A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

After that, Madam and Miss Tian stopped bothering Gui'er. Even when they were having dinner with the Marshal, they acted as if nothing had happened. Miss Tian even went up to Gui'er, took her hand, and asked her to go to the opera together someday.

Gui'er didn't want to make things too awkward, so she pretended nothing had happened and said with a smile, "Okay, let's go together sometime. But I'm busy with my apprenticeship lately, so I don't think I'll have much time."

Miss Tian was not angry, she smiled and said, "Then we can talk about it when you have time."

Gui'er also took the opportunity to greet the lady again. The lady was not as thick-skinned as Miss Tian. She still had a stern face, but nodded slightly as a response, and everyone was able to save face.

Sha Yanxiao also walked up to say hello, but the lady simply ignored him, turned her head to the side, and walked away.

Miss Tian smiled and tried to smooth things over, saying, "We're planning to invite a troupe to the mansion for Mother's birthday in a few days. When the time comes, Second Young Master will help choose a play."

Sha Yanxiao smiled and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Sha Yanyao also smiled and agreed, as if nothing had happened. Gui'er secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Later, when Gui'er came to Manager Liu, she told him about the situation, and they felt relieved.

Soon, it was the lady's birthday. Dingxiang said that the lady never did these things in previous years. At most, during the meal, the Marshal would order the kitchen to add two dishes.

This year, it was because Miss Tian came and requested it. Ding Xiang exaggerated and said, "So, even though Miss Tian can't have children, it makes sense that Madam still likes her so much."

Miss Tian originally wanted to ask Gui'er to organize this party, but because Manager Zhang and Manager Liu had just moved there and announced to the outside world that they were penniless, in order to show that they were in financial distress, they did not recruit any employees for the time being.

I planned to recruit more customers after Guier returned to Nanjing to go to school. Unexpectedly, due to the good reputation and convenient location, some of my old customers came back to patronize.

Gui'er and Manager Zhang were both very busy every day, so Gui'er had to refuse Miss Tian.

Miss Tian wasn't angry at all. She smiled and said, "Okay then. Come back early tonight. After dinner, the party will start."

Gui'er agreed, and when the time was almost up, she told Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu that she wanted to leave early because there was a birthday party at the mansion.

Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu agreed. Gui'er packed up and walked towards the car parked at the entrance of the alley with Acheng.

When passing by Xiuchun Hall, a man happened to walk out from inside.

"Oh, isn't this Miss Gui'er? I haven't seen you for a long time. You are here unexpectedly."

Gui'er looked closely and found that it was Liang Guowei. She smiled and nodded, and wanted to walk over quickly, but Liang Guowei was not willing to miss this opportunity.

He approached with a playful smile and blocked Gui'er's way: "Miss Gui'er, it's been so long since we last met. I thought I'd never have the chance to see you again. I didn't expect to meet you today. It seems we are destined to be together after all."

Gui Er felt disgusted and didn't want to pay attention to him. She said, "Mr. Liang, I have something to do at home. I'll be leaving first. Please do as you please!"

Liang Guowei still didn't give up and reached out to pull Guier.

Upon seeing this, Ah Cheng immediately stepped forward, protecting Gui'er behind him, and said sternly, "Master Liang, please be more respectful!"

Liang Guowei saw that Ah Cheng was wearing a homespun gown and looked like an ordinary servant, so he didn't take him seriously and reached out to push Ah Cheng away.

Ah Cheng reached out and gave a strong push, causing Liang Guowei to stumble and nearly fall. He finally stopped cursing, and Gui Er felt he deserved a lesson, so he wouldn't think he had no temper. So, she ignored him and hurried away with Ah Cheng, returning to the Marshal's residence.

When Gui'er returned to the Marshal's residence, the Madame's birthday banquet was already bustling with activity. The main hall was lavishly decorated, draped in red silk, embroidered with golden longevity characters and auspicious designs, gleaming in the candlelight. Dozens of round tables, covered in exquisite brocade tablecloths, were spread across the hall. Each table was laden with delicacies, emitting an alluring aroma.

It seemed like this was a very grand occasion, so Gui'er went back to Sha Yanxiao's courtyard and changed into a high-end dress, accessorizing with a pearl necklace and earrings. When she came out, Dingxiang looked at her and said, "Miss, you look absolutely dazzling in this outfit."

Arriving at the banquet hall, the guests were dressed in splendid attire. The men, mostly in crisp Mao suits or exquisite long gowns and jackets, while the women, in vibrant cheongsams and adorned with dazzling jewelry, were all chatting and laughing. Business tycoons, dressed in suits and ties, wine glasses in hand, engaged in lively discussions of business escapades. Political officials, with solemn expressions, exchanged pleasantries, occasionally whispering about current affairs. Elderly men in traditional attire, stroking their beards, praised the Marshal's residence and the birthday banquet with gusto.

Gui'er saw that Song Xichen and his family had also come. This time, Master Song had even brought the Second Lady along. The Second Lady seemed to still remember Gui'er. Seeing her, she was stunned for a moment before nodding with a smile and saying, "You are Taohua, right? I haven't seen you for a few years. You've grown so big, you've become a grown-up girl."

Gui'er smiled and said, "Madam, you've made a mistake. I'm not Taohua, I'm Gui'er."

The Second Madam suddenly understood and said, "Oh, you are the clever and courageous maid in Xichen Courtyard."

Gui'er smiled and nodded, and Song Xichen and Mr. Song also laughed beside her.

"Mr. Song, Mrs. Song, welcome. My younger sister was indeed taken care of by you in the past. Now she is no longer your little maid. She is the legitimate daughter of my family."

Although Sha Yanxiao said this with a smile, his tone was still clearly unhappy.

Mr. Song said quickly, "Young Marshal, don't be angry. It was my wife who made a mistake. We were just sighing that this little girl is being raised so well in your house."

Sha Yanxiao glanced down at Gui'er and said with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment."

Gui'er thought it would be better for her to keep a distance from all the guests to avoid any trouble, so she said, "Please chat slowly, I'll go see if my sisters are here?" Then she quickly slipped away.

She ran to the child's table and sat down to wait for her meal. The Marshal's servants weaved among the crowd, constantly refilling the wine and serving the guests. The dishes on the platter were exquisite. The Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, rich in ingredients and broth, featured abalone, sea cucumber, shark's fin, and other ingredients stewed to a tender, fragrant aroma. There were also crystal shrimp dumplings, their skin translucent, revealing the tender shrimp meat within. A bite was smooth and bouncy. And finally, the squirrel mandarin fish, lifelike in appearance, fried to a golden crisp, and drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce, a mouth-watering delight.