The Cold-Hearted Princess Who Transmigrated Here

While Master Lin was searching for someone, Wang Xiyue and Xia Yi were also busy, and they planned to make some rough arrangements first.

After she and Xia Yi had separated the broken or unused items, the people who came to help with the cleaning arrived.

There were more than ten people in total. Some were carrying basins and rags, some were carrying brooms, two strong old women were carrying water, and others were carrying shovels, hoes, and wood-chopping knives.

Looking at the group of people in front of her, Wang Xiyue finally understood what Master Huiming meant by "taking in" them.

These people were of varying ages and heights, some were very young, like me and not yet of marriageable age, some were about the same age as my mother, and some were elderly women about the same age as my grandmother.

However, they all have one thing in common: their eyes are filled with despair and numbness after experiencing all the vicissitudes of life, as if there is nothing left in this world worth cherishing, and they are just living quietly.

If one were not truly desperate and homeless, who would willingly become a nun?

Yuenian Nunnery was the last refuge for these people who had no other way to make a living.

Wang Xiyue felt a little reluctant to let these women, who were essentially old, weak, sick, or disabled, help her clean. She felt very uncomfortable, but her brother couldn't come in, and she couldn't find anyone else. For now, she could only rely on them.

Forget it, everyone has things they're not good at. This kind of purely physical work is really a weakness for both me and Xia Yi. We'll rely on them for now, and repay them when we're able to.

Only when you are strong enough can you have more say and the power to talk about the future and help others. Now she says that any dreams she talks about are just empty words, and she never likes to do things that have no practical meaning.

After figuring it out, Wang Xiyue quietly joined them and worked hard together. Everyone remained silent and orderly throughout the process.

Weeded, turned the soil, carried water, cleaned the furniture, cut the excess bamboo to make a new fence, and tamped down the sunken ground in the yard.

Wang Xiyue found some stones nearby and laid them out in an alternating pattern along the only path. Although they weren't as refined as pebbles, they could be used as temporary stepping stones to avoid having nowhere to stand when it rained and everything was muddy...

After all that work, two hours had passed by the time the yard was finally tidied up.

Everyone was starving and exhausted, especially Wang Xiyue and Xia Yi, who were not used to physical labor. Their clothes were soaked with sweat and then dried, and then soaked with sweat again, repeatedly.

Seeing that things were almost done, Abbess Lin, worried that Wang Xiyue might have other things to do, took the initiative to ask, "Young benefactor, a vegetarian meal has been prepared in the nunnery. Would you like to eat here?"

Wang Xiyue didn't know how things were going on her brother's side, and she also needed to keep him informed of her situation so he wouldn't worry all the time. So she could only decline, saying, "Thank you, Master. I'm going to see my brother today. We can have a meal together another time."

Wang Xiyue bowed deeply to everyone, expressing her gratitude respectfully. "Thank you all for your help today, sisters, aunts and mother-in-law. If you ever need anything in the future, please feel free to come to me, and I will do my best to help."

Everyone simply nodded politely in return, not taking the promise to heart. They had already given up on people's feelings, and they were still somewhat wary of this approachable young lady from an official family who had just arrived.

Judging from her attire and the fact that she was accompanied by a maid, one could tell that she must have grown up in a wealthy family, a life of luxury. Such a person was someone they could never hope to reach in their lifetime, and they knew that she was worlds apart from them. Unless something unexpected happened, they would never have any interaction with each other. Therefore, they would take the initiative to keep a sufficient distance to avoid making things awkward for each other.

When Wang Xiyue arrived at the temple's dining hall, she experienced for the first time the feeling of being so hungry that her stomach was practically sticking to her back.

Looking at his sister's pale face, Wang Xijie felt heartbroken. "Why is your hair all wet and your face so ashen?"

While wolfing down her food, Wang Xiyue replied, "Brother, have you eaten? I'm fine, I just helped everyone clean the house."

She was really starving.

I used to think everything tasted just okay, but now when I'm starving, even vegetables taste delicious.

Wang Xijie felt guilty. He had a large group of guards to help him, but his sister only had a maid over there. He couldn't help her at all and could only keep putting food on her plate.

“My room was tidied up a long time ago, and I’ve been waiting for you. I thought you had already eaten inside, so I ate first. If men weren’t not allowed to enter the nunnery, I would have brought my guards in to help.”

Seeing her brother blaming himself, Wang Xiyue quickly changed the subject and offered, "Brother, could you help me move my luggage over there later?"

"Also, could you help me name my little courtyard? After all, I'll be living there for many years."

Seeing that he was still somewhat useful, Wang Xijie felt less frustrated. "Tell me about your yard."

Wang Xiyue described it in detail: "A secluded little courtyard, quiet and serene, with a vegetable garden, flower beds, bamboo, a swing, and a fence..."

"A gentle breeze stirs up white dust, a crescent moon shines on sparse stars. How about calling it Qingzhu Courtyard?"

Wang Xijie naturally thought of a scene he longed for and closed his eyes to imagine it.

In the quiet courtyard at dusk or on a bright moonlit night, a gentle breeze rustles the bamboo leaves, creating a beautiful scene. If you have a loved one by your side and children playing around you, it would truly be paradise on earth.

Wang Xiyue knew her brother quite well; he was unrestrained and flamboyant, and especially admired the free-spirited chivalrous heroes of the martial arts world. Judging from his current engrossed state, he had clearly already imagined the courtyard as his ideal residence.

Now that my brother is protecting me, I want to help him fulfill his wish when I grow up.

She smiled and nodded, "Let's call it Qingzhuyuan. I really like this name. You're so amazing, brother! Thank you, brother!"

Wang Xijie returned to reality from his longing. Faced with his sister's praise, he was embarrassed and said, "I'm glad you like it. There's no need for such formalities between siblings."

His younger sister was naturally happy to like him and wanted to take on all the responsibilities, saying, "Brother's free now, so I'll carve the plaque for you while I'm at it!"

Wang Xiyue readily agreed, "Brother is so nice!"

She is very lucky to have a brother who cares so much about even the smallest things.

Once he has a sister-in-law, he probably won't have as much energy to treat her well, so he should enjoy being pampered as much as possible now.

After the meal, all the luggage was moved to Qingzhu Courtyard. Wang Xiyue and Xia Yi tidied up one last time and finally finished cleaning the courtyard and rooms before dinner.

The slightly larger room, the one on the left, is Wang Xiyue's boudoir.

A light blue fabric embroidered with simple patterns was sewn onto the window frame. A layer of gauze over the same fabric was used to make a curtain for the outside of the room, which could keep out mosquitoes.

The room contained a bed, a table, and two chairs. Near the window was a cradle about half a person's height. When cleaning, Wang Xiyue saw that it was not damaged and did not throw it away. She wiped it clean and wrapped it simply with a cloth, intending to keep it as a storage box to hold some odds and ends.

The room was too small and there was no bed for the night watch maid, so Xia Yi stayed in the next room.

Even if there was a place to sleep, Wang Xiyue would not let Xia Yi keep watch at night. In the past, she was too young to do so, but since she was able to dress and wash herself two years ago and no longer needed to get up at night, she decisively let the maid rest on the other side of the bed in the boudoir, and would call her if needed.

Xia Yi's room was on the right, smaller, with only a bed and a stool. Although simple, it was enough.

Although the Prime Minister's mansion did not mistreat its servants, the maids did not have their own rooms. The best rooms were shared by two people. Now Xia Yi had her first independent little house. Although it was small, she was very satisfied.

Previously, some maids had privately worried about her, fearing that coming to the temple with their mistress would be too hard, and they were all worried about whether they could endure the austere life of a nun. But now that she has her own little space, she feels that coming here was totally worth it.

Looking at the clean and tidy house and courtyard, the two felt a great sense of accomplishment.