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

Mr. Chen's face turned bright red from his mother's scolding. His dark face turned purplish-red. He rubbed his hands awkwardly, his lips trembling, feeling both wronged and guilty.

"Mother, Chunlan was only a little tall when she left, and now, she's grown into a beautiful young woman, dressed so well. I can't even imagine..."

His voice trailed off, his head drooping, his heart aching as if it were being fried in oil. Yes, his daughter, whom he had longed for day and night, was right before him; how could he not recognize her?

Brother Chen lowered his head in shame and stammered, "Grandma, please don't blame Dad. I... I didn't recognize her either. I just thought my sister looked kind and had a good heart, and she was even thinking of helping me find people. How could I not have thought of that..."

He punched his leg in frustration.

Seeing her son and grandson in such a state, Grandma Chen was both angry and heartbroken. She sighed heavily, turned away from them, and instead tightly grasped Chen Wanxing's hand. Tears welled up in her eyes again, and her voice choked with emotion.

"So how have you been all these years?"

"I'm fine," Chen Wanxing patted her grandmother's hand reassuringly. "I've been serving in the inner courtyard of the Marquis's mansion. First, I was a maid, and later I worked for the Madam. Also, my name is now Chen Wanxing."

She omitted the many hardships and calculations involved, simply summarizing it as, "Although the Marquis's mansion has strict rules, one need not worry about food, drink, or clothing. Besides, now that I'm back home, no one can give me a hard time anymore."

"Yes, yes, she's back, that's good." Uncle Chen quickly smoothed things over, trying to persuade Grandma Chen, "Let's not talk about the past, it's better that she's back than anything else."

Grandma Chen nodded vigorously, wiping away her tears with her rough hands, and rallied her spirits: "Yes, it's good that she's back. Chen Wanxing, Wanxing, that's a good name. My eldest granddaughter will be named Wanxing from now on."

The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, temporarily dispelling the sadness and self-blame in the room.

Grandma Chen's gaze inadvertently swept over the figures of the two bodyguards and Yunzhu, who were vaguely visible outside the door. This kind of pomp and circumstance was not something an ordinary maid could have.

"Evening Star," she asked hesitantly, her voice still hoarse from sobbing, but her tone had recovered somewhat.

She hadn't forgotten what her eldest son had just said about the granddaughter they met in Kaifeng. That granddaughter had been released from the manor but hadn't intended to return to her ancestral home, so she definitely wasn't planning on coming back. But now she's come back to claim her family, isn't that right...?

"Tell Grandma the truth, are you leaving again this time? And what are your plans for the future?"

Chen's father and elder brother also watched Chen Wanxing with bated breath, their eyes filled with anticipation and a touch of trepidation.

They wanted her to stay, but also felt that the humble home was not good enough for her.

The rest of the family didn't know, but he and his eldest son knew a little about her, since they had worked for her before.

Chen Wanxing sensed the cautious probing and hidden expectations in her family's eyes. She knew exactly what they wanted to ask, but she had her own pace and principles.

She hesitated for a moment, then chose a clear yet open answer:

"Grandma," she said calmly, yet with an undeniable composure, "I came back this time mainly to see you all, and to see this family."

She paused slightly, her gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd. "I've been away from home for too long, and there are many things I need to learn again. As for the future..."

Chen Wanxing met Grandma Chen's probing gaze and said frankly, "I can't say for sure right now, but for now, I'll stay at home and we can talk about the rest later."

These words were clear in their stance, neither cold nor making promises lightly.

Grandma Chen was an extremely astute woman, and she immediately discerned the tact in her granddaughter's words. She felt a slight sense of disappointment, but more than that, she was surprised and impressed by her granddaughter's composure and maturity.

This girl has spent over a decade in the Marquis's mansion, and it certainly hasn't been for nothing; she's much smarter than she was when she was a child.

"Okay, okay, settle down first, take your time, no rush." ​​Grandma Chen immediately followed up, without asking any more questions, and patted Chen Wanxing's hand hard.

"It's good to be home, nothing else matters."

Mr. Chen seemed not to quite understand the deeper meaning of the words, but upon realizing that his daughter would be staying there first, a simple and satisfied smile appeared on his face.

For him, the fact that his daughter was able to return safely and stay at home was already a great joy, and he dared not ask for anything more.

Seeing this, Grandma Chen sighed inwardly. Then she thought to herself, Wanxing had just said that she couldn't remember much about her childhood, so she probably couldn't recognize all the people in this family either.

She immediately perked up, feeling this was a good opportunity to get closer to him.

"Wanxing," Grandma Chen said, her face softening with kindness as she took Wanxing's hand and pointed to the people in the room. "You were so young when you left, you probably don't remember much. Come, let Grandma show you. These are all our family, our blood relatives, no need to be shy."

Grandma Chen pointed to Chen's eldest brother: "This is your eldest brother, Yancheng, you know him."

Then she pointed to a dark-skinned boy sitting in the corner, his eyes filled with curiosity and a little shyness. "This is your younger brother, Che-ge'er, he's sixteen this year."

When Chen Yanche heard that he was mentioned, his dark face flushed red, and he stammered, "Big Sister."

The voice wasn't loud, but it conveyed sincerity.

Grandma Chen pulled the clever little girl forward again, secretly observing her the whole time. "This is your younger sister, Qinghui."

Chen Qinghui was more outgoing than Chen Yanche, and called out crisply, "Big Sister."

His eyes were filled with curiosity about his second sister, who had suddenly appeared and looked like a fairy in a painting.

Then, Grandma Chen pointed to the two middle-aged men sitting on the other side and the children next to them: "This is your second uncle, next to him is your second aunt's son Xin Ge'er, and these two are your second uncle's sisters, Qiu Ju and Dong Mei. Your second uncle's family also includes your eldest sister Xia He, who is already married."

That's your third uncle, and next to him are his twin sons, Bao-ge and Gui-ge.

"Your two nephews, Youcong and Youjin, are also in your older brother's room, sleeping there."

The second and third uncles, who were called out, smiled kindly at Chen Wanxing, and the children timidly followed suit, calling her "Big Sister".

Following her grandmother's directions, Chen Wanxing's gaze swept over the unfamiliar faces one by one, especially this row of radish heads, and she managed to match their names and relationships with the people.

To be honest, she could only barely recognize faces; she hadn't memorized a single name. Chen Wanxing maintained a polite smile and nodded slightly to everyone.

But she was clear-headed. This family had quite a few members, and the relationships didn't seem to be a monolithic one. She could only be careful about how close or distant the family members were.

"Alright, we've gotten to know everyone," Grandma Chen concluded, squeezing Chen Wanxing's hand tightly. "We're all family. We'll get to know each other slowly; we have a long life ahead of us."