09. Distressed

The moment she entered the shop everyone turned their head towards her. An older woman came to her with a smile.

"Welcome. How may we are of the service?" While talking she looked at her small frame and old-style clothes.

"As you can see I have this kind of clothes. Unfortunately, people think its kind of weird, so I have to change it. Could you recommend some premade clothes quickly? I will come another day to order some new." She took her hat off and blinked with her brown eyes.

Actually, if she didn't have the hat on, the style would look fine ion her, as it fits together with her accessories and eye colour.

"If possible simple clothes. I need a set for work and a set for when I go outside to buy house thing." Even if they think of her lowly, it's better than they think that she is rich.

An understanding flashed in the woman's eyes. She quickly brought simple clothing for work in a greyish colour with some brownish details.

The coarse cloth was meant for working. And she brought a simple cloth set ina peach colour with simple embroidery.

Liu Mei looked at the two sets, nodded and paid for both 30 bronze coins.

Then she put her hat on and rushed outside. While she lamented from the inside about crazy prices, the shop owner lamented about her.

"It seems such an outstanding person has to be someone's maid. Too bad. The world got so crazy that even nobles have to do such a menial work to survive." She murmured while she packed the cloth she got not long ago and then stopped. "This silk cloth would look so good with her brown eyes. Poor child. Maybe I should make a set for her and when she earns some money, give to her cheaply? I could tell her someone gave it up, or something."

She loved to see when clothing fits people and on this young woman this cloth would certainly look amazing. She stroked her hands over the cloth and with determination took it away.

She turned her head to a coworker. "Take over the counter. Call me if there are too many costumers and you need help. I need to make new clothes. That lady gave me an idea."

Then she left leaving the smiling worker alone with the two female costumers. "Finally, she will create something new. Probably some new style."

The two women smiled and just choose some silk for embroidery. "We will wait for a new style of clothes and choose some when it is out. Please let us know as soon as she makes some. We want to be first."

"As you found out first, I promise to let you know as soon as new sets are out." The worker smiled brightly.

When they left the worker went behind and saw the shop owner and few other workers talking about her new ideas, as on her old face pure joy was written. Yes, she definitely will create something new.

Liu Mei, on the other hand, was sitting on one of the carriages and realized what comfort it was to sit in the car. No wonder so many people wanted to walk. This is pure torture.

She was never car sick and her health was quite good as she always drunk tonics. But on this short trip to her home, she felt like dying.

As soon they got close to the door, she opened it widely and let the servants bring everything to the kitchen storage, that she found while she looked through the house.

They wondered about the house but didn't comment. When they were about to leave she gave each of them a couple of bronze coins as thank you for their hard work and closed the door.

She could hear the rattling of the leaving carriages and she sighed in relief.

Looking at the garden that she watered, she sighed and determination was written all over her face. "That house is too dirty even to sit in, not even thinking about cooking."

First, she made a fire, then she put water to boil in the big cooking pot and started washing the kitchen first, then the rest of the house.

She used dirty water to water the flowers. It was just slightly warm so it wouldn't hurt the plants. After that, she chooses to go to the bedroom and now she realized one more problem. There is no blanket there, no pillows, nothing.

She first quickly washed the room, changed the clothes, rushed out to the clothing store as she could see such things there.

This time she wore the peach coloured clothes with some embroidery and was somewhat stunned. It really felt comfortable.

With the hat on her head, she entered the clothing store again and asked the worker to give her a set for bed with two bedcovers.

When she had to pay two small silver for such a thing she almost started to cry. But all she could do is to pay and leave. The set was quite big but instead of taking the offer to bring her back with the carriage, she chooses to walk.

One more time that shaky thing... no way.

She touched the bedcover and blanket with her hands and could feel softness inside. Luckily they had cotton blankets as it seems.

She wanted to wash them but it was too late and she was tired and famished.

She locked the doors, put the stuff on her bed and went to cook herself a hearty meal. When she ate the rice she was stunned.

The purity of the grain and the rich taste was something she couldn't find in her previous world. Even the most expensive rice couldn't be compared with this one.

She closed her eyes as she enjoyed her meal. She chose to learn cooking as she was quite a foodie. She liked good food and she preferred her own cooking than going to restaurants, where they would make all kinds of strange mixtures of western and eastern foods.

Some were good but she preferred the original recipes.

After the meal, she went to wash and went to bed. In the bed, she started crying as now she just felt too lonely.

In just one day so many things happened. She was completely alone in the other world, afraid about her survival the whole time.

What should she do? She missed her boys and the man who left her for another.

With tears on her face, she fell asleep while two pairs of eyes stared at her heavy expression and scrunched eyebrows, while a couple of tears slid out the corner of her eyes and glistened in the moonlight...