High-class maid

The First Madam took the indenture from her hand, looked at it, and said, "This indenture is indeed genuine. Fine, it's rare for you to ask me for a favor. Let her come with us in a few days."

"This servant thanks you, Madam." Madam Wang was about to bow happily, but Madam stopped her with a gesture.

"You are a good person, and Xing'er is a good person too. Let's cultivate good relationships, and perhaps one day good fortune will come our way?"

After serving the lady her meal and helping her wash up, Madam Wang went to the front yard to find Shen Kun.

"My lady, why have you come under the cover of night? Is there something urgent?" My lady is always sensible; she wouldn't come to the front yard unless it was something important.

"There are some important matters to discuss." Wang sat down in the chair, and Shen Kun picked up an outer garment from the bed and draped it over her shoulders.

"What is it, my lady? Please speak freely."

Wang then told Shen Kun what had happened at the temple fair that day, and then quietly watched his reaction.

"Alright, since you two have handled it properly, there's no point in saying anything more. Let me meet that girl someday and see if she's really as honest as you say."

Wang breathed a sigh of relief. Although Shen Kun usually didn't care about household matters, this was a major matter of buying people. If Shen Kun lost his temper, she could only listen to him.

Wang adjusted her coat and continued, "I came here today to discuss with you what to do with this girl when she arrives in the capital. I'm not used to having servants around."

Shen Kun pondered for a moment and said, "It's alright. Let this girl look after the house and do some light chores like washing clothes and cooking. We only stay at home for a few days each month. In a way, she's enjoying a leisurely life."

"Xing'er and I think it would be better to go back to the capital and help her find her family. The little girl is wandering alone in Jinling. She is a year older than Xing'er, but she doesn't look as tall. It's quite pitiful."

Unconsciously, Wang Shi put Zhang Yuzhu in her own daughter's shoes, and her maternal instincts kicked in. She then made the suggestion to Shen Kun.

“Our Xing’er has always been taller than her peers. Besides, you’re discussing this with me, aren’t you? You’re informing me, aren’t you?” Shen Kun rolled his eyes at Wang Shi and said jokingly.

"No way, I just listen to you, the head of the household," Wang said with a smile.

Shen Kun looked at his wife with amusement. His wife finally had a chance to please him, and he was taking the opportunity to put on airs.

“Indeed, we are just servants in the Minister’s mansion, and we don’t have many household affairs to deal with. Once we return to the capital, we will help that girl find her family.”

"Husband, you are so good to me." Madam Wang stepped forward and massaged Shen Kun's shoulders, and Shen Kun enjoyed the rare moment of peace.

Unbeknownst to this family of three, years later, their good deeds would come back to haunt them. Now, they know nothing more than to do good and not worry about the future.

"Did you have a good time at the temple fair today, my lady? Did you buy any trinkets?" The couple chatted after discussing Zhang Yuzhu's questions.

"Speaking of temple fairs, I had my fortune told at the temple today, I almost forgot about it if you hadn't mentioned it."

"I've told you so many times, it's all a scam. They just close their eyes and start lying. Why did you still go and give them money?"

Shen Kun hated it when his wife went to fortune tellers; he felt that fortune tellers were always making things complicated.

“No, this time I’m not looking at myself, I’m looking at Xing’er’s marriage!” Wang said.

"Oh? What did he say?" Shen Kun asked eagerly, full of gossip.

Wang rolled her eyes at him, thinking to herself, "His attitude changes so quickly when his daughter is mentioned." Then, with a troubled expression, she said...

"That person said that our Xing'er is very lucky and will have a noble person to help her in her life. Looking at Xing'er's destiny, the stars are reversed, she is not someone to be confined to a pond, and one day she will surely become a phoenix soaring across the four seas."

"Look at this, it's just another bunch of deceptive tricks, and you actually believed it. They just say nice things. You're supposed to be telling Xing'er's marriage fortune, why are you bringing up fate?"

Wang bit her lip and said, "He also said that our Xing'er is from another world, and that her destined person is already right in front of her. The bond between the two, which they didn't have in their previous lives, has continued in this life."

"After saying all those nice things, how much silver did you ask for?" In Shen Kun's eyes, these fortune tellers only said those things for money, so he asked as expected.

“I didn’t ask for any money…” Wang said softly.

"What? He didn't ask for money. Could he be telling the truth?" Shen Kun murmured.

"She also said that our daughter has great wisdom and great ideas, and that we shouldn't interfere too much." After saying this, Wang looked up at her husband's face.

Shen Kun chuckled and said, "If we weren't in Jinling, I would have thought that Xing'er had hired someone to fool us. You didn't tell Xing'er about this, did you?"

“No, she wouldn’t let me do divination either, saying it was a scam.” After saying that, Wang lowered her head like a child who had done something wrong.

Shen Kun sighed, stepped forward and hugged her, saying, "There are so many good things to do with this money. You can buy some clothes and some jewelry for yourself. I've always supported you. If the divination results are good, we'll be happy, but if it results in bad results, it will only cause you unnecessary trouble."

"Yes, this thing exists if you believe in it, and doesn't exist if you don't. I will never go to the divination house again."

"It's good that you understand, my lady. If you meet a kind-hearted gentleman, he will give you less money. But what if you meet a man who only cares about money and tries to cheat you? Have you forgotten the old lady at the end of our alley?"

The old woman Shen Kun mentioned lived in the same alley as them. Her grandson was grown up, and she spent her days idly at home, indulging in things like divination. A few years ago, she met a fortune teller and they hit it off immediately; she even offered to sell her possessions to become his apprentice.

His family tried their best to stop him, and although he didn't go with the fortune teller in the end, he did become a nun.

Madam Wang nodded and said, "My husband is right. I will never consult fortune tellers on the street again. At most, I will go to the temple to draw a fortune stick. You should rest now. You must be exhausted from packing up for the trip back to the capital these past few days."

"My lady, it's getting late. Don't bother running back and forth. Stay here tonight," Shen Kun said.

"This...this isn't good, is it? What if people find out?" Wang hesitated.

“We are a proper married couple, what’s wrong with living under the same roof? Besides, it’s dark and cold outside, how could I bear to let you go back by yourself?”

Wang nodded without hesitation. She was indeed tired after running around all day, so she decided to rest for the night and go back tomorrow.

"My wife, please sit down. I'll go get some hot water for you to wash your feet." Shen Kun hadn't seen Wang Shi for several days, and he was unusually attentive.

Wang rolled her eyes at him but did not stop him.

In the maids' quarters in the inner courtyard, Shen Xing'er and Shan Tao were not asleep.

"Xing'er, my mother said today that Granny Zhou is going to stay in Jinling. My mother has been sad for a long time, and I also miss Granny Zhou." Shan Tao's low voice came from the darkness.

"Originally, we were going to have Granny Zhou. Auntie has been working with Granny Zhou for a long time. If Granny Zhou stays in Jinling, the small kitchen will need to get a new person. Will Auntie be able to adapt?" Shen Xing'er asked.