High-class maid

"Don't worry, Brother Shen, I'll be there on time tonight! Hahaha." Master Ren patted Shen Kun on the shoulder and said.

"In that case, congratulations on your arrival, Master Ren. You may continue with your work; we'll head home to make our preparations," Shen Kun said.

"Brother Shen, have you eaten yet? Why don't you finish your meal at my house before you leave?" Master Ren called out, carrying a birdcage in one hand and beckoning with the other.

"No need, no need. Our daughter is still waiting for us at home. We'll have a good talk with Master Ren tonight." Shen Kun politely declined Master Ren's offer and walked out the door side by side with Madam Wang.

"I never expected Mr. Ren to be so approachable. I just wonder why he insists on living in this alley?" Wang said as she and Shen Kun walked home.

“As we get to know each other better, we’ll eventually find out. I think Mr. Ren is only interested in our status,” Shen Kun said.

“What my husband says makes sense. As the saying goes, a merchant won’t get up early for nothing. If we were just an ordinary couple, I’m sure Master Ren wouldn’t want to do business with us,” Wang Shi agreed.

The two chatted as they hurried home. When they arrived, Shen Xing'er had already prepared breakfast.

"Father, Mother, did it go smoothly? How many people came tonight?" Shen Xing'er lifted the pot lid, revealing steaming millet porridge and steamed egg custard inside.

“There are eight households living in the alley. If we don’t count us, there are seven left. Apart from the old woman who lives in the east of the city, only the scholar’s ​​family doesn’t come.” Shen Kun took the bowl. He was starving after running around all morning, so he picked up the bowl and drank it in big gulps.

“As expected,” Shen Xing’er said.

"What do you mean by that, Xing'er?" Madam Wang was somewhat surprised to see her daughter so calm.

“We all live in the same alley, and we see each other all the time. Usually, people want to get closer to us, but we don’t have time. Now that we finally have a chance, anyone who’s not stupid will come,” Shen Xing’er said.

"Yes! By the way, should we cook our own meals or buy a banquet from a restaurant?" Wang asked.

"Let's buy a banquet table. I still need to borrow chairs and a table. You two are working too hard cooking," Shen Kun said.

He's a grown man; he can cook porridge, but if you ask him to help prepare a feast, he'll probably only make things worse.

"Alright, leave this to me and Xing'er. You calculate how many people will be coming, and we'll go to the street to book the banquet now." After saying that, Madam Wang hurriedly went back inside to get her purse.

"Let's arrange it for sixteen people. Xing'er, how many tables do you think is appropriate?"

Shen Kun asked his daughter for her opinion, since she would be getting married in the future, and it was better for her to be aware of these things as early as possible.

"How about we buy three medium-sized tables? Two tables are a bit too few. It's okay if we can't finish it, but it would be embarrassing if we didn't have enough to eat," Shen Xing'er said.

"Alright, we'll listen to Xing'er. Let's go, let's go to the street and buy some fruits and vegetables." Wang came out of the house and took her daughter to go shopping.

Shen Kun looked at the mess on the table and resignedly began to clean it up.

The mother and daughter first went to the street and bought two pounds of melon seeds and a pound of tea. Shen Xing'er always felt that something was missing. When they passed by a pastry shop, she remembered and bought a pound of pastries and candies.

"That's what makes it look less shabby." Shen Xing'er looked at the pile of things and nodded in satisfaction.

"I didn't realize my daughter had the potential to be a housekeeper," Wang teased.

This time when the two of them came out, Wang only cared about paying for and carrying things, and didn't care about anything else, leaving everything to Shen Xing'er to arrange.

"Mother, should we buy a banquet from Tianxianlou or Ruyilou?"

Shen Xing'er stood at the street corner. If she walked east, she would reach Tianxianlou on Chang'an Street; if she walked to the right, she would reach Ruyilou on Shangqiao Street.

The two restaurants are located in different places, and their prices are also different.

"Mother, it's fine with me. You decide what to serve tonight," Wang said.

She could tell that her daughter was a worrier, so she decided to just let go of her responsibilities and enjoy her leisure time.

“My daughter thinks we should go to Ruyi Restaurant. We can book three tables for a mid-range meal. We’re all just ordinary people; there’s no need to put on a show,” Shen Xing’er said.

"it is good."

The mother and daughter went to Ruyi Restaurant again, paid a deposit of one tael of silver, and told the waiter their address before walking home with Wang.

"I'm so tired!" Shen Xing'er put her things on the table, then sat down on the floor without any regard for her image and started panting heavily.

"Get up quickly, the ground is cold." Madam Wang patted Shen Xing'er and helped her up.

At this moment, Shen Kun also returned with the stools and table he had borrowed. As he carried the table into the house, he asked...

"So, how much silver did it cost?"

“My daughter booked three medium-sized tables, each with four meat dishes, four vegetable dishes, and two soups, plus a pound of osmanthus wine, for a total of two taels of silver. My daughter gave a deposit of one tael,” Shen Xing’er said.

“Okay, let’s eat in the hall tonight. Luckily, there aren’t many neighbors, otherwise there wouldn’t be enough seats!” Shen Kun looked at the table and chairs that were packed full of people in the room and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

When he worked at the Minister's residence, he did errands and gave orders. Now that he's out of the residence, he has to do everything himself.

"Dad, you've worked hard. When I earn money in the future, I'll get you a bigger house." Shen Xing'er stepped forward, massaging Shen Kun's back and shoulders, and coaxing him.

"Haha, Father is old and has long regarded this place as his retirement home. Today, he invited the neighbors and is even more unwilling to move."

Shen Kun glanced at the small courtyard. Although it wasn't big, the mother and daughter had decorated it with a warm and cozy atmosphere. And since the neighbors weren't any awful people, he really liked this place.

“Alright! Since Father doesn’t want to move, how about I buy the land next door after I earn some money and build you a big house?” Shen Xing’er said.

"Alright, alright, stop daydreaming and come wash this plate," Wang interrupted the father and daughter's daydream and assigned them a task.

"Fine! If only someone could do the work for me!" Shen Xing'er sighed to the sky, her appearance making Shen Kun and Wang Shi laugh uncontrollably.

At the Song residence, Song Wenyang was weeping in front of Old Madam Song's coffin.

If it weren't for the so-called filial piety, he really wouldn't want to come to this place of sorrow. Now, in order to silence the gossip, no matter how unwilling he was, he obediently knelt here and put on an act.

"Go and bring the eldest son a cup of hot water. That child is so honest; he's been kneeling here for a whole day and night without even drinking a drop of water." Madam Sun casually instructed her personal maid, but in reality, she was speaking to the people who came to offer their condolences.

"This child is a filial son. I heard that when Grandma Song was alive, she treated him the best."

"Yes, I heard that when Old Madam Song had her accident, Wen Yang was in Jinling and didn't even get to see her one last time."

"No wonder he's not eating or drinking. If it were me, I wouldn't be able to stand it either."

"Oh, what a good child..."