A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

The fifth and sixth concubines looked at each other, cleared their throats, and said to Gui'er, "Guier, it's like this. Our children have grown up, and the place we live in is too small. The Marshal asked us to move in. From now on, we will be neighbors living in the same courtyard."

Gui'er was very surprised. Sha Yanxiao hadn't been gone for long when these people dared to act so rashly. However, since the Marshal had said so, she didn't know what to say. She smiled and said, "Since father has said so, the two concubines should move in." Then she turned and left.

Returning to her room, she said to Dingxiang, "Our yard will be very lively in the future. Please keep an eye on them when I'm not around. Don't let them into my room." Dingxiang responded hesitantly.

Gui'er knew that as a servant, it would be difficult for her to refuse her master's unreasonable request, but she still had to give instructions just in case.

She locked the two dictionaries containing money and other slightly expensive books that looked hardcover in a locked drawer.

The next day, the fifth and sixth concubines moved in with their two daughters, their bags full. Five or six of them were chattering excitedly as they picked out rooms. Sha Yanxiao's house had plenty of rooms, so there was enough room for them, and Gui'er didn't bother to care.

The Sixth Concubine actually wanted to stay in Sha Yanxiao's suite, so Gui'er smiled and said, "It's perfectly fine for the Sixth Concubine to stay there, but this was originally my brother's room. Why don't you go and tell him about it? Otherwise, if he comes back and asks about it, we won't be able to say anything."

The Sixth Concubine immediately gave in and said with an embarrassed smile, "I just wanted to find a room similar to his. This suite is really nice."

They each brought two maids and a nanny who was specifically responsible for taking care of children. The housekeeper cleared out a room for them. As soon as their servants arrived, they started taking food and drinks from the small kitchen, which caused great dissatisfaction among the original servants in the courtyard.

When it was time for dinner, the housekeeper still only prepared Gui'er's portion and brought it up. The fifth and sixth concubines took it for granted and sat down with their daughters. When they saw that there were only four dishes and one soup, they said to the housekeeper, "You're dizzy. How can you make enough for so many people with only four dishes and one soup?"

The housekeeper said calmly, "The small kitchen only received the meal fee paid by Miss Gui'er, so of course we only cook Miss Gui'er's meals. If the concubines also want to eat what the small kitchen cooks, they have to pay for the ingredients."

When the Fifth Concubine heard this, she was embarrassed and said, "You wicked slave, how dare you talk to your master like that? Do you believe I'll kick you out right away?"

The housekeeper said, "The Fifth and Sixth Concubines may not know that the servants in this courtyard are all hired by the Second Young Master, and their wages are also his. They have nothing to do with the Marshal's Mansion."

The Fifth Concubine was choked by his words, her face turning pale and blue. She stood up suddenly, raised her hand, and was about to slap the housekeeper, but she found that there was a servant standing at each corner of the restaurant, staring at her with a fierce look. She silently withdrew her hand and said to Gui'er, "Guier, we are having dinner at home, why do we need so many people?"

Guier smiled and said, "Auntie, you're joking. It's the same when we eat with father. When I eat in Fourth Auntie's room, it's almost the same as when I eat in Big Brother's room."

She was speechless for a moment. The fifth and sixth concubines were not of high birth, and their families had no power. They were probably treated similarly to the ninth concubine in the Marshal's Mansion, so naturally there was no one standing by to serve them during meals.

Gui'er didn't care about anything else and started eating as usual. Although the fifth and sixth concubines looked unhappy, they had no choice but to ask their maids to go to the kitchen to get the food.

The next day, after school, Gui'er returned to Sha Yanxiao's courtyard and noticed something was amiss. She went back to her room first. As expected, Dingxiang came running in and said, "Miss, something's wrong. While you were at school today, the Fifth and Sixth Concubines went to the Second Young Master's room and rummaged through the drawers and took away quite a few things."

Gui'er frowned upon hearing this and hurried to Sha Yanxiao's suite. She saw the lamp on the bedside table was gone. She opened it and found Ji Yiru's makeup mirror, comb, half-used duck egg powder, and perfume were gone. In the closet, the coats and clothes that Gui'er had mentioned Ji Yiru often wore when she was sick were still hanging there, but the silk scarves and shawls that hadn't been sold were gone, as were some of her stockings and underwear.

Gui'er was completely speechless. She said to Dingxiang, "Did they take those stockings and underwear too?"

Ding Xiang said awkwardly, "They said Miss Ji's things are all imported and very good. They also said that you must have taken them first."

Gui'er shook her head, stepped back, and said to Dingxiang, "Go tell the housekeeper to get some people to cover the furniture and sofas in the suite with cloth, spray vinegar to kill insects, seal the windows, and brick up the door. Don't unseal it until my brother comes back."

After she finished speaking, she looked up and saw the fifth and sixth concubines standing not far away watching them. The fifth concubine smiled and said, "Guier, don't you think you've gone too far? We'll all live under the same roof in the future. It's hard to say who will be disrespectful to whom."

Gui'er originally had some sympathy for the fifth and sixth concubines, but now it seems that they are just pitiful people who must have hateful aspects.

She smiled and said, "Fifth Aunt, Sixth Aunt, why do you think I'm going too far? Do you think my brother will never come back? By dividing up his deceased wife's belongings like this, aren't you afraid he'll come back to haunt you later?"

The two were stunned and opened their mouths, wanting to say something but nothing came out. However, they were obviously a little scared.

After that, Gui'er and the fifth and sixth concubines basically treated each other as invisible. However, the servants in the courtyard were all Sha Yanxiao's people, and the fifth and sixth concubines had little presence in the Marshal's Mansion, so they were obviously still at a disadvantage.

That day, Gui Er returned to the Marshal's residence after school and went to the main courtyard. Today was the day to have dinner with the Marshal. When the Marshal came, everyone took their seats and prepared to eat. Unexpectedly, the Marshal did not go to the chairman's office today. Instead, he came directly to Gui Er and asked her kindly, "Your second brother has gone to Fengcheng. Are you used to living alone in the courtyard?"

Gui'er smiled and said, "It's okay. Father has let the fifth and sixth concubines move in. The courtyard is very lively now. I'm worried that my brother won't be used to it when he comes back."

The Marshal said a little embarrassedly, "Oh, your brother called me in Fengcheng and said that the bandits there are difficult to deal with and they need to stay there for a while. I see that the yard is empty anyway, and your fifth and sixth aunt's daughters have grown up. They can't live there by themselves. So, if you go to your yard, it will be more lively with more people to keep them company. And your fifth and sixth aunts said that there are too many men in the yard, and they are all girls. It's not appropriate to reduce the number of them. I will ask the housekeeper to arrange new places for them."

Gui'er turned her head and glanced at the fifth and sixth concubines, only to see a hint of pride on their faces. Needless to say, it must have been them who had made the false accusation.

Originally, Gui'er also knew that the Marshal was not on Sha Yanxiao's side. If he left, he would probably be forgotten and his subordinates would definitely be sent away. However, she did not expect it to happen so soon.