High-class maid

"Young lady, may I ask your age? My surname is Jiang. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

Jiang Huang thought he looked very cool as he flicked a stray hair from his forehead, and Shen Xing'er took another step back, afraid that he would flick dandruff onto her face.

"Young master, who are you? What brings you here?" Madam Wang asked as she approached a man surrounding her daughter.

"My surname is Jiang, and my given name is Jiang Huang. My mother works in the Xiao household," Jiang Huang said.

"So you're also from the Xiao family! What a coincidence! In which courtyard does your mother work?" Madam Wang asked happily, as if she had found a family member.

"My mother works in the old lady's courtyard!" Jiang Huang said with what he thought was a dashing air, flicking his fan and waiting for Shen Xing'er's surprise.

Shen Xing'er had already felt that the man looked familiar when he said that his mother worked at the Xiao residence. Now, hearing him say that his mother was in the old lady's courtyard, she was even more certain that this man was the one she had seen at the rockery that day.

"Is your mother Granny Jiang? You two look quite alike," Shen Xing'er asked as she stepped forward to confirm.

“It is indeed my mother,” Jiang Huang replied.

After hearing this, Shen Xing'er tried to pull Wang Shi aside.

"Strange, other women are already impatient to see my mother at the Xiao residence, so why is Shen Xing'er so calm?" Jiang Huang wondered.

"Hey, hey, hey, don't go, girl!" Jiang Huang waved his fan and chased after her.

"Hmm? Is there anything else?" Shen Xing'er asked, turning around. Even Wang Shi frowned, unlike her easygoing demeanor just now.

"Ahem, it's like this, I... your accents sound like they're from the capital. Could it be that you also work for the Xiao family?"

Although Jiang Huang acted erratically, he was not without tact. Seeing that the two had long lost their patience, he couldn't help but put away his frivolous ways.

"Xing'er, my wife, let's go take a look over there." Before the mother and daughter could reply, Shen Kun's voice came.

"Mother, let's go." After saying that, Shen Xing'er pulled Wang Shi away and didn't even glance at Jiang Huang.

"Damn it, they won't listen to reason, so they'll have to suffer the consequences." Jiang Huang said with a dark look in his eyes as he watched the mother and daughter walk away.

"Who was that man just now? Why was he bothering you?" Shen Kun asked.

“This man’s mother is Granny Jiang from the old lady’s kitchen. I never expected to see him here,” Wang said.

Shen Kun wasn't surprised at all, but after taking a few more glances at Jiang Huang, he felt that this person resembled an old acquaintance.

"Father, Mother, I don't want to wander around here anymore. Let's get on the boat," Shen Xing'er said, sensing that this person was coming for her.

Seeing that their daughter's expression was a bit off, Shen Kun and Wang Shi assumed that the man had frightened her, so they nodded and went to the boat.

"Xing'er, did that scoundrel scare you? Your father and mother are here, don't be afraid." Seeing her daughter's wandering eyes, Madam Wang quickly comforted her.

Shen Kun was also watching Shen Xing'er from the side, observing her expression.

"Father, Mother, I suspect this person is after me." Shen Xing'er told them her suspicion.

"Ah?! Does that mean the Jiang family has already noticed you?" Wang was shocked.

Shen Xing'er then told Shen Kun about the mud Jiang had seen on her skirt that day.

“Father, Mother, being able to work in the Xiao family has always been a source of pride for ordinary people in Jinling. Even if it's for her job, the Jiang family won't let me off easily.”

Shen Xing'er analyzed as she sat on the soft stool.

Wang nodded and said in agreement:

“Xing’er is right. This Jiang is incredibly audacious. Even though the masters are all in Jinling, she still dares to embezzle money meant for buying groceries. It seems that when the masters are away, she is nothing but a paper tiger. In that case, I will go to see the First Madam this afternoon and tell her about this,” said Madam Wang.

“Then I’ll send someone to investigate Jiang Huang’s background. Not many people take their mother’s surname, especially since he’s a man. There must be a secret here,” Shen Kun said.

"Xing'er, your father and mother can't be with you today. Be a good girl and stay at the inn this afternoon. Don't go anywhere," Madam Wang gently instructed.

"Don't worry, Father and Mother, you can focus on investigating this matter. Your daughter won't hold you back," Shen Xing'er assured them.

"We've only just come out once in a while, so why don't we have lunch before going back? We'll need to be full to have the energy to investigate," Wang said.

"Well, it won't make a difference if we wait a little longer. The boatman said their grilled prawns are amazing, let's try them before we go back," Shen Kun said.

So the family of three continued to drift on the river in their boat.

"Sir, we've arrived at our restaurant. Please take your time getting off," the boatman advised.

The group carefully disembarked from the boat, their eyes lighting up as they looked at the restaurant in front of them.

It turned out that the restaurant was also on the river. The boatman moored the boat by the bridge, and you could walk across the bridge to the restaurant on the other side. The restaurant was small, and there were wind chimes made of seashells hanging in the windows. When the wind blew, the crisp sound of the wind chimes could be heard, making people feel relaxed and comfortable.

"Luckily we didn't turn back; we haven't eaten on the river yet," Shen Xing'er exclaimed, looking at the novel scene before her.

"Alright, stop looking, let's go inside." With that, Shen Kun took the lead and walked inside.

Upon entering the restaurant, one finds only six tables set up, separated by exquisite screens. Each table is near a window, and in the center, a woman is playing the pipa.

"Please come in, sirs." A waiter with red lips and white teeth came over and led the group to their seats.

"Xing'er, what would you like to eat?" Wang asked.

"Sir, our restaurant offers different dishes every day, each one is a specialty, so we don't accept à la carte orders." The waiter smiled awkwardly.

"I see, that's quite unique." Shen Kun nodded, indicating his understanding. He then dismissed the waiter.

Before long, the waiter brought over several dishes.

"Sir, you've come at the perfect time! Only Chef Wang at our restaurant knows how to cook this fish. He was resting at home for a month because of a hand injury, and today is his first day back at work after his hand healed!"

Shen Xing'er looked at the fish on the table; it smelled delicious. She picked up her chopsticks, took a bite, and exclaimed with wide eyes, "So delicious!"

"Dad, Mom, you must try it. It truly lives up to its reputation as a signature dish."

Seeing their daughter's positive evaluation, Shen Kun and Madam Wang curiously picked up their chopsticks and tried it. Even Shen Kun, who was used to eating delicacies with his master, nodded in approval.

The family of three enjoyed their meal together, chatting and laughing, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

When Song Wenyang arrived, he saw Shen Xing'er smiling happily.

"Welcome, sir. Please have a seat inside." The waiter's voice pulled Song Wenyang back to his senses. He nodded, looked away, and sat down in the seat behind Shen Xing'er.

Just then, Jiang Huang hurried in. Waving his fan, he shouted, "Where is everyone? No one's there to greet our guests! Is this how you do business?"

The waiter hurriedly ran over and said, "Coming, coming! Young Master Jiang, you're here again! Shall I fetch Jin'er for you?"

Jiang Huang glanced guiltily in Shen Xing'er's direction, shoved the waiter, and said, "Go away, go away, what gold and silver? I'm just having a meal."