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

Amber's gaze towards Chen Wanxing was now filled with disbelief, even a hint of awe: "Wanxing, how...how can you be so rich?"

Chen Wanxing was amused by her straightforward exclamation and almost laughed. He put down his chopsticks and casually counted on his fingers for her.

"There's nothing special about it. The monthly allowance is saved up little by little. Besides, working for the lady, the rewards during festivals and the occasional gifts from the masters when they're in a good mood all add up to a considerable sum."

"Look, like that gold bracelet the lady gave me. If I'm lucky enough to find someone who appreciates it, it could be worth thirty or forty taels."

She downplayed the hidden "profits" and "tribute" in a few words, things that were naturally not to be discussed with outsiders, even with amber.

As Amber listened to Chen Wanxing calculate the accounts, her eyes widened more and more.

"It seems we need to sell those pieces of jewelry even more." She said this both to Chen Wanxing and to convince herself.

Those pieces of jewelry that were useless to keep now appeared to her as bricks and wood.

Amber was initially quite proud, thinking that she had learned so many skills in the Marquis's mansion that she could support herself with just embroidery, earning five taels of silver a month, which was much higher than her previous monthly allowance.

Now, upon hearing about these housing prices and comparing them to my meager income, I immediately realize that relying solely on my own two hands to make a living, buying a house is nothing short of a pipe dream.

She subconsciously looked up at Chen Wanxing across from her, who was calmly sipping her porridge. Under the lamplight, Chen Wanxing's brows and eyes were relaxed, exuding an air of unhurried confidence.

Both were head maids from the Marquis's mansion, but after leaving that mansion, they were as lost and helpless as stray dogs, needing to be taken in and rescued. Even getting food and medicine became a burden.

But what about Sister Wanxing?

She quietly saved enough money to build a family business, enough to buy two maids to serve her, and lived a more dignified life than many young ladies from humble families.

A clear realization, mixed with shame and regret, suddenly surged into my mind.

Back when she was in the Marquis's mansion, she always felt that she had more face in front of the young master and would show off in front of Chen Wanxing all day long.

Looking back now, it was incredibly foolish. Chen Wanxing probably saw through the emptiness behind the glitz and glamour long ago and quietly paved the way for his own future.

And what about herself? She acted like a heartless fool.

Monthly allowances and rewards were given away in one hand and spent in the other. He would reward his servants to show off his wealth, and when his parents and brothers came to complain about being poor, he would take out all his personal savings. He never seriously planned for himself.

Looking back now, those seemingly glamorous days in the Marquis's mansion seem like a decadent and chaotic dream.

She wasn't squandering money, but rather the very foundation of her livelihood.

Thinking of this, Amber clenched her fingers, her nails digging into her palms and causing a slight pain. She couldn't go on like this any longer.

She had to work even harder on her embroidery, saving every penny. She had to work ten or a hundred times harder than when she was trying to please her master in the Marquis's mansion, just to earn back even a little bit of the confidence she had, like Sister Wanxing.

After dinner, Amber pulled Chen Wanxing into the study where they were staying.

She walked to the foot of the bed and took out a slightly worn jujube wood box from the bottom of the trunk. It had a small brass lock on it. She took out the key, opened it, and turned the box towards Chen Wanxing.

"All that I've gained over the years is here." Amber's voice was soft, carrying both relief and a touch of unspeakable melancholy.

Chen Wanxing peeked inside and saw that the small box was packed full, reflecting various faint glimmers of light under the dim light of the oil lamp.

Amber took a deep breath, as if to encourage herself, and reached out to pick up the most dazzling red gold and kingfisher feather phoenix tail hairpin.

"This hairpin was a gift from the young master. He said it would look good on me and that I should wear it when the new mistress enters the mansion for her facial hair ceremony."

She paused, her fingertips tracing the still vibrant blue kingfisher feather inlay, then as if afraid to linger, she put it down and picked up a jade bracelet.

"These bracelets were given to us servants in the room by the young master after his fourteenth birthday. Every maid in our courtyard received one that day, and mine was the best quality."

……

Amber picked out a few good ones and, as if reminiscing, chatted with Chen Wanxing for a while.

These items are treasures kept at the bottom of my chest, and also proof of amber's past prestige.

After introducing these few treasured items, her gaze swept over the odds and ends in the box, and her tone became lighter.

"These silver hairpins, gilded earrings, and the like were mostly gifts received during festivals or casual rewards from the masters. And these silver lilacs..."

She picked up the smallest pair of earrings, smiled, and said, "I bought these for myself when I was first promoted to first-class maid. I felt like I had finally made it through."

She gently pushed everything back to Chen Wanxing, as if she had unloaded a heavy burden, her gaze clear and firm.

"Sister Wanxing, everything is here. Can you help me figure out the best course of action?"

Chen Wanxing didn't try to take on everything, but instead looked at it carefully again under the lamplight, and pondered:

"These things need to be dealt with separately. We absolutely can't go to the pawnshop; they'll drive the price down too much. Let's go to a jewelry store instead; they offer fair prices for these."

Chen Wanxing tapped her fingertip on the red-gold and kingfisher feather phoenix-tail hairpin and the double-bead shrimp-whisker bracelet.

"As for these two top-quality pieces, their craftsmanship is exceptional, and they are priceless on the market. You can keep them for yourself."

Such fine items, once sold, will be hard to find again. It's better to keep them as a memento; it's both respectable and a keepsake. In case of future emergencies, they'll be your greatest asset.

To everyone's surprise, Amber shook her head, her gaze sweeping over the two most dazzling pieces of jewelry, her tone calm:

"What do I need to maintain my dignity now? These nice things are useless in the box."

"Right now, I just want to look forward. Only when I sell them and buy real land and houses will I feel at ease."

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Chen Wanxing knew that there was no point in trying to persuade her further. Although he felt sorry for her, he respected her choice.

She backed down and proposed a more prudent solution: "How about this, when the time comes, bring all of these along and ask an experienced craftsman to take a look and give us a fair price, especially for these two valuable items, and let's hear what the experts have to say."

If the price is truly unfair, we won't sell them; we'll just dispose of the others that are of average quality.

After Chen Wanxing finished speaking, she picked and chose among the jewelry, sorting them by material and value, and took out a portion of them. Then she pointed to the small pile that was left behind.

"As for these gilded, silver, and ordinary jade pieces, the silversmiths don't care about them and offer them at a steep discount."

"Why don't we wait until the temple fair during the New Year and set up a small stall on the street to sell them? It'll be more work, but we can earn a few more coins. What do you think?"

This arrangement is well-organized, maximizing value while also leaving room for flexibility. Amber nodded: "Okay, I'll do as you say."