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

"This is outrageous! How could our Zheng family have married such a troublemaker like you?"

A sharp curse rang out, followed by the heart-wrenching cries of the little girl, who was utterly terrified.

The four of them stopped eating. Chen Wanxing was the first to get up, walk into the courtyard, lean against the wall next to the Zheng family's house, and listen intently.

"Mother, what are you saying?" This was Madam Zheng's rebuttal, her voice trembling with tears yet unusually firm.

"What good marriage? That's using my daughter's life to fill someone else's hole. Do you think I don't know? That gentry's youngest son is almost dead. Asking for a wife now is just a way to bring good luck. I won't agree, I'd rather die than agree."

"You stupid woman, this is a great thing." Another slightly slick male voice joined the fray, "The Zhang family in the county, how big is their household? A little bit of money leaking from between their fingers is enough for us peasants to live on for several years."

"A young maidservant should be enjoying a life of luxury, becoming a half-lady, and even helping out her family. What are you doing standing in my way?"

"Supporting the family? You mean supporting you and your greedy wife, right?"

Zheng the blacksmith's voice boomed like thunder, filled with barely suppressed anger.

"Let me tell you, don't even think about it. My daughter isn't going. No matter what kind of local gentry he is, even if he's the King of Heaven himself, he can't touch my daughter."

"You unfilial son! How dare you speak to your mother and your brother like that!" The old woman wailed, beating her chest and stamping her feet.

"We gave birth to you and raised you. Now that you've grown up and settled down in the city, you don't care about your parents' lives anymore? Do you have a choice between agreeing or not? It's an arranged marriage."

"Parents' orders? That's something only his mother and I can decide. What business is it of yours, a grandmother who doesn't care about her?"

"You made me serve in the military back then, and I did. Now you want to sell my daughter? No way!"

Zheng the blacksmith's voice was filled with the pain and despair of being hurt by his loved ones: "From the moment you had this thought, I stopped caring about you as my parents. Get out! All of you, get out!"

"Oh dear, someone's been beaten to death! The son is beating his mother!" the old woman began to throw a tantrum.

The little girl's cries grew even more piercing, filled with desperate fear: "Mommy, Daddy, I don't want to go! I don't want to go with Grandma! She'll sell me! She'll sell me!"

Like a mother beast protecting her cubs, Madam Zheng held her daughter tightly in her arms; Zheng the blacksmith, on the other hand, stood like a mountain in front of his wife and daughter, glaring angrily at his own blood relative.

The sounds of arguing, crying, and cursing continued intermittently, finally reaching their peak with a loud bang and the ear-piercing noise of porcelain shattering.

Judging from the noise, it sounds like the table was overturned and dishes were smashed all over the floor.

Then came Zheng the blacksmith's furious shout of "Get out!", which, along with the chaotic footsteps and curses, gradually faded into the distance.

The courtyard fell silent again, save for the little girl's suppressed, intermittent sobs, which were faint and heart-wrenching to hear.

The four of them listened to the quiet down next door, and figured that nothing had happened, so they went back inside to continue eating.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, there was a gentle knock on Chen Wanxing's courtyard gate.

Granny Li went over and opened the door. There stood Madam Zheng, her eyes red and swollen, her hair disheveled, and she was holding her daughter, who had cried herself to sleep, tightly in her arms. Tears still clung to the child's face.

Chen Wanxing quickly ushered them in and poured them hot tea. Madam Zheng held the child as if she were holding a lost treasure that had been found again; her fingers were trembling slightly.

"Have they all left?" Chen Wanxing asked softly.

"Yes," Madam Zheng nodded, tears falling again, "They are not human, that's a pit of fire, they were willing to push my daughter in for money."

Last time, when that old woman from Xinglong Pawnshop came over, I saw her crying. I cried all morning that day, and nothing I did could soothe me.

I didn't understand why before, but today I finally get it. That old hag had been taking advantage of my absence to scare me several times by saying we didn't want her anymore and were going to sell her to a slave trader. And she's my husband's own mother and my child's grandmother!

Although she was shedding tears, Madam Zheng's eyes were firm: "I'm not afraid of being laughed at. My child is my life. Unless I die, no one can touch her."

His father also said, "At worst, we'll leave Kaifeng and take the children far away. We'd rather not be controlled like this."

As she spoke, she radiated a maternal strength that burned Chen Wanxing's eyes and warmed her long-frozen heart.

Chen Wanxing remained silent, then handed her a handkerchief, which Zheng Niangzi used to wipe away her tears.

"Granny Li, Sister Wanxing," her voice was dry and filled with embarrassment, "I'm so sorry, I came here because the table at home was overturned just now, and all the bowls and chopsticks were smashed."

The child hasn't eaten yet, and I was thinking, could I borrow a couple of sets of bowls and chopsticks to tide me over? I'll buy some this afternoon and return them."

"Sister Zheng, please don't say that. Yunzhu, quickly go and get two clean bowls and chopsticks." Then she said to Granny Li, "Granny, see if there's anything left in the pot for the child to have something to eat first."

Chen Wanxing touched the tender, sleeping face in Zheng Niangzi's arms. There were still tear stains on it, but now it was smiling, as if it was having a dream.

Perhaps sensing that someone was watching her, she unconsciously snuggled closer to her mother.

Unconsciously, Madam Zheng tightened her arms around the child, pressing the small body deeper and more firmly against her chest.

Seeing this scene before her, Chen Wanxing's heart trembled.

The next morning, after the snow had cleared, the copper pot had been removed the night before, and now there was congee, side dishes, and steaming hot buns on the table, with Granny Li and Yunzhu standing by the table.

Actually, according to Chen Wanxing, this was unnecessary. They weren't a wealthy family, so it would have been more convenient to just eat together.

However, Granny Li firmly disagreed with having Chen Wanxing and Amber eat together every day.

"You are the mistress, and Yunzhu and I are servants who have sold ourselves to you. We often eat together, and it's easy for us to forget our place and become complacent."

Granny Li had plenty of grand principles to offer, and Chen Wanxing didn't want to provoke her, so after being rejected once, she didn't bring it up again.

Chen Wanxing slowly ate her porridge, remaining silent for a moment, unsure how to express her decision.

She put down her bowl and spoon, and the clinking of the porcelain made Amber look up at her.

Chen Wanxing calmly met their gaze, her voice low but clear enough to reach everyone's ears: "There's something I've been thinking about all night, and I want to tell you all about it."

Amber immediately put down her chopsticks, her expression focused. Granny Li and Yunzhu also stopped what they were doing and waited quietly.

"I've decided to go back to my hometown of Runing for a visit."

There was a moment of silence at the table after he said that.