High-class maid

"Oh, I see. You should hurry up and ask around on the street. If you go too late, you'll have to wait in line at those good doctors' clinics," said Madam Wang.

"Did the eldest brother tell you in his letter? We'll stay here for a night or two, and then move out once we find a suitable inn." After saying this, Madam Pang felt a little thirsty. This eldest brother's family is really something; they've come all the way to the capital, and they won't even let us have a cup of hot water.

"I already said I've prepared the room, but I'll have to trouble you to squeeze in," said Madam Wang, pointing to the room she had just vacated that morning.

Pang and Shen Zhiyuan exchanged a glance. She got up first to take a look. Although it was a bit dark and damp inside, it was still much better than the houses in the countryside. She saw sunlight streaming into Shen Xing'er's room and wanted to push the door open to go in.

"Hey, what are you doing? What are you doing in my room?" Shen Xing'er blocked her way and asked.

Feeling guilty, Pang awkwardly touched his nose and muttered, "I was just checking the layout inside. What's there to be afraid of? Could there be some hidden treasure inside?"

"This is my private room. You'd better not try anything. Just rest quietly in that room," Shen Xing'er said impatiently as she pushed her away.

“Meizhen, wouldn’t it be too crowded for the three of us to share a room? How about your sister-in-law and I go to sleep in Xing’er’s room, and let Zhiyuan sleep in this room by himself?” Seeing that Shen Xing’er was not someone to be trifled with, Pang turned to Wang and tried to appeal to her emotions.

“If you find it too crowded, why don’t you go out and look for an inn? Now that you’ve recognized the place, you’ll know where your home is,” Wang said.

"We're unfamiliar with the capital, what if we get lost? Why don't you come with us?" Madam Pang started acting like an old woman again, her eyes darting around, seemingly plotting something.

“I have errands to run. My uncle is literate, isn’t he? Surely he’s a grown man and won’t get lost,” Wang said.

“This…how can this be? He’s a scholar…he should be oblivious to what’s going on outside his window…” Pang started lecturing again when she mentioned her youngest son.

"Mom! Stop talking, I'm hungry!" Shen Zhiyuan was already drooling over the cured meat hanging in the kitchen. Although he was always given the best food in the house, he hadn't eaten meat in a long time. Looking at the big piece of meat, Shen Zhiyuan unconsciously swallowed.

"Yes, yes, we've been traveling for a long time and haven't eaten yet. Meizhen, please cook something quickly," Pang urged.

Even if Wang disliked her mother-in-law's family, she had no reason not to feed them. She got up to get some cured meat, and Shen Xing'er called out.

"Mom, my cold has just healed, and the doctor specifically told me not to eat meat, but I want to eat cabbage!"

Wang paused, looking at Shen Xing'er with amusement. She shook her head and said, "Then I'll cut off a small piece. We should at least taste the meat." After saying that, she really only cut off a small piece of cured meat.

Unexpectedly, Pang's second daughter-in-law, who was also Shen Xing'er's aunt, rolled up her sleeves and went to help. Wang felt a little better and didn't stop her, letting her busy herself in the kitchen.

"Where's your father?" Pang asked, sitting on the stool, looking somewhat bored, as if she had just remembered Shen Kun.

"My father has duties to attend to, so you probably won't be able to see him today," Shen Xing'er replied without looking up as she picked vegetables.

With her son not around, Madam Pang breathed a sigh of relief. In that case, the two women should be able to agree to what she said. After all, women are easily swayed, and she could make the dead seem alive with just a few words. She wasn't afraid that the mother and daughter wouldn't agree.

"Meizhen, Xing'er is fourteen years old now, isn't she?" Pang asked as she walked to the stove with her hands behind her back.

"It's kind of you to remember my precious daughter's age. What's wrong?" Wang replied without turning her head.

"It's like this, I have a very good marriage proposal that I want to tell Xing'er. Now that the eldest son is not here, it's the same as telling you. It's just that you'll be in charge in the end." As Pang spoke, she began to flatter him.

“Xing’er is still young, we’re not in a hurry to marry her off,” Wang said.

"What do you know? We've only settled the marriage proposal for now. You don't even know whose son I'm talking about, yet you're so quick to deny it." Pang was annoyed by her attitude and sat down again.

Wang didn't respond. Seeing that no one answered her, Pang continued, "That young man is the grandson of my younger brother from my maternal family. He comes from a wealthy family and is a capable child. I'm keeping him to marry our Xing'er."

"I won't marry him." Shen Xing'er's voice rang out, though not loud, it was very intimidating.

"Look how you've spoiled this girl! It's always been arranged by her parents and matchmakers. You're an unmarried girl discussing your own marriage, aren't you ashamed?" Madam Pang's habit of lecturing never seems to change, and here she is again, lecturing.

"I'm not getting married. Ask my father, ask my mother, and I still won't get married!" Shen Xing'er said.

“Meizhen, children are ignorant and proud. You mustn’t stoop to her level and ruin her future. You are all servants in the same family. Xing’er also became a servant at a young age. Those who know her are that she works as a maid in the old lady’s courtyard, but those who don’t…”

Smash! Madam Wang slammed the bowl in her hand to the ground. Her eyes were red as she said, "What's wrong with servants? What's wrong with servants? If you look down on us servants, then don't spend the money we give you!"

“Sister-in-law, how can you speak to Mother like that? As the old saying goes, as the proverb goes…” Shen Zhiyuan stood up, defending his mother.

"Shut up, you too! You eat your brother's food, wear your brother's clothes, and in all these years we've been in the capital, have you ever sent us a single letter? You've studied for over ten years and still haven't even passed the county-level imperial examination. I think all your education has gone to waste!" Wang was furious, but due to her limited education, she could only utter these few words that she considered the most vulgar.

Shen Xing'er silently gave her mother a thumbs up in her heart. Awesome!!!

"You! You! You are truly an insult to culture." Shen Zhiyuan almost couldn't catch his breath, and after speaking for a long time, he could only utter these few words.

"The best marriage is right in front of you, and you, a mere maid, are still being picky. Let me tell you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, nobody will want you..."

"I want."

A deep, steady male voice rang out, and everyone turned their heads to look at the owner of the voice.

Song Wenyang was very tall, almost blocking the doorway. His lips had regained some color, probably from drinking porridge. The young man walked step by step to Shen Xing'er and said to Madam Pang...

"It's not that she's unwanted, you don't need to slander her like that. Look at you, your hair is all messed up." After saying that, he used his hand to tuck the stray hairs from Shen Xing'er's forehead back, his face full of affection.