[A kitchen maid earns herself a noble title through her own efforts: household intrigue + business battles + flight from famine + farming + natural disasters + ensemble cast]
To help her family survive the natural disasters, ten-year-old Afu sold herself in exchange for 30 jin of white rice.
There were no powerful noble families in the small county town, so Afu was sold to the merchant Lin family and became a kitchen maid in charge of the fire.
Aunt Liu, the cook, resented Afu for taking her niece's place and made life difficult for her at every turn. Fortunately, Afu was strong and quick on her feet.
She also had the support of Lu Chen, a fellow villager who was a lovesick, ruthless schemer beneath a gentle exterior. Afu finally managed to find her footing in the household and came into a small fortune, but then caused a huge mess and nearly lost her life.
That was also how she caught the attention of the second young master, who brought her to his side as a “lucky charm” and raised her monthly pay.
She came up with a business venture for the second young master, earning piles of reward money and watching her savings grow by leaps and bounds.
Just as she was beginning to see the day she'd buy back her freedom and leave the household...
Disaster struck, and the family fled in panic, with no regard for whether the servants lived or died.
The journey was arduous, but Afu and Lu Chen supported each other and carved out a chance to survive... Afu also found herself a devoted boyfriend.
At last they reached the borderlands. The two ordinary people, powerless and without connections, refused to give up and cautiously built a life for themselves. They grew wealthy raising chickens, and in a strange place, created a new life little by little with their own hands. In the end, Afu earned herself a noble title!
A lively ensemble story full of the texture of everyday life, domestic squabbles and ordinary concerns, not a wish-fulfillment power fantasy.
The heroine is rather weak at first. Like a sponge, she gradually learns how to interact with people and handle affairs as she goes through life, eventually growing into a strong, independent woman.
A vigorous, clever maid VS a possessive, hypocritical carpenter (general), one-on-one romance
