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

The afternoon sun was quite strong, making people feel warm and cozy.

Chen Wanxing was sitting in the courtyard flipping through the account book when someone hugged her neck from behind. As soon as she felt that soft, squishy body against her, she knew who it was.

"Mother—" Wang Shiyi drawled, hanging on her back, "Let's go to the city gate to pick up Brother Youcong."

Chen Wanxing didn't even look up: "It's still early. Your brother Youcong is coming back from Runing Prefecture, he won't arrive until at least evening."

"But I want to wait," Shi Yi said, shaking her neck persistently. "Mom, please come with me. My brother went to school with Dad again, and there's no one to play with me. It's so boring sitting at home."

Chen Wanxing was so distracted by her that he couldn't look at the ledger, so he put down his pen and glanced back at her.

The six-year-old girl had two little pigtails, rosy cheeks, and bright, sparkling eyes. Her cleverness was exactly the same as her aunt Qinghui's when she was a child.

"Didn't your grandpa just bring you a little rocking horse this morning? You've been looking forward to it for so long, and you're already tired of playing with it after just one morning?" Chen Wanxing asked.

"I'm not tired of playing, but my brother isn't home, and I don't want to play alone." Shi Yi pouted. "Besides, Brother Youcong has been gone for so long this time, and I miss him. I want to see him as soon as possible."

Chen Wanxing was amused by her appearance and reached out to pinch her cheek: "Alright, alright, I'll go with you. Look at your little mouth, it's big enough to hang an oil bottle."

Shi Yi cheered and grabbed her hand, running outside.

The city gate wasn't far away, and the mother and daughter strolled over slowly.

Shi Yi tiptoed and peered into the crowd, turning her little head back and forth, muttering, "Why aren't we there yet..."

Chen Wanxing held her hand, not in a hurry, and walked to the tea stall at the city gate, ordered a pot of tea, and sat down to wait.

Just as we were waiting, we suddenly heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar.

She looked up and saw several carriages heading towards the city gate. The curtain of the leading carriage, with its blue veil, was lifted slightly, revealing a familiar face.

Chen Wanxing paused for a moment, then smiled.

The carriage stopped in front of her, the curtain was lifted, and Lin Wei got out of the carriage. She almost lost her balance and grabbed Chen Wanxing's arm, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Sister Wanxing, what are you doing here?"

Chen Wanxing laughed and helped her up, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? Didn't they say they would rest for a while after returning from the capital before setting off again? How come they've arrived already?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than a small figure darted out from behind Chen Wanxing.

"Aunt Wei, you're back!"

Chen Shiyi ran very fast, her two little pigtails bouncing behind her head, and rushed straight into Lin Wei's arms.

Lin Wei was knocked back a step by the bump, her eyes crinkling into two crescent moons as she smiled. She squatted down, caught her, and hugged her tightly, giving her a good squeeze.

"Oh my, whose little girl is this? She's so pretty."

Chen Shiyi felt a little embarrassed by her gaze, buried her face in her neck and rubbed against her, then looked up at her with bright eyes, muttering, "Aunt Wei, I missed you so much."

"Auntie misses you too." Lin Wei hugged her up and bounced her around. "Hmm, you've gotten heavier. Auntie can hardly carry you anymore. It seems your mother hasn't neglected you; she feeds you well every day."

Chen Shiyi giggled, hugging her neck tightly and rubbing her head against her shoulder like a clingy kitten.

After rubbing against her for a while, she raised her head again, looked intently at Lin Wei's face, reached out and touched her eyebrows, and then touched her eyes.

"Aunt Wei, have you been looking tired lately? Your eyes are bloodshot and your face is pale. You need to get some rest and take care of yourself."

Lin Wei paused for a moment, then laughed and pinched her little cheek, saying, "Oh my, how come our little girl is so adorable? Don't worry, Auntie will take good care of herself."

Chen Shiyi nodded in satisfaction and buried her face back in her neck.

Chen Wanxing, watching from the side, laughed and said, "Alright, alright, get down. Your Aunt Wei has had a long journey, don't tire her out."

Chen Shiyi shook her head and hugged Lin Wei even tighter: "No, I want Aunt Wei to hug me."

Lin Wei winked at Chen Wanxing and smiled, "It's okay, I can carry her. I'm overjoyed that this girl is so affectionate with me."

She spun Chen Shiyi around in her arms, and Chen Shiyi giggled, her laughter as clear and crisp as a wind chime. After spinning her around, Lin Wei put her down a little, letting her sit on her arm, and the two of them, forehead to forehead, laughed together.

"Aunt Wei," Chen Shiyi suddenly remembered something and asked seriously, "How long will you be staying this time?"

Lin Wei thought for a moment and said, "This time it will be longer, at least two or three months. Your uncle and the others need to rest and recuperate. We'll discuss going back after your Uncle Lang's assignment abroad is settled."

Chen Shiyi's eyes lit up: "Then can you come to my house to play every day?"

Lin Wei tapped her nose: "You'll have to ask your mother, see if she welcomes me or not."

Chen Shiyi immediately turned to look at Chen Wanxing, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Mother, can Aunt Wei come every day?"

Chen Wanxing couldn't help but laugh at her expression and nodded: "Yes, as long as your Aunt Wei doesn't find it troublesome."

Chen Shiyi cheered, then hugged Lin Wei's neck and kissed her on the cheek.

Lin Wei smiled and put her down, ruffled her hair, then stood up, looked at Chen Wanxing, and explained:

"They were originally supposed to rest for a few days, but they've been traveling for over a month since returning from the capital, they're well-rested, and besides—"

She lowered her voice, a smile in her eyes, "My brother passed the exam this time and is eager to come back and share the good news."

Chen Wanxing's eyes lit up as she looked at Lin Lang and Zhou Wenbo, who had already walked over.

Lin Lang felt a little embarrassed by the stares, waved his hand, and laughed, "I'm a fellow Jinshi, ranking at the back, it's nothing."

"That's still good!" Lin Wei glared at him. "So what if you're a fellow Jinshi? A fellow Jinshi is still a Jinshi. Has our family ever produced a Jinshi in generations?"

Lin Lang smiled and shook his head, saying nothing more.

Zhou Wenbo chimed in from the side, his tone a mix of envy and teasing: "Even a fellow Jinshi is still a Jinshi. Brother, you've really brought honor to your ancestors this time."

They grew up together and went to school together. He knew how hard Lin Lang had worked to study all these years.

When he first took the provincial examination, he was so sick that he still forced himself to finish writing. After passing the provincial examination, he went to the capital to take the examination again and again.

This time, I finally won.