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

"Mother, Yaozu," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

"That's not how it is. My family already suspects that it was one of our family members who took it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have insisted that I come back today to ask for it back. Just give it back to me so I can at least have an explanation. Otherwise, Yanxin's father will really beat me to death. How am I supposed to live in the Chen family after this?"

She trembled uncontrollably as she recalled her husband's utterly disappointed gaze and merciless slap last night.

"An explanation? What explanation do you want?" Mother Liu's voice suddenly rose, her triangular eyes widening. "Are you stupid? Huh? Once the money's in our house, there's no reason for it to go back out. What's she doing with so much money, an old maid who's never married?"

The more she talked, the more convinced she became of her point, her spittle almost landing on Liu's face: "Let me tell you, Liu Daya, if you dare to admit to the ten taels of silver today, and dare to take even a single cent of silver out of the house, then don't acknowledge me as your mother anymore. I don't have a daughter like you who betrays her family and sides with outsiders."

"The Chen family dares to hit you? Let them hit you, cripple you, cripple you, then your brother can carry you back. We'll go to the yamen and sue the Chen family for abusing their daughter-in-law, making them pay until they're bankrupt."

Liu Yaozu also fanned the flames from the side: "Sister, Mother is right. You can't back down. If you back down, it will confirm that we took the money, and you will never be able to hold your head up in the Chen family again. Just stick to the fact that you didn't know anything and didn't take it, and see what they can do."

Liu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head. She opened her mouth, wanting to plead again, but looking at her family members, she felt all the words stuck in her throat.

She knew that saying anything would be useless.

Meanwhile, when Chen Wanxing got up in the morning, she found that Liu had already returned to her parents' home.

After dinner, Grandma Chen stopped Chen Wanxing and said, "Wanxing, tell Grandma the truth, what are you going to do about the Liu family? What about that perfume you mentioned last night..." The old woman paused and lowered her voice.

"The Liu family are such unruly people. Even if they really got involved, they'll deny it to the death, and the authorities will probably have a hard time dealing with them."

Chen Wanxing helped her grandmother sit down in the courtyard, her expression calm: "Grandma, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Whether the Liu family acknowledges it or not, whether the government intervenes or not, it doesn't matter if I want a result."

Grandma Chen scrutinized her for a while, and seeing her composed demeanor, she didn't ask any more questions. This granddaughter was someone with her own ideas.

Some of her anxiety subsided, but then she remembered something else. She took Chen Wanxing's hand and patted it gently: "Okay, you're a shrewd person, Grandma believes in you."

However, now that we've brought this up, Grandma will ask one more question. Grandma thought that after you bought property in Kaifeng, you probably didn't have much money left, so she didn't mention it. But yesterday, Grandma saw how generous you were with your purchases.

Grandma still wants to advise you that it's better to use money to invest in property. If you keep it in your hands, you'll just spend it little by little. I didn't ask you in detail before, but do you own any land in Kaifeng?

We country folk only feel secure when we own land. Even if we can't cultivate it all ourselves, we can lease it out and still have a steady income every year, a reliable source of income.

Upon hearing this, Chen Wanxing's eyes flickered slightly. Yes, she had been trying to find suitable land near Kaifeng Prefecture, but land was scarce there, and she hadn't been able to find anything suitable.

Her mind raced, but she put on a reassuring smile: "Grandma is right. Buying land is a serious matter. I will keep it in mind and look for it slowly."

Right now, we need to deal with this troublesome matter involving the Liu family first, so they don't think we're easy to bully and cause trouble later.

Seeing that she had listened, Grandma Chen gave her a few more words of advice and felt relieved. Chen Wanxing tidied herself up and prepared to go out. Just as she reached the courtyard gate, her sister-in-law, Zhang, gently tugged at her sleeve.

"Wanxing," Zhang winked, leading her to the room where she and her elder brother lived. She carefully closed the door before turning around, her usual gentle smile gone, replaced by a serious expression mixed with worry and inquiry. "Are you going to the county? Tell your sister-in-law the truth, what are you planning to do about the Liu family?"

Chen Wanxing looked at her concerned yet inquisitive gaze and didn't speak immediately.

Seeing that she seemed hesitant, Zhang guessed what was going on. She took a half step closer and lowered her voice, almost whispering, "The other family members may not know, but your eldest brother told me that when he found you in Kaifeng, you were always respectfully followed by old women."

Sister-in-law knows you're capable and knowledgeable. But even if the Liu family is despicable, they still lost several lives. You...you wouldn't be thinking of..."

She didn't say the word, but the unease in her eyes said it all.

Chen Wanxing was taken aback at first, then chuckled, her tense expression relaxing: "Sister-in-law, what are you thinking? Killing someone for ten taels of silver?"

She shook her head, her tone tinged with helplessness. "Even if I'm angry, it doesn't have to be this bad. It's just that the Liu family's shameless behavior is truly infuriating. I can't swallow this insult. I was thinking of going to the county to find two capable helpers to give them a real lesson and vent my anger."

"real?"

Seeing Chen Wanxing nod, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Even so, it's too dangerous for a young woman like you to personally go looking for those shady characters. The county is a mixed bag; if something goes wrong, or someone gets hold of something against you, the consequences could be dire."

My dad runs a shop in town, buying goods from all over the country. His shop is on the street, what kind of people hasn't he seen? He even knows some of the people in town who collect "peace money." If you trust your sister-in-law, leave this matter to my dad.

Tell him to find two knowledgeable people who can handle the matter properly without implicating you. As an unmarried young woman, you shouldn't get involved in these things; it doesn't look good on your reputation.

Chen Wanxing knew that her sister-in-law was genuinely thinking of her, and her heart warmed slightly. She pondered for a moment, "Sister-in-law's concerns are valid, but I don't intend to deal with those people myself. I'm going to the county today to visit a brokerage firm."

"A brokerage firm?" Zhang asked, puzzled.

"Yes." Chen Wanxing nodded. "I plan to settle down in my hometown and I have some spare money, so I'm thinking of buying some land. Once I buy the land, I'll need to take care of it."

As a woman, it's not always convenient for me to be out and about, so I'm planning to buy a reliable and capable bodyguard.

She paused, her eyes clear. "It just so happens that this happened. He's a slave, and his indenture is in my hands, making it easier for me to act. I'll tell him not to show his face here for a while, so it won't involve me. I can leave the matter of dealing with the Liu family to him."

The two women whispered for a while longer before Chen Wanxing agreed to everything, then bid farewell to Zhang and calmly left the house.