High-class maid

"Xing'er, my mother and I are going home on vacation tomorrow. My brother is getting engaged," Shan Tao said while eating pastries.

"This is a joyous occasion, why aren't you happy?" Shen Xing'er asked when she saw that Shan Tao wasn't as happy as expected.

"I feel like my mom and brother are being manipulated by that woman." Speaking of this, Shantao stopped eating her pastries and continued to complain.

"We originally prepared four loads of gifts, but she insisted that it was not enough, saying that her sister had received six loads when she got engaged. My mother had no choice but to go to the market with my father to buy more."

"Don't take it to heart. Maybe it's just to prove yourself?" Shen Xing'er comforted her.

“My mother and brother want to get married, but I don’t want to. She’s clearly trying to control them.”

"What's your future sister-in-law's family background like?" Shen Xing'er asked.

"Her family slaughters pigs, supplying restaurants and merchants; they're quite well-off. Xing'er, does she look down on us for being servants?" Shan Tao asked dejectedly.

"Don't underestimate yourself. What's wrong with us servants? The merchants' connections might not even be as extensive as ours as theirs," Shen Xing'er continued to comfort her.

“My mother said that after my brother gets engaged, I can keep my monthly allowance and rewards myself and don’t need to give them to her anymore.”

Shen Xing'er thought that Chen Shan's family wasn't so muddle-headed. If she gave it to her mother, her sister-in-law might take it away.

"Alright, what are you going to wear tomorrow?" Shen Xing'er asked, not wanting to trouble Shan Tao, and changed the subject.

After talking for a while, Shen Xing'er returned to the inner courtyard. Although she wasn't too busy today, it wasn't advisable to stay out for too long.

The next day, Shan Tao and Chen Shan's family left the mansion. Because the small kitchen and tea room were short-staffed, Shen Xing'er and Jing Pan came to help out for the next two days.

"Are you going to the tea room or the kitchenette?" Jingpan asked Shen Xing'er, slightly raising her eyelids.

Shen Xing'er's eyes darted around, and she thought to herself, "She's so competitive and ambitious, if I say I'm going to the small kitchen, she'll definitely try to take it." So she said, "I'll go to the tea room."

"Hmph, you must know the break room is easy. You go to the kitchenette, I'll go to the break room." After saying that, she turned and went into the break room without waiting for Shen Xing'er's reply.

Granny Zhou was stunned. Returning to the small kitchen, she asked Shen Xing'er with heartache.

"Xing'er, do they always bully you like this in the inner courtyard?"

"No, Jingpan is always like this, don't take it to heart." Shen Xing'er said as she washed her hands and skillfully assisted Granny Zhou.

Meanwhile, things weren't so peaceful at the Yamamoto family's house.

"What? Eight more loads? Why doesn't she just rob us? Does she think our money is something we found on the street?" Shan Tao's father, Chen Shan, shouted angrily.

"Dad, keep your voice down. Eight loads is fine, we can afford it," Chen Shan's wife advised.

"One load of vegetables and fruits, one load of pork, one load of pastries, one load of tea. Her family thought it wasn't enough, so they bought another load of eggs and another load of cloth. What more could they want?"

“Dad, all the relatives are here, everyone’s waiting, let’s go buy it,” Chen Shan’s family said.

"Shan Gen, what do you think?" Chen Shan turned his head expectantly and asked his son.

"Father, why don't we just give in to her?" After hesitating for a long time, the man with the prominent nose finally uttered these words.

"You! You guys! You've never seen a woman before, have you! Go buy one! I don't know how!" After saying that, Chen Shan turned away and stopped looking at the mother and son.

Shan Tao had already left the house before their argument started, wanting to avoid seeing or hearing about it.

At this moment, in the small kitchen of the Minister's residence.

"The yam and jujube paste cakes are ready. The old lady asked us to send some to each courtyard, but we haven't sent any to the eldest young master's and young lady's courtyards yet. Xing'er!" After saying that, Granny Zhou called out Shen Xing'er's name.

"Granny! Let me deliver them. Xing'er can't deliver them to both places at once," Jingpan said solicitously, appearing out of nowhere.

"Is the tea room not busy anymore?" Granny Zhou asked.

It will be noon in about an incense stick's time, and the tea room is currently very busy.

"It's alright, it's alright, give it to me. I'll take it to the young master's courtyard." After saying that, Jingpan didn't wait for Zhou Mama to give it to her, snatched it from her hand and left.

Granny Zhou finally realized that helping her was a pretense; her real intention was to go to the young master's courtyard. She pouted and said...

"Tch, you want to go to the young master's courtyard? I don't want Xing'er to go either. You think you're so smart."

At this moment, Shen Xing'er walked over.

"Granny, what's wrong?"

"Where have you been?" Granny Zhou asked.

"I just went to fetch water. I don't know where Jingpan went. Hong'er can't manage all the work by herself."

"I knew it! Go and deliver this yam and jujube cake to Miss Shen's courtyard." Granny Zhou said as she handed the cake to Shen Xing'er.

Shen Xing'er carried the food box and walked out quickly. When she reached the eldest young lady's courtyard, she saw that the eldest young lady was holding a jade pendant in her hand.

Whether it was her imagination or not, she actually saw the young lady shed a tear.

"Xing'er is here. Did the old lady send you to deliver pastries again?" the nanny next to the young lady said loudly.

"Yes, Granny Zhou from the small kitchen made a new yam and jujube cake. The old lady liked it and specially asked me to bring it over for Miss to try." Shen Xing'er curtsied and answered with her head down.

Xiao Luosheng had already put away the jade pendant when the nanny called Xing'er's name, then gently dabbed the tear stains on his face with a handkerchief. He smiled at Shen Xing'er, pretending nothing was wrong.

"You've worked hard, Granny. Give Xing'er a small ring; we can't let her make this trip for nothing."

"Yes." After saying that, the nanny went inside to get Shen Xing'er her reward.

"Miss Xie, there's no need for such trouble. It's all my duty," Shen Xing'er quickly waved her hand.

The young lady smiled gently and said, "Keep it. You have fair skin, it will definitely look good on you."

"Thank you, Miss. I'll take my leave now." With that, Shen Xing'er curtsied again and left with her head bowed.

After Shen Xing'er had completely walked away, the old woman next to the young lady said...

“Miss, you’ve been depressed ever since you returned from Lingshan Temple. Today, you were seen by outsiders. If you don’t cheer up, what will happen when the old lady and madam find out!”

To everyone's surprise, the young lady not only failed to understand, but also shed even more tears.

"Granny, it's been so long, he only sent someone to deliver a jade pendant, and said nothing else. How can I not have wild thoughts!"

"Miss, you should throw this jade pendant away. It won't be good if Madam finds out," the old woman advised earnestly.

"If I don't throw it away, don't I even have the right to love?"

“Young Miss, Madam is right. If he truly loves you, he will come up with the proposal himself, instead of leaving you to face it alone!”

The young lady thought of her mother and then of the second prince, feeling lost and uncertain about the future, and lowered her head in sadness.

If Shen Xing'er knew that the young lady was like this, she would definitely say, "Big sister, what are you so sad about? You two are the official couple! Is the love story of the main characters always so bumpy?"