A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui'er heard the news of the Japanese attack on Shanghai from the radio and was stunned on the spot. She couldn't believe it at all and turned to walk out. Dingxiang quickly grabbed her and said, "Miss, don't go out. It's so chaotic outside now. I heard from our cook who went out to buy groceries that everyone is afraid that the Japanese will attack us. They are all grabbing rice and looting. There are also many people fleeing from Shanghai. Our mansion is guarded by guards. It is the safest place."

Gui'er had no choice but to nod and say, "I'll go to the main house and see how the others are doing."

As soon as I arrived at the main house, I saw that the big radio had been moved to the living room, and a group of people gathered there listening to the broadcast.

The latest report came over the radio: "So far, the Japanese army has used naval and air forces against us. A large number of shops and factories have been destroyed, and the supply of materials has been blocked. Thousands of businesses in the Chinese area of Zhabei have been destroyed, and more than half of the houses have been damaged. Tongji University, Fudan University and other institutions have also been bombed. A large number of civilians have lost their homes and property, and are displaced and struggling to make ends meet. Currently, the 19th Route Army, under the command of Generals Jiang Guangding and Cai Tingkai, is still holding out."

The third concubine murmured to herself, "Oh my god, thank goodness you came back early, otherwise would we still be alive? Amitabha, God bless us."

Gui'er still wanted to go out, mainly to find an opportunity to see if the Zhang couple, the shopkeeper of Zhenxiufang, were safe. At the same time, she was also worried about whether Song Xichen, Tong Yujun, and Sha Lili who were still staying in Shanghai would be affected.

When she reached the gate of the Marshal's residence, she was just thinking of an excuse to go out when she ran into the Marshal's car coming back. The Marshal stopped her and said, "It's a bit chaotic outside now. Don't go out, child."

Gui'er said, "Father, is there any news about Lily and the others? And what about Miss Shen? What should they do?"

The Marshal pulled her back and said, "I called but no one answered. It's fate. Trains are coming in from Shanghai one after another, and many refugees are pouring into Fengcheng. Your brother has already gone to deal with it. He won't be home for the next two days, so you should stay home."

Gui'er was still worried and returned to the living room of her house with trepidation. Several people were still listening to the radio when another piece of news came over: "According to the latest reports from the front, Japanese planes bombed the Chinese area of Zhabei, completely destroying our Commercial Press and Oriental Library. Countless casualties were killed and wounded. Residents at the scene are spontaneously helping the wounded."

The concubines listened and discussed the situation. One of them said, "We're so lucky. If we had left later, we might not have been able to leave. I heard from a merchant who was delivering goods that he had relatives in Shanghai. Although they didn't live on the front line, it was a mess every day. He couldn't even buy a ticket to escape. The station was packed with people. Everyone was trying to escape. Some people got confused and ran in the wrong direction, ran into the Japanese, and that was like asking for death. They never came back."

The other one said, "If I hadn't said that, I wouldn't have felt satisfied at that time. I just arrived in Shanghai not long ago, and the New Year hasn't even passed yet, and I'm coming back again. It seems that our commander-in-chief is still far-sighted. Although we are some distance away from Shanghai, I heard that the Japanese army is well-equipped and their tanks are indestructible no matter how hard we try."

Another said, "What should we do? Is it only a matter of time before the fighting reaches here? Should we flee? I've heard from people who went out to buy groceries that the prices of rice, vegetables, and meat on the street have doubled. What's worse is that even if you have money, you can't buy them. The villagers are too scared to sell vegetables, and the shop owners are afraid of being robbed. I heard that the rice shops are closed now. They just take a piece of the door and leave a crack. They collect the money first, and then pass the rice out through the crack."

Everyone was worried and returned to Sha Yanxiao's yard. They sat in the hall for a while and saw that Dingxiang was not there, so they secretly called the police station.

Sure enough, it wasn't Song Xichen who answered the phone.

Gui'er said, "Hello, I'm the kid who often goes to Director Song's office to play."

The other party smiled and said, "Oh, little guy, it's you! Are you looking for Director Song? He's in Shanghai and hasn't returned yet."

Gui'er asked anxiously, "Do you know what's happening with him now? Is he safe?"

The other person was silent for a few seconds before saying, "We don't know either. You know what's going on in Shanghai. It's pretty chaotic here too. We brothers are out on the streets maintaining order. There are a lot of people taking advantage of the situation to loot. Are you home alone? Do you have any rice or vegetables at home? Do you want me to send some over?"

Only then did Gui'er realize that Song Xichen had not gone to the police station. When the others revealed their identities, she quickly said, "Thank you, but it's okay. There are other adults at home and they have made arrangements."

Afterwards, the other party once again reminded Guier to be careful and not run around before hanging up the phone.

Gui'er thought about it and still felt uneasy, so she decided to go to Zhenxiufang. Perhaps the shopkeeper Zhang and his wife could know something about Song Xichen's whereabouts.

Just as she was worrying about how to get out, suddenly, the manager of the courtyard ran in excitedly and said, "Miss, Dali is back."

Gui'er hurried to the hall and saw Dali sitting there, dusty and exhausted. When he saw her coming, he stood up and said, "I'm back. Where's the young marshal?"

Gui'er quickly asked the servants to pour him tea and bring him food, and then let him sit there and eat while chatting.

Gui'er said, "A lot of refugees from Shanghai are seeking refuge in Fengcheng. My brother went to Fengcheng to take care of things. How did you get back? Is everything okay in Shanghai?"

Dali said, "After I finished what the young master had arranged, I rushed back to our villa. Although we are quite far away from the war zone, the Japanese still send planes to drop bombs from time to time. I heard that several places were destroyed. Not only did they drop bombs, they also set up machine guns to shoot down. When the planes sounded, there was a burst of bangs and bangs, and dozens of people died on the street. Shanghai is in chaos now. I stayed there for half a day to help Uncle Zhou and the others seal the gate to the courtyard to prevent thieves and refugees from running in. Fortunately, we originally planned to celebrate the New Year at the villa, and they prepared some food, which is enough for the people in the courtyard to eat for a while."

At this time, Ah Si came in and said to Gui Er, "Miss, before the young master left, he asked me to stay here to protect you. Now that Dali Ge is back, it's time for me to go back to Shanghai."

Gui'er said to him, "Shanghai is in such chaos right now. It would be dangerous for you to go back. Why don't you stay here for a few days and see what the situation is like? We have plenty of food and drink here anyway."

Dali also said: "Yes, brother, stay for two more days and see how the situation is."

Ah Si said, "Thank you both for your kindness, but my family is all in Shanghai. It's so chaotic over there right now, and I have a house full of elderly, weak, women, and children. I really can't not go back."

Seeing how insistent he was, Gui'er had no choice but to agree. She took out five silver dollars and handed them to him, saying, "I heard that prices in Shanghai are very high right now. Keep this little money for your use. Dingxiang, go to the kitchen and see if there's anything to eat. Take some dry food like steamed buns for Brother Si."

Ah Si bowed to Gui'er gratefully, then turned and left.