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

The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.

Chen's mother opened her mouth wide, her eyes wide as if she had heard a fairy tale.

Mr. Chen looked at Chen Wanxing, then at his son, his face filled with disbelief.

Brother Chen was struck dumb, and he took a step back, knocking over a low stool without even realizing it.

His lips trembled violently as he tried to say something, but no sound came out; only his chest heaved violently, revealing the turmoil of shock churning within him.

Everyone else stared in astonishment at the scene before them.

Brother Chen's gaze swept back and forth across Chen Wanxing's face, from her eyebrows to the corners of her eyes, desperately searching for the shadow of his sister in his memory.

But no matter how I look at it, it doesn't match the image of my sister in my memory.

Seeing her mother-in-law tightly hugging Chen Wanxing and crying, Chen's mother involuntarily staggered forward, reaching out her trembling hand to touch her face, but stopped in mid-air, her vision already blurred by tears.

"It's my Chunlan, it really is my Chunlan..."

Chen's mother finally burst into tears. She could no longer hold back and stepped forward to hug her daughter tightly on the other side, as if she wanted to make up for all the years of neglect.

Chen Wanxing was held on either side of her grandmother and mother, feeling their hot tears soaking her clothes.

She looked up and saw her father and older brother still standing there. The two grown men had red eyes and looked like they wanted to go forward but didn't dare to, which made her heart ache.

In the courtyard, everyone else stood quietly to the side.

Hui Niang wiped away her tears, and even her usually calculating third aunt was unusually silent at this moment, turning her face away.

The crying in the courtyard gradually subsided, leaving only suppressed sobs.

"Alright, stop crying," Grandma Chen's voice was still choked with sobs, but she had regained her usual tone. However, the slightly trembling hand that was tightly gripping Chen Wanxing's sleeve betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

"Chunlan's return is a great joy; what kind of behavior is it to cry and whine like this?"

She took a deep breath, her gaze quickly sweeping across the courtyard, and immediately made arrangements, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "Eldest daughter-in-law, don't just stand there."

"Dumplings before boarding, noodles upon arrival. Go quickly and make the kids a bowl of noodles. Also, bring out the meat that Dalang bought a couple of days ago. See what's in the kitchen and use that too. We're having lunch today, so we need to cook a few more dishes. Second and third sons, go help them out."

She directly directed her three daughters-in-law to bring everyone back to reality from their reverie of reunion.

After giving her instructions, she noticed Yun Zhu, who had been standing quietly behind Chen Wanxing, as well as Zhou Shan and Zhao Dahe, who were standing at the door.

The old lady's gaze lingered on Yunzhu for a moment, then swept over the two bodyguards and the swords at their waists. Her eyes flickered slightly, but she didn't show it on her face. She simply addressed Chen's father and elder brother:

"Eldest brother, eldest brother, don't just stand there like idiots. Please invite these two brave men inside for tea. Don't neglect your guests."

Finally, she turned to Chen Wanxing, her tone gentle yet forceful, barely suppressing her excitement: "Chunlan, come on, come inside with Grandma."

The main room door was open, and the room was reasonably well-lit. The main room was simply furnished, but it was clean and tidy.

A little girl cleverly moved a few chairs and arranged them in front of the table before Grandma Chen pulled Chen Wanxing into the room to sit down.

Her hand was still tightly clenched around hers, her cloudy eyes staring unblinkingly at her face, as if she could never get enough of looking at her.

Chen's father and elder brother greeted Zhou Shan and Zhao Dahe to come inside and sit down, but neither of them went inside. Instead, they sat down on a bench in the yard.

Yunzhu didn't go in to disturb them, and obediently stayed in the courtyard with the two bodyguards.

"Chunlan," Grandma Chen finally spoke, her voice hesitant and cautious, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Tell Grandma, how have you been all these years? Where were the families who bought you from? Were they good to you? Did they mistreat you?"

These questions had been weighing on her mind for far too long.

Chen Wanxing could feel that all the eyes of her family were focused on her, and those eyes contained heartache, guilt, and an overwhelming concern.

She hesitated for a moment, but did not hide anything.

"Grandma," she said softly, trying to keep her tone calm.

"Back then, I was sold to the old residence of the Marquis of Zhen'an. It just so happened that the lady returned to Kaifeng. I didn't stay in Kaifeng for more than a few days before I went to the capital with the lady. That's why my father and brother haven't been able to find me for so many years."

"The Marquis's residence!"

She gasped, and the others in the circle stared in shock. To a peasant family like theirs, the nobles of the capital were practically unattainable figures.

Grandma Chen's pupils contracted sharply, and she gripped Chen Wanxing's hand even tighter. Her voice trembled with urgency: "The Marquis's mansion in the capital? Then... then how did you get back? Did the mansion release you? And..."

She seemed to suddenly remember a crucial point, "You saw your father and brother in Kaifeng before? What happened? Since you saw them, why didn't you...?"

Why didn't you acknowledge me back then? She didn't ask that question aloud.

Chen Wanxing sensed the urgency and unresolved questions in her grandmother's words. She steadied herself, gently squeezed her grandmother's withered hand, and spoke in a reassuring tone:

"Grandma, please don't be anxious, let me explain slowly. The Marquis's mansion has strict rules. Some time ago, there were some changes in the mansion, and the Madam was kind enough to release all of us maids."

As for my father and brother, I did indeed run into them a few times in Kaifeng Prefecture.

She paused, her voice lowering, carrying a complex emotion.

"It's just that I was too young when I left home, and so many years have passed, so I don't have much of an impression of my family anymore. Moreover, my father and brother have changed a lot, and I didn't recognize them when I was in Kaifeng Prefecture."

Later, I happened to run into my brother who was inquiring about news at the old mansion of the Marquis. After a conversation, I became a little suspicious. Afterwards, I went to the corner shop where my father and brother lived to find them, but they had already left Kaifeng.

Luckily, I ran into my brother before and asked him for the exact address, which is how I found my way here.

"Didn't you recognize me?"

As soon as Chen Wanxing finished speaking, Grandma Chen's voice suddenly rose, and her eyes, which had just been filled with tears, instantly became sharp as knives.

He suddenly turned to Chen's father and elder brother beside him, especially Chen's father. Chen's grandmother stared at him intently, her tone filled with disbelief and indignation at his son's lack of ambition:

"Chen Mancang! You! You saw your daughter and didn't even recognize her? You're her own father, you talk about her every day and go looking for her every year, and she's right in front of you and you still don't recognize her?"

If it weren't for my clever little one spotting it first and coming looking for it, wouldn't we have missed this opportunity completely? Do you even have eyes for breathing?