High-class maid

Wang let out a barely perceptible sigh of relief, and then said, "Xing'er, although Young Master Song has always treated us kindly, we are still of different status with him. In the future, it would be best to keep a proper distance from him."

Hearing Wang's words, Shen Xing'er felt a pang of sadness for some reason. She had been living too smoothly these past few days, to the point that she had forgotten this was ancient times, not the 21st century where everyone was equal.

She was just an ordinary maid among many maids.

Shen Xing'er lowered her head. Although Wang's words were cruel, they served as a warning to her just as she was about to become complacent.

"Mother, I understand. I won't do it again."

Seeing that she had taken her words to heart, Madam Wang continued, "I still maintain the same sentiment: I only hope that you will stay peacefully until you leave the manor, marry someone nearby, and visit your parents more often in the future."

Shen Xing'er nodded without saying anything.

After Wang left, Shen Xing'er lay on the bed thinking about her mother's heartfelt words. It was Song Gongzi's approachable manner that gave her the wrong impression. Perhaps in Song Gongzi's eyes, she was so ridiculous and superfluous.

Shen Xing'er, you are just a lowly maid, while he is a noble young master. There is a world of difference between you. In order not to implicate your parents, you should stay away from him.

She silently warned herself, while her determination to leave the mansion deepened once again.

Unbeknownst to her, a tear slid down and landed on her pillow, disappearing along with the girl's unspoken thoughts.

Song Wenyang, who had just been happy, was unaware that his beloved no longer wanted to talk to him. He lay on the bed looking at the peach blossom hairpin, a smile that even he himself did not recognize appeared on his face.

"Young master." The pageboy's voice broke the silence in the room.

"Is Miss Lin still in the manor?" Song Wenyang asked, without looking up from his book.

"Yes, Miss Lin also wanted to ask me for the key to the storeroom, saying that I am a man and there is certainly no woman who can manage the household business."

"You gave it to her?" Song Wenyang asked, looking up.

"No! How could I possibly give it to a stranger?" The page scratched his head and chuckled.

"That's good. You're not stupid after all. Were you followed on your way back?"

"No, the little one is very clever. They thought I was in the inn, so I jumped out of the window."

"That's good, you may leave now."

After the page boy left, Song Wenyang lay back on the chair behind him, recalling the scene from a month ago.

"Young master, this is a letter from the capital." The pageboy lowered his head and gently placed a letter on the table.

After Song Wenyang opened and read the letter, he sneered and then burned it.

"My mother is really good to me," Song Wenyang said with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Young master, is there any order from the capital?" the page asked cautiously.

"My dear mother was worried that I wouldn't be able to take good care of myself in Nanjing, so she asked her niece from her own family to take care of me. How thoughtful of her."

"Oh, she did it on purpose! Knowing you're studying hard and focused on your exams, she still sent someone to distract you. Could you please not let her come?"

The pageboy pouted and said with a look of impatience.

"She did it on purpose, afraid that if I passed the imperial examination, my father would value me more and neglect her precious son."

"What should we do? You're preparing for your exams right now, how can you have time to deal with other people?"

"It's alright, go and call Uncle Jiao over." Song Wenyang thought for a moment and came up with a solution.

It turns out that this Miss Lin is the niece of the Wen family. She is eighteen years old and still unmarried. If she lives under the same roof as Song Wenyang, there will be no way to explain the situation.

Anyone with a brain can see through the Wen family's scheme.

First, she sent a young, unmarried woman to Jinling to manage the household. Then, while Song Wenyang was studying, her beloved niece was able to marry into an official family as she wished, while her adopted son was unable to properly prepare for the exam. It was truly killing two birds with one stone.

Therefore, Song Wenyang had been staying at Uncle Jiao's inn for more than a month.

The next day, at noon at the Xiao residence, Shan Tao went to the kitchen to get her meal.

"Miss Shantao is here. Why have you been serving your own meals these past few days? Where is that pretty girl?" Granny Jiang, who was serving meals, inquired.

"You mean Xing'er? She went out of the manor with her parents. I heard she did a good job on her mission, and the master granted her a few days off," Shan Tao said.

After hearing Shan Tao's words, Granny Jiang's smile deepened. She thought to herself, "This girl's parents are so highly regarded by the master. It seems they are barely worthy of my son. Not bad, not bad."

After finishing her work, Granny Jiang hurriedly asked for leave and went home to tell her son about it.

"Mother, Jinling City is so big, how am I supposed to find it?" Jiang's son said without looking up from his comic book.

"Are you stupid? Although Jinling City is big, there are only a few famous places. Go and see those places in turn. I don't believe we won't be able to wait for her."

“Go see if it doesn’t cost money, my son doesn’t have a single coin,” Jiang’s son said again.

“Mother has no money left, you can pawn this.” With a heavy heart, Jiang Mama took off the jade bracelet from her hand. It was a few years ago when the old lady rewarded her for cooking diligently. She had always worn it, feeling that it was a symbol of her status.

When her son saw the jade bracelet, his eyes lit up. He threw his book aside and said, "Mom, I told you to pawn this bracelet, but you wouldn't listen. Now you have to listen to me."

Jiang Mama felt a pain in her chest. She said, "You must win her over. Put away your lecherous ways. Let me tell you, their dowries in the capital are more than those of the young ladies in Jinling."

Upon hearing the word "dowry," her son nodded vigorously, saying, "I understand, Mother. Your son is as handsome as Pan An. When she sees me, she'll be throwing herself at me."

Granny Jiang rolled her eyes at her and went back to the mansion.

Jiang Mama's son's words weren't entirely without merit; she resembled his mother, who had seduced the household with her beauty...

He always treated himself well, wearing fine brocade and a jade hairpin, looking just like a young master from a wealthy family.

He happily wrapped up the bracelet, turned around and went to the pawnshop, completely disregarding his mother's distress.

At the inn, Song Wenyang, who was studying in his room, heard Shen Xing'er's silvery laughter again.

"Father, Mother, let's hurry up and set off, or it will get too hot in the sun."

Shen Xing'er urged Wang Shi and Shen Kun to hurry up.

"Okay, okay, if we go early we won't have to queue. I specifically asked around yesterday, and if we go late, there won't be enough boats on the river to take us," Shen Kun agreed.

The voices of the family of three gradually faded into the distance.

Song Wenyang wanted to open the door and take a look at her, but then he thought of what happened yesterday. He paced around the room for a few steps, then forced himself to sit down and continue reading.

"Young master, you've been reading all morning. Why don't you have a cup of tea to rest your eyes?" The young page boy said, bringing over a cup of freshly brewed tea.