High-class maid

Xiao Tong chuckled, scratched his head, and said, "I don't have the guts to do that; I'm just standing up for you."

It turned out that Xiaotong was so angry because of what Lin had written in the letter. Lin first scolded Lin Xiangyu, saying that she had only seen Song Wenyang a few times in the two months she had been in Jinling City. Then she made empty promises to her, saying that if Song Wenyang really passed the imperial examination, he would definitely not look at her.

Finally, he explained his good intentions, saying that in order to help her succeed, he had to bear the pressure from Song Wenyang's father all by himself. He said that he could only help her for three more days at most. If things didn't work out in three days, then Lin Xiangyu would have to pack her bags and go home.

Xiao Tong was furious, but Song Wenyang seemed unfazed. He said, "Don't get angry over irrelevant people. You're just making yourself sick."

"Young Master! She has framed you so badly, and you are still so calm!" Xiao Tong said with exasperation.

Song Wenyang chuckled: "Who said I don't care? It's just not the right time yet. Don't worry, your young master holds grudges the most. Alright, grind the ink for me."

"Where have you been for so long?" Lin Xiangyu, who was applying makeup in front of the mirror, glanced at Xiao Hong and asked.

"Miss, these are all novelties from overseas. The page explained their uses to me, which is why I returned a little late," Xiao Hong replied respectfully.

Lin Xiangyu rolled her eyes at her and then got up to look at the things Xiao Hong had brought. Exceptionally confident, she had no idea that Xiao Hong had already betrayed her.

"What is this?" Lin Xiangyu asked, picking up a wooden box.

"Miss, it's called a music box. When you open it, it plays music," Xiao Hong explained.

Lin Xiangyu gently opened the box in her hand, and music she couldn't understand played inside. She looked at it with satisfaction, but couldn't help feeling a little narcissistic.

"Why did my cousin give me this music box? Does he also have feelings for me? If things go smoothly tonight, I will become the mistress of the Song family, and the two of us can live a carefree life in Jinling, which will just suit my aunt's wishes."

As I was thinking about it, I couldn't help but chuckle out loud.

"By the way, did you put the soup for my cousin on the stove tonight?" Lin Xiangyu's only redeeming quality is her cooking skills.

"Miss, I'll go right away." Xiao Hong hurriedly put the things on the table and turned to go to the small kitchen.

"Hey you brat, what were you doing all this time? Good thing I asked you, otherwise you'd be in big trouble if you'd ruined my plans..."

Xiao Hong ignored him and walked quickly, as if that would make her unable to hear the noisy sounds behind her.

"Madam, Madam, Liu Cheng has been found by our men," Shen Kun reported.

"We've finally found that scoundrel! Where did you find him?" The First Madam asked excitedly, standing up as well.

"Reporting to Madam, I found him in an inn. He was escaping disguised as a cart driver delivering goods to the city. He has now been taken to the estate."

The First Madam glanced at the Old Madam, and after receiving the Old Madam's consent, she immediately said, "Bring that scoundrel in."

"Yes."

Before long, the escaped steward Liu was brought in. He was fat and bloated, and although he was listless, the fat on his belly was comparable to that of a pregnant woman.

Upon seeing that this man was Steward Liu, the First Madam nodded to Shen Kun with satisfaction and then said, "Not bad, you have done a good job. Go down and receive your reward later."

"I dare not, this is all my duty," Shen Kun said modestly.

Despite being bound by ropes, Liu Cheng showed no fear. After listening to their conversation, he spat and acted extremely arrogantly.

"Liu Cheng, you have made a mistake and show no remorse. You even publicly insulted others. What is your punishment?!" The old lady couldn't help but question him as she looked at him.

"Haha, old lady, it's been so many years, you're still as energetic as ever, no less than you were back then," Liu Cheng said.

"How dare you! Is this how you speak to the old lady? Confess your crime now!" The First Madam scolded him angrily for his disrespect towards his master.

"Hmph, what crime have I committed? I'm just taking back what's rightfully mine," Liu Cheng said stubbornly, turning his head away.

"You still remember what happened back then?" The old lady asked first as soon as Liu Cheng said this.

"Hmph, I will never forget it. Back then, my abilities were no worse than this old man's, but you insisted on keeping me in Jinling and sending me to this manor! How could I not hate you!" Liu Cheng pointed at Shen Kun and said.

The expressions on everyone's faces varied, especially the old lady, who looked exhausted. She held her forehead with her hand and said...

"Back then, when you were homeless, I took pity on you and rescued you, giving you food. I trusted you and never checked the accounts on the estate. I never imagined you would repay kindness with enmity!"

The old lady hadn't spoken like this in a long time, and when Danxue saw her stop, she immediately and considerately handed her a cup of tea.

"Hmph! I'm clearly more suited to go to the capital than this guy surnamed Shen, but you used the excuse that I'm not from the capital to let that greenhorn who came from nowhere beat me to it. How can I not hate you?"

It turns out that this Steward Liu was also a pitiful person. His parents died early, and his sister-in-law kicked him out of the house. Liu Cheng, who was on the verge of starvation, was rescued by the old lady. From then on, he devoted himself to serving the Minister's Mansion.

After the patriarch returned to the capital to report on his duties, he took in Shen Kun in the capital. Later, the patriarch returned to his hometown in glory and wanted to move his whole family to the capital, which made it difficult to decide who should stay and who should leave.

Later, the old lady decided to play the villain and announced that Shen Kun would go to the capital with her, since he was originally from the capital and it would only make it easier for him to get a job there.

Liu Cheng was a strong-willed and stubborn man. He was convinced that a young outsider had taken his position, and thus he harbored resentment, which led to what happened later.

"I was wrong about this..." the old lady said, recalling her youth.

"Hmph! It's good that you know you're wrong. What do I lack compared to him?" Liu Cheng said, sticking out his neck.

When Xiao Yi'an heard this person speak to his grandmother in such a manner, he stood up angrily and was about to kick him when the First Madam pulled him back and shook her head at him.

“I was wrong! My mistake was saving you. You were a dying person, and I brought you back to life. Not only did you not feel grateful, but you even thought about taking revenge on your benefactor! I should never have saved you in the first place.”

Upon hearing the old lady's words, Liu Cheng looked at her in disbelief. In his heart, the old lady was like a white moonlight.

Countless times when he thought about escaping from the village and flying far away, he would remember the old lady who gave him hope like a savior.

"Mother, what should we do with this person?" the First Madam asked at the opportune moment.

"Just sell him off. He's so stubborn even in his old age. Let him go to some harsh, cold place to do hard labor." After saying this, the old woman closed her eyes and stopped looking at him.