High-class maid

"Alright! This isn't something we should worry about. Shantao, don't leave today, let's have lunch before you go," Shen Xing'er said.

"Yes, I'm tired of the food at the manor. I've heard that the food at this inn is exceptional, so I must try it today!" Shan Tao nodded and said confidently.

"Oh dear, I was so busy talking to you that I forgot there was soup simmering on the stove." Shen Xing'er suddenly remembered the soup she had made for Song Wenyang and hurriedly got up to go to the kitchen.

"Hey, Xing'er, wait for me! Doesn't this inn provide meals? Why are some guests cooking for themselves?" Shan Tao asked as she handed Shen Xing'er a bowl.

"This is soup I made for Brother Song. It contains medicinal herbs, so of course I can't let anyone else do it," Shen Xing'er said as she brought the soup down.

"Brother Song, what are you talking about, medicinal herbs? These aren't for me to drink!" Shan Tao asked, puzzled.

"You don't know about this yet." Shen Xing'er ladled a bowl of soup for her, and then told Shan Tao in detail what happened the day she met Duan Laohu.

"I see, Xing'er. What a coincidence! How come you always run into this Young Master Song whenever you're in danger? Is he your nemesis?"

Shan Tao leaned close to Shen Xing'er and whispered.

"Go away, go away, what are you saying, silly girl? Brother Song has saved me time and time again, which is already a great act of kindness. How can you talk about your benefactor like that?"

Shen Xing'er rolled her eyes at Shan Tao and retorted.

"Yeah, what if Brother Song thinks meeting you is bad luck?" Shan Tao said cheekily.

"You!" Shen Xing'er made a move to hit her, but Shan Tao skillfully dodged it. She giggled, picked up the bowl, and went out, saying before leaving...

"Go take care of your Brother Song, or the soup will get cold."

Shen Xing'er ignored her and took the soup to Song Wenyang.

"Xiao Tong, come and bring the soup over." Shen Xing'er stood at the door of the study, without pushing the door open to go in.

"Coming, coming." The page boy came in response. He took the soup from Shen Xing'er's hand and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Shen. My young master is much better, all thanks to your daily soup."

Shen Xing'er stood outside the door, smiling and nodding. "It's all the best. If it weren't for Young Master Song, I'd probably be the one lying here recovering. Please come in. It's just a simple tonic soup, nothing serious."

After saying that, he turned around and left.

Meanwhile, Song Wenyang, who was inside the room, was hiding behind the window and secretly watching Shen Xing'er. He didn't see anything, only a back view, but even so, he smiled with satisfaction.

"Young master, since you wanted to see Miss Shen, why didn't you take the soup yourself and thank her?" the page asked, puzzled.

“You don’t understand. There’s a difference between men and women. If I see her every day, being both her benefactor and a caregiver, it will ruin her reputation in the long run.”

"I see, you've thought of everything." The page nodded in agreement.

At this moment, in the Xiao family mansion, in the First Madam's room, the First Madam was discussing the matter of Granny Jiang with the Second Madam.

"Sister-in-law, this Granny Jiang is far too arrogant! She actually embezzled so much silver. She's taking advantage of the fact that we live in the capital and don't come back to Jinling often!"

The second wife said angrily.

The First Madam tapped her fingers on the desk. After thinking for a while, she said, "How could a mere cook like her embezzle so much money? There must be someone working with her from the inside."

"That's it! Could it be that Steward Zhu, after such a shameful incident, didn't defend himself but instead defended a cook? Could it be?"

The second madam suddenly realized something, as if she had discovered something, and said, "Could it be that he is the one colluding with Granny Jiang from the inside!"

"Don't make wild guesses. I've already ordered the servants to investigate the connection between the two. We should have results soon," the First Madam comforted her.

As soon as she finished speaking, a masked man walked in. This was the mask that the master had left for his wife when he left the capital. Unexpectedly, this man came in handy as soon as he left.

"But what did they find out?" Before the masked man could even bow, the second madam asked impatiently. After speaking, she realized she had been too hasty, smiled awkwardly, and sat back down.

The First Madam didn't hold it against her, and the Second Madam usually only managed their two households. It's understandable that she was impatient, as this was probably her first time dealing with household affairs.

“Reporting to Master, Jiang and Zhu Zide have a son, which is why Zhu Zide helped Jiang conceal her embezzlement.” After the masked man finished speaking, he placed the evidence he had found on the table.

"What? Zhu Zide is married, so how come he has a son with Jiang? No wonder Jiang's son takes his mother's surname."

Shocked, the First Madam picked up the evidence on the table and began to read it. After finishing, still in shock, she handed the paper to the Second Madam.

"You did a great job. Thank you for your hard work. Go and collect your reward."

The masked man clasped his hands in a salute and withdrew.

"Sister-in-law, this is too absurd! What kind of mess is this?!" The second wife was also shocked after seeing the evidence.

It turns out that Zhu Zide's wife was a close friend of Jiang when they were young. The two often embroidered and went shopping together, and over time, they fell in love.

Zhu Zide and his wife had been married for three years, but his wife had not conceived. After another argument, Zhu Zide's wife stormed out of the house and went to Jiang's house to complain. Jiang, after coaxing her to sleep, went to Zhu Zide's house, ostensibly to "enlighten" him.

To everyone's surprise, the two woke up the next day in a huge bed, only to be awakened by Zhu Zide's wife splashing water on them. This Jiang woman was quite fertile; she became pregnant with Zhu Zide's child on the first try.

Later, she went to Zhu Zide's house while pregnant and made a scene, wanting the two to divorce. Zhu Zide's wife refused and even threatened him with his position. Zhu Zide had no choice but to secretly support the mother and child while also appeasing his wife's emotions.

"This paper is written in such detail, could it be fake?" the second wife asked.

"It shouldn't be. The signature below is Sun, so she must be Zhu Zide's wife. She revealed all the past events because of love turned to hate."

"No wonder Steward Zhu pleaded for mercy; it turns out he's an old flame. Sister-in-law, what are your plans regarding this matter?" the Second Madam asked.

“This Jiang family member embezzled money, used inferior goods as superior ones, and sent men from outside the family to the inner courtyard. She should be punished for all these crimes, with thirty strokes of the cane. The case should be reported to the authorities. All of her family’s property should be sold to make up for the embezzled money. Then, she should be expelled from the mansion.”

The First Madam had probably already decided on the punishment, and finished speaking in one breath.

“But what good things could an old woman like her have? Even if she sold the whole house, she wouldn’t have a thousand taels!” the second wife said.

"She also has a son who's been taken advantage of. If she can't scrape together a thousand taels, then let her precious son pay off his mother's debts. He's done so many bad things in the name of our Xiao family; it's time for him to pay for it."

The First Madam gave a cold laugh and said.

"Yes, it's true that my sister-in-law is very thoughtful. What about Steward Zhu?" the second madam asked again.