High-class maid

The next day, at the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), Shen Kun got up. Seeing that Wang was sleeping soundly, he didn't wake her and quietly got out of bed.

He went to the kitchen to cook the meal and kept it in the pot for the mother and daughter. Because he was in a hurry to leave, he only took a boiled egg and got into the carriage.

After a long and arduous journey, Shen Kun finally arrived at Shenjia Village before noon.

He sat in the carriage, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar village, and for a moment he was hesitant to go in.

Thinking about it carefully, it must have been eleven years since I last came here.

After gathering his thoughts, he drove the carriage to the village head's house.

"Who are you?" The village head was chatting with the village elders at the entrance when he looked at the middle-aged man driving the horse-drawn carriage in front of him. He seemed both familiar and unfamiliar.

"Uncle Shen, I'm Shen Kun," Shen Kun said as he jumped off the carriage. He then greeted the other elderly people one by one.

"Kunzi? It's been so many years! You're still the same as when you were a kid, except you've gained a lot of weight!" The village head patted him on the shoulder and said happily.

"Yes, yes, back then, Kunzi was just a little kid, so skinny." Other elderly people in the village said.

Gradually, more and more people gathered at the village head's gate. Although their village was richer than other villages, very few people could afford to ride in a horse-drawn carriage. Most people traveled by donkey cart, or walked if they were physically fit. Therefore, most of them were attracted by the horse-drawn carriage.

"Kunzi, aren't you going home to visit your family? Or is there something you need to talk to me about?" the village head asked.

"To be honest, Uncle Shen, I've asked you and a few elders from the village to witness the division of the family property," Shen Kun said after exchanging pleasantries with everyone.

"A split?!" A commotion erupted in the crowd, and then everyone started discussing it amongst themselves.

"Why do you want to split up the family property when everything is going so well?"

"Didn't Mrs. Pang go to town a few days ago? She didn't seem to be acting strangely when she came back?"

"You've angered Kunzi after all. You know what kind of person the Pang family is..."

"Alright, shut up! Let's go inside and talk." The village head scolded everyone. No one had divided their family property in the village for many years, so this matter was of great importance in the peaceful village.

"Yes." Shen Kun went back to the carriage, took out the pastries he had brought for the village head, and then followed him into the house.

There was no main hall in the village, and now that it was cold, people were entertained in the kitchen. Since people often came to see the village head, he simply set up a table in the kitchen specifically for entertaining guests.

"Sit down." The village head lit a pipe for himself and then asked, "Why do you want to separate the family? Have you thought it through?"

“Yes, when Mother came to the city to find me that day, we had already agreed to separate the family property. Now I’m just here to trouble you to go through the formalities.” After Shen Kun finished speaking, he took out the family property separation document from his sleeve.

The village head picked it up and looked at it. He wanted to persuade Pang to reconsider, but Pang was known for her favoritism in the village. Now... it was better to separate the family.

He personally summoned all the clan elders, and also invited Pang Shi and Shen Zhiyuan to his home. Under the witness of everyone, Shen Kun's family signed and sealed the agreement, and the division of the family property went more smoothly than he had imagined.

After signing and affixing his seal, Pang didn't say a word to Shen Kun and took Shen Zhiyuan back. The clan elders wanted to offer their condolences, but they didn't know where to begin.

"Uncle Shen, please tell me straight, am I really my mother's biological son?" After Shen Kun gave the pastries he brought to the clan elders and saw them off, he turned back and asked the village head.

The village head paused, his hand still holding his pipe. He stared blankly out the window, and after what seemed like an eternity, seeing Shen Kun still looking at him with pain, he sighed and said...

"Fine, since you've already separated your families, and you've brought this up with me, I have no reason to lie to you." Then he began to talk about Shen Kun's background.

Shen Kun's father was a renowned handsome man in Shenjia Village. Years ago, he went to work in the capital and caught the eye of the daughter of a wealthy man named Hou. The two married and later had Shen Kun. The wealthy man Hou never thought highly of this village son-in-law, and as a result, his daughter also harbored resentment towards him. The two families rarely visited each other.

Later, Shen Kun's mother died in childbirth, leaving behind the infant Shen Kun. After several years of despair, Shen Kun's father had no choice but to marry a woman surnamed Pang to support Shen Kun. He went to work in the capital, but tragically drowned a year later.

"So, she's not my mother?" Shen Kun asked, his voice trembling.

The village head felt sad under his intense gaze, but he could no longer bear to deceive him, so he could only nod with difficulty.

"No wonder, no wonder she didn't care about me, no wonder she was willing to let me go to the capital alone. It turns out I'm not her biological son. Haha, how ironic, hahahahahaha."

Shen Kun rarely lost his composure like this. He was extremely disappointed and burst into laughter.

"Good child, don't be too sad. Perhaps it's because you look so much like your deceased mother that she doesn't care about you." The village head patted his shoulder. The older people get, the softer they become. Shen Kun had been exploited by the Pang family for so many years, and he didn't want Shen Kun to grow old with regrets.

"My mother, who is she?" Shen Kun asked, his eyes red.

"Your mother was beautiful and kind-hearted. She was also the only daughter in the Hou family. After marrying your father, she was not afraid of getting dirty or tired and managed the household very well. But just when things were going well, she died in childbirth." The village head lamented.

"Thank you, thank you. I'll head back now." Shen Kun walked back to the carriage, looking dejected, ignoring the pointing fingers and whispers of the villagers.

He drove his carriage to a deserted field and finally broke down in tears.

So, it turns out, I wasn't her biological son.

It turns out everyone knew except him!

If his mother hadn't died, would he not have been a slave for so many years?

If his mother hadn't died, wouldn't he be incredibly happy?

No wonder, no wonder the Pang family didn't care about him.

How ironic!

In the capital city.

After Shen Xing'er and her daughter got up and had breakfast, they walked side by side to the street.

Shen Xing'er first gave the embroidery of the mountain peach to Sister Gao. After receiving six taels of silver as she wished, she prepared to go to the shop that Wang Shi and the others had bought last year.

"Your embroidery can sell for so much silver?" Wang looked at the two handkerchiefs and two purses, and said admiringly, "You got six taels of silver just by leaving the shop."

“Yes, our patterns and color schemes are unique, and even the fabric is probably the best in her shop,” Shen Xing’er said proudly.

"How much principal was spent this time?" Looking at her spirited daughter, Wang Shi also became happy.

Shen Xing'er held up one finger.

"Only one tael? Why is it so cheap?" Even Madam Wang was shocked. She saw that there were still beads on the purse. How could the principal be so little?

“It really is only one tael. These fabrics were a gift from the masters of the manor.”

"I see. You two girls are quite good at business." Madam Wang tapped Shen Xing'er's forehead.

It was a good thing that her daughter could do business, and Madam Wang felt more and more that leaving the mansion was the right decision.