A New Beginning (Seeking Follow-ups)

Chen Ye stood before the gates of the Cui Mansion, waiting for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before the gatekeeper returned.

"Follow me inside."

The gatekeeper stepped aside, leading him through the side gate and into the estate.

"Wait here in the tea hall for a moment. I have already sent word to the Third Miss's personal maid; she will be here shortly."

After guiding Chen Ye to the tea hall, the gatekeeper did not linger, turning away to attend to his own duties.

Chen Ye took a moment to survey the tea hall.

This hall served as a place for carriages to be parked, situated in the front courtyard.

It was primarily for the convenience of the masters or visiting guests to board and alight, while also providing a resting place for coachmen and other attendants.

He withdrew his gaze and waited quietly.

Chen Ye had not been waiting long when he saw the maid Hong Ling hurrying toward him with quick, small steps.

Upon seeing Chen Ye, she simply dropped a "Follow me," and led him through the Er'yi Gate into the second courtyard.

This was not Chen Ye's first time entering a high-walled mansion.

He had been inside the Gao Family, the Feng Family, and even the estates of several wealthy merchants in the Capital City.

Yet, the Cui Family gave him a different impression.

This difference was not in the layout of the courtyards, but in the discipline.

Along the way, he noticed that every servant he encountered was neatly dressed and walked with a proper, steady gait.

When they saw Chen Ye, they did not even spare him a second glance.

There was none of the customary disdain that servants of great houses in novels usually showed toward outsiders.

They were not overly warm, but they were certainly not cold.

"The rules in this mansion are strict; men from the outside are not permitted to enter the inner courtyards. You wait in this side room; the Miss will come to see you once she has finished her tasks."

Hong Ling pushed open an empty room in the second courtyard and ushered him inside to wait.

After Hong Ling left, another maid entered to pour Chen Ye a cup of tea, her conduct and service beyond reproach.

The tea leaves used were high-grade broken bits.

Chen Ye had drunk similar coarse tea back when he was with the Gao Family, and he felt this was significantly better than those.

Once he had finished the cup of tea, a woman with a bright, beautiful face and skin like congealed fat pushed open the wooden door of the side room and stepped inside.

Cui Xijun was wearing a plain cyan-colored beizi today, her hair neatly coiled, looking like a completely different person from the one who had staked everything on that mountain path.

Behind her followed two maids; one was Hong Ling, who had led him here, and the other looked unfamiliar, someone he did not yet know.

Cui Xijun walked straight to the stool by the long table and sat down, taking a sip of the tea handed to her by a maid.

She raised her eyes to look at Chen Ye, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before she spoke: "You arrived faster than I expected. Was the journey smooth? Did anyone give you trouble?"

Chen Ye had stood up the moment Cui Xijun entered; now, he stood before her, cupped his hands, and bowed: "Since Miss Cui summoned me, I dared not delay. The Cui Family's house rules are strict and orderly, so the journey was very smooth."

Cui Xijun set down her teacup and looked at Chen Ye: "I said that day on the mountain that the Cui Family always repays its debts. You saved my life, and you have done me a great service. I heard that you lost your livelihood recently because of the Feng Family affair; it just so happens that I am short of help. If you are willing, you may stay here for the time being. You will serve by my side as my personal attendant, not as an official guest of the mansion."

"To be able to serve the Cui..."

Chen Ye had originally intended to say the Cui Family, but as the words reached his lips, he recalled the instructions of the man in the green satin. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately changed his phrasing: "To be able to receive the favor of the Cui... Miss, this one is deeply honored."

Cui Xijun said: "I am glad you are willing. Go and invite Steward Cheng to come here."

The maid at her side acknowledged the order and trotted out, returning shortly with a middle-aged man in tow.

"Third Miss, did you call for me?"

Cui Xijun introduced them: "This is Chen Ye, who saved me that day, and this is Steward Cheng from my courtyard."

"Steward Cheng, arrange a suitable single room for him to stay in and provide him with a waist token. From now on, you will guide him through the mansion's rules and have him serve by my side."

Cheng Defu hurriedly replied: "This old servant understands."

"You two should get acquainted. If there is anything you need, just have Hong Ling pass the message."

With the instructions given, Cui Xijun had no intention of staying longer.

After speaking, she left the side room with her maids.

Once Cui Xijun had departed, only Chen Ye and Cheng Defu remained in the room.

Chen Ye exchanged pleasantries with Cheng Defu: "My roots in the Capital City are still shallow. In the future, if there is anything I do not understand, I hope Steward Cheng will provide some guidance."

Cheng Defu smiled and offered a few polite words in return.

"Let's go, I will take you over."

Cheng Defu led him inward, speaking in a steady, unhurried tone: "There are some rules in the mansion that I must explain to you first. You are different from us servants; you are an attendant retained under the Third Miss's personal name, not yet an official guest of the mansion. However, your monthly stipend and living quarters will be provided according to the standards of a guest."

"Every day at the hour of the Rabbit, the Third Miss will assign tasks, and you will report back at the hour of the Rooster in the evening. During your free time, you may practice your skills in the guest courtyard, but do not disturb the inner family members."

"Remember, do not wander into the courtyards of the other branches, and you are strictly forbidden from entering the back courtyard."

Chen Ye had once been a house servant, so he was no stranger to the rules of these high-walled mansions; most were much the same, and he had no difficulty adapting.

He listened while silently committing everything to memory.

Halfway there, Chen Ye spoke up: "Steward Cheng, I have always explored martial arts on my own and lack a suitable cultivation method. I wonder if the Cui Family's martial arts are open to outsiders?"

Cheng Defu stopped in his tracks, turned to look him up and down, then continued walking. "It is a good thing that you take the initiative to ask about martial arts. In the Cui Mansion, brute strength alone is far from enough."

There was a hint of approval in his tone, but he immediately changed the subject. "However, you are not yet an official retainer of the mansion, so according to the rules, the secret martial arts are temporarily off-limits to you. Do not be impatient, though. Once you have rendered meritorious service, or if the Young Lady makes an exception and grants you the qualification to study them, you will naturally be able to see them."

Chen Ye was not surprised by this answer. He continued to ask, "Then does the mansion possess any martial arts for longevity?"

"Longevity? Naturally, we do." Cheng Defu spoke as if reciting a list of treasures. "The Spirit Source Dao Sutra passed down through generations in this mansion is one such art. Although it lacks great offensive power, extending one's life by a decade or more is no problem at all; the young masters of the Cui Family all practice it. Furthermore, there is the Crane Longevity Rejuvenation Art, the Nine-Turn Organ Cleansing Hand, the Kidney Nourishing Stance, and so on."

"In the early years, the Cui Family collected many miscellaneous arts from the pugilistic world and successively exchanged basic martial arts classics with other noble families. The foundation accumulated over the generations is quite deep. There is nothing you cannot think of that cannot be found within the mansion."

"Very well. We have arrived."

Cheng Defu led him to a side room in the guest quarters of the third courtyard and pushed the door open.

Chen Ye walked into the room and saw that although it was not large, it was bright and clean.

It was much more spacious than his living quarters at the Gao Family or the Shuntong Transport Agency.

He had originally intended to find a broker to look for a place to stay, but this arrangement by the Cui Family saved him quite a bit of trouble.

"The key is inside the room. This is your waist medallion; with it, you can move freely through the Cui Family's businesses and peripheral properties. Keep it safe."

"Thank you for your trouble, Steward."

"You settle in first. I will come to find you tomorrow at the hour of the rabbit."

After Steward Cheng left, Chen Ye walked alone to the window, holding the copper waist medallion Cheng Defu had given him, and spun it lightly between his fingers.

The beginning of all things is difficult.

Starting today, he finally had a backer in the Capital City and was no longer that servant who was chased and hunted at will in the bamboo forest or left waiting for death in the Feng Family dungeon.

The sunlight outside the window was perfect, shining on the waist medallion and reflecting a trace of warmth.

Chen Ye tucked it into his robes, sat on the edge of the bed, exhaled a long breath of stale air, and could not help but smile.