The Daily Life of a Chang’an Maid

Shen Hui suddenly transmigrated, becoming the villainess in a food-themed novel. Above her were a gambling-addicted father and a harsh stepmother; below her was the naive, foolish younger sister—the original female lead. Unwilling to be exploited and having no interest in fighting over the original male lead like scavenging trash, she took her younger sister and fled overnight, seeking refuge with their aunt who worked in the Prince of Chu’s estate. Thus, Shen Hui went to the Beast House, while her younger sister Shen Wei entered the Servants’ Kitchen. When busy, Shen Hui would pet cats, tease dogs, walk leopards, and train lynxes; when idle, she would visit the kitchen to freeload meals, having her sister prepare Flour-Fried Bones, Fried Meatballs, Roasted Quail, Soft-Fried Chicken, Roasted Lamb Leg, Hot Pot, Sweet-Pickled Cucumber, Scallion Oil Noodles… Occasionally, she would also observe the covert struggles among the masters. Today, it was a concubine disrespecting the princess consort; tomorrow, a young master scheming; the day after, a young lady snatching something from another young lady. Eating, sleeping, lying low, and watching the drama—her leisurely life was incredibly comfortable. And so, Shen Hui slowly lived her leisurely life. After the old emperor died and the Prince of Chu succeeded the throne, and after the Prince of Chu died and the new emperor ascended, everyone thought Shen Hui was incredibly fortunate. As a First-Rank Palace Matron with an Imperial Mandate, deeply trusted by the new emperor, with her wet nurse aunt enfeoffed as Lady of Song, and her younger sisters’ shops earning mountains of gold daily… If asked for her insights, Shen Hui summarized: Stay away from conflicts; a leisurely life ensures peace. Her seemingly leisurely but actually strategically retreating husband: My wife is absolutely right. Pre-reading Notes: 1.Both leads are chaste; the female and male leads are truly leisurely, they will fight back when necessary but don’t expect them to be exceptionally powerful. 2.The male lead is neither the emperor nor a prince. 3.Contains elements of domestic and palace intrigue; the pacing is not particularly fast. The female lead will later become a palace matron but will still focus on lying low, eating, and drinking. 4.Set in a fictional world; please do not scrutinize historical accuracy. 5.Does not vilify the original female lead; the younger sister is simply a sister who deeply loves her older sister. — Below is the upcoming domestic drama novel featuring marriage before love. “The Noble Family’s Concubine Daughter” Being a concubine daughter is difficult; being a concubine daughter in a noble family is even harder; being a concubine daughter of the second branch of the Jing’an Marquis Estate is the hardest of all. Thus, Pei Rongyun chose to lie low, avoiding the “hard mode.” After transmigrating, she let others engage in covert struggles while she hid in her small courtyard, eating and drinking, living a stable, leisurely life. Her concubine mother urged her to snatch her older sister’s marriage arrangement, but she repeatedly refused, saying that men were nowhere as important as sisters. When her half-sister shamelessly took her hairpin, she not only didn’t get angry but also sent other things along, treating it as discarding trash—after decluttering, her room felt much cleaner. When someone submitted her name for the imperial selection without her knowledge, she neither cried nor made a fuss, calmly accepting it. After all, she was proficient in none of the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, or painting—so she wouldn’t be selected. However, her legitimate younger sister suddenly threw a tantrum, demanding to join the selection as well. And then, her legitimate younger sister was selected, and so was she. Her legitimate younger sister was honorably appointed as the Crown Prince’s Concubine, while Pei Rongyun was betrothed to the notorious Prince of Qi, Zhao Che, as his principal consort. — After marriage, rumors spread that Pei Rongyun lived an extremely miserable life. First, she had to endure Zhao Che never returning to the prince’s estate at night; then, she had to endure him keeping women at the manor estate; and she even had to endure the red nail marks on his face… However, Pei Rongyun, who secretly went to night markets with Zhao Che to eat midnight snacks, lived long-term at the manor estate indulging in horse racing, cockfighting, and fishing, and once accidentally scratched someone—felt only that her legitimate younger sister’s imagination was truly rich. Pre-reading Notes: 1.Both leads are chaste. 2.The male lead at most only talks big. He is called a wastrel for his unproductive hobbies like horse racing, cockfighting, fishing, brewing, drinking, and traveling for leisure; he is called a bully for punching eunuchs and kicking censors—it has nothing to do with women, and he will not become emperor. 3.The story is set in an alternate universe, featuring domestic and palace intrigue, a bit of child-rearing, but overall follows the trope of arranged marriage turning into love, a lighthearted romance. — Description from novelcodex.orgFull novel: The Daily Life of a Chang’an Maid — read the rest free on N​o⁠v​e⁠l​C⁠o​d⁠e​x⁠.​o⁠r​g⁠