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

After that day, Chen Wanxing never mentioned the father and son again, as if his loss of composure and confirmation that day were just a dream.

Amber tactfully stopped asking questions and simply kept a close eye on her condition.

For several days in a row, Chen Wanxing stayed at home listlessly, completely losing her usual interest in going out for a stroll and seeing what was happening in the city.

Amber saw this and knew that the thorn in her heart was still there, and that keeping it bottled up like this was not good.

That afternoon, Amber put down her embroidery frame, walked to Chen Wanxing's side, and said in a light tone:

"I'm getting rusty from staying cooped up at home all day. Come out for a walk with me! I heard there's a new pastry shop on South Street. Let's go check it out and see if they have any good pastries. We can buy some and relax a bit."

Chen Wanxing looked up at her, knowing that Amber meant well, and that she did indeed feel stuffy in the room, so she nodded and said, "Alright."

The two tidied up quickly and went out. The sun was shining brightly, and the streets were still bustling with people.

Chen Wanxing was initially a little absent-minded, but as she moved and breathed in the fresh air outside, the knot in her heart seemed to loosen up a bit.

They were heading towards South Street, but as they walked, Chen Wanxing found herself unknowingly turning in another direction.

When she came to her senses, she was shocked to find herself standing at the crossroads leading to the dock. The noisy shouts and calls of people carrying goods, mixed with the unique fishy smell of the river, hit her in the face.

She stopped in her tracks, her gaze unconsciously searching among the busy laborers.

The docks were bustling with people, mostly unfamiliar faces, carrying goods of all sizes, repeating arduous labor.

But those two figures were not among them today.

Amber stood beside her, looking at her expression, and understood. She sighed softly and said in a low voice, "It's rare to see you so conflicted."

Sister, now that we've come this far, if you really can't let go, hiding isn't a solution. What are you really thinking?

Chen Wanxing stared blankly at the empty corner, feeling a mix of relief and a strange sense of loss, unable to quite define her own feelings.

She didn't answer, remaining silent for a moment before turning away and saying, "Let's go, to South Street."

She seemed somewhat absent-minded throughout the afternoon after returning from the dock. During dinner, she was unusually silent, only taking a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.

Chen Wanxing stood by the window, the night breeze brushing against her cheeks.

The days of avoidance had left her feeling like a tangled mess, making her more indecisive than ever before.

What's wrong with taking a look?

If she doesn't want to admit it, can they force her to do so in this area?

Chen Wanxing suddenly realized that this state of inner turmoil was even more unbearable for her than facing it head-on.

She has never been one to dwell on things.

Once this thought became clear, her chaotic thoughts strangely calmed down. Chen Wanxing turned away from the window, having made up her mind.

I'll go see them tomorrow.

The next morning, Chen Wanxing went out alone.

She didn't disturb Amber, nor did she bring Li Mama and Yunzhu, as if this was a ritual that had to be completed alone.

The western part of the city is more complex than the southern part, because there are more docks and cargo ships here, and most of the street vendors buy their goods here, making the western part of the city more lively than other places.

The narrow streets were lined with low houses and all sorts of foot-running shops and inns. The air was filled with the smells of cooking smoke, sweat, and livestock.

Following the vague directions she had received from Granny Wang the day before, she inquired at each house one by one.

I asked four or five corner shops in a row, and all of them shook their heads.

She lifted her skirt, carefully avoiding the sewage and debris on the ground, but her steps were unusually firm.

The initial resistance in my heart seemed to be replaced by an obsession with finding them through repeated inquiries.

She needed to see them, even if only from afar, to confirm whether they were truly as she remembered them, both unfamiliar and irreplaceable.

Or was it just because of other people's descriptions that she developed unrealistic fantasies?

Finally, in front of a more secluded corner shop, its facade almost blackened by soot, the shopkeeper, after listening to her description, raised his eyelids slightly and replied in a heavily accented voice:

"Oh, are you those two old folks from Runing? They're leaving now; they settled their rent a few market days ago."

Chen Wanxing's heart sank, and she pressed, "Gone? Do you know where they went? When will they be back?"

The shopkeeper scoffed, as if he had heard a silly question:

"They've gone home for the Chinese New Year. It's almost December, and it's freezing cold. Where in the city can they find enough jobs to do?"

They do this every year: they come after the autumn harvest and leave before the twelfth lunar month. If you want to find them, try your luck again next year after the autumn harvest.

Next year, after the autumn harvest.

Chen Wanxing stood there, the winter wind blowing through the alleyway, making her clothes flutter, but it couldn't dispel the emptiness in her heart.

She mustered up her courage, took that step, and then missed the opportunity?

Chen Wanxing silently turned around and left.

"It's better that he's gone. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be," Chen Wanxing told herself.

After returning from that corner store in Xicheng, Chen Wanxing returned to normal, reverting to her previous state of eating, drinking, and playing as usual.

Amber was initially worried when she saw Amber return looking lost, but she was relieved to see Amber recover and become happy again.

……

As December approached, the sky over Kaifeng was always overcast and shrouded in a heavy chill. Two days later, the leaden sky finally gave way to the dampness, and the first decent snow of the winter fell like cotton wool.

At first, it was just fine snowflakes, but by evening, it turned into a flurry of goose feathers falling from the sky, soon covering the ground with a soft white layer.

However, the courtyard in Baishi Lane was filled with warmth and joy.

In the center of the main hall, a small and exquisite copper hot pot was set up, with a charcoal fire burning brightly underneath. The milky white bone broth in the pot was bubbling and boiling, making the window glass fogged up with smoke.

Chen Wanxing, Amber, Granny Li, and Yunzhu were sitting around the stove.

The table was covered with plates: paper-thin slices of meat, frozen tofu, and a small dish of fish paste made by Granny Li herself. There were even two plates of fresh bok choy and leafy greens.

In winter, it's rare to see green on the dining table. These two dishes of fresh green vegetables were grown by Granny Li in flowerpots in the cellar. She kept the charcoal brazier burning for twelve hours a day to ensure the temperature in the cellar was above fifteen degrees Celsius, which was how she managed to produce these vegetables.

Yunzhu was young, and her eyes lit up as she looked at the bubbling soup pot. She couldn't help but swallow.

"Don't just stand there, hurry up and put the meat in." Chen Wanxing smiled and picked up a piece of bright red mutton with her chopsticks. She dipped it lightly in the bubbling soup, and the meat slices instantly changed color and curled up into an enticing shape.

She dipped a little of the sesame sauce into her mouth, put it in, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

Amber smiled and picked up some food, jokingly saying, "You're so thoughtful. On this cold day, it's so comforting to sit around the stove and eat this steaming hot pot."

Granny Li was busy serving Chen Wanxing the cooked dishes, while constantly reminding her, "Miss, eat slowly, be careful not to burn yourself."

The room was filled with delicious aromas, and the sounds of laughter and the soft clatter of bowls and chopsticks completely shut out the chill of the wind and snow outside the window.

However, just as everyone was enjoying their hot pot meal and their faces were flushed with warmth, a sharp, piercing sound of shattering porcelain suddenly came from the Zheng family next door.

Immediately following was a sharp, shrill curse from an old woman, raised high and choked with sobs, which pierced the warm and peaceful snowy night like an icicle.

The laughter and chatter inside the house came to an abrupt halt.