowing you time to chat!"
This was her first time playing the role of a villain. Cai Qing's expression was slightly vacant, with obvious traces of effort on her face.
To maintain a fierce and menacing appearance, Cai Qing had put in full effort on her face. Her almond-shaped eyes glared at Zhen Zhu and Xiao Qi with murderous intent.
"What's wrong with you, girl? Why are you so fierce? My sister just said I'm leaving now, and you insist on deliberately making things difficult for my sister!"
Xiao Qi couldn't stand it and stepped forward, speaking up for Zhen Zhu righteously.
If the person who came was that fierce madam from today, even if she were given ten thousand courage, she wouldn't dare to say a word.
Who knew that the one who came was the madam's maid? They were both servants, so their status was considered equal. Only then did Xiao Qi have the courage to step forward and speak.
Sister Zhen Zhu had helped her a lot before. Now that Sister Zhen Zhu was in trouble, she naturally had to help as much as she could. How could she cower like a shrinking turtle?
"Xiao Qi, don't talk nonsense!"
Seeing that things were not going well, Zhen Zhu quickly pulled Xiao Qi behind her to protect her.
"Miss, my sister is young and doesn't understand things. She speaks carelessly. Miss, you are magnanimous. Please don't hold it against my sister."
She couldn't implicate Xiao Qi further and have her punished along with her. She quickly spoke in a subservient tone to Cai Qing.
"Since you are dissatisfied in your heart, then you will be punished together."
Cai Qing had now learned some of Feng Jin's essence and directly ordered Xiao Qi to be punished along with Zhen Zhu.
"Miss... this..."
Before Zhen Zhu could beg for mercy, Xiao Qi said indignantly, "Why are you punishing me? You are the same as us, a servant. What right do you have to punish me!"
In her eyes, they were all servants, all the same. Why could Cai Qing scold them with such arrogance?