High-class maid

This was also the result of his discussions with the Wang family.

The Ministry of Rites freed them from slavery and bestowed upon them great rewards. They made no attempt to conceal their actions or allow others to speculate wildly.

"Okay, Brother Shen, let me know in advance so I can come and help." After saying that, Yuan Dali went home with a smile.

"These four bolts of fabric are all top-notch. Let's keep these two red ones for Xing'er to make her wedding dress."

Lady Wang touched the fabric bestowed upon her by the lady, admiring it dearly. Although only four bolts were given, it was a rare and exquisite material, almost as if it were from the palace.

"Is Madam perhaps deliberately giving us red fabric? After all, who would wear such a bright color on a normal day?"

Shen Xing'er was also very fond of them. In addition to two bright red ones, she also had two pink ones, all of which were suitable for her wedding. In this way, her little treasury grew even more.

"Alright, alright, let's quickly put these things away under the cover of night. It wouldn't be good if the neighbors saw them when they came to congratulate us tomorrow," Shen Kun said as he walked out of the courtyard.

He moved all the things he had brought from the mansion into the house, and watching the mother and daughter divide and discuss them, he felt a warm glow in his heart.

Although most families living near the capital city make a living by doing some business and are not short of money, their family is the only one in this alley to work in the mansion. That's why Shen Kun reminded them to keep a low profile.

“Your father is right. Let’s move all these things into Xing’er’s room first. After we host the banquet for the neighbors tomorrow, I’ll slowly organize everything.” After saying that, Wang hurriedly started moving things into Shen Xing’er’s room again.

The next day at dawn, Shen Kun and Wang Shi got up. He wanted to inform the neighbors before they went to work or their shops, because if they went too late, most of them wouldn't be home. This time was perfect, as everyone was home having breakfast.

“I counted yesterday, and there are now eight families living in our alley. Except for one family that moved to the east of the city with their son, the rest are still at home.” Shen Kun said to his wife as they walked, explaining the preparations they had made the night before.

Wang nodded, having already figured it out.

Shen Kun and his wife first went to their neighbors' house. Yuan Dali and his wife were easy to talk to, saying they would go to Shen Kun's house immediately after work. Yuan Dali's wife even said she would go to help after finishing her work in the afternoon, clearly showing that she was genuinely happy for them.

The two then arrived at a second house, where a family of four lived. The family's surname was Tian, ​​and both husband and wife worked in the city. Unlike others, the Tian couple's two children were attending school.

The third house was inhabited by a widow whose son worked as a doctor at a clinic; the two of them depended on each other for survival.

The fourth house was occupied by the scholar's family. An old woman opened the door. She had always looked down on Shen Kun's background, but at least she didn't give him a hard time because they came from a prestigious family. She just said she would talk about it later that night.

"I never imagined that even after we were freed from slavery, we would still be looked down upon by scholars," Shen Kun said with a bitter smile and helplessness as he came out of the scholar's house.

"Of all professions, only studying is noble. It's normal for people to look down on us. Fortunately, the other neighbors are quite easy to get along with," Wang said gently, having long been accustomed to the fickleness of human relationships.

"Alright, alright, we've done our proper duty anyway. Let's go and inform Uncle He," Shen Kun said, seeing Uncle He's gate wide open.

"Brother Shen? What urgent matter brings you here so early in the morning?" Uncle He was sweeping the yard when he was caught off guard by Shen Kun and his wife, and wondered what had happened.

Shen Kun felt a warmth in his heart. Fortunately, not everyone rejected their identity, and his heart, which had been hurt by the scholar's family, felt a little better.

"Thanks to the Lord's grace, our family has regained our freedom. We have lived in the alley for many years and have not had time to get to know our neighbors. Today, we would like to take this opportunity to host a feast for our neighbors. Brother, you must come."

Shen Kun was repeating what he had just said to those families.

"You've regained your freedom? You mean...?" Uncle He was stunned; this was incredibly good news!

Although they, as servants, did not look down on Miss Shen's background and were confident that their young master could protect her if they got married in the future, there was still a difference between commoners and servants. Could it be that their young master was interfering?

In a short moment, He Bo thought of many things.

"That's right, you and I must come then! At 5:15 PM." Shen Kun didn't want to explain too much; there was still one family he hadn't notified, and he needed to hurry over there.

"Alright, alright, I'll definitely go then!" After saying that, He Bo went back inside. He wanted to send a message to the young master to see if he knew about this.

Shen Kun smiled and shook his head, then walked away side by side with Wang Shi.

"From now on, we'll be dealing with them all the time. It's a bit strange to be out of the mansion and dealing with so many people all of a sudden!" Shen Kun said with a sigh.

"Yes, everyone in the manor does the same job every day. No one is more noble than anyone else. Today is only the first day, and we've already run into a snub."

As Wang spoke, she laughed, indicating that she remembered the scholar's family's attitude earlier.

"I didn't expect my wife to hold such a grudge. Let's just leave each other alone," Shen Kun comforted her.

The couple talked as they arrived at the last house in the alley.

A horse-drawn carriage was parked in front of the house. Although the carriage frame was not large, Shen Kun, who was used to seeing fine goods, recognized at a glance that it was made of the most expensive wood.

"This is the Ren family." Shen Kun said in a low voice.

Wang nodded. She had heard from Shen Kun last night that the Ren family was home to a master, his wife, his concubine, his son, and his daughter. They were clearly very wealthy, but she didn't know why they lived in this alley.

I'd rather travel a longer distance to Chang'an Avenue each day than not live in this alley.

"Is anyone home?" Shen Kun knocked on the door and called out softly.

"Who is it?" An old woman opened the door.

“We are the Shen Kun family from the alley entrance. We would like to invite our neighbors tonight. I wonder if Mr. Ren is available?” Shen Kun asked.

The old woman looked them up and down, but didn't reply. Instead, she turned and called out into the courtyard.

"Old Ren, someone's here to see you."

"Here I come, here I come." Old Master Ren carried the birdcage and jogged out of the house, his belly fat jiggling with each step.

"These two say they are neighbors from the alley entrance. They want to host a banquet for the neighbors tonight, so they came to ask if you are free," the old woman said before going back inside.

Master Ren looked them up and down, and seeing that Shen Kun and his wife were dressed better than him, his smile became genuine. He asked...

"If I remember correctly, your family works in the Ministry of Rites, right? How come you have time to host a banquet for your neighbors now?"

Shen Kun repeated what he had just said to Uncle He. When Master Ren heard that he was leaving the manor with honor, his smile became even more genuine, and he immediately addressed Shen Kun as a brother.