A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Jin Bao was so proud that she bowed slightly and said with a smile, "I'm sorry to have troubled the Marshal and all the concubines, young masters and young ladies. I'd like to thank you on behalf of the children."

She looked like the eldest young lady. Since Miss Tian did not come back this time, she unconsciously called herself the eldest young lady.

Seeing that the Marshal valued his grandson so much, each family was very polite and presented gifts one after another. The Fourth Concubine took out an exquisite golden locket and handed it to Jin Bao, saying, "I prepared this golden locket specially for the young master. I wish him peace and longevity."

The third concubine presented a pair of jade bracelets and said with a smile, "This pair of bracelets is made of top-quality jade. It's a thoughtful gesture for the young master to keep them for the future."

Sha Yanxiao stepped forward and said with a smile, "I have prepared a set of four treasures of the study for my nephew. I hope he can read a lot and become a learned man."

Not to be outdone, the Seventh Concubine handed over an exquisite toy sword and said, "I hope the child will be as brave and extraordinary as the Marshal in the future."

The young ladies also gave their gifts. Sanmei gave a beautiful set of children's clothes and said, "I picked these clothes myself. I hope my nephew will look beautiful in them."

Sha Lili gave a cute rag doll and said with a smile, "Give it to your nephew to play with and make him happy."

Faced with everyone's gifts, Jinbao thanked them one by one with a smile on his face, feeling very proud.

The Marshal looked at the lively scene and said happily, "Alright, alright, everyone come inside. My eldest grandson, you've been traveling all day and need a good rest!"

The crowd surrounded the Marshal and Jinbao and his mother, and walked into the Marshal's Mansion with laughter and joy. The entire Marshal's Mansion was immersed in a joyful and peaceful atmosphere.

Gui'er followed the crowd, watching the lively scene, but she didn't feel anything. Sha Yanxiao came over, took her hand, and returned to his own courtyard. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he asked her, "You don't seem to be in a good mood."

Before Gui'er could say anything, Dingxiang said, "Don't mention it. This time, the eldest young mistress couldn't come back because she had to protect the baby. Jinbao wasn't allowed to bring a child back with her. The eldest young master took our young lady to talk good things to both sides and put on a good face. The two women didn't dare to vent their resentment on the eldest young master, so they took it out on the young lady."

Sha Yanxiao sighed and said to Gui'er distressedly, "If you're not happy in Nanjing, why not come back here to study?"

Guier smiled and said, "I'm already halfway through my studies and will graduate in just over a year. I still want to persevere."

Sha Yanxiao nodded and said, "Well, I've talked to my eldest brother before, but he's willing but unable to do anything. After all, he still relies on Director Tian. Now that you've finally come back for vacation, don't dwell on it. Let's talk about it after the New Year. Come on, everyone knows you've come back and I've prepared a lot of delicious food."

Afterwards, he took Gui'er's hand and walked to the restaurant. The table was already set with a dazzling array of delicious dishes. The main course included Shanghai braised pork, richly smothered in a rich sauce, tender and flavorful; squirrel-shaped mandarin fish, sweet and sour; and West Lake vinegar fish, fresh and smooth, with a rich vinegar aroma. The snacks were equally wonderful: pan-fried dumplings with a crispy, juicy base, each bite bursting with broth; Suzhou-style fresh meat mooncakes with a crispy crust and a savory filling; crab roe soup dumplings with a thin crust and generous filling, and a rich broth; and the soft, sweet osmanthus candied lotus root and hair-thin Wensi tofu soup. Seeing the delicious food, Gui'er's frustrations of the past two months vanished, and she happily devoured them.

After dinner, Gui'er was about to go find Taohua, but Sha Lili arrived first. She was very surprised and quickly let her in. Sha Lili greeted Sha Yanxiao with a smile, then pulled Gui'er into the room to chat.

Gui Er was puzzled and said with a smile, "Do you have something to ask me? Normally, I wouldn't come to you for no reason."

Sha Lili glanced at her unhappily and said, "You're such a silly girl. How old are you this year? Why aren't you in a hurry?"

Guier smiled and said, "I'm 15, and you're 16. What's the rush? Oh, and this isn't the reason you're looking for me, is it? Did something happen with your fiancé?"

Sha Lili smiled and said, "You're quite smart. You know my fiancé is in his 20s. He's been waiting for me for over a year. If we keep waiting like this, I'm afraid something might happen. Besides, my brother must be getting really anxious."

Guier immediately understood that he wanted her to be his lobbyist. She said, "Do you want me to persuade my father?"

Sha Lili smiled and said, "Smart, I was thinking of asking you, big brother, and second brother to intercede together. Maybe father will agree to my marriage. Mother can't control so much now. She said that we should hold the first one we can, my brother's. Maybe father will agree to my marriage if he sees that it goes smoothly."

Gui'er was willing to help. She said, "Of course, but I think what my eldest brother says will be more useful. After all, he gave my father a grandson first. When he says something, I can help him say a few words. Maybe my father will agree if he's happy."

Sha Lili nodded and said, "You have a point. I thought about that as well. I have already made it clear to my second brother. I will go to my eldest brother and tell him later. It is already settled on your side."

Guier smiled and said, "Don't worry."

Seeing Gui'er agreed, Sha Lili stood up and prepared to leave. Suddenly, she stopped and said to Gui'er, "Actually, you should think about yourself. Don't wait until the last minute and let them shove someone into your life. They're really not much different from that Liang Shao before. You'd better be careful. Also, Taohua seems to have a boyfriend too. I heard he's a carpenter. They were arranged as children in their hometown. Did you know?"

Gui Er was so frightened that she broke out in a cold sweat and quickly asked, "You, how did you know that?"

Sha Lili smiled mysteriously. "Is there anything in the mansion that our courtyard doesn't know about? Don't worry, we won't tell Father, and he won't agree. But Taohua, she can't find a better family to marry into. The Third Concubine's character is not likely to give her a dowry. I think a carpenter is a good choice. If she really marries a nobleman, she won't have a penny for dowry. It would be strange if she doesn't torture him to death."

Gui'er sighed. She was actually very worried about Taohua and Wu Dafu's marriage. She didn't care about the dowry. She just hoped that the Marshal would let Taohua marry Wu Dafu. If she really went to find those so-called young masters from aristocratic families, Taohua's personality would make it difficult for her to adapt.

She sighed and said, "I also feel that Taohua is not suitable to marry those so-called rich young men. I'm afraid she will end up like Sister Erfeng."