8mi Chapter 48 A New Beginning
Chapter 48 A New Beginning
Chen Ye waited in front of the Cui residence for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the gatekeeper returned.
"Come in with me."
The gatekeeper stepped aside and led him into the mansion through the side gate.
"Please wait in the tea room for a moment. I have already sent someone to inform the Third Miss's personal maid, she will be here shortly."
After leading Chen Ye to the tea room, the doorman left without lingering and went about his own business.
Chen Ye glanced around the tea room.
This tea room is where the sedan chairs are parked in the mansion, and it is located in the front yard.
The main purpose was to facilitate the owner or visiting guests to stop and get in and out of the sedan chair, and also to provide a place for the sedan chair bearers and other attendants to rest.
He withdrew his gaze and waited quietly.
Chen Ye hadn't been waiting in the tea room for long when he saw his maid, Hongling, hurrying over.
When she saw Chen Ye, she simply said, "Come with me," and led him through the Eryi Gate into the second courtyard.
This was not the first time Chen Ye had entered a grand mansion.
He had been to the courtyards of the Gao family, the Feng family, and even several wealthy merchants in Beijing.
The Cui family, however, gave him a slightly different feeling.
This difference is not reflected in the layout of the courtyard, but in the rules and regulations.
As he walked along, he noticed that all the servants he encountered were neatly dressed and walked with proper posture.
They didn't even glance at Chen Ye when they saw him.
They lacked the contemptuous attitude often found in the servants of wealthy families in novels.
Not exactly enthusiastic, but certainly not indifferent either.
"The rules in this manor are strict; men from outside are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard. You will wait here in this room, and Miss will come to see you when she is finished with her work."
Hongling pushed open an empty room in the second courtyard and led him inside to wait.
After Hongling left, another maid came in and brewed Chen Ye a cup of tea. She was impeccable in her manners and interactions with others.
The tea leaves used are high-quality broken tea.
Chen Ye had drunk similar coarse tea when he was at the Gao family's house before, and he thought it was much better than those teas.
After a cup of tea was finished, a woman with a bright face and skin as smooth as jade pushed open the wooden door of the side room and walked in gracefully.
Today, Cui Xijun changed into a plain blue jacket, and her hair was neatly tied up. She looked completely different from the way she had been on the mountain road that day, when she had made a desperate gamble.
Two maids followed behind her, one was Hongling who had led the way earlier, and the other looked somewhat unfamiliar and she didn't know her well.
Cui Xijun walked straight to the stool by the long table, sat down, and took a sip of tea from the maid.
She looked up at Chen Ye, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before she spoke, "You arrived sooner than I expected. Was your journey smooth? Did anyone give you any trouble?"
Chen Ye stood up as soon as Cui Xijun entered the room, and now stood in front of her, cupping his fists in a salute, saying, "Miss Cui summoned me, and I dared not delay. The Cui family has strict family traditions, and the journey has been smooth."
Cui Xijun put down her teacup and looked at Chen Ye, saying, "I said on the mountain that day that the Cui family will repay any kindness. You saved my life, which is a great favor to me. I heard that you lost your job a few days ago because of the Feng family's matter, and I happen to be short of people to serve me. If you are willing, you can stay here with me for the time being. You can stay and work for me as my personal attendant, not as a formal retainer in my household."
"To gain the favor of the Cui family..."
Chen Ye originally wanted to say the Cui family, but he suddenly remembered the instructions of the man in the blue satin robe. With a thought, he immediately changed his words: "It is my great honor to have the favor of Miss Cui."
Cui Xijun said, "If you're willing, that's good. Go and invite Steward Cheng over."
The maidservant obeyed and ran out, returning shortly with a middle-aged man.
"Third Miss, you wanted to see me?"
Cui Xijun introduced the two, saying, "This is Chen Ye, who saved me that day, and this is Manager Cheng from my courtyard."
"Steward Cheng, arrange a suitable single room for him and give him a waist token. In the future, you will first familiarize him with the rules of the manor and have him serve me."
Cheng Defu hurriedly replied, "This old servant understands."
"You guys get to know each other first. If you need anything, just let Hongling let you know."
Having explained everything that needed to be explained, Cui Xijun had no intention of staying any longer.
After saying that, she left the room with her maid.
After Cui Xijun left, only Chen Ye and Cheng Defu remained in the room.
Chen Ye greeted Cheng Defu and said, "I am still relatively new to the capital. If there is anything I don't understand in the future, I hope Manager Cheng will give me some pointers."
Cheng Defu smiled and exchanged a few polite words.
"Come on, I'll take you there."
Cheng Defu led him inside, speaking in a calm and unhurried tone: "There are some rules in the manor, let me explain a few things to you first. You are different from us servants; you are currently employed as a follower in the name of the Third Miss, and are not yet considered a formal retainer of the manor. However, your monthly allowance and lodging will be in accordance with the standards for retainers."
The Third Miss will assign errands at dawn every day, and they must be completed by dusk. In your spare time, you may practice martial arts in the guest room courtyard, but you must not disturb the women of the household.
Remember not to enter or leave the courtyards of the other houses without permission, and especially not the backyard.
Chen Ye had once worked as a servant, so he was familiar with the rules of these grand mansions. Most of them were similar, so he could adapt without much difficulty.
He listened attentively while silently taking notes.
Halfway there, Chen Ye asked, "Manager Cheng, I have been exploring martial arts on my own, but I lack a suitable martial arts technique. I wonder if outsiders are allowed to consult the martial arts techniques related to the Cui family?"
Cheng Defu stopped, turned around and looked him up and down, then continued walking, saying, "It's a good thing that you took the initiative to ask about martial arts. In the Cui family, physical strength alone is far from enough."
His words were full of praise, but he quickly changed the subject, saying, "However, you are not yet a formal retainer of the manor, so according to the manor's rules, the secret martial arts techniques cannot be opened to you for the time being. But don't worry. Once you have made some contributions, or one day the young lady will make an exception and grant you the right to study them, then you will naturally be able to see them."
Chen Ye was not surprised by this answer, and he continued to ask, "Does the manor possess any martial arts techniques that can prolong life?"
"Prolonging life? Of course." Cheng Defu listed them off as if they were his own treasures: "The Lingyuan Dao Dao Jing, which has been passed down through generations in our family, is such a martial art. Although it doesn't have great power, it can still extend one's life by more than ten years. Many of the Cui family's young masters have practiced it. In addition, there is the Crane Longevity Rejuvenation Technique, the Nine Revolutions Cleansing Hand, the Kidney Nourishing Stance, and so on."
"In its early years, the Cui family collected a great deal of martial arts knowledge from the martial arts world and exchanged basic martial arts manuals with other aristocratic families. Over the generations, they have accumulated a profound foundation. There is nothing you can't find in the manor."
"Alright. We've arrived."
Cheng Defu led him to a side room in the third courtyard and pushed open the door to enter.
Chen Ye walked into the room and saw that although the room was not large, it was bright and clean.
It was much more spacious than his residences at the Gao family home and Shuntong Auto Shop.
He had originally planned to find another place to stay through the brokerage firm, but the Cui family's arrangement saved him a lot of trouble.
"The key is inside. This is your pass; it allows you to enter and exit the Cui family's business and surrounding properties. Keep it safe."
"Thank you for your help, manager."
"Pack your things first, I'll come find you again tomorrow at 5 AM."
After Manager Cheng left, Chen Ye walked to the window alone, took the copper waist tag given to him by Cheng Defu, and gently twirled it between his fingers.
All beginnings are hard.
From this day forward, he finally has a powerful backer in the capital. He is no longer the guy who was chased and killed at will in the bamboo forest and waited to die in the Feng family's dungeon.
The sunlight outside the window was just right, shining on the waist tag and casting a warm glow.
Chen Ye put it in his arms, sat down on the edge of the bed, exhaled a long breath, and couldn't help but smile.