A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Song Xichen had a gloomy face when he came back from the department store. Guier felt so wronged. It was clearly him who asked her to eat it, but now that she had finished eating, she was unhappy.

Back at the mansion, Gui'er made some tea and cautiously squatted in front of Song Xichen and said, "Young Master, please have some tea."

Song Xichen's expression eased a little, and Gui'er wanted to take the opportunity to ask what was going on with Sha Yanxiao.

Just as he was about to speak, the doorman came in to report that the eldest wife was here.

Gui'er quickly stood behind Song Xichen in an orderly manner. She was still very afraid of this eldest wife.

After a while, the eldest wife walked into the living room, and it turned out that she brought the third wife with her.

Song Xichen quickly stood up and asked them to sit down. Gui'er hurried to serve tea to the lady. The eldest lady, Wang Wenhui, looked at the little girl who was diligently serving tea to her, her eyes full of criticism.

Song Xichen asked, "Mother, why did you suddenly want to come and sit with me today?"

The wife sighed and said, "On ordinary days you only eat at your house, and then disappear somewhere else. We mother and son don't even have a chance to have a private conversation. How can I not come to your place?"

Song Xichen smiled and said, "That was my son's negligence. I will definitely spend more time with my mother in the future."

Hearing this, the eldest wife smiled slightly, but then paused and sighed, "Xichen, you're not young anymore. You've rejected all the rich daughters and wealthy ladies that were introduced to you before. What happened in Shanghai that you're still unwilling to get married?"

When Gui'er smelled the gossip, she couldn't help but prick up her ears to listen.

Song Xichen gave a wry smile and said, "Nothing happened to me. I just feel quite comfortable being alone."

The eldest wife's face changed when she heard this, and she scolded, "You're so comfortable. My classmate from the private school with me back then, Mr. Liang from the pawnshop, do you remember his wife? She's the same age as me, and her grandson is already in his teens. In two years, he can get married. And my son hasn't even found a wife yet."

Song Xichen had probably heard this a lot before, and said impatiently, "Why do you have to compare yourself with others? If you want to have grandchildren, then let Xilun marry her quickly."

The eldest wife pointed at Song Xichen's nose and scolded him, "You good-for-nothing! How could the eldest son and grandson of our Song family be born into a concubine's family?"

Guier remembered what Aunt Zhang said, that the reason the eldest wife didn't allow Song Xilun to get married first was that the younger brother couldn't get ahead of the older brother. Now it seems that she was afraid that the second wife's grandchildren would have an advantage in dividing the family property.

At this time, the Third Madam, Chunhong, spoke up: "If Xichen doesn't want to marry because he's afraid of losing his freedom, he can take a concubine first, or a maid. The young lady from the silk factory, the one you met before, is my relative and easy to talk to. They're not afraid of being wronged. They say Miss Zhou really likes Xichen, and if our family feels they're not worthy of us, they're fine with having a concubine."

The eldest wife smiled and said, "It's rare for someone to be so willing. He's not just an ordinary poor family. He's a businessman after all. He's already lowering his status by being willing to be our concubine."

Song Xichen said angrily, "What kind of business are they? They're just a small shop opened for them by Third Aunt with her own savings. They can't even get a good deal in the city. If they hadn't given the Song family face, their little shop probably wouldn't have much business, right?"

The third wife's face turned blue and red, and she opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

The eldest wife didn't deny Song Xichen's words and said, "You look just like your father, you're desperate. You just want to find someone with a good family background and good talents. But after choosing and picking, no one can catch your eye."

Song Xichen half-lay on the sofa with his neck raised, looking like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water.

Seeing him like that, the eldest wife felt a little disappointed and said, "There is another way. You can take Wu Ma's daughter Xiaolian as your concubine. At least you have her first and then you can talk about it later. It won't delay you from marrying your first wife in the future."

Song Xichen frowned and said, "Hasn't Xiaolian already been betrothed to Steward Zhang's son? Now you're asking me to take her in, isn't that outrageous?"

"What's the big deal?" the wife said nonchalantly, "Just take Xiaolian in, and then marry Gui'er off to Butler Zhang's son. He's only 18, so there's no rush. Besides, Butler Zhang quite likes Gui'er, praising her for her courage and foresight."

"No!" Song Xichen suddenly refused loudly, shocking everyone present.

The eldest wife was terrified. She stared at Song Xichen for a long time before saying, "What's wrong with you, child? Are you interested in this little yellow-haired girl? She's only nine years old and hasn't even had her period yet. When can we use her?"

Gui'er was stunned listening to it. She didn't expect that while watching the excitement, she would become a part of it. She thought about what she should do now, and finally decided to play dumb and not easily enter the battlefield. Even if she spoke, she would have no say in front of her master.

Song Xichen was a little embarrassed when he saw Gui'er staring at him with wide eyes, as if she understood something. However, he rolled his eyes and suddenly said with a smile, "Yes, I am attracted to her, so you don't need to look for anyone else."

When the first wife heard this, she said angrily, "You are just like your father. You both like people who are well-educated. That's why you send this girl to school now. I think this girl's style is exactly the same as the second wife's when she was young. I hate them both."

Song Xichen smiled and said, "Second Aunt usually reads books and newspapers at home. She didn't bother you."

The eldest wife got even more angry when she heard this. She pointed at Song Xichen's nose and said tearfully, "I knew you all liked that little bitch and looked down on me. I'm the legitimate daughter of the Wang family. How can I be inferior to that bitch?"

The Third Wife hurried to comfort her: "Don't take the eldest young master's nonsense seriously. Xichen, please quickly persuade the First Wife."

Song Xichen said helplessly, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault. Mother, please don't be sad."

The eldest wife wiped her tears and said, "Then did you agree to take Xiaolian in?"

Song Xichen quickly said, "That's impossible. Didn't I say I wanted to marry Gui'er?"

Seeing that he refused to listen, the eldest wife suddenly stopped crying. She stood up and said, "You unfilial son, I don't care about you anymore. You may as well be a bachelor for the rest of your life. Don't even think about me taking care of your affairs anymore." Then she got up and left.

The third wife quickly followed and said, "Miss, please wait for me."

Gui'er and Song Xichen looked at the backs of the two men, a little stunned.

Song Xichen glanced at Gui'er, coughed lightly twice, and said, "Will you be my concubine?"

"Of course I don't want to." But Gui'er only dared to say it in her heart. She felt that she was not yet independent and could not leave the Song Mansion easily. After thinking about it, she decided to pretend to be stupid.

"What does a concubine do? Is it difficult?" Gui'er asked Song Xichen innocently with her big, blinking eyes.

Song Xichen was speechless for a moment. He felt a little guilty and scratched his head and said, "Forget it. Let's talk about it when you grow up."