The maidservant covered her face with her hands, huddled behind her young mistress, and remained silent.

Shen Xingmian added fuel to the fire: "What, is the young lady of the General's Mansion not worthy of your reply? Oh, right, in your eyes I'm just a country bumpkin, and I suppose you wouldn't even look at my sister."

Her words were extremely sarcastic and insinuating. Shen Xingyan had never seen her treat anyone this way before, and she immediately understood what was going on.

"In that case, my General's Mansion will not presume to presume upon you. Please return, Madam."

There were no servants in their courtyard, only a few clever young officers that Shen Zhiheng had transferred from the military camp. Upon hearing the words "see the guests out," they immediately called out loudly from outside the door:

"Madam, Miss, please."

The magistrate's wife wanted to struggle a little more, but the other party's utterly disrespectful attitude made her feel a bit embarrassed.

Although she was just the wife of a county magistrate, in Quanhe County, everyone had to give her some face. This was the first time she had ever been so disrespected.

She was so angry she was almost dizzy. She was furious at the maid for ruining things, and ashamed of the maid's petty nature. At this moment, she felt humiliated and didn't know what to do.

She had thought that the two young ladies from the General's Mansion were so young that they would be easy to get along with, or even easy to manipulate. But before she could even say two words, they were about to send them away.

Just when she was in a dilemma, her daughter spoke up.

"I didn't know you were a young lady from the General's Mansion. It was my maid who offended you. Juanjuan apologizes to you on her behalf. Please don't hold a grudge against a maid."

She bowed slightly, her tone gentle and her attitude very kind, but what she said made Shen Xingmian uncomfortable.

She had heard this once that morning: "Don't stoop to the level of a maid." What, is a maid so special?

If she insists on arguing, won't this person also accuse her of being "inconsiderate" of her servants?

"I didn't know that a 'maid' had become such a prestigious status that even the young lady of my General's Mansion should not bother with her?"

Instead of dragging out and punishing the rude lackeys, the offended people are told not to "take it to heart".

"If I insist on seeking justice for my daughter, what does the magistrate's daughter intend to do?"

Shen Yunting's voice arrived before he did. Although his tone was somewhat joking and casual, the content was utterly impolite.

The magistrate's wife had long heard of Shen Yunting's character, knowing that she was extremely protective of her own and had a very eccentric personality. Now that she had offended one of her people in front of her, it seemed that things would be difficult to resolve peacefully.

The magistrate's daughter also turned pale, knowing that she had messed things up this time, and that her father would definitely not forgive her when she returned home, let alone Xiaoling.

The maid finally realized her fear and lost all her previous arrogance. She knelt down before Shen Xingmian with a thud, grabbing her skirt and pleading:

"Miss, I was rude and offended you greatly. Please forgive me this time, I beg you!"

After saying that, he curled up on the ground and stopped moving.

"It's ridiculous. After saying so many nasty things, you actually have the nerve to ask my sister for forgiveness. What punishment did you receive?"

If my sister weren't a young lady from the General's Mansion, but just the "country bumpkin" you mentioned, how many more nasty things would you say to belittle and ridicule her?

"Are you kneeling here now to force my sister to forgive you? What a fine rule!"

As Shen Xingyan spoke, she clapped her hands twice in a praising manner, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Shen Xingmian really enjoyed her mother and cousin's protective behavior; the feeling of being protected was indeed quite wonderful.

She hadn't planned to make a fuss about it in the morning. If she were the only one who had been belittled today, and the other party sincerely apologized, she wouldn't necessarily let it go.

However, this maid's words and actions were truly excessive. If we let it go lightly today, there's no guarantee she won't develop a disrespectful attitude towards the entire General's Mansion.

Including the county magistrate they represent.

The magistrate's wife glared fiercely at the maid and scolded her angrily:

"Even now, don't you know how to repent? Quickly show the two young ladies an attitude of admitting your mistake. Do I need to teach you that?"

Her tone was very stern, and the maid, seeing that she was sure she couldn't escape punishment, reluctantly raised her hand and began to slap herself.

However, to everyone else, this reluctant behavior didn't seem like an admission of wrongdoing, but rather a provocation.

Shen Xingmian was very puzzled. Was this person really a maid?

Her arrogant attitude far surpasses that of her older cousin, a true lady, let alone that of someone who came to this profession later in life.

She had only met her by chance, yet she had already suffered so many disdainful looks and taunts from her. How did the people in the county magistrate's mansion, who were of lower status than her, suffer such humiliation from her every day?

In her eyes, those people were probably not just "country bumpkins," but also "lackeys."

Shen Xingmian never believed the saying, "A sharp tongue but a soft heart." She believed that a truly kind-hearted person would never say something as sharp as a knife.

They would never even entertain such a cruel thought, let alone put it into words.

This maidservant should pay the price for her words and actions.

Watching the light slaps landing on her face, Shen Xingmian felt annoyed and didn't want to watch their performance anymore.

She has so much free time; she could have done so many other things instead of wasting it putting on a show for herself.

"Mother, sister, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't stay here to entertain you." With that, she turned and left without even glancing at the three of them.

She had so many things to do and really didn't want to waste her time on useless interpersonal relationships.

Back in her room, she exhausted her supernatural powers and watched as the crops in the field underwent a complete transformation, finally feeling relieved.

She prefers a job where she can immediately reap the rewards as long as she puts in the effort.

She'd better keep her distance from interpersonal relationships, which require long-term cultivation and may not necessarily yield returns.

Everyone has their own area of ​​expertise. She felt that she had done well enough in her own field and did not need to expand her scope further or try to do what others could do to prove herself.

Those complicated people and matters should be left to the adults; if left to her, she might just mess them up.

Like a farmer, Shen Xingmian tended to the plants and then kept an eye on the animals.

Herbivores can be released into the mountains, but omnivores need to be fed grains occasionally, although the pasture that grows in the space is enough for them to thrive.

But she just wanted these animals, who would eventually become food, to live a more comfortable and carefree life.