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

The two masters asked seven or eight people one by one, and finally, they picked out five people and asked them to stand aside.

Master Zhao returned and said to Chen Wanxing, "Miss, I've picked out five, and they all look alright. Would you like to take a look?"

Chen Wanxing's gaze swept lightly over the five people, and he raised an eyebrow. This was truly dramatic, just as if it had been arranged. The father and son were actually among the five people he had chosen.

She nodded, not saying much more: "If the foremen think it's okay, that's good. Explain the wages and rules to them clearly, and then we'll take it over and start working."

"Okay, I already told them about the wages when I asked them."

Master Zhao agreed, turned around and waved to the five selected laborers, "Come on, let's go work in the east of the city."

The group arrived at the dilapidated mansion in the east of the city, where the two masters saw the entire mansion for the first time.

They immediately stopped chatting and began to carefully examine the courtyard.

Master Zhao kicked the crooked wall base with his foot, then looked up at the rotten roof beam.

Master Sun then examined the weathering of the old blue bricks and the existing foundation and damage of the courtyard wall in greater detail.

The two occasionally exchanged opinions in hushed tones, gesturing with their fingers to indicate names and estimating the amount of work involved.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the two returned to Chen Wanxing, who had been quietly waiting by their side.

Master Zhao, acting as the representative, calmly reported: "Young lady, we've looked into this job. The three main rooms need to be carefully demolished. Blue bricks are expensive, so we need to remove them as much as possible. This part is the most time-consuming."

If the courtyard wall is planned to be one and a half people high, then the foundation will need to be reinforced, requiring a significant amount of bricks and labor.

After a moment's thought, he gave a realistic timeframe: "If the next few days are as sunny as today, and we work quickly, we can get it all done for you in seven days."

But if the weather turns bad, the masonry work will have to stop, and if it dries slowly, the project will be delayed, potentially taking nine to ten days at most.

Chen Wanxing listened carefully, quickly calculating in her mind that the time was within her expectations. She nodded and went straight to asking the most crucial question:

"How are the rented tools and the mortar used in between calculated?"

Master Sun picked up the conversation, clearly indicating that this was something they had discussed beforehand: "Young lady, this job is complicated, involving both demolition and construction. We'll give you a rough estimate of the materials needed and a total price."

"You can pay us for all the materials at once. The two of us will be responsible for supervising the work, watching over the laborers, and purchasing enough lime, sand, and other materials. The young lady will give us a total of three taels of silver."

He paused, then added that this was standard practice: "If we plan well and save on materials, then what we save is our hard-earned money."

But what if things don't go smoothly and we waste materials? We'll have to cover the extra expenses ourselves. Do you think this is feasible?

Actually, it's not usually that troublesome when you go out to work. Most of the time, the homeowner provides the materials. Building a house requires a lot of materials, so it's cheaper to buy them yourself.

However, your job is small and requires little material. Normally, people would rarely hire someone from our business to do this kind of work, and repairing courtyard walls is usually done by the family's own boss.

But demolishing the main brick house is a delicate task, not something only someone with expertise in this field can do. However, don't worry, young lady, we're both honest people and won't take advantage of your lack of knowledge about this, which requires a lot of materials.

Chen Wanxing understood immediately. Even if most families were to demolish their houses, the next step would definitely be to rebuild on the original site. Since that would require a lot of materials, the homeowner could purchase them themselves.

But she doesn't use it much, so it's not worth it for her to get it herself.

They offered to cover everything, which saved her a lot of trouble. It was convenient and effortless, and the total price was fixed. She liked this clear division of responsibilities.

"Okay, let's do as the masters say."

She readily agreed and quickly finalized the deal: "We've already agreed on the wages, and I won't haggle over the material costs. I'll just do it the way you say. But you absolutely must guarantee that the foundation is dug as deep as possible and the courtyard wall is built sturdily."

"You're so helpful, young lady. Don't worry, I'll get it all done perfectly for you." Seeing how understanding their master was, the two smiled and became even more motivated.

Chen Wanxing paid part of the deposit on the spot as agreed, with the remainder to be settled after completion and acceptance.

"When it's lunchtime, I'll have my nanny or Yunzhu come and bring everyone lunch. Thank you both for your help."

After explaining all this, she didn't linger any longer and handed the venue over to the two masters.

When Chen Wanxing returned from the old house with Granny Li, she saw a carriage parked in front of her house from afar. As soon as she reached the courtyard gate, she heard a rather harmonious conversation coming from inside.

She looked up and saw that besides Amber and Yunzhu standing to the side, there were two unexpected guests sitting by the stone table in the courtyard: Steward Liu and his wife, Lady Liu.

She paused for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Yes, when I went to ask Manager Liu for information a few days ago, I did tell him my current address.

It seems that the couple heard about the news from the old house and came here specifically to check on things.

Judging from the scene before her, Amber and Steward Liu and his wife seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. Amber wore a polite smile, which, although not as bright as it had been at the Marquis's residence in the past, was still composed and generous.

Lady Liu held Amber's hand, chatting and laughing, her attitude appearing very friendly.

When did they become so familiar? The thought flashed through Chen Wanxing's mind, and she chuckled to herself.

They're all seasoned veterans who know how to read the room and speak tactfully. Amber is clearly recovering now, so it wouldn't be any easier for them to get along if they wanted to.

It's likely that in just a few words, they would have already figured out each other's temperament and value. While she was lost in thought, the four people in the courtyard also saw her.

"The young lady is back!" Yunzhu was the first to speak. Amber immediately stood up, and Steward Liu and Madam Liu also stood up with smiles.

Manager Liu cupped his hands and said with a smile, "Miss Wanxing, I apologize for the intrusion and disturbance."

Madam Liu was even more enthusiastic: "We heard that the young lady has settled in very well here and has even brought Amber back with her. Your Uncle Liu was thinking of her, so he shamelessly came over to check on her and also to chat with Amber. That child is really lovable."

Chen Wanxing instantly put on a perfectly timed welcoming smile and quickly stepped forward:

"Uncle Liu, Aunt Liu, you're too kind. Please have a seat. We're just two young ladies, and we don't have any relatives or family here in Kaifeng. In Wanxing's heart, Uncle Liu is truly an elder. We just hope that Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu won't look down on us."

She was humble in attitude and warm in tone.

She had just returned and was thinking about going out and socializing, but she wanted to postpone it since it wasn't a big deal anyway.

But now that we've already reconnected, we should try to be as close as possible and visit each other more often; it's not too much trouble.