The following day, the sky was clear and cloudless, as if filtered, a pure and pristine blue. Early in the morning, the courtyard echoed only with the sounds of cicadas and birds. The bluestone floor was still damp, having been freshly swept by the maidservants, with patches of water yet to dry.
The morning was already well advanced, yet Ruhuahua had, for once, slept in. She drifted into consciousness, staring blankly at the pink gauze curtains before her. As she parted the layers of fabric, a sense of disorientation washed over her; it took a moment to remember she was back home.
Ruhuahua climbed out of the couch, slipped into her wooden clogs, and hooked back both the bed curtains and the beaded screen at the front. As the beads clattered gently, a crisp, tinkling sound resonated through the air, and a light tapping at the door followed immediately. "Miss, are you ready to rise?"
Chapter 227