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

In the main room, since they had decided to stay at home, the women began to prepare lunch. Because Chen Xiahe was pregnant, Chen Ershen specifically instructed that the dishes be light and soft.

The two sisters sat together. Although it was their first time meeting and they were still strangers, they had so much to talk about. They chatted in hushed tones, from their experiences over the years to their future plans, with soft laughter occasionally breaking the silence.

Sun Haobo was pulled aside by Chen's father and second uncle to talk. Although he was a little reserved, the atmosphere was still harmonious.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a warm glow on people.

But not long after, the warmth inside the house was suddenly broken by a rough yet deliberately enthusiastic voice. The owner of the voice obviously did not intend to wait for the owner's permission. Before the words were finished, the figure had already stepped into the house.

"Hey, sister-in-law, Mancang and Manku are both home? What a coincidence!"

The old lady who came in was around sixty years old. She was wearing a worn-out gray cotton-padded jacket with two black patches on it. Her full head of silver hair was slicked back and tied into a tight bun at the back of her head, with a shiny brass hairpin inserted in it.

Her skin was slightly yellow, her cheekbones were slightly high, and her eyebrows and eyes vaguely resembled those of Chen's father. One could guess that she must have been a beauty when she was young.

However, the gloom and shrewdness in her eyes ruined her face, making it seem out of place. She was also holding a boy of about ten years old with shifty eyes.

The room fell silent instantly, the warm atmosphere suddenly freezing as if doused with ice water.

Grandma Chen's smile vanished instantly. She slowly sat up straight, her lips pressed into a straight line, and her eyes held no warmth, only undisguised aloofness and deep-seated disgust.

Mr. Chen's face also darkened, his hands on his knees clenched slightly, and he didn't even bother to pretend. He didn't even get up to greet the uninvited guest, but just stared coldly at him.

The visitor was none other than Grandpa Chen's younger sister, Chen Wanxing's great-aunt, Chen Guixiang. According to seniority, Chen Wanxing should call her great-aunt. However, the Chen family and this great-aunt had not been in contact for many years, and had practically severed ties openly.

Before she got married, she was loved and pampered by her family. However, when Grandpa Chen passed away in his prime, leaving behind the young widow Grandma Chen and her three sons, Chen Guixiang used the excuse that the widow and her children could not protect the family property and that she would remarry and take the Chen family's land with her sooner or later. She repeatedly came to the Chen family's house to make trouble, trying to seize the few acres of land the Chen family owned.

Chen's father was already ten years old at that time. He clearly remembered that right after his father was buried, before the soil was even dry, this aunt came to the door with a group of people, crying and wailing that her widowed sister-in-law was too young to hold on, and that her three young nephews were a burden. She insisted on helping to manage the household, and her words implied that she wanted to transfer the Chen family's small piece of land, which was supposed to be their lifeline, to her name.

Grandma Chen, with her strong character, gritted her teeth and dragged her three sons along, crying until her voice was hoarse in the cold night. Several fair-minded elders in the clan couldn't bear to watch and stepped in to reprimand her, barely managing to force Chen Guixiang to back down and save the family business.

However, this completely severed ties between the two families. Chen Guixiang was probably afraid that her widowed sister-in-law would not be able to support her three sons on her own and would rely on her, so she declared that she would cut off all contact with her widowed sister-in-law and nephew, and indeed, there has been no news of them for many years.

But Chen's father still remembers every single one of her open and covert bullying, cold words, and even her despicable acts of colluding with outsiders to seize the Chen family's land. This grudge has been deeply ingrained over the years and cannot be easily diluted by time.

So no one expected that she would appear so abruptly on the second day of the Lunar New Year, many years later.

Chen Guixiang seemed completely unaware of how unpopular she was, or rather, she was so thick-skinned that she didn't care at all.

She dragged her grandson, Gouwa, straight to the center of the room. Her eyes, like hooks, swept across everyone's faces, finally fixing on Chen Wanxing. She scrutinized her from head to toe, from left to right.

"Oh my!" she clapped her hands exaggeratedly, raising her voice even higher. "This must be the eldest daughter of the Mancang family. Look, look! She's like a fairy descended from heaven. Her appearance and figure are so different from those of us from the dirtiest parts of the countryside."

"Sister-in-law, you're so lucky! The golden phoenix you lost has flown back." She praised him sweetly, but her attitude made people extremely uncomfortable.

Grandma Chen snorted through her nose, too lazy to even say "sit down."

Chen Guixiang wasn't embarrassed at all. She pulled her grandson into the house and sat him down. The boy timidly called out "Grandma" and "Uncle," his voice barely audible.

"What are you doing here?" Mr. Chen asked, his tone harsh and cold.

"Look at what you're saying. It's the Lunar New Year, isn't it my duty to go back to my parents' home to see my sister-in-law?"

Chen Guixiang gave a forced laugh, then her gaze returned to Chen Wanxing. "Besides, I heard that the eldest daughter of the Mancang family has returned. As her great-aunt, how could I not come and see her? That child has such a hard life, so young and already... Fortunately, she's back now."

She pretended to wipe away non-existent tears, but no one in the main room responded, and the atmosphere was awkwardly silent, with everyone looking rather grim.

Seeing that no one responded, Chen Guixiang gave a dry laugh, but still forced herself to state her purpose: "This child, he looks to be about twenty, right? Is he engaged?"

Grandma Chen lifted her eyelids and said coldly, "You don't need to worry about the children."

"Oh, sister-in-law, that's not right." Chen Guixiang immediately raised her voice, looking distressed. "I'm her great-aunt, how could I not worry? A girl's youth is fleeting; at this age, in our area, you really have to seize the moment. But..."

She changed the subject, a smug smile spreading across her face, "Our daughter is so beautiful, she's really not good enough for most farming families."

It's not that I, as a meddlesome aunt, am being nosy; I just couldn't stand by and watch, and I was so anxious about it that I kept helping to find a wife. It just so happened that a few days ago, the Wang family in our town was looking for a wife to manage the household.

She lowered her voice and adopted a sincere tone: "The wealthy Mr. Wang in our town owns a grain shop, and his family has fields and houses. He's a very prominent family in town."

She became more and more excited as she spoke, holding up two fingers and emphasizing her words, "Twenty taels of silver, and you'll be the mistress of the house right away. Food, clothing, daily necessities, servants—all provided. This is a marriage that's hard to find even with a lantern."

"Let me tell you, you'd better make a decision quickly. If our daughter marries into such a good family, she'll be living in a dream world, enjoying endless blessings for the rest of her life. I'll have done right by my deceased brother, securing a bright future for my grandniece."