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

Old Wang was clearly taken aback for a moment, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"This is my in-laws' second brother, from Xiahe Village," Manager Zhang, as the host, hurriedly introduced.

"So it's Brother Chen." Old Wang greeted him politely with a smile that didn't change. "It's an honor for me to come and share in your joy today, as it's a day of celebration for your family."

Uncle Chen was delighted to see that he was being polite and was about to say a few more words to get closer to him when he saw that Wang Laocai had been surrounded by several other merchants from the town, chatting and laughing.

His smile froze, and he retreated to his seat dejectedly, feeling somewhat uneasy.

In his opinion, since the Wang family intended to form a marriage alliance with his family, they should treat him, their future in-law, with extra courtesy. However, judging from Wang Laocai's appearance, he clearly didn't treat him any differently.

Meanwhile, the women's chatter continued. But Madam Wang's arrival changed the subject.

"This lady from the Wang family is quite a kind person," said a woman dressed in a gray-blue jacket. "She's always smiling when I see her in town."

"She's amiable, but..." another woman hesitated, looked around, and lowered her voice, "I've heard that she really feels guilty towards her eldest son."

This piqued everyone's interest. The thin woman who had spoken earlier immediately chimed in, "I've heard that too. I heard that Wang's eldest son rarely comes back these days."

"She moved out on her own at such a young age, and she claims she wasn't kicked out by her stepmother? Who would believe that? I heard the Wang family wouldn't even give her much money, but they pamper their youngest son like the apple of their eye."

"Really?" someone questioned. "The Wang family isn't short of money, why would they do this?"

"You wouldn't know this," the thin woman said, pursing her lips. "The richer a person is, the more shrewd they are at calculating."

"That eldest son of the Wang family isn't the current wife's biological son; he was born to her first wife. How much care can a stepmother possibly have?"

"But Madam Wang doesn't seem like a mean person to me..."

"You can know a person's face but not their heart."

Chen Wanxing's fingers, which were holding the teacup, twitched involuntarily. These words sounded somewhat familiar, exactly the same as what she had heard in the restaurant in Ping'an Town when she first returned to Ruyang.

At that time, she had no connection with the Wang family and simply listened to it without thinking; now that she knew about Wang Yanning, hearing these discussions inevitably stirred up ripples in her heart.

I ran into Madam Wang on the street last time, and my sister-in-law mentioned that she had a bad reputation. I was a little surprised, but I forgot to ask when I got home. It seems that her bad reputation is due to the reasons they were talking about.

She looked up at Madam Wang in the courtyard. The woman's profile was gentle and her manners were proper. She really couldn't tell the harsh and biased person she was rumored to be.

As she was pondering, Madam Wang seemed to sense something, turned her head, and met Chen Wanxing's gaze. She was slightly taken aback, then revealed a gentle smile and walked towards Chen Wanxing.

The women gathered around immediately fell silent. Madam Wang greeted everyone with a smile, then stopped in front of Chen Wanxing, took a chair and sat down, her tone warm and natural: "Miss Chen, it's nice to see you again. This dress suits you well today, it looks beautiful."

"Madam Wang is too kind."

"You flatter me." Madam Wang smiled and naturally reached out to gently pat a speck of dust that had somehow gotten on the hem of her skirt.

This overly intimate gesture stunned the women nearby. Chen Wanxing was also somewhat surprised, but still nodded politely.

Madam Wang chatted for a few more minutes before leaving. As soon as she left, Chen Wanxing clearly heard a few whispers coming from not far away.

"Why does Madam Wang seem so close to this eldest daughter of the Chen family?"

"It's more than just close; they're practically like family."

"How strange! Could it be that the Wang family and the Chen family have some kind of relationship that we are unaware of?"

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, Chen Wanxing lowered her eyes and sat down, her doubts growing stronger. Madam Wang's attitude towards her was far too abnormal.

Now that things have come to this, she no longer thinks it's because of Qiuju. Qiuju was just sitting right next to her, and apart from exchanging a greeting at the beginning, the two of them didn't speak to each other again.

As the banquet approached, more and more guests arrived, and the courtyard was bustling with noise. They were Zhang's in-laws, distant relatives of Zhang, people from the town who were on good terms with Zhang, and some relatives of Chen. Everyone who saw her would ask her a few questions.

After answering the same question again and again, Chen Wanxing's smile gradually became stiff.

The curious, inquisitive gazes made her feel somewhat stifled. She looked up and scanned the courtyard. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the pergola, casting dappled shadows, and the air was filled with the noise of people.

"Sister, are you feeling unwell?" Qinghui sidled up to her without her noticing, tugging at her sleeve with her small hand, her face showing concern.

Chen Wanxing patted her head and forced a smile: "It's nothing, I'm just a little bored."

"Shall we go outside for some fresh air? There are too many people here. There's a small alley over there on the west side, shall we go for a stroll there?"

The air around us seemed to grow thicker, and the sounds of conversation, laughter, and small talk mingled together, buzzing in our ears.

Chen Wanxing glanced at the group of people sitting around, let out a soft breath, and said in a low voice, "It's okay, you go ahead and do your thing, I'll go over and get some fresh air for a bit."

Qing Sui pouted, but still obediently didn't follow. Chen Wanxing picked up her teacup, took a sip of tea, got up, and quietly left her seat, walking out along the corner.

Perhaps because too many people were secretly watching her, she didn't notice that Old Man Wang, who was chatting and laughing with someone at the courtyard gate, was subtly following her back.

The moment she stood up, Wang Laocai noticed her immediately. After her figure disappeared into the courtyard, Wang Laocai said a few more words to the person in front of him, then made an excuse to leave and walked in that direction as well.

His steps were hurried, carrying an irrepressible urgency.