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

"Is the young lady planning to settle down in Kaifeng Prefecture?"

The clerk took a thick booklet, opened it, and began copying down her name and age into the yellow register. When he reached the section on household registration, he paused, and naturally looked up:

"As is customary, I may ask one more question. Now that you are returning to your ancestral home, do you intend to register your household separately, or will you combine it with that of your relatives who are still registered there? If you choose the former, you will be the head of the household from now on, with autonomy over everything, but you will have to bear all the responsibilities alone; if you choose the latter, you will have someone to rely on."

"Thank you for your advice, clerk. I've been away from home for over a decade, and I've lost all contact with anyone. I don't even know if I have any relatives left in this world, or where they are. Therefore, I should register my own household."

She paused, as if speaking casually, yet her words were clear enough for everyone in the room to hear:

"Besides, the reason I returned to Kaifeng this time is because my former master's hometown is in Kaifeng, and he entrusted me with some matters to handle. Although my master has been kind enough to release me from slavery, the capital is far away from here, and I will inevitably need to run errands for my master in the future. It will be easier to do things independently."

Zhao, the clerk, blinked slightly, but didn't ask any more questions. Instead, his writing speed increased considerably. He canceled the old file, filled out a new household registration form, dipped his brush in cinnabar, and finally picked up the official seal.

"Snapped!"

With a soft click, the bright red seal of Kaifeng Prefecture was neatly stamped on the new household registration certificate bearing the words "Good Register".

At that moment, Linglong's heart seemed to land heavily with that soft sound, then be filled with immense joy and a sense of peace. She took the light piece of paper with both hands, feeling as if it weighed a ton.

"Chen Wanxing, you are free! Truly, rightfully free!"

She thanked Zhao the clerk again, her tone sincere. She then settled her payment with Li Tai promptly, giving him an extra five hundred coins.

"Buy tea for the government officials."

"You're so generous, young lady! If you have any trouble in Kaifeng Prefecture in the future, feel free to come to me, Li."

Li Tai smiled broadly. This customer was not only reasonable but also generous, making him someone worth befriending.

Stepping out of the government office, the sun shone brightly. Standing on the bustling street, Chen Wanxing took a deep breath.

On the household registration paper in her hand, the three characters "Chen Wanxing" were written neatly. This was her root, the name that had been taken away from her for more than ten years, and which had finally returned to her now.

As for "Linglong," the name that the lady casually bestowed upon her, it was returned and cancelled along with the indenture. It had once been her disguise for survival, but now it had become the heaviest piece of clothing that she had shed.

From then on, she was a law-abiding citizen, a free person, and her own master.

Chen Wanxing originally planned to go straight back to the inn and sleep for three days and three nights to let go of the fatigue of the past month's journey and the mental tension of more than ten years.

But her feet wouldn't obey her commands; drawn by the vibrant atmosphere of the street, she involuntarily merged into the crowd.

This is the true liveliness of the world. The shouts, the sounds of bargaining, the laughter of children, all mingled with the steam rising from freshly steamed buns, the aroma of fried dough sticks, and the sweet scent of melons and fruits, creating a vibrant and fragrant atmosphere that wafts towards you.

She stopped at a stall and bought a bag of freshly roasted chestnuts, piping hot. Next to her stood a peddler carrying a load of wooden hairpins and cheap hair ties in his box.

But Chen Wanxing didn't care about any of that. She picked and chose a wooden hairpin with a small morning glory carved into the head. It wasn't even a fraction as exquisite as the jewelry in the Marquis's mansion, but it made her happy.

With more and more things in her hands, weighing heavily on her wrists, she didn't feel tired at all.

It wasn't until the sun rose higher and her legs began to ache that she realized how long she had been wandering around. Carrying her bags, she turned and headed back towards the inn, her steps slower but more steady and grounded than when she had come.

Chen Wanxing returned to Laifu Inn carrying large and small bags. The innkeeper, who was fiddling with an abacus behind the counter, looked up and hurried out, a familiar yet not overly obsequious smile on his face. He reached out to take the heaviest package from her hands.

"Oh, girl, you're back! Did you go shopping for New Year's goods? Why didn't you ask one of the shop assistants to come along and help? These bags and packages are so heavy!"

Chen Wanxing stepped aside slightly, smiled and shook her head, "Thank you for your kindness, shopkeeper, but it's just some odds and ends, no problem. It's been a long time since I've browsed around on my own, just wanting to relax."

Her words were ambiguous, but the shopkeeper, being a shrewd man, immediately understood, gracefully withdrawing his hand while maintaining his smile.

"Yes, yes, you're right, it's much more pleasant to stroll around by myself."

Chen Wanxing nodded slightly to him, then carried her spoils upstairs. Reaching the corner of the stairs, she suddenly remembered something and stopped.

"Please have a waiter bring a meal to my room in a little while. It doesn't have to be extravagant, just a few of your restaurant's signature dishes, something light and refreshing will do."

The shopkeeper, sitting below, quickly replied, "Alright! Don't worry, miss, I'll make sure the kitchen prepares it carefully and it'll be delivered to you soon."

The door closed gently behind him, completely shutting out the noise downstairs. Chen Wanxing focused his consciousness into the space.

The silver notes and ten taels of silver given by the madam had already been placed in the box where the silver was stored before. As for the bundle given by the young master, it had been staying in the same space as Amber for the past few days, and she hadn't bothered to open it or take a look.

This morning, when I left home, I was afraid someone would sneak into the house and steal it, so I casually put it in my spatial storage. Now I can open it and check it out.

With a thought, Chen Wanxing found the blue bundle in her hand.

Upon opening the fan, she first saw a folding fan. She picked it up and unfolded it, revealing a painted orchid and two lines of poetry on its surface.

"The journey to Penglai is not far; the bluebird will diligently go to scout ahead."

The fan pendant is a fine cicada made of green jade, warm and smooth to the touch. Next to it is a fine purple brush and a mutton fat jade pendant, the jade is warm and flawless, and it is carved with simple auspicious cloud patterns.

These things are neither usable nor can they be sold for money. Chen Wanxing pursed her lips and put the things aside.

Finally, there was an exquisite brocade box left; surely there must be silver inside.

As Chen Wanxing thought to herself, she opened the box and found it to be a box of fine agarwood. The fragrance was rich and subtle, and it was only occasionally used in the study of the Marquis and his son when they were in the Marquis's mansion.

This is not bad. It doesn't have any markings of a noble family. You can use it yourself or sell it for money. This thing sells for a lot of money.

She put them back into the space and took stock of the valuables in the space again. Apart from some of the valuables she left behind, there were 1,200 taels of silver.

This is a huge sum of money. You have to understand that nowadays, an ordinary farming family might only spend two or three taels of silver a year, and even a wealthy family would have twenty taels of silver a year.

Chen Wanxing did the math. She was twenty years old this year. If she lived to be eighty, she would have sixty years left, which would be an average of twenty taels of silver per year.

Besides, the real prized possessions in that big box that she couldn't bear to sell were the main items, but the necklace that the old lady gave her could be conservatively exchanged for at least five hundred taels of silver.

Wow, with so much money, she can definitely retire comfortably.