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

An oil lamp was lit in the large house, casting a dim, yellowish light that barely illuminated the small area around the bed.

Chen's mother did not rest immediately. She sat sideways on the edge of the bed and, by the dim light, took an old jacket that Chen's father had worn through at the shoulders and carefully sewed it up stitch by stitch.

Her needlework was meticulous, a skill she was used to, but tonight, the needle and thread seemed less nimble than usual, carrying a hint of unease.

Mr. Chen had already taken off his coat and lay down in bed, facing inwards, but he couldn't fall asleep; you could hear his uneven breathing.

The room remained silent for a long while, with only the faint sound of cotton thread passing through the fabric. Suddenly, Chen's mother's movements slowed down and finally stopped.

She looked up at the flickering lamplight, her eyes slowly reddening in the dim light. Her voice, choked with suppressed sobs, rang out softly, "Father, is Wanxing no longer close to us?"

Mr. Chen's back stiffened for a moment, but he didn't turn around. He just let out a muffled "sigh".

Chen's mother finally couldn't hold back her tears, which fell onto the old jacket in her hand, spreading into a small dark patch.

"I...I keep thinking about how she used to sit on my lap as a baby, calling me 'Mama' in her sweet, childish voice. But today, she smiled at me, called me 'Mama' too, and spoke to me so politely, yet why do I feel so empty inside?"

She became more and more upset as she spoke, "She was so considerate to her younger siblings, and she spoke to her grandmother in a very measured way. But when it came to me, it seemed like... it seemed like she had nothing else to say except for that bowl of noodles."

Mr. Chen turned over to face his wife. In the dim light, deep wrinkles were etched on his dark face, and his eyes showed weariness, but also the honesty and kindness unique to farmers.

"You're just overthinking things." Mr. Chen's voice was a little hoarse, but he tried to soften it. "The child just came home today. We haven't seen her for more than ten years. She was just a tiny little thing when she left. What could she remember? To her, we're practically strangers. The fact that she's so polite and calls us 'Dad' and 'Mom' so well, and that she's even thinking about her younger siblings, makes her such a good child."

He paused, then continued to gently comfort her: "You've never been out of the house, so you don't know. It's not easy to live in those high-ranking families. Our daughter has been there for over ten years. Although she comforted us by saying that everything was fine, we can't really assume that she was living a good life in that noble family."

How strict are the rules there? Can people speak and act as directly as they do in our village? Her current behavior is normal. Don't worry, everyone has a heart; she's our own daughter, connected by blood.

There's a long road ahead. If we treat her sincerely, she'll eventually sense it and naturally grow closer.

Hearing her husband's words, and thinking about how her daughter was beaten and scolded every day, Chen's mother became even more heartbroken. She wiped her tears with her sleeve, put down her needlework, turned to the side and opened the old wooden cabinet by the bed. She reached into the bottom and pulled out a small cloth bag. She opened it layer by layer and found dozens of copper coins and some scraps of cloth inside.

"You're right, we can't rush it."

As Chen's mother stroked her meager savings, her eyes hardened. "It's not easy for my child out there. Now that he's back, we, as his parents, have to show him some support."

I was thinking, I'll go to town tomorrow and buy a foot of flannel. The scraps I've collected are enough to make a pair of shoe soles, which will be perfect for making a new pair of shoes for Wanxing.

Looking at the small amount of money in his wife's hand, Mr. Chen knew it was money she had painstakingly saved for a long time. He didn't object, but simply nodded: "Yes, it's only right. You can decide."

Chen's mother carefully put away the cloth bag, picked up her needle and thread again, and the emptiness in her heart was filled a little.

She sewed stitch by stitch, already thinking about what color fabric to choose and what style of shoes to make so that her daughter would be comfortable to wear.

Meanwhile, the second and third wives were discussing Chen Wanxing, who had just returned, but Chen Wanxing paid no attention to any of it.

To be honest, she didn't sleep well on her first night back home.

The room next to Grandma Chen's had been uninhabited for a long time, carrying a lingering chill and dampness. The bed was also narrow, feeling even narrower than the bed in her old school dormitory; she was afraid of falling off even when she turned over.

Although the mattress on the bed was the best in the house, it was still thin and made her feel uncomfortable. The worst part was the so-called new cotton quilt, which was thin and not fluffy enough. It felt heavy on her but did not keep her warm at all.

Chen Wanxing was already afraid of the cold, and now, lying on this cold earthen bed, wrapped in this unsatisfactory quilt, she felt as if the cold air was like fine needles that could penetrate everywhere, drilling into her bones from all directions.

She was woken up by the cold in the middle of the night. Chen Wanxing put on her cotton coat in the dark and covered herself with a quilt before she felt a little warmer.

She even regretted it a little. If she were still in Kaifeng, she should be lying in a warm and soft bed, sleeping soundly until dawn. Why did she have to come here and suffer like this?

But thinking about how excited her family members were during the day, Chen Wanxing felt that going home was worthwhile, and that the environment wasn't entirely unbearable.

The first thing I need to do tomorrow is go to the town or county seat to buy another thick cotton quilt, and hopefully get two more hot water bottles too.

She didn't fall into a light sleep until dawn, exhausted. So when she heard light footsteps and her mother's hushed voice in the yard, Chen Wanxing woke up almost immediately.

However, the bed still retained a faint warmth from being warmed all night, a stark contrast to the chilly air inside the room.

She craved the warmth, curled up and didn't want to move. Her eyelids felt heavy, and her bones ached slightly from the cold and her curled-up sleeping position.

Just then, the door was pushed open a crack with a very light sound, making a slight creak. Chen's mother tiptoed in, wanting to see if her daughter had slept soundly last night.

With the dim light filtering in from the window, Chen's mother immediately spotted the figure on the kang (a heated brick bed). She was wrapped tightly in a quilt, but it was still clear that she had slept in a cotton-padded coat the night before.

His collar was completely covered, revealing only a face that looked somewhat tired in the morning light. When he saw her come in, he half-opened his eyes.

"Wanxing? Why are you sleeping in your coat? That must be so uncomfortable."

Meeting her mother's worried and somewhat puzzled gaze, Chen Wanxing blinked listlessly, her voice still hoarse from just waking up: "Cold."

She spoke succinctly, paused, and then added, "It was too cold at night, I couldn't sleep, so I got up in the middle of the night to put on my clothes."

Chen Wanxing had no intention of playing along with the tacit understanding that a sensible daughter should suppress her discomfort and pretend it's nothing.

Being cold is being cold, and feeling uncomfortable is feeling uncomfortable. This is not an accusation, but simply her most basic honesty about her own feelings.

She didn't want to act considerate in this kind of situation and make herself uncomfortable.

Upon hearing this, Chen's mother subconsciously reached out to touch the bedding on the kang (a heated brick bed), and then touched the cold back of Chen Wanxing's hand exposed outside her cotton-padded coat. Her lips tightened, and deep heartache flashed in her eyes.

"It's my fault for not thinking things through. This quilt is too thin, and the room feels empty and lacks warmth. Lie down and don't move. I'll go get the quilt from your father's and my room for you. You can use it for now."

As Chen's mother spoke, she walked out, then came back carrying a quilt. "I'll have your older brother scoop some hot ashes from the stove, wrap them in a cloth, and put them in your quilt to keep you warm. You must not have slept well last night, so sleep a little longer and don't get up yet."