A Maid's Survival Story in a Noble Family Mansion? Rich Landlords Are More Appealing.

He headed straight for the outskirts of the county town, towards the densely packed but cheap alleyways. He needed a temporary place to stay that was secluded enough, inexpensive to enter and exit, and didn't require much maintenance.

After passing through several narrow alleys, Han Feng arrived at the entrance of a slightly wider alley. There, he saw several elderly people gathered under a sunny wall. Some were squinting in the sun, while others were doing chores and chatting quietly from time to time.

Han Feng composed himself, deliberately feigning embarrassment, stepped forward, bowed slightly to the kindest-looking elderly woman, and politely asked:

"Excuse me, sir, but do you know if there are any vacant houses around here that you'd like to rent out?"

The old woman looked up, squinted at him, and said, "Renting a room? These days, there aren't many families with vacant rooms."

Another old man nearby chimed in, "What do you do for a living? Do you have a family to support?"

Han Feng hurriedly said, "My family and I have just arrived in your area to look for relatives, but we didn't expect to find any. So we'd like to find a cheap place to stay for the time being."

The old woman and the old man exchanged a glance. The old woman thought for a moment, then gestured with her chin toward the depths of the alley: "Go in, the third door on the left, that's Old Dong's house. His west wing seems to be empty. It's not a big house, but it's cheap. You can go and ask."

Han Feng quickly thanked him and followed the directions. The house was indeed inexpensive, only 120 coins a month. After paying a month's rent and getting the key, he only had 300 coins left for the thugs, and enough to buy two bushels of grain.

He quickly went to the nearby market and used the remaining money to buy a small bag of millet, a few rough earthenware bowls, and a small earthenware pot. Then he rushed back to the tea stall where Chen Wanxing and Liu were waiting.

Liu was holding her daughter, who had cried herself to sleep, and holding her son's hand, her eyes filled with longing.

Chen Wanxing followed him into the alley to take a look, just to familiarize herself with the place.

"I'll tell you what to do..."

"Don't worry, young lady, everything has been arranged. We'll see the outcome tonight," Han Feng said calmly.

Chen Wanxing nodded and returned to the village without saying anything more. Han Feng, who had seen her off, also went back to rest. He needed to recuperate before heading to Shuangmiao Village to learn from the lesson he had learned with five hundred coins; he needed to be well-rested.

As dusk settled, Chen Wanxing returned to the Chen family home. The courtyard was quiet, with only the sounds of Chen's mother and third aunt preparing dinner coming from the kitchen.

As she walked into the main room, Uncle Chen, sitting on a low stool in the corner, had his head almost buried in his chest, and his face looked particularly gloomy and unsightly in the dim light.

His knuckles were slightly white as he gripped the pipe. He knew better than anyone what it meant that Aunt Chen hadn't returned.

They all knew perfectly well who had taken the money. But he still clung to a sliver of hope. Now, the person hadn't returned, and the money was nowhere to be found. This wasn't just a guilty conscience; it was a clear indication that Liu was caught in the middle. She couldn't get her money back, and she had no face to come back and see him, her parents, or her niece.

The Liu family admitted to stealing the money, but refused to return it.

The Liu family are all idiots. Since they haven't been caught red-handed, if they take a tough stance and seize on this point to accuse them of slander, the matter will be over.

Otherwise, return the money. Although it might make him lose face, he won't suffer a big loss.

But they made the worst choice. He toiled in the fields all year round, tightening his belt, but he might not be able to save even two taels of silver. That was a full ten taels of silver. How could he possibly compensate his niece?

The immense pressure and embarrassment almost suffocated him. He dared not look at Chen Wanxing, much less at Grandma Chen and Father Chen. He could only cower there like a quail, using silence to conceal his true feelings.

The children were unaware of the undercurrents among the adults. Dongmei, who was helping Qingsui tidy up the dried clothes, muttered under her breath, "Didn't Mom just go to Grandma's house the day before yesterday? Why is she going again today? And isn't she back yet?"

When Grandma Chen saw Chen Wanxing return, her gaze swept over her second son, who was huddled in the corner as if he wanted to disappear completely. She snorted coldly and said to Chen Wanxing, "Your second aunt isn't back. Is she determined to stay at her parents' house like a coward?"

Her voice was not loud, which made Uncle Chen, who was already embarrassed, even stiffen up.

"Fine, very well," Grandma Chen's voice was filled with anger. Although she had advised Chen Wanxing that morning, she still felt that the Liu family's theft of the silver was probably just wishful thinking, and that they might not find out in a short time.

But now that I've discovered it, I'll return the money for my daughter's future. But I never expected that after waiting all day, that damned second daughter-in-law really wouldn't come back.

"The Liu family is treating our Chen family like a pushover, stealing money from their own in-laws. Do they really think our Chen family is helpless and easy to bully?"

She turned to Chen Wanxing: "Wanxing, don't worry, Grandma will definitely get those ten taels of silver back for you. Since the Liu family is so shameless, we don't need to give them any more face."

"Tomorrow, I'll personally go to Shuangmiao Village to demand an explanation. We'll confront them face-to-face and get to the bottom of this. If the Liu family doesn't return the money and give a proper account, let's see how they can face people in this surrounding area afterward."

She then looked at Uncle Chen, her tone leaving no room for argument: "Second brother, don't play dead here. Tomorrow, you're coming with me. I want to see just how thick-skinned and black-hearted the Liu family really are."

Seeing the anger burning in her grandmother's eyes, Chen Wanxing stepped forward, took her arm, and advised, "Grandma, don't get angry, take care of yourself. I understand what's going on. You don't need to go to the trouble of going tomorrow, and there's no need to make a big fuss. Even if we don't go, the Liu family will come tomorrow."

She coaxed Grandma Chen a few more times with gentle words, which calmed the old lady down a bit. Once she returned to her room and closed the door, the calm on her face slowly faded, replaced by a hint of coldness.

I had already guessed it. The Liu family wouldn't choose me if my second aunt went to ask for it herself. Sure enough, it's fine this way. This way, Han Feng's side has a more legitimate reason to take action. She owes money and doesn't pay it back, so she deserves to be taught a lesson. We've already given her face, so my second uncle can't blame her.

She wasn't anxious; in fact, she was somewhat looking forward to the night.