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

Chen Wanxing closed the door, returned to the bedside, ran her fingers over the fluffy, thick new quilt, and then looked at the silent charcoal in the corner.

The warmth of the quilt seemed to seep through, so she blew out the oil lamp, lay down in the warm quilt in the darkness, and quickly fell asleep.

In this unfamiliar old courtyard, Chen Wanxing slept soundly tonight.

The thick new quilt blocked out the chill of the winter night, and she felt warm and cozy in her arms and under her. She slept soundly through the night, dreamless, until the dim light of dawn shone through the window, at which point she naturally woke up.

Chen Wanxing stood up with renewed energy, feeling that most of the fatigue from the past few days and the tension of being a newcomer had dissipated.

After observing and spending the next two days with the Chen family, she gained a preliminary understanding of their character and temperament. Her grandmother was shrewd and steady but genuinely loved her, her parents and brothers were simple and kind, and her younger siblings were innocent and adorable.

Her initial concerns about being forcibly detained or encountering other malicious acts can now be largely put aside.

At the breakfast table, it was still a simple mixed grain rice and pickled vegetables. After she finished eating and put down her chopsticks, she said to Grandma Chen, Father Chen, and Mother Chen, "Grandma, Father, Mother, I want to go to the county town today."

Everyone at the table looked over. Chen's mother hurriedly asked, "Going to the county town? Is there something you're missing? Mother will go buy it for you..."

"No, Mother," Chen Wanxing explained calmly. "Yunzhu and the two masters who escorted me are still waiting at the inn in the county town. Since everything is fine at home, I thought it would be better to let them go back to Kaifeng first, instead of lingering here."

Upon hearing this, Grandma Chen pondered for a moment, then nodded: "That makes sense. They escorted you safely, so you should thank them properly and let them go home for the New Year. I'll have your older brother accompany you later."

Chen Wanxing did not refuse. This place was not close to the county town, and walking back and forth would not only be time-consuming and tiring, but also inconvenient to carry if he wanted to buy something.

In their village, there are oxcarts that can be used by foot, but she doesn't know the villagers well, so the journey will be very awkward. However, it would be different if she were with her older brother.

Chen Wanxing nodded and said, "Okay, let my older brother accompany me. It'll be more convenient if we take an oxcart."

Upon hearing this, Chen's mother looked relieved and quickly said, "Yes, yes, we'll go by car. With your older brother coming along, we'll feel at ease. Wait a moment, Mom will get you some money..."

She was about to get up again as she spoke.

"Mother, really, it's not necessary. I have some money on me. I can afford the two copper coins for the carriage fare." Chen Wanxing gently stopped her again.

Chen Wanxing went back to her room to get the money, and Chen Yancheng also put on a thick coat and prepared to go out.

Just as the brother and sister were about to step out of the main room, a series of hurried footsteps and a loud shout came from outside the courtyard gate: "Is Cheng-ge at home?"

The man who arrived was Tian Youfu, the head of the Tian family. He looked like a lean and capable man, with a smile on his face.

"Uncle Youfu, what brings you here? Is there something you need?"

Tian Youfu rubbed his hands together, a smile plastered on his face. "We've been trying to find a husband for Xiaoman recently, but we're a little short on cash, so we're thinking of selling all five of our pigs together."

In previous years, we'd slaughter one carcass, keep some for ourselves, and then distribute it to the village, which would be about right. This year, five carcasses are a bit too many; we're afraid we won't be able to sell them all in a short time. This meat doesn't keep very long.

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Chen Yancheng, and his smile deepened. "Well, I thought of Yancheng, your father-in-law runs a shop in town. He has a wide network of connections, and the place is spacious."

I was thinking, could we talk to your father-in-law about selling the leftover meat from our house at his shop? We're all neighbors, so we shouldn't let the profits go to outsiders."

Chen Yancheng frowned. Tian Youfu's words sounded like a discussion, but in reality, they were a bit like using personal favors to pressure him. He was an honest man and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

At this moment, her sister-in-law, Huiniang, came out of the kitchen. She had heard everything clearly inside. She first politely greeted him as "Uncle Youfu," and then spoke slowly, with a gentle yet distant smile on her face:

"Thank you in advance for thinking of our family, Uncle Fu. However, I'm afraid it's not feasible to sell this meat in the shop."

Tian Youfu's smile froze slightly: "Nephew's wife, what do you mean? It's just helping out a little. Putting more items in the shop might attract more customers."

Hui Niang's smile remained unchanged, but her tone carried just the right amount of difficulty and sincerity: "Uncle Youfu, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that this matter is indeed a bit difficult to handle."

She frowned slightly, looking like she was thinking seriously. "My father's shop has been open for many years, and he has always sold small items like needles and thread, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar. He has never touched fresh meat."

Hui Niang glanced at his face and said, "Besides, those pork stalls in town have been in business for many years, and each has its own customers and connections."

If we suddenly put meat in the grocery store to sell, even if it's just a side business, people will inevitably think that we're stealing their business and disrupting their market.

My parents have established themselves in this town, and they value harmony above all else. If they offend someone for no reason over something like this, how will they continue their business? They won't be able to speak well of themselves in front of their neighbors either.

So, if you ask me, it's better to sell the whole carcass at the pork stall. Or, if you don't mind the extra work, you could go to several villages and sell them one by one. It would take longer, but it's almost Chinese New Year, and everyone needs to buy some meat for the holidays, so selling them shouldn't be too difficult.

Upon hearing this, Tian Youfu gave an awkward smile, completely stifled by this watertight logic, and even the familiar facade on his face began to crumble.

"Sigh, I won't lie to you, I had already arranged a buyer, so I asked you, Brother Xiaochuan, to get the pig ready early this morning. But who knew that after the person came and looked at it, he only asked me for one or three taels of silver for the whole pig."

"My uncle's pigs are all plump and strong. Even after removing the head, hooves, and internal organs, they still weigh at least eighty or ninety pounds. The market price is twenty-five cents a pound, which is quite a difference. This person is just trying to drive down the price because we sell a lot at once."

Upon hearing this, Hui Niang's eyes darkened. She wouldn't believe such nonsense. Since a buyer had already been found, the price must have been agreed upon beforehand. There was no reason for the price to be lowered at the last minute.

Based on her understanding of the Tian family, it's possible that someone is behind this trouble.

However, even with this thought in mind, Hui Niang's expression became more understanding, and her tone softened, as if she were truly considering his situation carefully:

"All five pigs have been slaughtered? That's a bit of a problem. Uncle Youfu, we younger generation understand what you're saying. They raised their own pigs and put so much effort into them, so naturally they wanted to keep as many as possible. This person is really unethical. How can a businessperson lower prices at the last minute and break their promise?"

Although we're all from the same village and have a close relationship, we shouldn't refuse your request. But precisely because we're close, we're hesitant to help.

This meat is quite delicate, unlike any other. It needs a place to be stored and sold at specific times. If it's not stored properly and the taste deteriorates or something goes wrong, even if we don't care about ruining the shop's reputation, wouldn't it be a waste of your good meat?

"If we let this money matter cause us to drift apart. Uncle Youfu, don't you think that makes sense?"