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

Chen Wanxing nodded in agreement, but she already had another plan in mind.

Since giving cash as a token of gratitude to the elders makes them feel uncomfortable and it's inappropriate, then when it's time to give New Year's gifts, she can prepare a gift for the village head's family as a junior.

Chen Yongde didn't know what she was thinking. He only felt that this girl was sensible and well-mannered. He was also moved. For ordinary farmers, it would be the best if they could save up ten or so acres of land in their lifetime.

When dividing the family property, if each branch of the family received eight acres of land like the Chen family, then they were already a well-off family. This was largely thanks to Grandma Chen's embroidery skills, which she could also teach to the girls in the family, so that each of them could make the most of their skills.

Just like Xia He in their family, when she was still unmarried, the matchmakers practically wore down the threshold of the Chen family.

Chen Wanxing, without making a sound, has already stepped into another level. This understanding makes him, in addition to his kindness as an elder, unconsciously add a touch of solemnity to his view of Chen Wanxing as a successful person.

It's a pity she's too old now, making it really hard to find relatives. However, she has money and land to rely on. Regardless of how much she has now, just these twenty-odd acres of land, rented out each year, would be enough to feed her. Even if she never marries, she could live a comfortable life at her parents' home.

When Chen Yongde arrived, everyone in the Chen family knew why he was there, and their attention was unconsciously drawn to him. They were all secretly listening to the conversation between the two.

When Mr. and Mrs. Chen heard that things had been settled, they were very happy for their daughter. However, the more capable their daughter became, the more useless they, as parents, felt. But in any case, it was a good thing worth celebrating.

This heavy snowfall covered up all the dust and troubles of the old year, leaving only a pure white expanse. The 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month officially marked the beginning of the New Year preparations for the people of Xiahe Village.

From the 24th to the 28th of the twelfth lunar month, everyone is busy preparing for the New Year. Even the poorest families will go to the butcher shop to buy a pound or two of meat, chop it into minced meat, use half of it to make buns for entertaining guests after the New Year, and save the other half to make dumplings during the New Year period.

The kitchens of every household were filled with steam as they prepared the dough, kneaded it, and steamed it. Steamed buns, bean buns, vegetable buns, and mixed flour buns were produced one after another.

The steamed buns are dotted with red dots for a festive look, then laid out to cool on a bamboo mat and stored in a jar. They are the most important staple food during the first month of the lunar year.

Fried foods are also a highlight. The batter is prepared in a basin, sesame seeds or Sichuan pepper leaves are added, and then the batter is poured into boiling oil with chopsticks and fried until golden and crispy. Sesame leaves, sesame seeds, and sweet potato slices are coated with a thin layer of flour and fried into sweet and crispy potato chips. Some families even splurge on small fish.

The aroma of oil, flour, and meat mingled powerfully, penetrating the cold air. It was the first time Chen Wanxing had ever witnessed such a scene of preparations for the New Year.

Seeing her family busy, Chen Wanxing tried to join in. The farmhouse was very different from the Marquis's mansion, and she thought it was more fun to spend the New Year in the farmhouse.

The most important aspects of celebrating the New Year in the Marquis's mansion were actually etiquette and rules, the solemn procedures of ancestral temple sacrifices, the intricate order of New Year greetings among different social classes, and the list of New Year gifts that could not be wrong.

Which house to visit first and which to visit next, what New Year's gifts to prepare—these things must be done flawlessly. Therefore, as the lady's capable maid, this time of year is the busiest for her, and she is always on edge, afraid of making a mistake.

On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the Chen family prepared to write Spring Festival couplets. There were no scholars in Xiahe Village. In previous years, they would usually bring red paper to Ping'an Town to ask for couplets. There were two old scholars there who would set up a stall in the town every year during the Spring Festival. There were so many people queuing up to ask for couplets that they often had to wait in line.

This year, as Grandma Chen watched her granddaughter sitting in the kitchen, chatting with everyone and helping her mother sort soybeans, an idea suddenly struck her. She asked, "Wanxing, Grandma sees you often reading. You can read, right? Can you write?"

Chen Wanxing put down her work, not immediately understanding what Grandma Chen meant: "Well, I followed Madam in the capital and learned to recognize and write some characters."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it still made everyone busy inside stop what they were doing and turn to look at her. Even the few teenagers who were sweeping snow in the yard peered out from the doorway.

Oh, speaking of which, Chen Wanxing suddenly remembered that she had bought two children's primers when she came back from the county town, intending to teach her younger siblings. But after all that happened, she forgot about it.

"Wanxing, you...you really can read? You can even write?" Mr. Chen was the first to react, his voice filled with unbelievable surprise, and a hint of caution, as if he was afraid of mishearing.

In this village where most people are illiterate, being able to read is an extraordinary, even somewhat mysterious, achievement, let alone for a woman.

Chen's mother was stunned for a moment, then her face lit up and she rubbed her hands together, saying, "Good, good! My daughter is promising. It's good that she can read, it's good that she can read." She didn't know what was so good about it, but she instinctively felt that being literate meant being capable.

Uncle Chen and Aunt Chen were genuinely shocked. They knew that their niece was extraordinary—wealthy and knowledgeable—but her ability to read and write was still beyond their expectations of a capable maid.

Aunt Chen's mouth gaped open, and she remained speechless for a long time, her eyes filled with a complex mix of envy, surprise, and awe. In her simple worldview, a woman who could write and calculate was almost synonymous with a "female teacher."

Seeing this, Grandma Chen's wrinkles beamed with joy, and she made a decision with a sense of pride: "Then this year, we won't ask anyone to write our Spring Festival couplets. Let Wanxing write them, and after breakfast tomorrow, I'll have your father go to town to buy red paper."

After she finished speaking, she suddenly remembered, "Oh right, I also need to buy some ink and a brush."

Mr. Chen responded immediately and went to town the next day. Since Chen Wanxing had bought writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones last time, Mr. Chen only bought some better quality red paper. Chen Wanxing did not refuse and set up a stall on the Eight Immortals table in the main room on the 26th day of the twelfth lunar month.

When she ground the ink to the right consistency, dipped her brush in the ink, and wrote the first full and upright character for "spring" with her wrist suspended, the Chen family members watching once again let out a low gasp of amazement.

They didn't know if the handwriting would be considered exquisite in the eyes of true scholars, but the structure was neat, the strokes were clear and powerful, and it had a calm and upright demeanor, far more spirited and bright than the crooked and trembling handwriting of the old scholar in town.

"Spring fills the universe, and blessings fill every home..."

Once the couplet was finished, the red paper and black characters exuded the fragrance of ink.

Chen Yanxin and Chen Yanbao, these two teenagers, stared wide-eyed. They had never seen someone write so closely before, especially not their own aunt and sister.

The news spread like wildfire. The Chen family's daughter, who had just returned home, was not only literate but could also write beautiful Spring Festival couplets. She seemed even more talented than the young lady from the scholar's family. This news spread faster than any other gossip.