A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

The next day, Gui'er was planning to go to Zhenxiufang after school, but when school was about to end, she received a call from the Shuai Mansion saying that something had happened at home and asked her to return quickly.

Gui'er guessed that it must be Ji Yiru's problem, so she immediately left the school gate and waited until Dali came to pick her up and took her back to the Shuai Mansion. Gui'er asked Dali what happened.

Dali said, "The young lady wants to see you."

Gui'er was very surprised. When she returned to the Marshal's Mansion, Sha Yanxiao had also returned early. When he saw her come in, he got up from the sofa and said, "Let's go and take a look." Then he took her hand and came to the small courtyard.

Arriving at the small courtyard and entering Ji Yiru's bedroom, she found her half-lying on the bed. She looked very weak, but a little more energetic than the last time she saw her. Gui'er was puzzled. Wasn't she seriously ill? Was she getting better?

Ji Yiru saw Sha Yanxiao pulling Gui'er in, stretched out her hand, smiled and said, "Sister, come here, let's talk."

Gui'er couldn't believe that the person in front of her was Ji Yiru. She used to be such an arrogant person, how could her temperament change so drastically after she fell ill?

Gui'er thought Sha Yanxiao was there, so she figured she wouldn't be able to do anything, so she approached cautiously. Ji Yiru gestured for her to sit on the edge of the bed, held her hand, and said with a smile, "It's been a while since we last met. You've grown a lot taller and look more mature now. I was wrong to argue with a child. I'll give you all my jewelry. The first time I saw you, I thought you were a beauty. You're going to be so beautiful when you grow up. If you study hard, be humble and prudent, you'll have a place in our family."

The more Gui'er listened, the more she felt something was wrong. It felt like someone was leaving a last will and testament, so she quickly said, "Sister-in-law, why are you saying all this? You looked a little unwell a while ago, but you're much better today. It seems you're almost fully recovered. You'd better take good care of yourself so you can get better faster."

Ji Yiru smiled and said, "I've thought a lot these days. Yan Xiao is a good person. If I had been more virtuous and cautious at the beginning, things might have been very different." Then she closed her eyes and shed a tear.

Gui'er was at a loss and looked back at Sha Yanxiao.

Sha Yanxiao stepped forward and said, "Don't overthink it. Big Brother and Miss Shen will be engaged in two days. You two are of similar age, so you can keep each other company in the future."

Ji Yiru smiled, nodded, and said, "That's great." After a pause, she said to Sha Yanxiao, "I haven't seen my parents and brothers for a long time. I'm also not very mobile right now. Can you ask them to come over and see me?"

Sha Yanxiao nodded and said, "I sent a telegram yesterday. They said they'll be here in two days."

After hearing this, Ji Yiru was stunned for a moment, with an expression of understanding on her face. She smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid they have a hard time making a living after my uncle passed away. I hope you can take care of them, especially since my brother hasn't married yet..." After saying that, she looked at Sha Yanxiao with pleading eyes.

Sha Yanxiao looked at Ji Yiru expressionlessly for a few seconds, then said calmly, "Okay."

After saying these words, Ji Yiru seemed a little tired and closed her eyes. Sha Yanxiao also pulled Guier back.

In the middle of the night, Gui'er was sleeping in a daze when she suddenly heard rapid knocks on the door. She was startled and sat up uneasily. She reached into the secret compartment of the bedside table and took out her pocket pistol. She held her breath and listened carefully with her ears perked up.

"Bang, bang, bang" there was another round of knocks on the door, and then the sound of the door opening was heard. It was Sha Yanxiao's room. Gui'er only then remembered that she was forced by Ji Yiru to move to a small room next to the workers' stairs and had never moved back, so the sound would sound a little farther away.

Gui'er thought that there might be some news from the small courtyard, so she quickly opened the door and stuck her head out.

I saw Sha Yanxiao standing at the door. The manager was saying something to him. Then he waved his hand and the manager hurried downstairs.

Sha Yanxiao looked up and saw Gui'er poking her head out of the door, looking at him with sleepy eyes. He quickly walked over to her and said, "Did I wake you up?"

Guier asked, "What happened? Is there something wrong with my sister-in-law?"

Sha Yanxiao hesitated for a moment and said, "It seems the situation is not good. Let me go over and take a look. You go to sleep. It's nothing serious." He turned around and asked the steward to ask Dingxiang to make a cup of calming tea for Guier to drink. He sat by the bed himself, watched Guier finish drinking it, lie down, and covered her with a quilt before leaving.

Gui'er felt that if someone came to call for help in the middle of the night, it must be no small matter. However, as a child, she couldn't help much, so she better just go to sleep.

The next morning, when Gui'er woke up and had breakfast, she noticed that the atmosphere in the courtyard was strange, so she asked Dingxiang, "What happened after yesterday?"

Ding Xiang hesitated and said, "The Second Young Master will tell you later."

After washing up, she went to the restaurant. Sha Yanxiao was already sitting there. Seeing her come down, he poured her a glass of milk. Gui'er asked, "Brother, how was my sister-in-law yesterday?"

"She passed away in the middle of the night yesterday. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would be scared."

Gui'er was very surprised. She had been seriously ill, but suddenly felt better yesterday. She thought he was getting better, but it turned out to be a last gasp. She didn't know what to say for a moment, nor did she know what Sha Yanxiao was feeling. She said cautiously, "My condolences, brother."

Sha Yanxiao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and touched her head, saying, "Because my eldest brother is getting engaged to Miss Shen tomorrow, his family asked for a secret funeral. I've had her body moved somewhere else to keep it secret so you don't get scared."

Seeing that Gui'er was still in a daze, he smiled and said, "Hurry up and eat breakfast, you have to go to school."

When they arrived at school, Tong Yujun came to chat with Guier and said happily, "Father said we'll go to the Marshal's Mansion for the engagement wine tomorrow, and we'll be able to see my aunt then. Our whole family can finally feel at ease."

Gui'er didn't expect Sha Yanxiao to have already finished the job. She smiled and said, "Now you can rest assured."

After school, Gui'er still did not go to the Zhenxiufang, but went directly back to the Marshal's Mansion. When the car entered the gate of the Marshal's Mansion and passed by the main courtyard, she found that the steward was leading a group of servants to clean the house and decorate the house with lights and colorful decorations. It seemed that they were preparing for tomorrow's engagement banquet. Although it was not ostentatious, it was important enough. Sha Yanxiao and Sha Yanwen did not receive such treatment when they got married.

Back at Sha Yanxiao's courtyard, he was in his bedroom. He sent someone to call Gui'er over, took out a box the size of a small suitcase, and said to Gui'er, "Your sister-in-law said she'd give you all her jewelry. Here it is."

Guier opened it and saw a dazzling array of jewelry. There were several emerald green and transparent jade bracelets alone, as well as all kinds of necklaces, earrings, hairpins, brooches, rings, pendants, gold, pearl, diamond, everything. The shapes and workmanship were all very exquisite. Selling any one of them would be enough to support an ordinary family's food and clothing.

Gui'er didn't really want these things. Firstly, she didn't have a good impression of Ji Yiru and knew that her family was busy. Secondly, she was a little girl who had saved a little money and had to hide it here and there, not daring anyone to know. If she suddenly had such a large fortune, it would inevitably be coveted by others.