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

With the tasks assigned well, all three felt at ease.

Chen Wanxing had gotten up early that morning and was feeling a bit tired. She yawned slightly and gave the order:

"I'm sleepy and want to take a nap. No one needs to wait on me here, so you can all go and rest or do your own thing."

Her habits differed from those of other young ladies; she never needed anyone to keep watch by her bedside at night, and even her afternoon nap required absolute quiet, something Yunzhu had long known.

She deftly stepped forward to help her lower the bed curtains, then quietly slipped out, carefully closing the door behind her.

Chen Wanxing lay in the soft quilt, smelling the peaceful scent of new wood mixed with sunlight, and soon drifted off to sleep.

There's no need to be wary; undisturbed sleep is itself the sweetest taste of freedom.

Outside, Yunzhu didn't steal a moment of leisure. She was still thinking about how the young lady had barely touched her chopsticks at noon, and she felt both guilty and uneasy.

She went to the kitchen and saw that Granny Li was tidying up the items she had just bought. She sidled up to her and whispered, "Granny, my cooking skills are really terrible. I'm just wasting things."

Could you teach me how to make a few snacks? It'll be nice for the young lady to have a little something to eat when she wakes up in the afternoon, or whenever she has a craving.

In other places, if you wanted to learn a skill, you would have to give gifts and beg to become an apprentice in order to learn it.

But her family was small and didn't need those things. Looking at her earnest little face, Granny Li felt a pang of sympathy and nodded, saying:

"You're quite thoughtful, girl. Well then, it would be good for you to learn a few light and refreshing desserts, since you have a refined palate."

And so, the kitchen in this little courtyard was filled with the warmth of cooking and human connection for an entire afternoon.

Farmers couldn't afford pastries, and this was Yunzhu's first time seriously learning about them, or even seeing for the first time how a plate of pastries was made.

She was inevitably a bit flustered, either adding too much water or kneading the dough too hard.

Then there was the time when adding eggs, oil, and sugar. Granny Li would insist on adding more, adding more, and Yunzhu's hands would tremble as she added the ingredients spoonful by spoonful.

No wonder the pastries in those pastry shops are so expensive, even a small piece costs so much. It turns out they add so much sugar and so much oil.

Granny Li watched from the side, occasionally offering a word of advice, and sometimes even demonstrating herself. Although she was strict about rules, she was quite patient when it came to teaching.

As the sun began to set and Chen Wanxing slowly woke up, Yunzhu, under the guidance of Granny Li, actually managed to make two plates of pastries in a respectable manner.

One dish was soft and sticky osmanthus sugar cake, the cake itself being a translucent, mutton-fat color, with tiny golden osmanthus blossoms visible inside. The other dish was sesame shortbread, which looked a bit ugly, but smelled wonderful.

Although it couldn't compare to the skills of the master chefs at famous restaurants, Yunzhu was already very satisfied. Chen Wanxing also thought it was good and even praised her a couple of times.

Dinner was prepared by Granny Li. After eating and washing up, she told Yunzhu and Granny Li to go to bed early.

Lying alone in bed, Chen Wanxing couldn't fall asleep. She had slept soundly during her afternoon nap and was now at her most alert, without feeling sleepy at all.

Chen Wanxing sat up, wrapped in the covers. She didn't find the long night unbearable. She didn't have anything to do tomorrow, so if she didn't want to sleep, she wouldn't.

By the moonlight outside, she got out of bed and lit the oil lamp on her desk. The warm glow instantly dispelled the darkness in the corner.

Chen Wanxing took out a stack of plain paper and a charcoal pencil from the box and spread the paper out.

This is her first real home, and she wants to manage every inch of it according to her own wishes.

Chen Wanxing first sketched out the general outline of the courtyard from memory. It didn't need to be particularly detailed; she just needed to be able to understand it herself.

Then, she began to mark and annotate some blank spaces with her charcoal pencil.

She wasn't going to touch those three small vegetable gardens. Tomorrow she would ask Granny Li if the weather was still suitable for planting some vegetables. Oh, no, Granny Li probably didn't know about these things; this was probably Yunzhu's forte.

The row of loofahs in the corner is now just yellowed, withered vines. At dinner, the old woman was still saying that she would get rid of all the withered vines tomorrow.

Once the withered vines have cleared the empty space here, she plans to pick a grapevine next year. She loves grapes, and a trellis would provide shade in the summer. Or perhaps she could look for rose seeds and plant a row of roses; that would be quite nice.

And here, Chen Wanxing drew a circle on a small open space near the kitchen.

Could we set up a barbecue area here? We could grill meat in the summer. She doesn't have beer, but she can make rice wine.

It's a different kind of "beer and barbecue, happiness without worries."

Thinking of this, Chen Wanxing couldn't help but laugh.

She was so engrossed in her "courtyard design" that she didn't snap out of her reverie until the lamp light flickered and popped.

Looking at the gradually filling blueprint of the home improvement project, a sense of accomplishment and anticipation for the future fills my heart.

This made her feel more grounded and happy than any romantic gesture.

Chen Wanxing carefully put away the blueprints, then blew out the light, lay back on the bed with satisfaction, and quickly fell asleep.

Autumn is getting stronger.

The next day, when Chen Wanxing woke up, it was already bright outside, and the sunlight shone through the window paper without being dazzling.

She nestled in the soft, warm quilt, rolled over comfortably in bed, and showed no intention of getting up.

very nice.

Chen Wanxing sighed inwardly.

The faint sounds of Li Mama bustling about in the kitchen and Yunzhu tidying up could be heard from outside. Chen Wanxing buried half her face in the sun-scented pillow.

She lingered for about half an hour, until a slight feeling of hunger crept into her stomach, before finally calling out lazily to the outside, "Yunzhu."

Yunzhu, who had been keeping a close eye on things, immediately responded and came in carrying a warm basin and some salt.

"Miss, you're awake? Granny Li has cooked some fragrant and sticky chicken porridge and steamed some soft little buns, which have been kept warm on the stove, just waiting for you to get up."