High-class maid

"Fine, since you already have a plan in mind, I won't interfere anymore. At least I can have some peace and quiet." Seeing that her son had everything planned out, the old lady felt relieved.

“Mother, please don’t say that. Your son has something else to discuss,” the master said, bowing respectfully.

"What's the matter?"

"Before the Double Ninth Festival, my son sent people to Nanjing to pay respects to our ancestors and clean up. Now we have received word from Nanjing that everything is arranged and we are just waiting for them to set off."

"September 12th is an auspicious day, let's set off the day after tomorrow," the old lady said after a moment's thought.

"Yes, everything is up to Mother's arrangement," the master flattered.

"I'm old, I don't have the energy to make arrangements anymore, so don't try to cheer me up. Let your wife make the arrangements." The old lady rolled her eyes at him, not buying his act.

"By the way, what about Yi'an's matter? Did Yongchang Prefecture give any hints?" The old lady was still most concerned about her eldest grandson's important matter.

"My son has already sent someone to sound him out, and we should have news by tomorrow," the master said.

"That's good, that's good, you can go back now." The old lady waved her hand, dismissing the master.

The next day, while Shen Xing'er and the others were working, Dan Xue came into the courtyard and gave them instructions.

"We are going to Jinling tomorrow. Two third-class maids and two second-class maids will stay behind. You can discuss yourselves. This trip to Jinling will take two months at the earliest and five months at the latest. Those of you going to Jinling do not need to be on duty this afternoon. Pack your bags."

After Danxue finished speaking, she ignored the exclamations and discussions of the remaining maids and turned to leave.

The four third-class maids exchanged glances and then, as if by prior arrangement, went into the room together.

“I won’t be going to Jinling this time. You three can discuss it,” Jinglin said first.

"Why? It's so boring staying in the manor all day. You finally have a chance to go out, why..." Shan Tao asked, puzzled.

Jinglin chuckled self-deprecatingly and said...

“I have a chronic leg injury. Although it looks fine on the outside, it feels like ants are biting me if I walk for a long time. I’m afraid my legs won’t be able to keep up with the journey to Nanjing, which will take at least half a month.”

"Your leg was perfectly fine, how could this happen..." Shen Xing'er asked in surprise.

“When I was little, I was disobedient and kept looking for my mother. My father left me standing in the snow for an hour, and I’ve had this ailment ever since.” Jinglin finished speaking and then fell silent.

The three of them never imagined that Jinglin, who seemed like a gentle older sister, had such a past, and Shen Xing'er was filled with remorse.

"I'm sorry, Sister Jinglin. I didn't mean anything by it. I just saw that your leg was fine, so I said something out of turn. It's all my fault."

Jinglin smiled and shook her head without saying a word.

Jingyue looked at Shen Xing'er, then at Shan Tao, and then said as if she had made up her mind, "Then I won't go either. I'll stay in the manor to keep Jinglin company."

"How can that be? Sister, you know so much. Why don't I stay in the manor?" Shen Xing'er quickly said.

Yamamoto nodded, indicating that she could also stay in the manor.

"Alright, it's settled then. I'll just pretend I want to be lazy and rest at home!" Jingyue said.

After some polite back and forth, seeing that Jingyue genuinely didn't want to go to Jinling, the group stopped arguing.

"Now that this matter is settled, you two should go home and pack your bags. Jingyue and I will take care of things here, so don't worry," Jinglin said.

Shen Xing'er and Shan Tao were about to leave the mansion together when things became less harmonious among the second-class maids nearby.

"Last time the old lady went out of the manor, it was the two of you who went with her. Why is it the same two of you this time?" said Lüxi, a second-class maid, indignantly.

"What can you do? All you do is muddle through and slack off. You'll only bring shame to our Minister's Mansion!" Green Fruit retorted, hands on her hips, with reason and evidence.

"Hmph, when did you ever see us taking advantage of the situation? You're talking nonsense!"

"... "

Shen Xing'er stopped listening and quickly pulled Shan Tao away; they didn't want to get into trouble.

Unlike the harmonious third-class maids and the noisy second-class maids, the first-class maids were busy packing the old lady's luggage.

"Take these pieces of jewelry with you, keep these for the old lady to wear when she receives guests, and keep these little things to give as gifts," said Danxue, who was in charge of the jewelry, as she packed up the items.

“How can these five boxes be enough to hold the old lady’s clothes? Quick, where are the rest of the boxes?” Danwen, who was in charge of the old lady’s clothes and shoes, said.

"Take this pillow with you, the old lady only sleeps on this pillow. Also, take these sleeping sachets. Oh, and take these spices too. I wonder if they have these spices in Jinling." Dan Jin, who was in charge of the room, muttered to herself as she packed things into the box.

Meanwhile, Danruo was getting medicine for the old lady: tranquilizers, medicine for water and soil incompatibility, and some seasickness medicine.

In short, the head maids were busy but organized.

"My sisters receive generous monthly allowances, so I'm not envious at all," Shan Tao whispered to Shen Xing'er, watching the busy figures of the head maids.

“Yes, no wonder the old lady takes them everywhere she goes, the sisters are really capable.” Shen Xing’er echoed.

"Alright, let's go quickly, we still have to pack up when we get home." After saying that, Shan Tao pulled Shen Xing'er out of the mansion.

When Shen Xing'er returned home, she saw that Wang Shi was also packing her bags.

"Mother, you're back too? Isn't the First Madam busy?"

"How can I not be busy? I'll be done packing right away and go back to relieve Granny Zhang. Lock the door when you leave later," Wang said, busy packing without turning her head.

These servants could only bring one box of belongings, so Shen Xing'er carefully packed everything before dark.

"This suitcase is so heavy! I should have called a carriage." Shen Xing'er dragged the heavy suitcase, feeling very annoyed.

"Miss Shen, are you going on a long journey?" As luck would have it, Wu, the scholar next door, came out of his house.

“Yes, Brother Wu, I’m going on a long trip with my masters.” Shen Xing’er couldn’t say where she was going, only that she was going on a long trip.

“How can a weak woman like you pull this? I have a cart at home, I’ll help you pull it to the gate,” said Scholar Wu.

"No need to trouble you, Brother Wu. I'll just take it to the street and flag down a driver," Shen Xing'er declined.

"It's nothing. You've all helped me a lot in the past. I'm just carrying some luggage." After saying that, Wu Xiucai went home to push the cart.

Looking at the darkening sky, Shen Xing'er stopped being coy and said, "Thank you, Brother Wu."

For some reason, when Wu Xunzhi saw Shen Xing'er, he thought of that round-faced girl, and he asked, almost as if possessed.

"Is that girl from the mountain peach tree going that day too?"

Shen Xing'er paused for a moment, taking it as mere small talk, and replied, "Yes, we're on duty together. I wonder how she'll get back to the manor. I suppose her brother will send her there."