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

Amber was stunned; she instantly understood Chen Wanxing's deeper meaning.

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll stay and be your backup plan. But you must write to me regularly."

……

Now that things were settled, Granny Li immediately began packing Chen Wanxing's luggage for her trip back home.

"Granny Li, there's no need to go to such lengths. Just bring two or three sets of clothes to change into, especially a warm cotton-padded coat. You don't need anything else. I'm not sure how long I'll be staying this time, and it's too much trouble to carry all these bags. If it's a long trip, I can buy more later."

As Chen Wanxing spoke, her gaze shifted from Granny Li, who was packing her luggage, to the simple map she had opened up, which she had bought from a bookstore.

Just like in her modern memories, the route from Kaifeng to Runing was all plains with well-connected post roads. There were basically no large-scale bandits or highwaymen, so safety on the road should not be a problem.

Her slender fingertips finally touched the three characters "Ru Ning Prefecture," but the real danger lay in what happened after she arrived.

That unfamiliar land, those blood relatives who are like strangers—whether they are good or bad, kind or evil, is entirely unknown.

To place one's safety entirely on the goodness of another is tantamount to a high-stakes gamble, and she never fights a battle she cannot win.

Although arrangements had been made for Amber to rescue her if she didn't receive her letter, this could only be considered a last resort. If any unforeseen circumstances arose, Amber would be too far away to provide immediate relief. Therefore, relying on others for rescue was less effective than building a strong defense first.

Chen Wanxing muttered to herself, she had no relatives to rely on, and needed a more direct and reliable guarantee.

If possible, Chen Wanxing would certainly like to find a low-ranking constable to accompany her, but she didn't have that much influence. So, as a second-best option, hiring someone from a security escort agency was the most direct and effective solution.

There are many escort agencies in Kaifeng, a mixed bag, so she needs to choose carefully.

Just as I was pondering this, I heard Zheng the blacksmith's steady voice coming from next door, as if he was practicing his boxing in the yard again.

Chen Wanxing's eyes lit up. Wasn't this the perfect candidate? Yunzhu had told him that Zheng Xiangong had served in the army before, and after retiring, he worked as a镖路 (bodyguard/escort), so he must know the ins and outs of this profession very well.

With his recommendation, wouldn't it be a hundred times safer than her blindly searching on her own?

Having made up her mind, Chen Wanxing no longer hesitated. She straightened her clothes and asked Yunzhu to go to the pastry shop to buy a bag of newly made sugar crisps and candied dates before knocking on the Zheng family's door.

When Madam Zheng answered the door, she saw Chen Wanxing and immediately smiled, though her brows still showed some weariness from the previous day's turmoil.

"Wanxing, you're here! Come in and have a seat."

Her gaze fell on the pastries Yunzhu was carrying, and she said reproachfully, "You're here, why bring all this stuff when you're just dropping by? It's too formal."

"These are just some snacks for the children to enjoy. Please don't be shy, Sister Zheng." Chen Wanxing smiled as she stepped into the courtyard.

In the courtyard, Zheng's chubby-faced youngest son was riding a crudely made little wooden horse, swaying back and forth, having a great time by himself.

Their daughter, the little girl who cried her heart out the other day, is now holding a string of bright red, glistening candied hawthorns, tiptoeing in front of the rocking horse to tease her little brother.

"Look, little brother, it's sweet!" Her little face beamed with a bright smile.

Children forget things easily; the commotion from the day before didn't seem to leave a deep mark on her, and she could still play carefree.

Hearing the door open, the little girl turned around and saw Chen Wanxing. Her big, dark eyes lit up instantly.

She immediately abandoned her younger brother, holding the candied hawthorn like a cheerful little sparrow, and rushed straight over, hugging Chen Wanxing's leg tightly.

She tilted her little face up, her voice sweet and soft: "Auntie Chen, are you coming to play with me?"

As she spoke, she even tried to hold up the candied hawthorn skewer that she had already nibbled on, and generously offered it to Chen Wanxing's mouth, "Auntie, have some, it's sweet."

The child's complete trust and unguarded closeness instantly melted Chen Wanxing's heart.

She bent down, gently stroked the little girl's soft hair, and said softly, "Auntie won't eat it, you eat it yourself, you're so good."

This heartwarming scene also eased the worries between Madam Zheng's brows, bringing a genuine smile to her face.

Chen Wanxing handed the snacks to Madam Zheng, then teased the two children for a bit before turning to Madam Zheng, her tone slightly embarrassed, and whispering:

"Sister Zheng, to be honest, I've come here today because I need your help with something. I wonder if it's convenient?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Zheng immediately understood and readily replied, "What's inconvenient about that? You wait here."

She turned and called out to Zheng the blacksmith, who was quietly tidying up in the corner of the yard, "Master, Wanxing needs to see you. Come here for a moment."

Upon hearing the sound, Zheng the blacksmith put down the wood he was carrying, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and quickly walked over, asking earnestly, "Miss Chen, what is it?"

Chen Wanxing then laid out his concerns to Zheng the blacksmith: "Brother Zheng, here's the thing. I'm going back to my hometown of Runing in a couple of days. Although the road is a peaceful official road, I'm not familiar with the place, so I'm a little uneasy."

So I thought of hiring a few bodyguards to accompany me, firstly to ensure my safety on the journey, and secondly to have someone to rely on while in Runing.

"I'm not familiar with the escort industry, so I don't know which companies are reputable or which escorts are reliable. I remembered that you, Brother Zheng, have traveled extensively and are very knowledgeable; you also worked in an escort agency before, so I wanted to ask if you could recommend a reliable agency, or even just an escort you know well."

Zheng the blacksmith nodded upon hearing this and said in a deep voice, "Miss Chen's consideration is correct."

When traveling, it's always good to be cautious. When looking for a bodyguard, you can't just look at the signboard; you need to know their background and character. The person is more important than the signboard.

After a moment's thought, he said as if reciting a familiar list: "If we're talking about reliability, the chief镖头 (head镖师) of Weiyuan镖局 (Weiyuan Escort Agency) is someone I know well, and he's a very upright person."

Moreover, the bodyguards in his agency are strictly disciplined, rarely causing trouble, but when real trouble arises, they are never intimidated. Their agency has a very prestigious reputation in Kaifeng.

He paused, then added, "If we're talking about familiar bodyguards, I used to work at Zhenwei Escort Agency. There were two brothers there who went on escort missions with me and had a life-or-death bond with me."

After saying that, he looked at Chen Wanxing with sincere eyes: "If you are at ease, I can accompany you to these two houses."

After hearing what he said, Chen Wanxing was overjoyed. This was exactly the result she wanted. As for the two escort agencies, she didn't want to gamble on people's hearts, so it was better to choose a reputable one.

A look of heartfelt gratitude appeared on her face, and she nodded again to thank him: "Brother Zheng is willing to help, I can't be more at ease. This has really solved a big problem for me, so I'll have to trouble you."

I'm thinking your two loyal brothers might be on their way to deliver goods right now. I'm in a bit of a hurry, so we need to leave as soon as possible, ideally tomorrow. Therefore, let's go to Weiyuan Escort Agency and pick two people.

"Alright, I'm also familiar with Chief Escort Song from Weiyuan Escort Agency."

"When will Brother Zheng have some free time?"

Zheng the blacksmith was a straightforward man, and immediately said, "It won't take long to hire a bodyguard, and I can go to the shop later."

"Isn't your matter urgent? Then let's not delay, shall we go there now?"

"Okay, thank you very much, Brother Zheng."