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

The young man was tall and upright. Chen Wanxing glanced at him and found him unfamiliar; she probably had never seen him before.

Upon hearing Chen Yanche's words, Tian Chuan appeared somewhat nervous and replied quickly, "Yes, we set a trap over in the reeds and caught two wild ducks. I brought them here to show Manager Chen."

Seeing Chen Yanche greeting people familiarly, Chen Wanxing assumed he was her younger brother's friend. Out of politeness, she nodded slightly to him and gave him a polite but distant smile.

Then he spoke in a gentle, polite tone: "Have you had lunch yet, brother? If you don't mind, we're just about to go in for lunch, why don't we join you?"

"No need, thank you. I... I've already eaten." His face was still flushed. He nodded hurriedly to Chen Yanche, then turned and strode away.

Chen Wanxing watched his retreating figure with a puzzled expression, but didn't pay much attention, assuming he was just introverted and uncomfortable around strangers. She turned to her younger siblings and said, "Let's go inside."

The interior of Yuelai Restaurant looked more spacious than the exterior. It was midday and there were quite a few customers inside. The waiter politely led them to a square table by the window.

Chen Wanxing took a simple menu from the waiter. Instead of ordering immediately, she handed the wooden plaque to Chen Yanche and her sisters, saying, "Take a look, what do you want to eat? Just tell me."

Several children crowded around to look. They didn't recognize the words on the menu, so they could only guess based on the names of the dishes the waiter called out. Qinghui whispered, "Big sister, you order, we're fine with anything." Qiuju and Dongmei nodded quickly as well.

Seeing this, Chen Wanxing didn't force them. He directly told the waiter, "Give me a plate of braised pork belly, with a good mix of lean and fat. Also, a plate of stir-fried mutton with scallions, a small bowl of mutton bone and radish soup, and two more servings of our signature vegetarian dishes. For the main course, please have rice. Please bring it quickly."

"Alright!" the waiter repeated loudly before heading to the kitchen.

While waiting for the food, Chen Wanxing poured hot water for her younger siblings. Soon, all the dishes were served. The mutton soup in the earthenware pot bubbled with tiny milky white bubbles, and the braised pork in the deep bowl was a glossy, dark brown color. The girls ate with gusto, their heads practically glued to their sides.

As the bowls and plates on the table gradually emptied, Chen Yanche took the dry food he had specially brought with him when he left home that morning, along with the pancakes made by his mother, and wiped the last bit of sauce off the plate of braised pork.

Chen Wanxing just wanted to facepalm. She understood, but she still didn't want to sit together; it was just too damaging to her image.

Seeing that they had finished eating, the waiter came over with a smile to settle the bill: "How many of you have eaten? Lamb bone soup is thirty, stir-fried lamb with scallions is seventy, braised pork is sixty, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar is eight, shepherd's purse and tofu soup is fifteen, and five servings of rice are twenty. The total is two hundred and three coins. I'll round it down to two hundred coins for you."

Stepping out of the restaurant, the afternoon sun shone on them. Chen Qinghui held Chen Wanxing's hand and whispered, "Sister, the braised pork here is really delicious. It tastes different from what Mother makes."

Looking at their bright, satisfied eyes, Chen Wanxing tucked them in and said with a smile, "As long as it's delicious, that's all that matters. We'll come again in the spring, and then Qingsui will order the dishes."

After dinner, Chen Wanxing began to think about the gifts she would buy for her family. The first people she thought of were naturally her three younger sisters.

They are all at the prime of their youth, and their favorite things are nothing more than clothes and jewelry.

In her view, for a woman, what is truly practical is what she can hold in her hands and use in crucial moments.

The new clothes were nice, but they still had to work, so they might not be willing to wear them even if they bought them. The clothes would be worth less when they got old. Besides, they all lived in the countryside, and the three of them were still young. It wouldn't be good for them to wear clothes that were too eye-catching.

Gold and silver jewelry, on the other hand, served not only as adornment but also as the most valuable currency in a woman's private possessions. It could be pawned in emergencies or used to enhance her wedding dowry, providing her with a solid sense of security.

Having made up her mind, she led them toward a medium-sized jewelry store that looked to be doing fairly good business. "Come on, let's go take a look at the front. I came back in such a hurry that I didn't bring you any gifts. I'll pick out a small present for you now."

Upon hearing this, the three younger sisters were taken aback at first, then hurriedly waved their hands in refusal, while Dongmei shyly hid behind Qinghui.

They've already spent enough today; they not only bought lots of snacks but also went to a restaurant for a meal. They really don't dare ask for any more gifts now.

Chen Yanche felt he had been shocked enough. He remembered that when he was strolling on the street, he bought so many snacks. He had tried to persuade his sister to stop, but she suddenly said that he was a man and couldn't be stingy or nagging.

He had witnessed his sister's style of doing things today and knew that she was very decisive, so when he heard that Chen Wanxing wanted to take them shopping, he didn't even have the heart to persuade her otherwise.

"It's nothing valuable, just a small token of my appreciation," Chen Wanxing said gently, leading them directly to the jewelry store.

Stepping into the jewelry store, the interior is brightly lit, with dark velvet lining the counters, displaying various silver ornaments, interspersed with some gilded or jade items, while gold ornaments are placed separately in a counter further inside.

The waiter was wiping the cabinet when he saw Chen Wanxing enter. He quickly put down his handkerchief and went to greet her, "Please come in, young lady. Is there anything you'd like to buy?"

Chen Wanxing originally intended to give them gifts and let them choose for themselves, but when she turned her head, she saw that the four of them were standing at the door like four gatekeepers, with no intention of coming in at all.

"You lot, are you standing at the door to guard the gate? Get in here now."

They finally came in, but one or two of them had their heads down, looking like quails, very awkward.

This jewelry store is different from restaurants; this is a truly high-end place, full of silver and even gold.

Chen Wanxing didn't force them. She went directly to the counter displaying silver jewelry and carefully examined each piece. It would be the same if she chose them herself.

After looking around, she randomly pointed to a few items, "Take these out and take a look."

They are all plain silver hairpins, one of which has a classic round hairpin head and no other special design.

One of the hairpins is a double-petaled chrysanthemum made of extremely fine silver wire, with overlapping petals that are not cumbersome. A tiny silver bead is placed in the center as the stamen. The hairpin is straight and elegant in style.

There was also a branch of plum blossoms cleverly bent out of silver wire, with two slightly open five-petaled plum blossoms nestled on the branch, and the branch was strong and vigorous.

Finally, there's a classic twisted braid pattern, with silver threads twisted tightly and smoothly, gleaming with a soft luster. It's simple, elegant, and looks the most exquisite.

The shop assistant took it out as instructed and placed it on the velvet cloth on the counter. The silver ornament gleamed warmly in the light, the patterns were clear, and the edges were neatly finished; it was indeed solid, high-quality silver.

Chen Wanxing waved, signaling them to come closer and take a look.