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

As its name suggests, Xiahe Village is a village clustered along a river, with about a hundred households. An east-west river runs through the entire village, dividing it into the south and north sides.

There are more people and houses in the north. A main road runs right next to the river, which is the main east-west road in the village. There are five rows of houses, one after another, with a passageway between each two rows of houses to facilitate the movement of people in the back rows.

There are fewer people on the south side of the river, just two rows of houses, with the main hall facing south, opposite another road to the south, which is their main road.

There are three stone bridges across the river: one at the east end of the village, one at the west end, and one in the middle. People from both the north and south sides have to use these stone bridges to travel between the village. The whole village lives peacefully by the river.

The Chen family's house is located at the eastern end of the village in the north, in the first row of houses closest to the main road. A few steps east of the courtyard is the stone bridge to the east, which connects to a north-south road.

During the winter off-season, the sun shines brightly, and small groups of villagers gather along the roadside and on the bridge. There are old men chatting while smoking pipes, women doing needlework, and children chasing and playing, their faces red from the cold.

Almost the instant Grandma Chen and Chen Wanxing appeared at the intersection, several pairs of eyes turned to them.

The carriage that had been parked in front of the Chen family's house for so long yesterday had stirred up quite a ripple in this small village overnight. Now, seeing Grandma Chen personally leading out a beautiful young woman with a completely unfamiliar face, the curiosity and inquiry in those eyes almost materialized.

"Aunt Chen, going to sunbathe?" A round-faced woman who was sewing shoe soles called out first, but her eyes kept glancing at Chen Wanxing.

Grandma Chen stopped, a smile of smugness and pride spreading across her face. She gently led Chen Wanxing forward, saying, "Yes, I brought my granddaughter out for a walk, to let her get acquainted with the place."

As she spoke, she introduced to Chen Wanxing, "You can just call this auntie. This is from your third great-uncle's courtyard."

"Granddaughter?" She took two steps closer, looking Chen Wanxing up and down, and clicked her tongue. "Oh my, she's really... so pretty! You're your granddaughter? How come I've never seen her before?"

Grandma Chen straightened her back even more, her voice loud and clear, carrying a sense of triumph: "This is my eldest son Mancang's eldest granddaughter, Chunlan. Now her name is Wanxing. She's been found; she just arrived home yesterday."

"Chunlan? The one that was lost during the flood?"

"What do you mean she's gone? Who spread this rumor? She was sold during the famine years ago, and hasn't the Chen family been searching for her all these years?"

"Wow! You actually found it? This is truly a blessing from heaven."

"No wonder she looks unfamiliar; her whole demeanor is unlike any of the girls in our village..."

A murmur of surprise and discussion arose from the crowd, their eyes scanning Chen Wanxing's face and body, trying to find some trace of her childhood self.

Upon hearing this, a tall, thin woman carrying a vegetable basket put down her basket, took Grandma Chen's hand, and repeatedly congratulated her, saying, "Sister-in-law, this is a wonderful thing! You've finally waited for this day; the child looks like a lucky one."

As she spoke, she glanced curiously at Chen Wanxing and said with a friendly smile, "Girl, I'm your grandma. Our shopkeeper and your grandfather are cousins."

Chen Wanxing didn't speak, but just smiled and nodded slightly.

She stood quietly half a step to her grandmother's side, a polite smile on her face, accepting all the gazes directed at her with equanimity, neither timid nor overly enthusiastic. This composure, in the noisy countryside, highlighted an indescribable difference.

Grandma Chen clearly enjoyed the atmosphere of being envied and congratulated. She replied, "Yes, the child is still in Kaifeng. My grandson and I went to Kaifeng again after the autumn harvest this year, and we bumped into each other there..."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, having satisfied her initial desire to announce her arrival and received enough amazement, Grandma Chen, sensing that the time was right, raised her voice and said:

"Alright, you two chat. I'll take Wanxing to the clan chief's place to sit and say hello. The child is back, so we should at least let him know."

"Of course, of course!"

"Go quickly, Aunt Chen, this is a joyous occasion." Everyone agreed, but their eyes still followed the departing figures of the old woman and the young boy.

After walking along the main road in the village for a while, the two turned into a slightly wider side road, and a courtyard that was neater than that of an ordinary farmhouse came into view.

The most eye-catching feature is the three tiled houses in the very center, made of blue bricks. Although the blue bricks are quite old and mottled, and some withered grass grows between the tiles, they are still a symbol of respectability in this village where mud-brick houses are the main type.

The courtyard was still flanked by typical mud-brick side rooms, which were kept very clean. In the corner, there was a pile of firewood and a few half-worn clothes hanging out to dry.

This is the home of Chen Yongde, the clan head of Xiahe Village and also the village head.

Xiahe Village has a considerable amount of land, and most families live off their own land, making it a typical self-sufficient rural village. Therefore, even the clan chief's family is only slightly better off, far from being wealthy.

Grandma Chen straightened her clothes slightly outside the courtyard gate before raising her voice to call in, "Is the clan leader home?"

Soon, a middle-aged woman wearing an apron with face dust still on her hands peeked out from the east wing. Seeing that it was Grandma Chen, she quickly wiped her hands on the apron and came out to greet her: "It's Seventh Sister-in-law! Come in quickly, Father is in the main room."

When her gaze fell on Chen Wanxing, she was clearly taken aback. "And who is this?"

"She's the eldest maid from my family's Mancang household, named Wanxing. We've found her." Grandma Chen's voice was loud and cheerful as she led Chen Wanxing into the courtyard.

As they were talking, the curtain to the main room was lifted, and an old man with a thin face and a short, gray beard, wearing a dark blue coarse cotton-padded jacket, came out, holding a copper pipe in his hand.

"Seventh Sister-in-law is here." Chen Yongde's voice was steady, his gaze lingering on Chen Wanxing for a moment. "Is this the eldest daughter of the Mancang family?"

"Indeed, look, this is my eldest granddaughter, Wanxing." Grandma Chen led Chen Wanxing forward, her tone filled with pride, "The child is so lucky, she finally came back safe and sound."

Chen Wanxing stepped forward at the opportune moment, slightly curtsied to Chen Yongde, and said, "Wanxing greets Grandfather, the Clan Chief."

Chen Yongde responded and looked her over a few more times. He observed her hair and clothing, and her demeanor and bearing. He nodded inwardly.

"Get up. It's good that you're back. Your grandma and your parents haven't had it easy these past years. Selling you back then was a last resort. Now that you're back safely, don't hold a grudge."

His tone softened, and he stepped aside.

"Come in, let's talk inside."