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

This abrupt silence lasted for about ten breaths.

Although the people in the countryside are simple and honest, they know that it is impolite to stare at someone, especially since the other person looks rich and noble and is carrying weapons.

Soon, most people sheepishly looked away and buried their heads in their food.

Although she was no longer being openly stared at, Chen Wanxing could still feel some subtle glances from the side, but she didn't pay any attention to them.

Conversation gradually returned to the shop, though the volume was lower than before. The conversation naturally shifted away from the abrupt customers and turned to everyday matters and crops in the fields.

The men at the next table, after a few cups of coarse tea, started talking, their voices unconsciously rising a bit.

A dark-skinned man took a bite of his sesame seed cake and mumbled to his companion, "Hey, have you heard? Old Wang's family in town has made a fool of themselves again."

"What's wrong? Is his family's mess still going on?" Another man in an old cotton-padded coat, who clearly knew about it, sneered.

"That's right!" The dark-faced man perked up, put down his sesame seed cake, and said vividly:

"It's all because of his two sons. You know, this old man Wang has a hundred or so acres of land, and he also has shops in the town and county. He's not exactly poor, is he? But he's just so biased."

He spends all day showing off his little one, saying things like, "My son is so smart."

Bah! Everyone knows that his eldest son passed the county and prefectural examinations on his first try a few years ago. If he hadn't suddenly fallen ill during the provincial examination, he might have already obtained the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the lowest level of the imperial examinations).

But his youngest son, to this day, hasn't even passed the county-level examination.

The man in the old cotton-padded jacket nodded repeatedly and added, "That's right. This eldest son even studied under Scholar Li from town, and he passed on his first try. He's definitely a promising student."

"Guess what happened this time? Old Wang and his second wife simply don't want to support him anymore, saying that studying costs money and it's better to go home and learn to manage the shops and land."

"Tsk tsk, isn't this a fool?" A tall, thin man standing nearby couldn't help but interject after listening to their discussion.

"That's right! Even the elders in their clan couldn't stand it anymore. They went to talk about it early this morning, saying that the eldest son of the Wang family is a good student. If he can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, that would be a great honor for the family."

But Old Wang is a different story; he's completely unyielding and determined to promote his youngest son. I think the eldest son of the Wang family is in serious trouble.”

"Sigh, what can I do with a father like that..."

The middle-aged man at the next table, who had been eating in silence, looked up, wiped his mouth, and said, "If you ask me, supporting a scholar is no easy task."

The annual tuition, writing materials, and the cost of travel and lodging for the imperial examinations alone were a bottomless pit.

Let alone the fact that Old Wang's family only owns a hundred or so acres of land and a few shops, even a more substantial family might not be able to withstand such continuous investment over the years. No wonder he hesitated.

"That makes sense!" The man in the old cotton-padded jacket nodded repeatedly. "Studying is for rich people. For us peasants, it's better to honestly farm the land."

The group sighed again upon hearing his words.

The middle-aged man's words were agreed upon. As if remembering something, he changed the subject: "But speaking of studying, I heard that the grandson of Zhang, the shopkeeper of the general store in our town, is also going to be sent to Li Xiucai's place in the spring."

"Oh, this is wonderful news!"

The man in the old cotton-padded jacket chimed in, "No wonder when I went to buy soy sauce yesterday, I saw a red cloth hanging at the entrance of Zhang's shop, saying that it would be a penny cheaper per pound of sugar for three days in a row. So that's what they're celebrating."

"Yes, that's why. The Zhang family manager didn't boast, he just said he was sending the child to learn to read and write so that he could take over their family's general store later."

When the Zhang family was mentioned, the conversation took another turn.

"Oh, looks like he really intends to let his grandson inherit his family's general store. Will the rest of the Zhang family agree to that?"

The middle-aged man lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of sympathy or amusement that was hard to decipher: "Speaking of which, Manager Zhang is truly a kind-hearted man."

Back then, his wife only gave birth to one daughter, Hui Niang. Many people advised him to divorce her and remarry someone who could bear a son, but he absolutely refused. Now look what's happened; the family business has to be passed down to someone outside the family.

"That's not how it works. Their eldest grandson is surnamed Zhang, so he's definitely family."

"Change his surname? Then his son-in-law won't be able to marry into the family? Would the Chen family agree to that? The Chen family has been selling girls for over ten years, and they're still looking for more every year. Would they agree to their eldest grandson marrying into the family?"

"I heard that not long ago, the Zhang family's daughter gave birth to another boy. I don't know what benefits the Zhang family's manager gave the Chen family, but the eldest son changed his surname to Zhang, while the second son still kept the surname Chen. Anyway, it wasn't said to be an arranged marriage."

Before the dark-faced man could finish speaking, the middle-aged man sneered and interjected, "What other benefits could it be? It must be silver, right? The Chen family is really stupid."

Selling his eldest grandson to get money to find that little girl who's been missing for so many years. Is a little girl worth all this trouble?

I think the Chen family is just clueless, and so is Manager Zhang. Of all people to marry, they had to marry into this family.

The tall, thin man said something relatively fair: "You can't say that. Chen's eldest son is hardworking and honest. He works hard at Zhang's shop, and I think Manager Zhang is very satisfied."

Chen Wanxing listened quietly, raising an eyebrow. She hadn't expected that she would hear gossip about herself while eating at a random eatery.

The men at the table continued their casual conversation, but the topic had shifted from the Chen family to this year's harvest.

Chen Wanxing silently finished the soup in her bowl, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and gestured for Yunzhu to get up.

As soon as the master and servant stood up, Zhou Shan and Zhao Dahe also stood up immediately, following at a distance.

Their movement drew the attention of the subtle, scrutinizing gazes from inside the shop, but Chen Wanxing seemed oblivious, calmly leading Yunzhu out of the food stall.

When Coachman Sun saw them come out, he immediately set up the horse benches. After Chen Wanxing and Yunzhu got into the carriage first, Zhou Shan and Zhao Dahe also mounted their horses to guard them from behind, he turned around and went into the food stall.

With a simple, honest smile on his face, Sun the coachman walked to the counter and politely asked the young waiter who had just been there:

"Young man, could you please tell me if this is Ping'an Town? And could you also tell me how to get to Xiahe Village? I heard there's a big locust tree at the east end of the village?"

"Yes, this is Ping'an Town. If you keep walking west along this main road, after leaving the town, walk for about three or four miles, and you'll see a very big old locust tree by the roadside. That's Xiahe Village."

"Okay, thanks a lot, bro!"

The coachman thanked him, quickly walked out of the food stall, and nimbly climbed onto the carriage shaft.

The carriage started slowly again, this time heading in a clear direction, towards the west of the town.