A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

After coming out of Taohua, Guier didn't even take off her vest and just went back wearing it.

Who knew that halfway through, I would run into Sha Lili. She said with a look of surprise, "You're back? Didn't I hear that Big Brother couldn't come back all of a sudden because he was trying to seduce a high-ranking official's daughter?"

Guier smiled and said, "Brother, you're already engaged to Miss Tian, and you brought Miss Tian with you this time. Why don't you go over and say hello to them?"

Sha Lili curled her lips and said, "I won't go along with that cold stove. He spent so much money in Nanjing trying to climb up the social ladder. My father was so angry that he almost died. A few hundred gold bars could have rebuilt the Marshal's Mansion."

Gui'er didn't want to join her in the cricket-chasing scene with Sha Yanyao, so she quickly changed the subject: "How are you guys doing? Third brother should be getting married soon, right?"

Sha Lili sighed, "We were originally planning to get married this year, but the girl's family wanted a two-year marriage, preferably with my brother living with them for the duration. To try to convince my father, my mother said that girls are favored at home and should visit their parents' home often in the first few years of marriage. But my father thought that was too unseemly and wasn't happy about it. My mother had no choice but to coax the girl's family by saying that she's currently studying and they'll hold the wedding after she finishes. Hopefully, after a few years, he'll change his mind."

Gui'er shook her head and said, "How is that possible? It's not the first day you've known father, but he might be able to arrange another marriage for Third Brother."

Sha Lili smiled bitterly, patted Gui'er's shoulder, and said, "You really understand father. He did try to find a wife for my brother, but the ones he found were all just ordinary families. Nothing compared to the marriage my uncle helped arrange. Their dowry was worth several factories. So now my mother is dragging it out, as long as she can. She says that men are not afraid of size after all."

Guier remembered that Sha Lili's fiancé and Sha Yanwen's fiancée were relatives, so she asked, "If that's the case, won't it affect you?"

Sha Lili said proudly, "No, now my fiancé and I often exchange letters and call each other. He has already set his sights on me and there is no way I can run away. He said that even if my brother and his relatives can't get married, he won't give up on me."

Guier smiled and said, "That's good."

"What's good about you? What about you? What should I do?" Sha Lili looked at Gui'er and said, "I heard from my mother that you suffered a lot in Nanjing with my eldest brother's family. That high-ranking official clearly wanted to blackmail my eldest brother, but he attacked you first and even injured you."

Gui'er nodded and sighed, "It can't be helped. It was an unexpected disaster. Fortunately, it's all over."

Sha Lili shook her head and said, "You are so careless, and so is your wife. You are already this old, and you are studying in Nanjing with them, but they don't try to find a family for you. My mother said that if you were in Jiangcheng, she would keep an eye out for the young men here for you."

The third concubine is a sophisticated egoist. She looks good on the surface, but in fact she has never helped Guier in any way. How come she has become so kind now?

Gui'er suddenly remembered what Taohua had just said, and she suddenly realized that Sha Yanxiao must be the definite heir now, and he has been with the Marshal for a long time, and may have taken over some things, so everyone is trying to curry favor with him. If that is the case, it would not be a bad idea to say a few good words to his beloved Gui'er.

Gui'er didn't expose her, though. She smiled and said, "Well, this can't be blamed on Mother and Big Brother. There have been so many accidents in Nanjing lately, and it's hard to settle down. I just want to focus on my studies first."

Sha Lili smiled helplessly and said, "I think you've been obsessed with the new woman advocated in the newspapers. It's ruined your mind. Women still have to get married after all. A good marriage can guarantee a stable life for the rest of their lives. But never mind. If you really want to let go and need an introduction, just tell my mother."

Gui'er thanked Sha Lili, and the two agreed to go shopping at Wing On Department Store and watch a movie together when they were free, and then they went back to their respective homes.

As soon as Gui'er returned to Sha Yanxiao's courtyard, Dingxiang hurriedly said, "Miss, I prepared some milk for you. Go to your room and drink it. You must be tired after running around since you came back. Take a rest."

Gui'er didn't think much and went to the room. As soon as she entered, Dingxiang followed her in. She looked back mysteriously, closed the door, and said, "I told you, Jinbao has bad intentions."

Gui'er was puzzled: "What's wrong with her?"

Ding Xiang said indignantly, "She came in when you were not around, saying she wanted to see you, but I told her you were not home and had gone out to play with Miss Taohua and Miss Lily, but she still refused to leave. Just when the Second Young Master came back from outside, she pestered him and talked to him for a long time."

Gui'er frowned: "What did they say?"

"What else could he say? He was just praising the Second Young Master for his wisdom and bravery, saying that he looked like a very reliable leader when he led the troops today. He also said that the Second Young Master and the Marshal saved the country and the people, and that he admired such heroes the most. It sounded like the kind of talk a prostitute would say when she's drinking with her customers."

Gui'er thought, Sha Yanxiao must have gone to meet the train today, so Jinbao saw that he could mobilize the army to clear the area, which made him feel particularly impressive. So she smiled and asked, "So how did Second Brother respond to her? Did he say anything?"

"Miss, all men are the same. They all like to be praised, so the Second Young Master was quite happy to hear that. But fortunately, when Miss Jinbao said she was unhappy living in the main house and wanted to move in, the Second Young Master did not agree. He said that the Madam must have considered it when she arranged for her to live there, and if he asked her to come over, it would be disrespectful to the Madam. The Madam is her legitimate mother and treats her with kindness. If she wants to move out, she must first get the Madam's approval, so she didn't dare say anything else."

Sha Yanxiao's response was quite proper, so Gui'er said, "Isn't this quite good?"

"What's good about that?" Ding Xiang said anxiously, "Before she left, Miss Jinbao told the Second Young Master that she felt very close to this courtyard and asked if she could come over often. She also told the Second Young Master that you and she often spent time together in Nanjing, as if they were very close. When the Second Young Master heard her say that, he told her to come over here more often when she was free. Now, she's letting her scheme succeed. You better be careful."

Gui'er breathed a sigh of relief and said to Dingxiang with a smile, "Dingxiang, are you afraid that she will become my sister-in-law?"

Ding Xiang was stunned for a moment and said, "Anyway, I don't like her. I think she's too scheming. Miss, you're so innocent. If she sets her evil intentions on you, you'll definitely fall for it."