High-class maid

"What kind of official is the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices? How high is his rank?" Pang turned to ask Shen Zhiyuan. It's no wonder she asked such a question. She had never left the village because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to find her way home. Yet she trusted Shen Kun, who was only a teenager at the time, to go to the capital alone. It was truly ironic.

"Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices..." Shen Zhiyuan murmured a few words, then, instead of replying to Pang Shi, spoke to Song Wenyang.

“This young master has made a fool of our family. My elder brother and my mother have never gotten along since childhood. I have tried to dissuade them many times, but to no avail. Now it has even reached the ears of an important person.”

Just kidding, her mother didn't know what kind of official he was, but he, a scholar, knew perfectly well! He could tell which was more important and which was less important.

Song Wenyang wasn't buying it. He sneered and replied, "Dissuaded her multiple times? When your mother was cursing that no one wanted her, why didn't you come out to stop her? Now that the family scandal is being aired in public, you suddenly remember to try to stop her?"

Shen Zhiyuan's face flushed red and then turned pale, speechless after being choked by Song Wenyang's words.

"Alright, you've remained unchanged all these years. Now that we've divided the family property, we'll be even." Shen Kun didn't want to waste his breath arguing with them. He had rushed back after finishing his business, hoping for a family reunion, but he was disappointed once again.

"Are you serious?" Pang thought Shen Kun was just bluffing, but she didn't expect him to be serious.

“Exactly. The first time, my son was gone. The second time, you wanted my daughter to marry someone else. What about the third time? Are you going to try and take away the wealth we’ve worked so hard to build in the capital?” Shen Kun said calmly.

But the calmer things were, the more afraid Ponzi became.

"Fine, since you're heartless, then don't blame me for being indifferent. Those two east rooms in the countryside belong to your younger brother. They were originally meant for the eldest son, but since you... won't support me anymore, they can only be given to your younger brother."

"Is there anything else?" Shen Kun looked at Pang Shi with disappointment, listening to her continue.

"And the family's fertile land, a total of four mu, since you don't go back to the countryside anymore, just give it all to your younger brother," Pang said.

"Then what do I have?" Shen Kun asked.

"You can have all those pots, pans, rice, and flour, but... I see you have plenty here, you eat better than the gentry." Pang's eyes darted around, half sarcastic and half serious as she spoke.

Shen Zhiyuan, who had been saying he had tried to dissuade him, was now bowing his head and not saying a word.

"Then give us the silver instead," Shen Xing'er said with a slight smile, extending her hand to Madam Pang.

"Why should I give you money? Why should I?" Pang's eyes widened in shock.

“You gave away the house and land that belonged to my father to someone else. Shouldn’t you give it to us in silver? What, you want to get it for free?” Shen Xing’er rolled her eyes at her. She really couldn’t stand this cheap grandmother.

Wang gently tugged at her sleeve from behind, signaling her not to go too far. After all, Shen Kun was in pain, so she should at least consider his feelings.

Seeing her father's distressed state, Shen Xing'er felt a pang of regret. The Pang family member, interrupted by her, abandoned her plan to ask Shen Kun for money.

"Then your father still has to give me money for my old age. Has he been raised for nothing?" Pang also started to act shamelessly.

"How much money has my husband given you over the years, both openly and secretly? Just because I don't say doesn't mean I don't know. We can give up the house and fertile land, but please write a letter clearly stating everything, so as not to change our minds again when we get to the village head and clan elders," said Madam Wang.

"So you knew all along?" Shen Kun looked at Wang Shi in shock. He had indeed secretly sent money through others over the years; so she knew all along. Shen Kun's eyes welled up with tears once again.

"Yuan'er, what do you think?" Madam Pang asked her youngest son in a low voice, seeking his opinion.

Shen Kun had never heard his mother call him that before. Why was there such a big difference between them, even though they were born to the same mother?

"I'll do whatever Mother says," Shen Zhiyuan said.

“Look at your younger brother, how sensible he is, he has never asked for anything. It’s your whole family who are so petty and calculating,” Pang said.

“However… we’re just separating the family. What will happen if Mother gets old and sick in the future?” Shen Zhiyuan asked.

"We haven't received anything yet, and you're already worrying about who will take care of Mother in the future?" Shen Kun asked angrily.

"Then...then she's your mother too, right?" For some reason, Shen Zhiyuan's shameless manner was exactly the same as Pang Shi's.

"Don't even think about it! When the family divided the property, they didn't give us anything. Now that she's old, she expects us to contribute money and effort? Even if it's to repay the kindness of raising her, the money she's received from the family over the years should be enough, right? Otherwise, we can share some of the house and farmland with her, and we'll take care of her when she gets old."

Wang could no longer hold back and disregarded her own feelings, standing up and shouting.

"Aren't you afraid of being drowned in the spittle of the world?" Shen Zhiyuan stood up and slammed his fist on the table, saying to his sister-in-law.

"Young Master Shen!" Song Wenyang's cold voice suddenly rang out, startling Shen Zhiyuan.

"You are a scholar. If you pass the imperial examinations and achieve official rank in the future, I'm afraid that if word gets out about the family division today, it will affect your career, won't it?" Song Wenyang raised an eyebrow and said, half-threateningly.

"Are you threatening me?" Shen Zhiyuan said.

“You can think of it that way.” After saying that, Song Wenyang picked up the teacup on the table as usual, wanting to drink tea, but found that there was nothing in it.

"Alright, alright, it's only right that I take care of Mother. Let's do as we agreed," Shen Zhiyuan said, sitting down. Anyway, there's plenty of time. Once he passes the imperial examinations and becomes a scholar, Shen Kun won't be able to support him even if he doesn't want to!

Song Wenyang knew what he was thinking, but he didn't care at all, because there was no such person as Shen Zhiyuan in the officialdom of his previous life.

Finally, Shen Zhiyuan picked up a pen and paper and wrote down the terms of the family division in three copies, then pressed his fingerprint on each one. When the time came, they only needed to take these three certificates to the clan elders and village head for their signatures, keeping one copy for each, and the family division would be complete.

“We’ve just separated our households, we’re still going to live here. You’re not going to kick us out, are you?” Pang asked, glancing sideways.

Wang glanced at Shen Kun's expression, wanting to agree, but she was also annoyed by the three of them and wanted to refuse, yet she was afraid of upsetting Shen Kun. Just as she was at a loss, Shen Xing'er spoke up.

"That's possible, but we've been behind on rent for several months. How about you pay us some money first? That way we can continue living here, for as long as we want!"

Looking at the small courtyard, and recalling the cured meat and fine salt in the eldest son's house, Pang felt even more convinced that they were spending money so lavishly, especially since they were just servants.

“Forget it then, this place is too remote. It’s a long way to get your aunt medical treatment. Why don’t we just find an inn?” Pang said, her eyes darting around.