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

The black lacquered wooden door of the Zhou family, which barely maintained its dignity, slammed shut with a bang. The room was deathly silent for a moment, then suddenly burst open like water being poured into a pot of oil.

Zhou Laosan suddenly jumped up from the armchair, no longer out of fear, but out of pent-up anger with nowhere to vent it.

His eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at his wife, Liu, his fingers almost poking her face.

"It's all your fault! You greedy fool."

He growled, "Didn't you say she didn't even have any personal money and must have been kicked out by the Marquis's mansion because she was disliked?"

If you hadn't forced her to ask for money, pushing her to sell that worthless embroidery, would all this mess have happened? Now look what's happened, everything's gone wrong, and you've gotten yourself into a mess.

That Amber is my own niece, a member of our Zhou family. The eldest master even went so far as to cause trouble for the third master over such a trivial matter. Amber's identity must be extraordinary.

"But I believed your lies, and now look what's happened! We've completely offended her; there's no benefit for us whatsoever."

Enraged by the barrage of accusations, Liu immediately retorted sharply, shifting all blame: "You blame me? You're quick to pin the blame on me. Me, forcing her? Wasn't I doing it for the sake of the family?"

How was I supposed to know she was hoarding her money, preferring to sell her embroidery rather than part with it? She's become a mistress now, yet she's still so stingy.

Besides, she was embroidering that thing to sell, and you asked me to give it to the Third Madam. The embroidery caught the Third Madam's eye, and she summoned her in to give an explanation. How can you blame me for that?

The more she spoke, the more convinced she became of her point, her voice rising even higher, filled with the agitation of someone who had suffered a tremendous injustice:

"Back then, in the Third Master's courtyard, the Third Master himself took a liking to her at first sight, his eyes were practically glued to her, how can you blame me for that?"

If we go with the flow and send her to the Third Master, we'll please the master, and your promotion to steward will be a sure thing. Isn't this a golden road to success?

Besides, when we discussed it, you tacitly agreed. Now you want to push all the responsibility onto me? Do you even consider yourself a man?

Zhou Laosan was so angry at her words that he trembled all over, but he couldn't completely refute them.

When he learned that the Third Master was interested in Amber, he was overjoyed, feeling that he had finally gotten the chance to climb the social ladder.

The anger at this moment stems not only from the heartache and fear of the failed plan and wasted investment, but also from the regret of losing more than one gains.

"The road to heaven? Now this road leads directly to the King of Hell." He slumped down, burying his face in his hands, his voice filled with despair.

"Once the eldest master gave the order, the third master didn't dare utter a single word. All the silver we had previously offered as tribute was not only wasted, but our whole family was also registered under the eldest master's name."

"What future do we have in this old house? We'll be lucky if we're not assigned to the dirtiest and hardest jobs."

He abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked towards the inner courtyard, as if he could see through the walls to the person who had already left:

"It's all that jinx's fault. If she had revealed her identity and handed over the money earlier, our whole family would have been scrambling to please her. How could we have treated her like this?"

Instead of blaming each other, the couple united in their hatred and transferred all their resentment onto Amber and Chen Wanxing, shouting curses at the air.

No matter how loudly they cursed, it had nothing to do with Chen Wanxing and Amber, since they couldn't hear it anyway.

Amber's life has changed so much in recent times that she can't bear it.

First, she was inexplicably kicked out of the Marquis's mansion, which she had always regarded as home, where she relied on for survival, and which she firmly believed she would live there for the rest of her life.

This in itself was a devastating blow to her mental well-being.

Then, after more than a month of non-stop travel, I arrived in an unfamiliar place, facing a group of unfamiliar family members who were like jackals.

After all, she was only eighteen years old, and still a girl in the Marquis's mansion who couldn't stand her and would only show off or roll her eyes whenever she saw her.

The Marquis's mansion was indeed a cruel place, but that was only true for Chen Wanxing.

For Amber, the madam was someone she was closer to and trusted than her own mother, and the young master was the husband she had known since childhood.

As for what freedom is, Amber has never seen it. The concept of freedom has never taken root in her heart, so naturally, not a single sprout of longing has ever emerged.

How could a bird that has been caged since birth yearn for the sky?

Amber nestled in Chen Wanxing's arms, unable to hold back her soft sobs. In just two or three months, life had worn her down to the point that she had forgotten how to cry out loud.

Chen Wanxing didn't scold her or tell her to stop crying. Instead, she gently stroked her back, hoping to comfort her.

The carriage came to a steady stop in front of the courtyard in Baishi Lane as dusk fell. Yunzhu waited with a lantern in hand, its light shimmering slightly in the late autumn breeze.

Granny Li first got off the carriage shaft, then lifted the curtain and almost half-supported, half-carried Amber down.

Amber's steps were unsteady. After getting off the train and stopping, her body swayed almost imperceptibly. She immediately reached out and grabbed the cold carriage wall to steady herself.

Her eyes were a little red, and even though she had wiped them with a handkerchief before getting off the bus, traces of crying were still visible.

Amber raised her eyes and looked at the small courtyard in front of her, which appeared particularly quiet and secure in the night, her eyes filled with confusion.

Chen Wanxing was the last to get off the bus. "Let's go in."

Her voice broke the silence, her tone steady, offering little comfort.

"It's cold outside."

She turned around and pushed open the courtyard gate first, without offering to help him up, but she slowed her pace slightly.

Amber pursed her lips slightly, wrapped her thin clothes tighter, and silently followed behind her, as if the warmth in the car just now was her illusion.

Yunzhu cleverly stepped forward, holding a lantern in one hand and supporting Amber with the other, and carefully walked inside.

Li Mama followed behind them, helping the coachman carry Amber's luggage.

The courtyard was clean, the lights were on in the main house and study, and the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen from time to time.

Chen Wanxing led Amber directly to the study door: "This courtyard is rather small, and there are no empty rooms. This is my study; you can stay here for now. Everything is ready."

She pushed open the door and found the bed neat and tidy, the windows clean and bright, and all the daily necessities prepared. There was even a set of folded, ordinary but clean and soft pajamas on the table.

This is a drawing Chen Wanxing made herself. She described it to Granny Li, who then made it out of cotton cloth. It can be said that it is not much different from the long-sleeved pajamas of later generations.

Chen Wanxing had Li Mama and Yunzhu make several sets of clothes at once. Yunzhu and Li Mama each got one. At first, she wasn't used to wearing them, but later she got used to them and liked them. She even wore them to bed every day.

"Yunzhu will bring you hot water and food in a little while. Wash up first, then eat something, and then don't think about anything, just get a good night's sleep."

Her arrangements were clear and organized, without the slightest hint of sympathy or hesitation, as if she were handling something that had been planned long ago. This ordinary tone, ironically, gave Amber a strange sense of peace.

Amber stood at the doorway, looking at everything prepared for her inside, her throat feeling as if something was blocking it.

She turned around, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but tears rolled down her cheeks before she could speak. It wasn't a loud wail, but a silent, desperate flow.

Chen Wanxing sighed inwardly as he looked at her; she was practically crying her eyes out.

She offered neither words of comfort nor dissuasion, but waited quietly for a while before speaking. Her tone remained calm, yet unusually tinged with a hint of reminiscence:

"Back when you were still young in the manor, you were punished for breaking the glass cup that the lady liked. When you were made to kneel on the corridor, you were gritting your teeth and shedding tears, just like that. You were very stubborn."

She brought up this old story not to reminisce, but to tell her in this somewhat cruel way that the hardships she was facing were no different from what she had experienced in the Marquis's mansion in the past, and that she just had to get through them.

Amber's sobs paused slightly as she raised her tear-filled face to look at Chen Wanxing.

Chen Wanxing met her gaze and said, "Now that you're out here, the past, good or bad, is over. Even if you're sad, you should set a deadline for yourself."

From now on, living a peaceful life here is the most important thing. No one can help you except yourself.

She paused, then added, "Both Granny Li and Yunzhu are reliable people."

After saying that, she didn't linger any longer and turned to leave the study, leaving Amber, who needed to lick her wounds alone, in the space.

There were no hugs, no excessive sweet words, but the understanding and genuine protection based on a shared past, tinged with distance, were more powerful than any empty comfort.

Amber watched her departing figure, clutching the hem of her old coat tightly. For the first time, she clearly felt that she was truly alone, living alone in this vast world.

Without parents, without relatives, without a noble family, without a mistress, and without a young master, she truly had only herself left.

If she just rots here, none of those people in Kyoto will care.

Only Chen Wanxing, the older sister she once regarded as a rival, has now become the only piece of driftwood she can hold onto in this world.