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

Grandma Chen, with her strong attitude, looked very dignified.

But this dignity is the result of her being widowed at a young age, raising four children single-handedly by embroidery needles until she went blind, supporting the family and even managing to build a small business.

She was the one who managed the family's land, arranged the work of her children and grandchildren, and even decided how to distribute and accumulate the income from her granddaughters' embroidery work.

Even though her eyesight is failing now and her embroidery skills are not as good as her granddaughters', as long as the family hasn't been divided, she still controls the family's money box and granary. The wages of her children and grandchildren, as well as most of her granddaughters' embroidery income, still have to be handed over to her for unified management, and her authority remains.

Uncle Chen and Uncle Chen lowered their heads even further. Aunt Chen was speechless for a moment after being choked by her mother-in-law's words. Her face turned pale and she didn't even dare to breathe.

Chen's mother was already crying her eyes out, and her body went limp as she was supported in the arms of her daughter-in-law, Hui Niang, who was also secretly wiping away her tears.

The courtyard was silent except for Grandma Chen's heavy breathing.

At this moment, a girl of about ten years old timidly approached Chen's mother from the edge of the yard, gently tugged at her mother's clothes with her small hand, and whispered, "Mother, please don't cry."

Her movement seemed to break the stagnant atmosphere.

Bao-ge from Third Aunt's family and the two maids from Second Aunt's family looked at each other, hesitated, and moved to Grandma Chen's side. They didn't dare to say much, but only carefully tugged at her sleeve.

Seeing this, Uncle Chen the Second and Uncle Chen the Third also quickly stepped forward.

Uncle Chen held Grandma Chen's other arm and said in a low voice, "Mother, please calm down. It's your unfilial son who has made you so angry."

As he spoke, he sighed inwardly.

Uncle Chen quickly chimed in, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Yes, Mother, it's all our fault, no matter what. Don't get upset and ruin your health. If it weren't for Chunlan back then, we wouldn't be where we are today. We understand that."

He turned to his wife, his tone complex, carrying both admonition and a hint of barely perceptible understanding, "Honey, you should say less. We'll just listen to what your mother decides."

Auntie's face was tense, her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes were a little red.

She didn't refute as sharply as before, but she also didn't admit her mistake. She had married into the family late and didn't really have any feelings for her eldest niece, whom she had never met.

She felt wronged and indignant. As her twin sons grew up day by day, and with only this little bit of land in the family, how much of it would be left to the third branch of the family when the property was divided?

The money from the public coffers has been going out of our family every year to search for that person. When will this ever end?

She just wanted to save more money so she could buy more land for her sons in the future. What's wrong with that? Why should she be accused of being ungrateful?

But seeing her mother-in-law's resolute expression, her husband's troubled look, and her bewildered son beside her, she ultimately swallowed back all her grievances and scheming, turned her head away, and stopped speaking, expressing her final resentment with silence.

Grandma Chen looked at her grandchildren surrounding her, and the violent heaving in her chest gradually subsided.

She didn't immediately go back inside. Instead, she tapped her cane on the ground, her gaze sweeping over everyone present, especially her third aunt, whose complexion was still poor. Her voice was hoarse but exceptionally clear as she announced:

"I know you all have your own ulterior motives, thinking I'm biased and that the eldest son's family got the better deal. Today, I'll lay it all out here, so you won't have to keep thinking about it."

She took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Chunlan, as long as I live, I will definitely find her."

Once Chunlan is found, the land and house in this family will be divided equally among the three families, one share each. I, this old woman, will not favor anyone, but I will leave the little money I have saved for Chunlan.”

These words were like a pebble thrown into calm water, leaving everyone stunned, even Auntie San looked up in surprise.

Grandma Chen's tone shifted, her eyes sharpening: "But what if we keep searching until the day I close my eyes and still haven't found Chunlan?"

Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible pain, before hardening again, "Then this family property will be divided into four parts. The eldest son's family will take two parts, and the second and third sons' families will each take one part."

Consider this extra portion as compensation for selling Chunlan.

"mother!"

The third aunt couldn't help but blurt out, stunned by this distribution plan that clearly favored the eldest son's family. In her mind, the person was definitely not going to be found, so wouldn't that just give the eldest son's family an extra share of the family property for nothing?

"Shut up!" Grandma Chen interrupted her sharply. "You think it's unfair?"

Then let me ask you, when the eldest son and his brother went to Kaifeng, did they use a single penny of public funds for travel expenses? No, the two of them carried their own provisions and walked there on foot.

They earned their money through hard work carrying loads at the docks, and the money they spent on gathering information came from their own savings meant for food rations.

She looked around at her second and third sons: "You two do odd jobs in the county and town, but don't you know how much you earn and how much you hand over to the government?"

The eldest son and his father earn more, but they also spend a lot, so what ends up in the public account is less compared to what you have.

But Dalang always gets paid by Huiniang's father when he helps out at his wife's shop. Didn't he hand over every single penny to the public treasury? Can't you do the math? Over the years, who among you has suffered the biggest loss?"

Third Aunt opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't utter a rebuttal. Her mother-in-law had already gone this far; if she continued to argue, she would only appear unreasonable and argumentative.

"Did you all hear that clearly?"

Grandma Chen asked one last cold question, then looked away from everyone else. Supported by her grandchildren, she turned and walked shakily toward the main house when no one else spoke.

"Everyone, disperse. Go do what you were doing."

Chen Wanxing stood in front of the wooden door, her feet seemingly nailed to the spot. The intense arguing in the courtyard seemed to be muffled by a veil.

She felt no familiarity with Ruyang County, nor with Ping'an Town, but she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to this old courtyard.

Chen Wanxing stood at the doorway, lost in thought, not uttering a sound, completely absorbed in her memories.

Her gaze passed over the arguing crowd and landed on the old woman with gray hair, a hunched back, and a thin frame.

When Chen Wanxing met her father and brother in Kaifeng, she had no recollection of them and did not recognize them.

Even when they learned that she might be the person they were looking for, although they were deeply shaken, they still felt that the other two people were just strangers who were only related by blood.

But at that moment, upon seeing Grandma Chen, a belated surge of sorrow welled up in my nose, and my eyes instantly welled up with tears.

The floodgates of memory burst open.