High-class maid

Song Wenyan, who was now being worried about by the mother and daughter, had already opened his eyes when he heard the commotion in the courtyard. Years of vigilance, coupled with being under the influence of the curse, had prevented him from getting a proper night's sleep. If he hadn't been so heartbroken and drunk yesterday, he wouldn't have slept a full night.

"Where am I? Isn't this Auntie? This..." Song Wenyang held his head, his head throbbing from a night of heavy drinking. He looked out the window and saw Wang Shi carrying something into the yard.

Song Wenyang looked around. On the table was a small mirror and a makeup box, clearly a woman's boudoir. There was a faint fragrance on the quilt. Although the furnishings were simple, they looked incredibly warm and cozy. Looking at the two thick quilts on the bed, Song Wenyang felt an overwhelming sense of warmth.

"How did I end up at Xing'er's house? Did I go on a drunken rampage last night?" Song Wenyang muttered to himself. He only remembered drinking and eventually passing out at the table; he couldn't remember anything else.

At this moment, he heard Wang instruct Shen Xing'er to check if he was awake. Not knowing how to respond, Song Wenyang hurriedly lay down again and pretended to sleep.

Shen Xing'er pushed open the door and entered. Her small bed was occupied by Song Wenyang. The hangover from the night before had left his lips looking bloodless, and his tightly furrowed brows made him look like he had something on his mind. When she caught sight of the purse on Song Wenyang's coat, she felt even more heartache and couldn't help but step forward and smooth his brows with her fingers.

"He looks so handsome, why are you frowning?" Shen Xing'er muttered to herself, then tucked him in and quietly went out.

"Mother, Brother Song hasn't woken up yet. I'll go cook first," Shen Xing'er called out to Wang Shi.

“Alright, make the food for Young Master Song as well. If he’s still not awake when the food is ready, wake him up. He’s drunk so much wine, he needs some porridge to warm his stomach,” said Madam Wang.

"Okay, aren't we going to the city gate to pick up my grandma today?" Shen Xing'er asked as she carried firewood to the kitchen.

“No need. She can’t stand anything I do, so I’m not going to bother her,” Wang replied.

Shen Xing'er didn't dare to ask any more questions, so she shut her mouth and obediently went to the kitchen to cook.

As she washed the rice in her hands, she recalled the gossip that Wang and Chen Shan's family had exchanged last time.

It turns out that Shen Kun's hometown was in the countryside. Although it was called a village, it was adjacent to the capital. If you walked, you could reach the capital in just one day. Therefore, most of the villagers were well-off.

Shen Kun's mother, who was also the original owner's adoptive grandmother, had two sons, ten years apart in age. Because she had a son late in life, she doted on her second son, who was also the original owner's uncle. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she spoiled him.

In order to send her youngest son to school, she sent fifteen-year-old Shen Kun to the city to make a living. The villagers all advised her to hurry up and find a wife for her eldest son, but she just laughed it off and said that children and grandchildren have their own blessings.

However, fate smiled upon him, and the lonely Shen Kun met Wang Shi in the mansion. Later, he brought Wang Shi home, but his mother did not show the expected joy. When she learned that Wang Shi was an orphan who had been driven out of the house by her elder brother and sister-in-law, she no longer bothered to pretend and privately said to Shen Kun...

"This girl seems to have a temper, and you won't be able to control her in the future. If you get married, she will have no family support. You might as well break it off as soon as possible."

Unexpectedly, Shen Kun insisted on marrying Wang Shi. Left with no other option, she stated that she could only offer one tael of silver as a betrothal gift. Shen Kun then asked...

"All the money I've earned over the years has gone to support the family, yet my mother can only give me one or two taels of silver?"

She then feigned poverty, saying, "Your younger brother is still in school. I raised both of you by myself. Do you know how difficult that was? If she thinks this one or two taels of silver is too little, is she after our family fortune?"

Shen Kun was somewhat disappointed, but Wang Shi persuaded him that they were all family and that if his uncle passed the imperial examinations in the future, they would also benefit from it, so it was better to turn a blind eye.

After the two got married, Madam Wang treated her with even more respect. Shen Xing'er's uncle became a girl who never lifted a finger. Later, when Madam Wang became pregnant, Madam Wang stopped doing heavy work, but she still did all the light work.

After Wang gave birth to Shen Xing'er, she said, intentionally or unintentionally, that girls were a waste of money and that it would be better to have a boy. Later, when Shen Xing'er was one year old, Wang became pregnant again. The old woman heard the gossip of the village women that Wang's belly looked like a girl's. She hardened her heart and became more and more afraid. In the winter, she secretly pushed Wang.

Later, when Shen Kun returned from his duty, he saw his wife lying on the bed crying and the already formed but dead male fetus. He could no longer hold back, so he hired a carriage, took Wang Shi and Shen Xing'er, and rented a courtyard in the capital. The family settled down in the capital from then on.

After her postpartum confinement, Wang was kindly allowed to return to work in the household, thanks to the family's willingness to accept her. The disheartened couple became servants in the household. Since that incident, the two families hadn't been in contact for over a decade, and even the child knew that this sudden trip to the capital couldn't be anything good.

While Shen Xing'er was thinking about old memories, the eight-treasure porridge in the pot was ready. The food cooked over a wood fire was so fragrant. She smelled the aroma and satisfiedly served Song Wenyang a small bowl, as well as a small bowl of soup and a dish of pickled vegetables, before taking it inside.

At this moment, Song Wenyang could no longer pretend to be asleep. When Shen Xing'er pushed open the door, he had already dressed and gotten out of bed.

"Let me do it." Song Wenyang walked quickly to the doorway and took the plate from Shen Xing'er's hand. How could he let Xing'er serve him?

"You're awake. Is anything bothering you?" Shen Xing'er asked as Song Wenyang took the plate from her hands and she hurriedly moved the things on the table to make room.

"It's nothing, just a bit of a headache. How did I end up sleeping here? I'm so sorry to have troubled you and Auntie." As Song Wenyang spoke, his eyes were fixed on Shen Xing'er with deep affection, unwilling to blink.

Shen Xing'er blushed under his gaze and quickly told him what had happened the day before.

"I see. Thank you so much, Auntie. It's really fate that we ran into each other here." Song Wenyang said with a smile, looking at the shy Shen Xing'er.

"You...you're being indecent! Hurry up and eat! After you finish eating, warm yourself up and go home quickly, don't make Uncle He worry about you." Shen Xing'er turned around and ignored him, saying with a blush on her face.

Song Wenyang dared not tease him anymore and obediently began to drink his porridge. Seeing that he was drinking his porridge, Shen Xing'er felt relieved and went out to invite Wang Shi to eat.

Just as the mother and daughter were eating in the kitchen, a commotion arose from the alley, followed by a shrill female voice.

"Is this the place, eldest son? You're the only one in our family who can read. Can you see if this is the place written on the paper?"