new home

After the chuckle, Tian Xuan left to go back to his working place, with the intention of coming back later that day to discuss something. 

Eunuch Lin apparently was also otherwise busy, so he didn't stay any longer. Hua Xu gave the baby to Hua Jing and disappeared with the black box, seemingly to stash it away for when it was needed to send packages or some other reason.

Feeling left alone with the sudden disappearance of everyone, especially Tian Xuan, Hua Jing could only look at the gate which was closed yet again, took the little thing and shook him a bit rhythmically to sooth his little stoic face, to which the baby didn't react.

"Oh, little thing, you! Why do you look so serious? Come, let me take you to your bed. Look at you, you're so thin and already smell a bit. I just saw, you took a 9-day journey without complaining now, did you? What a brave and polite kid you are." He continued talking sweetly and complimenting Ji Li all the way to the trainee's yard, where he went to a small two-story building.

Along the way, there were many younglings greeting him and jumping around him, looking at the small baby and being smitten. There were also some close to his age, which also formally greeted him with a bow.

Hua Jing entered the building which was 'guarded' and taken care of by several young Eunuchs ranging from 12 to 16, which all took their care taking job seriously, though one could still see their curious, impatient and playful nature in their eyes. Many of them also looked slightly bored and tired, evidence of their long stay at the several stations all around the trainee's yard.

But those at the babies building were especially careful, taking care of their young brothers of the same generation, the one after Hua Jing, as apparently, he was of the youngest age of his generation.

He went up the stairs, as the first floor was fully used as kitchen, playroom, bathing place and more rooms dedicated to taking care of the babies from age 0 to 1 year. Obviously, upstairs was the sleeping place of surprisingly a small number of babies, seemingly this also being the last batch of the Ji generation.

As there were very few, around 12 babies, all those were placed together in two rooms, 6 in each. Hua Jing took Ji Li to the second room, where the babies were in their first days, and placed him on a small bed between two other babies at the back of the room.

To the left was a rather large baby, which apparently still was only 5 days old, while on the right side, there was a small baby that looked around curiously in the bed, on its counter at the side of the bed which counted its age in small wooden pearls, it was still only 8 days old. 

"Look here, to your left and right you have two small friends that can keep you company. Whaaaa, look this one's so cute and curious, and look at this one, the body of a warrior! He'll probably be a tall eunuch that gives the people a fright, haha!" 

Hua Jing looked again around at the small number of babies, "Look at you, you're also one of the youngest of your generation. Maybe Eunuch Lin is right, all of us who are under this teaching line are the youngest of our generation! Can you imagine, his teacher and the teacher before were all the youngest, same as him and me! And now it's you, but it's a blessing in disguise! Although you won't have that many friends... well you still have those little two right, don't worry. At least, you'll very quickly reach intermediate just a year after your ceremony of joining our junior ranks... Well, that's only if you finish the exam with a passing grade of course... but that's not too difficult! Actually, most eunuchs will have to write a full report on all the years they spend being a junior eunuch, which makes it a bit more difficult. Although they'll make the exam more difficult, don't worry! I'll take care of you and make sure you know the Eunuch's Book of Regulations from the start to finish!"

Hua Jing kept murmling the whole time he put Ji Li into his bed and looked around getting a ceramic bowl with a high opening at the side besides the one atop which would function as a drinking straw. As the straw was pulled high in the production, looking like a teapot, the fluid substance in the bowl wouldn't flow out of the side exit. He took the bowl and signalised to a Eunuch looking at him from the entrance, "Take this and put in some cow milk... you know we don't have mother's milk here, so you should give them regularly cow milk from the baby drinking bowl. 

How come there are so few around here? Shouldn't they all drink it several times a day? Who is responsible for the building this month? I already left last month, so there should be a new batch of trainees who took up this station, right?"

The young Eunuch around the entrance bowed and looked slightly vexed "Ju-Junior Eunuch Jing, this month it wasn't assigned... there were so few that us younger trainees should just take care of them togeth..." he answered while stuttering as he saw Hua Jing frown deeply.

"I see, pick a few of the last year and take them tomorrow here. I want them to take care of them properly! Don't you fuss with me, these are the future of us Eunuchs! If they are taken care of badly, who do you think will be at fault? Surely you don't think it's the junior eunuchs who just joined the ranks. No! Eunuch Lin is in his last year and would be promoted next year! He can't have such a thing happen during his stay!"

The trainee shuddered hearing this and hurried outside, calling a few other young Eunuchs and telling them to call a few other eunuchs for the next day.

'Damn, he looks nothing like before. I thought he'd be a soft heart and smitten with that carrier but look at him being so fake-angry. He's clearly not taking what he says serious, but it was enough to scare a little man. Probably just giving them pressure to not laze around. I have to say that he's a good actor. If his hand wasn't trembling behind his back, I'd think he's totally mad. Well, I don't know if he is mad, but he's nervous for sure.' Thought Ji Li as he is still a baby and barely heard the language to understand anything. 

Well, it wasn't that he didn't understand anything, as he tried to learn their language listening to them and looking at their behaviour. At least he understood their names, 'Huuuuu Jieeeee'? He thought, seemingly the closest he could understand the name.

'But seeing them all bowing and stuff, I'm now very sure that this place I'm in is very similar to ancient China, I would guess that I'm in a Palace-ish place, as they all seemed to be Eunuchs... hmm, probably the capital as that is the only place where ones, so young would be present. But I have to say, everything is made of ceramic, other precious stones and even some silver and gold. Although it's designed in a less obvious way, probably to make them seem humble as Eunuchs... still, the palace they live in is clearly a showcase of wealth.

Well, at least I am at a wealthy place, else I'd really think they'd let me starve and work my ass off forever in such a dirty place.

But I'm curious about one thing... they all seemed so strong, carrying large things on their backs, all the things these young eunuchs carried in the yard were made of iron and even the books looked like they were made of hard wood, and they were so large...