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

Watching Han Feng's hurried departure, Chen Wanxing felt at ease.

Han Feng is reliable and steady in his work, and his wife is also a diligent and dutiful woman. With their family helping to take care of the house and its surroundings, it saves a lot of trouble.

The rest of the time, she focused on tidying up her room. There were three main rooms: the middle one was the main hall, the one on the east side was her bedroom, and the one on the west side was converted into a study.

So, looking at it, apart from the house being bigger and having more rooms, the overall layout of this house is quite similar to her courtyard house in Kaifeng.

On the windowsill sat a pot of jasmine, bought from a florist's shop in the county town, in full bloom, its delicate fragrance barely perceptible.

The bedding on the brand-new four-poster bed was also new; she only needed to put her few clothes into the wardrobe.

As evening fell, Han Feng returned in a mule cart, carrying his wife, Liu, and their two children.

That night, Chen Wanxing had her first formal dinner in her new house. The meal was cooked by Liu Shi, and just as she had said, she was quite skilled in the kitchen. Although it was a simple home-style dish, it was exceptionally delicious.

As the weather gets warmer and April approaches, the spring breeze has completely shed its last trace of chill, becoming gentle and lush, as if you could squeeze water out of it.

Xiahe Village is enveloped in the rich atmosphere of spring, radiating the most vibrant and lively brilliance of the year.

In the fields, the winter wheat planted last autumn has already sprouted, lush and green, forming a continuous expanse. Under the sunlight, it ripples gently in the breeze, its vibrant green almost flowing to the horizon.

Farmers' land is valuable; they'll clear out even small patches of land, like corners or roadsides, to plant things like rapeseed.

As far as the eye can see, the fields and rows of golden rapeseed flowers are like paint buckets spilled by the sun, splashed across the emerald green wheat fields, bright and dazzling. Bees and butterflies flit among them, buzzing and chirping, creating a lively scene.

Along the ridges and ditches, countless unnamed wild grasses and flowers are growing and blooming with all their might, weaving an endless, sweet-smelling carpet.

The tall poplar trees by the roadside unfurled their new, palm-sized, emerald-green leaves, rustling in the wind and filtering down dappled sunlight.

The air was filled with the earthy smell and the fragrance of grass; everything was brimming with a vibrant, unrestrained vitality.

Having nothing to do that day, Chen Wanxing carried a small bamboo basket and followed Chen Qinghui, strolling slowly along the ridges of the fields. Ostensibly, they were digging for wild vegetables, but in reality, they were simply enjoying the boundless spring scenery.

She took a deep breath, and the fresh, slightly sweet scent permeated her senses, making her feel completely comfortable.

The city of Kaifeng was very different from this rural scenery. It was undoubtedly bustling with activity, with carriages and people on the streets, shops lined with signs, and the sounds of storytelling and singing coming from teahouses and taverns. It was a completely different kind of prosperous scene.

But in that bustling city, there is a lack of such unrestrained greenery, and a lack of such unadorned earth and floral scents.

The streets inside the city walls are orderly, but also feel crowded and cramped. The high walls block the view and also isolate people from the earth.

In terms of convenience, the city is certainly more convenient than the countryside, but that's about it. It's just that it's more convenient to buy things, but for her, that's not a big advantage.

She preferred this place, to the unobstructed green fields stretching as far as the eye could see, accompanied by the sounds of birdsong and insect chirps, the rustling of leaves in the wind, and the scent of freshly rained earth and grass.

I felt that the fatigue that I could vaguely feel from the bone was completely released here.

When she returned to her new house and pushed open the gate that belonged to her courtyard, the sense of relaxation she felt as the owner of the house reached its peak.

Although her younger siblings would come over almost every day like little sparrows chirping away, Grandma Chen would also often come over to bask in the sun, sit in the yard to do needlework, and chat about everyday things.

After finishing her work in the fields, Chen's mother would come over whenever she had a spare moment to see if Liu needed anything, or to help Liu prepare some food.

But this feels completely different from when I lived in the old house.

At that time, although she was also family, she always felt like a guest. It was the home that her parents and brothers had built up over the years. She returned halfway through, and even though blood is thicker than water, she needed time to reintegrate into the established and stable life.

Besides, their lifestyles are quite different. Chen Wanxing won't follow their habits, but she still feels a bit constrained most of the time.

Unlike now, this is Chen Wanxing's house, where every brick, tile, blade of grass, and tree is made according to her wishes.

She can decide at any time what flowers to plant in the yard, what books to put on her desk, what she wants to eat for three meals a day, and when to eat them—all according to her own preferences.

This is her home turf; she can completely relax and be her most authentic self.

Lying on a deck chair in the yard, Chen Wanxing's hair swayed in the spring breeze.

She had originally planned to return to Kaifeng after the New Year, but now she really didn't want to leave.

"Fine, if you don't want to leave, stay a while longer. Anyway, I don't have anything important to do, so why make things difficult for myself?" Chen Wanxing narrowed her eyes slightly, a gentle smile spreading across her lips.

……

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow on the courtyard, and a sweet and fragrant aroma filled the air.

Yesterday, Chen's mother mixed freshly picked elm seeds, tender elm leaves, and locust flowers with flour and steamed a pot of elm seed rice and locust flower rice. She also made a sauce with minced garlic, vinegar, and a few drops of sesame oil and poured it over the rice. She then brought two bowls to Chen Wanxing.

The Marquis's residence doesn't eat this stuff; she can't even remember the last time she ate it.

Chen Wanxing took a bite, and was amazed by its unique sweet and soft texture, which carried the essence of spring plants. She ate half a bowl of each dish and kept praising how delicious they were.

Seeing that she liked it, Chen's mother was happy and kept saying, "These elm leaves are only tender these few days; they'll get old in a few days."

And these locust flowers have a very short blooming period; you can only enjoy their freshness for a few days.

This stuff is absolutely delicious steamed, used in buns, or made into pancakes; it has a wonderfully sweet aroma. Since you like it, I'll have your older brother go to the village and get some more tomorrow.”

Sure enough, just past noon today, Chen Yancheng returned carrying a bulging bamboo basket filled with newly blooming, snow-white, pearl-like locust blossoms, their fragrance filling the air.

Chen's mother then took Hui Niang to pick locust flowers in the yard. Chen Wanxing also rolled up her sleeves to help. Her fingertips touched the delicate and soft petals, and she could smell the increasingly rich sweet fragrance.

Several people moved small stools and sat around in the shade of a tree, with several large winnowing baskets in front of them.

Pluck the clusters of locust flowers from the branches, remove any small leaves and hard stems that may be mixed in, leaving only the plump and delicate blossoms.

"These locust flowers, you have to choose the ones that are just about to open and have tight buds, they are the sweetest and most fragrant." Mother Chen said as she deftly picked the flowers, "Wash them clean, drain them, mix them with dry flour, steam them in a steamer, and you'll have a delicious meal."

For a richer flavor, sauté the flowers with lard and chopped scallions before mixing them with the dough and steaming. Alternatively, mix them with egg batter and pan-fry them into locust flower pancakes—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, also excellent.

As she was speaking, a cheerful female voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate: "Oh my, I can smell the fragrance from far away. Are you picking locust flowers? The locust flowers are blooming so beautifully this year."

Everyone looked up and saw a woman who looked to be about forty years old standing at the gate of the courtyard, peering inside.