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

Three or four miles is not far.

The carriage quickly left Ping'an Town and resumed its journey on the country dirt road. About fifteen minutes later, the driver, Sun, suddenly let out a "whoosh," slowed down, and whispered from the outside:

"Miss Chen, we've arrived. That tree should be the old locust tree they were talking about."

The carriage stopped about a hundred paces away from the old locust tree.

Chen Wanxing instructed the coachman, Sun, to wait there, while he and Yunzhu got out of the carriage.

Based on the young man's description in his memory, "There is a big locust tree at the east end of the village, and the house next to the tree is it," Chen Wanxing easily locked his gaze on the courtyard surrounded by a low mud wall next to the locust tree.

The courtyard looked quite old, with mottled earthen walls and a half-closed wooden door.

However, the courtyard gate was half open, and several women were peeking inside from the other side of the wall, clearly watching the commotion.

Chen Wanxing frowned slightly as she led Yunzhu closer. The courtyard gate was open, and a number of people could be clearly seen gathered inside.

A woman with slightly high cheekbones, wearing a dark blue cotton-padded jacket, stood with her hands on her hips and said in a hurried voice, "Big brother, it's not that I'm being nosy, but our family hasn't divided yet. When something good happens, we should always respect the order of seniority, right?"

"How old is Cong Ge'er? He's only six years old, he can't even speak properly yet. Sending him to early childhood education so early, what can he possibly remember? Isn't this just a waste of money?"

Before she could finish speaking, a woman beside her chimed in:

"Third sister-in-law is right. If we're going to send someone, we should send our Xin-ge'er first. Xin-ge'er is already seven years old, which is a good time for him to start his education. We can wait until Cong-ge'er is a little older."

Surrounded in the middle, Chen's eldest son looked somewhat embarrassed, but still patiently explained:

"Second Aunt, Third Aunt, the tuition for Cong'er's schooling was paid by his maternal grandfather. He said it was so that the child could get some exposure to the world of books early on, and it didn't use any public funds."

My father-in-law meant well by sending Cong Ge to school, but it makes no sense for a father-in-law to send his son-in-law's younger brother to school.

"Oh!" Auntie San immediately raised her voice, her dissatisfaction almost overflowing.

"The Zhang family is rich, so naturally we can't compare."

But then again, elder brother, eldest son, every year after the autumn harvest you two go to Kaifeng Prefecture to work, and the wages there are twice as high as in our county town.

But every year when you come back, the money you pay to the public school seems to me less than what your second and third brothers save from doing odd jobs in the county.”

As soon as she said this, Aunt Chen, who hadn't said much until now, frowned slightly, clearly indicating that her words had stirred up her doubts.

The more Auntie spoke, the angrier she became, and her voice grew even sharper:

"How much can the expenses in Kaifeng Prefecture be? Staying in the worst inns and eating the coarsest food, how could you possibly spend all the extra wages? Don't tell me you're hiding something and trying to save money for yourselves."

Mr. Chen's face instantly turned ashen, his lips trembled, and he struggled to find the words to retort. Mr. Chen's older brother was even more furious and anxious, veins bulging on his forehead.

"Third Aunt, we went to Kaifeng and every penny was spent on the right things. Don't we need to spend money to gather information?"

"To ask someone to pass on a message or inquire about something, don't you always have to put on a smiling face and slip them a few copper coins? Those people are so arrogant; they think even a hundred or two coins isn't enough. Do you think we'd be willing to do that?"

His voice was filled with suppressed pain and grievance.

"For a little girl!" Auntie San finally couldn't help but speak her mind.

"How many years has it been? How much money has been wasted? Mother insisted on finding someone back then, and we daughters-in-law didn't dare say anything. But look at us now?"

She abruptly changed the subject, looking at an old woman in the middle and pointing at Hui Niang, who had been silent all along, "Now look what's happened, they're throwing money away for some girl who's nowhere to be found, without even blinking an eye."

But when it comes to her own grandson, she just gives him away like that. Mother, you were willing to spend money to find your granddaughter, so why are you willing to give him away to someone with a different surname just for money?

Since you're willing to give up your grandson, why bother with that girl?

This directly struck at Grandma Chen's most painful spot. She suddenly raised her head, her cloudy old eyes flashing with a sharp light as she stared intently at her third daughter-in-law.

"Shut up, you don't know anything."

Grandma Chen's voice was hoarse but carried a fierce edge. "Chunlan is a member of my Chen family. She has been living away from home. As long as I have a breath left, I cannot stop looking for her."

Even if Cong-ge'er no longer bears the surname Chen, does that mean he's no longer a member of the Chen family? Even if he takes the surname Zhang, isn't the blood of the old Chen family still flowing in his veins?

"If he becomes successful in the future, how could he possibly disown him as his father, disown me as his great-grandmother, and disown this family?"

She slammed her cane on the ground and said, word by word, "Others may spread rumors, but don't we, as family members, know the truth? Have we ever taken a single copper coin from the Zhang family for this matter of changing our surname?"

The reason he was allowed to take the Zhang family surname was because Hui Niang's father said that as long as the surname was changed, he would be willing to send the child to school, for the sake of the child's future.

It's so that he won't end up like his father and grandfather, only knowing how to toil in the fields or work hard at the docks; it's so that he can stand tall and be a person with his head held high in the future.

This is completely different from my search for Chunlan. Chunlan is a child of the Chen family, and Congge is the root I've been longing for. I can't let go of either of them.

"If you're unhappy about Cong Ge going to school, and if your father is willing to support your child, I'd agree to let him change his surname, or even take him back to raise. I'm just afraid you don't have the ability."

Her words were resolute, carrying an unquestionable stubbornness and her own strong love and logic.

"And another thing," Grandma Chen's voice was hoarse but carried a fierce edge. Her gaze was like a knife. She first glared at her third daughter-in-law, then suddenly turned to her second and third sons.

"Second brother, third brother, have you both become mute? Have you forgotten how you survived that year?"

Her words struck like a thunderbolt, making Uncle Chen Er and Uncle Chen San tremble violently. They subconsciously lowered their heads, their faces showing shame.

Grandma Chen slammed her cane heavily on the ground, her voice hoarse with tears in her eyes: "It was Chunlan, your eight-year-old niece. She sold herself and used the few taels of silver she got to buy food, which helped our whole family get through those three most difficult days."

Three days later, the Kaifeng government opened its granaries, and we didn't starve to death. The money she earned from selling herself saved the lives of our entire family.

Tears welled up in her cloudy old eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall, looking around at each of the younger generation in the courtyard:

"Now that you're all so capable, after you've had your fill of food, you've forgotten who sacrificed themselves to give you the life you have today? My Chunlan has such a hard life, she's probably suffering somewhere right now."

As Grandma Chen recounted her story, tears finally streamed down her face.

"I'm telling you, as long as I live, the search for Chunlan cannot stop. This isn't something to discuss; it's about paying back a debt. This is something our Chen family owes her."

She took a deep breath, suppressing her surging emotions, and finally fixed her gaze on her third aunt, whose face was deathly pale. Her tone was icy and chilling:

"Anyone who feels wronged or burdened can get out of this house right now. But this family fortune was all embroidered by this old woman stitch by stitch, and she can't take away a single penny of it."

Even if I have to beg for food, I will find my granddaughter. I want to see who has the nerve to live on Chunlan's bones and now complain that looking for her is interfering with your enjoyment of life.