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

Chen Wanxing remained in the courtyard, watching her brother and sister-in-law's departing figures, and gained a deeper understanding of her decisive and thoughtful sister-in-law.

After seeing her brother and sister-in-law off, Chen Wanxing returned to the courtyard. Not being able to go to the county town today wasn't so boring. The warm winter sun shone in the courtyard, dispelling some of the chill, and everywhere was a scene of leisurely and orderly busy activity.

Uncle Chen squatted in a sheltered spot under the eaves, with several pieces of wood and a few simple tools spread out in front of him. He was carefully planing a plank by the light.

The wooden planks made a rhythmic "rustling" sound, and sawdust flew in the sunlight.

Chen's father and second uncle sat on a stone stool in another corner of the yard, with several farm tools in need of repair in front of them. There was a hoe with a chipped edge, two winnowing baskets with loose hoops, and the rest piled up there that Chen Wanxing did not recognize.

Father Chen, holding a small hammer and a piece of iron, was carefully adding iron reinforcement to the hoe and hammering it in place. Uncle Chen, on the other hand, was meticulously re-weaving the edge of the winnowing basket with tough strips of bark.

The two occasionally exchanged a few words in hushed tones, but most of the time they were busy with their own things.

The children had long since disappeared like birds released from their cages. Only in the east wing, Qiuju from my second uncle's family still sat quietly by the window, embroidering a handkerchief stitch by stitch in the light filtering in, almost invisible to the eye.

Grandma Chen held her eldest grandson, Jin Ge'er, in the sunniest spot by the door of the main room, gently rocking him as he slept soundly in her arms.

Chen's mother was also sitting nearby, sewing shoe soles. When she saw Chen Wanxing walk over, a kind smile appeared on her face. She patted another chair next to her, on the back of which was written Chen's father's name.

"Evening Star, come, sit here, bask in the sun, it's warm."

Chen Wanxing sat down as instructed, and the warm sunlight on her back was indeed very comfortable.

Grandma Chen then started chatting with her, mostly about Chen Wanxing's life over the past twelve years. However, she didn't delve into any potentially sensitive private matters. Instead, she expressed a grandmother's curiosity and concern for her long-lost granddaughter.

"Do you celebrate the New Year at the Marquis's residence? What kind of unusual snacks do you eat?"

"You also make your own clothes? The embroiderers in the manor must be incredibly skilled, right?"

"Besides serving your master, are you allowed to learn to read or write, or to acquire a skill?"

Her questions were trivial, mostly just random thoughts. Chen Wanxing answered the ones she could easily answer.

Skipping over the strict hierarchy, the text describes the grand scenes of the Marquis's mansion during festivals, mentions the exquisite pastries they had seen, or small things like how the lady would occasionally take them to see a play when she was in the mood.

Her tone was calm, veiling that period of hardship and calculation with a distant yet slightly whimsical veil.

Grandma Chen listened with great interest, occasionally exclaiming "Oh my!" and "That's amazing!" Her eyes showed pride in her granddaughter's worldly experience, but also a lingering heartache.

She also interspersed her stories about her family over the years, such as how Che-ge was naughty as a child and fell from a tree after raiding a bird's nest, how Qing-hui's hands were wrapped up like dumplings when she first learned to spin thread, how the family gritted their teeth and built the east wing room when the harvest was good, and how they tightened their belts and made do when the weather was bad...

The words are simple, yet they are a microcosm of a family's ups and downs over the past decade.

Before we knew it, my third aunt had also moved a small stool over and was carrying a winnowing basket with unshelled peanuts in it.

With a smile on her face, she listened to Grandma Chen and Chen Wanxing talking while skillfully peeling peanut shells, picking out the plump peanuts and placing them in another small bowl at her feet, while setting aside the shriveled or slightly flawed ones.

"Wanxing, continue. Did the Marquis's mansion really give new clothes to its servants for the New Year?"

My third aunt chimed in at the right moment, her eyes filled with pure curiosity. She didn't stop what she was doing, asking questions that interested her. Her tone was warmer and more natural than before, at least she was putting on a better show.

The four chatted idly as the sunlight slowly shifted, making them feel lazy. Chen Wanxing also helped peel peanuts, listening to her grandmother, mother, and aunt talk about village gossip, occasionally chiming in with a few words.

This slow, mundane, and everyday afternoon was somewhat novel to Chen Wanxing, and also brought her a unique sense of peace.

Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open.

Everyone looked up and saw Aunt Chen carrying a basket, walking in with hurried steps, still carrying the chill from outside.

Unlike her usual dejected and aggrieved appearance when she returned to her parents' home, today she seemed to be standing straighter, and even her brows revealed a look of suppressed yet irresistible pride.

Grandma Chen's eyes darkened as she looked at Aunt Chen, whose demeanor was different from every time she returned to her parents' home.

The basket that Aunt Chen was carrying in her arm was not empty; inside lay a large, plump, green cabbage.

She walked into the courtyard, saw the four people sitting there, paused for a moment, then glanced at Grandma Chen sitting in the sunlight with a hint of smugness, and spoke in a voice slightly higher and clearer than usual:

"Mom, I'm back." She said, her steps never faltering, but she deliberately adjusted the way she carried the basket to make the cabbage more conspicuous, as she walked towards Grandma Chen.

"My mother insisted that I take it, saying that the cabbages were growing well this year and that we had kept a lot for ourselves, so she wanted me to bring one back to add to our family's vegetable supply."

Auntie San lifted her eyelids to glance at the basket, her gaze lingering on the cabbage for less than a moment. Her face remained expressionless as she lowered her head again and deftly peeled open a peanut with a "click."

In winter, who doesn't have dozens or even hundreds of cabbages stored in their cellar or vegetable garden? It's really nothing rare, yet this idiot is showing it off like it's something special.

"Okay, I understand." Grandma Chen didn't show it on her face, just gave a faint reply, and didn't respond to the cabbage at all.

Aunt Chen seemed to want to say a few more words about how her family asked her questions and how they invited her to eat and stay, but seeing that Grandma Chen had already turned back to continue playing with Jin Ge'er in her arms, and Aunt Chen was also focused on the peanuts in her hand without looking up, and had no reaction to the cabbage and her words, she also stopped talking awkwardly.

Then she picked up the cabbage she treasured, turned around and walked into her house, her back still showing that upright posture. Anyone who didn't know better would think she had gotten a great deal.

The courtyard was quiet for a moment. Then, Third Aunt pursed her lips towards the east wing, this time not even bothering to lower her voice.

"A rotten cabbage, and she's showing it off. My second sister-in-law is really something, she never learns from her mistakes. Her family is so stingy and calculating, giving her the cheapest thing to fob her off, and she treats it like a treasure, all smiles. This time…"