A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

When Gui'er came down after changing her clothes, she saw Wu Mingqiang saying a few words in Sha Yanxiao's ear.

Sha Yanxiao looked very surprised and asked Wu Mingqiang, "Is it true? Is there any evidence?"

Wu Mingqiang said, "My friend in Shanghai saw it with his own eyes. If you're worried, I can go there myself."

Guier smelled something unusual and asked, "What happened?"

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "Nothing, there's a problem with the business in Shanghai." He turned to Wu Mingqiang and said, "You go."

Wu Mingqiang nodded, smiled and nodded to Guier, then turned and left.

Gui'er felt that Wu Mingqiang must have brought important news, but Sha Yanxiao didn't want to say it, so she didn't dare to ask in detail.

The Mid-Autumn Festival Charity Ball was soon here. Although everyone felt that the market was not good and life was difficult, Mid-Autumn Festival was a major festival and the festive atmosphere was still very strong. All shops and houses decorated as much as possible, hung lanterns, and worshiped the moon. Some children took basins to fight crickets in the corners of the streets and alleys. Guier saw that the lid of the basin used by the children to hold the crickets had the words "Autumn Excitement" written on it. It was the first time she saw such a custom and she couldn't help but find it very interesting.

The entire building of Wing On Department Store is decorated with colorful lanterns. The store shelves are promoting the Mid-Autumn Festival, but are actually selling many unrelated products. Many other dim sum shops, teahouses, and even fruit shops have signs saying "Mid-Autumn Festival Specials", which seem to be no different from modern merchant promotions.

Because of the festival, the school was closed for half a day. He Ruizhu gave Guier some homemade red bean mooncakes. Guier tasted one and found it was really good, made with real ingredients and sweet but not greasy.

Gui'er wanted to let Song Xichen have a taste, but it was not easy to go to the police station to find Dali in front of him, so she bought a box of golden ham mooncakes at Wing On Department Store and told Dali that she wanted to give it to the owner of Zhen Xiu Fang as a gift to thank him for teaching her. Then she quietly took a piece of oil paper to wrap a handmade mooncake made by He Ruizhu's family and asked the owner Zhang to give it to Song Xichen.

Guier gave the remaining two handmade mooncakes to Sha Yanxiao and Dali. They both ate them happily. Dali smiled and said, "I didn't expect that I, Dali, would be so lucky to benefit from Miss's kindness."

In the evening, Sha Yanxiao brought Gui'er to the Paramount Ballroom, where the charity gala was held. First, there was a charity donation. It was said that the money raised would be used to distribute clothes to homeless people on the street in winter, which was also a meaningful thing.

After that was the buffet and dance party. Guier found that there were many more young ladies from prominent families at the party. They were all dressed up in jewels and gorgeous things. Guier was originally afraid that she would be too conspicuous in this dress, but in the end, she was just average.

The young ladies from wealthy families are the ones who are really willing to spend a lot of money. They wear cheongsams with apricot-yellow silver flowers woven with gold thread, dresses with cloud satin with hundreds of gold butterflies and flowers, soft silver lily skirts, and expensive custom-made clothes. The jewelry they wear, such as jade bracelets, diamond necklaces, and ruby earrings, are all standard.

Gui'er couldn't help but wonder what day it was today and why everyone was so particular about dressing up.

Just then, Sha Lili arrived and saw Gui'er standing there stupidly. She walked over and asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Gui'er said to her, "Don't you think there are so many people here today, especially young girls, and they are all dressed so gorgeously?"

Sha Lili covered her mouth and chuckled, whispering in Gui'er's ear, "You don't even know this. The Mid-Autumn Festival gathering in our area is an annual opportunity for wealthy young ladies to choose their husbands. So of course they have to spend a lot of money, not only to look good, but also to show that their family is well-off."

After saying that, Sha Lili looked at her and said, "Why are you dressed so plainly?" Sha Lili was wearing a peacock-patterned brocade cheongsam with gold thread today. Although she didn't wear a necklace, she had a sapphire collar buckle the size of a pigeon egg, and a set of sapphire pendant earrings. At first glance, she was dressed like a daughter of a wealthy family.

Guier glanced at the skirt she was wearing and said, "This is something my brother bought me specially in Shanghai. It's very nice."

Sha Lili sighed and said, "I've told you so many times, but you're still so ignorant. I'm telling you, hurry up and take advantage of this opportunity to find a few attractive and well-off young masters to build relationships with. After all, you're the daughter of a general, or even just an adopted daughter. At least people here will look at you with more respect. You have to plan for the future."

Gui'er shook her head and said, "You're exaggerating. I'm still a child. Why would I bother with all this?"

Sha Lili smiled gently and said, "Don't take it lightly. You have to find a good candidate while you are still young. When you are older and they want to arrange a marriage with you, you won't have any way out."

What Sha Lili said actually made sense. Gui Er thought about it and realized that Sha Lili was older than her. So she said, "Then why aren't you anxious at all? You're older than me."

Sha Lili smiled mysteriously and said, "How do you know I don't have one? During last winter vacation and this summer vacation, I lived at my uncle's house and met many young talents. We still keep in touch through letters. Anyway, I will never stay in this shabby place in the future. I want to go back to Shanghai. If I find a famous family in Shanghai, my father won't say anything. I don't know about the other sisters in the family. I am just reminding you out of kindness because we are good friends. You should seize the opportunity." After that, she ran to say hello to other friends.

Gui'er and Sha Lili usually have different circles of friends at school. Gui'er is mainly close to children of emerging industrialists or executives like Tong Yujun or He Ruizhu, while Sha Lili mainly hangs out with government officials or girls from prominent families.

Gui'er could vaguely feel that there was a chain of contempt among them. Tong Yujun's aunt married the Marshal. After the Tong family rose to power, those people also interacted with Tong Yujun, but they seldom interacted with Gui'er and He Ruizhu. Of course, they would politely greet Gui'er and nod, but they would absolutely ignore He Ruizhu.

Gui'er pondered Sha Lili's advice. In her old life, she'd always insisted she didn't want to get married. So, here, was she supposed to actively seek out a man with multiple wives and concubines to start a family with? Seeing the young women at the party so eager to find a partner, Gui'er couldn't tell if they were yearning for love or simply hoping to find a safe haven, a haven in these dark times.

Just as she was daydreaming, Song Xichen came over to greet Gui'er and said with a smile, "I ate the mooncakes you gave me. They were delicious. Thank you."

Guier said happily, "Right? I tried one and it was delicious. Handmade ones are different, made with real ingredients."

Gui'er suddenly discovered that several young girls were secretly looking at Song Xichen, and then she realized that Song Xichen was also one of the main targets of these young girls. After all, he was the eldest son of the former richest man's family and held an official position. In the girls' minds, he should be the most suitable candidate.

Gui Er couldn't help but whisper to Song Xichen, "Brother Xichen, I see several beautiful women in this venue are staring at you. You're not young anymore, why not take this opportunity to develop some feelings with them?"

Just as Gui'er finished speaking, she was hit on the head. Song Xichen smiled bitterly and said, "You little brat, what nonsense are you talking about? Children shouldn't meddle in adult matters." Then he whispered in her ear, "Don't you know what I'm doing? These rich girls are not likely to share my ideals. If they are exposed, they will be shot and their families will be implicated."

Then he distanced himself from her, touched her head, and said with a smile, "Okay, go play."

Gui'er felt that what he said was right, so she didn't dare say anything more.