High-class maid

A family of three strolled leisurely down the street, their daughter's bell-like laughter ringing out from time to time, lifting the spirits of passersby.

As they passed by Jiulinglong, Shen Kun said, "Wait here for me. I ordered a birthday gift for Xing'er, and I was supposed to pick it up today."

After saying that, he strode inside, and a short while later, Shen Kun came out carrying a box.

"Dad, what's in here?" Shen Xing'er asked curiously.

"I'll open it when we eat later." Shen Kun didn't want to be too conspicuous on the street, so he put the box away and continued walking.

"You're still so impatient. You'll be thirteen years old after your birthday, which is fourteen by the traditional Chinese age reckoning. You can't be so reckless," Madam Wang said affectionately, tapping Shen Xing'er's forehead.

"Mother, I'm only like this in front of you. When I'm on duty, I'm very composed," Shen Xing'er said coquettishly, snuggling against Wang Shi's arm.

"Yes, yes, my daughter is quite the little adult."

They walked along chatting and laughing, while Shen Kun listened with a smile.

As the group passed by the gambling den, they saw a dazed man emerge from inside. Despite wearing silk clothes, he couldn't hide his decadent aura.

His eyes were vacant, and he walked like a broken doll, limp and weak. He would fall to the ground after a few steps, sometimes laughing wildly, sometimes crying wildly.

"Isn't that the second young master of the Song family? How much silver has he lost this time?" Passersby pointed and whispered.

"He's still just a child. People his age are all in school. Doesn't Lord Song care about him?"

"Let's go, let's get away from him, he's bad luck." The crowd pushed and shoved each other, trying to leave.

"Get out! All of you get out! Are you trying to make a fool of yourself?" Young Master Song suddenly started cursing like a madman.

Shen Kun quickly shielded the mother and daughter behind him and hurried over.

Wang wanted to say something, but then she remembered that they were on the street, so she kept quiet.

"Let's go to the cosmetics shop. I want to buy Xing'er a makeup box and some face powder," said Madam Wang.

“Xing’er is so young, why make her learn makeup? Let’s find something else,” Shen Kun disagreed.

“The old lady’s maids all need to dress up; they have to put on light makeup every day before they go on duty,” Wang Shi replied, rolling her eyes at him.

Shen Kun had nothing to say at this point and reluctantly went into the shop. After browsing around, Wang bought Shen Xing'er a box of face powder, a box of lipstick tissues, and a box of indigo.

Because the makeup box was too big and too expensive, Shen Xing'er didn't want it.

The family of three, carrying large and small bags, arrived at the entrance of Zuixianglou, where a quick-witted waiter immediately came out to greet them.

The waiter noticed that the family had an extraordinary air about them. Although their clothes weren't the expensive Shu brocade type, they were still the trendy brocade satin of the year, understated yet luxurious.

The young girl was wearing a jeweled hairpin, so the waiter became even more attentive. He said with a beaming smile.

"Please come in, sir. Are there only three of you? Would you like to go to a private room on the third floor or a room behind the screen on the second floor?" The waiter didn't even ask them if they would be eating in the main hall on the first floor.

"Let's go upstairs," Shen Xing'er answered before Shen Kun could. Her parents had spent enough money today, so eating upstairs wouldn't affect the taste of the food.

"Alright, this way please. You've come at the perfect time; there's only one window seat left." The waiter said, leading them upstairs.

Because Zuixianglou was so popular that they couldn't order dishes, they could only order banquets. Shen Xing'er managed to get a medium-sized banquet in front of Shen Kun.

Shen Kun said with a mixture of helplessness and relief, "Xing'er, you don't need to save money for your father. You are our only child, and the money we earn is for you to spend."

"I know, Dad. We're saving our money for business, so of course we can't spend it recklessly." Shen Xing'er started brainwashing again.

"You like doing business so much?" Shen Kun had heard Shen Xing'er mention doing business in front of him more than once, so he couldn't help but take it seriously. Although it wasn't as prestigious as the Minister's Mansion, he was still willing to follow his daughter's wishes.

"Of course not. We can buy lots of land and rent it out to others, then we can collect the rent. You and Mom can spend your days playing chess and growing flowers at home."

Shen Xing'er's words silenced Shen Kun and Madam Wang. The couple had never thought of leaving the Minister's Mansion. They only wanted to serve their duties well, and for their daughter to serve in the future, so that their ancestors could stay in the Minister's Mansion for generations to come.

But their daughter's words made them yearn for home again. No matter how good the Minister's mansion was, and no matter how much power they had in it, they were still just servants. Nothing beats their own home.

"Don't say anything more for now. Just do your job well, save up some money, and we'll talk about the rest later," Shen Kun said.

“Yes, your father is right, Xing’er, quickly open the box and see what’s inside,” Wang urged.

Shen Xing'er gently opened the box, and inside was a double-layered pearl and white jade longevity lock necklace.

"Dad, you have such good taste! It's so beautiful!" Shen Xing'er immediately put it around her neck; it was clear she liked it very much.

"It does look quite nice. Your father has a good eye for choosing. Pearls paired with white jade are just right for someone your age." Madam Wang nodded in agreement.

"Your father didn't think too much about it. He only knew that you were the apple of your mother's eye, so he bought you a pearl necklace." Shen Kun was very happy to see that Shen Xing'er liked it so much, as if he were the one receiving the gift.

Just then, the dishes they ordered arrived, including the Eight Immortals Platter, steamed duck, roasted prawns, braised snails in wine, rice wine dumplings, and kelp and pork tripe soup.

When the waiter heard that it was Shen Xing'er's birthday, he also gave her a bowl of longevity noodles.

"Waiter, bring me a bottle of Qionghua Dew," Shen Kun ordered.

"Mmm, this is really delicious, Mom, you should try it." Shen Xing'er's eyes widened after taking a bite of the steamed duck. No wonder it was so expensive; the taste was indeed delicious.

Wang also took a bite and nodded in agreement, saying, "It's really delicious. It doesn't have the fishy smell of duck; instead, it's sweet and not greasy. Father, you should try some too."

Shen Kun smiled at the mother and daughter and said, "You eat, don't worry about me. I'm used to eating with the master."

After a few rounds of drinks, the family of three were full, but there was still a lot of food left over.

"Mom, what should we do with the rest of the food?" Shen Xing'er asked, looking at the half-eaten dishes on the table.

"Well, let's just put it here," Wang said after a moment's hesitation.

"Why?" Shen Xing'er asked, puzzled.

“We’re heading back home tomorrow. If we give the leftovers to our neighbors, they’ll feel uncomfortable and might even think we’re looking down on them. So it’s better not to take them,” Shen Kun explained.

"Oh, I see." Shen Xing'er suddenly realized that she hadn't considered everything.