A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

The two were chatting and laughing there.

"Second Young Master, please come with your sister to make clothes for the New Year." A delicate voice came over.

The two looked up and saw that it was the eighth concubine who had just married into the family.

Gui'er quickly and politely greeted her: "Hello, Eighth Auntie."

She just nodded. Sha Yanxiao crossed his legs and said with a smile, "Is the Eighth Concubine here to order clothes too?" He came directly from the military camp to Zhenxiufang to pick up Guier today, so he was still wearing a military uniform. He was very handsome and tall. The other female guests in Yunxiang Tower were secretly glancing at him.

The eighth concubine walked over and sat down next to Sha Yanxiao. She opened her red lips and said in a soft voice, "Second Young Master, you were wearing casual clothes when you came into the mansion a few days ago. Look at you in this military uniform, you look even more heroic. You are now in charge of the military affairs of Jiangcheng and Fengcheng. It's really hard work. Don't get tired." As she spoke, she tilted her head slightly, looked at Sha Yanxiao with affectionate eyes, and her fingers gently stroked the back of the chair next to Sha Yanxiao, intentionally or unintentionally.

Sha Yanxiao smiled and replied, "You're too kind, Eighth Concubine. It's just my duty."

When the eighth concubine heard this, she gently covered her mouth and giggled, leaning forward slightly, as if inadvertently closing the distance between her and Sha Yanxiao.

"It's rare to hear the Second Young Master being so humble. When I first entered the Marshal's Mansion, I didn't have anyone I knew well, and I felt bored every day. It would be great if I could listen to the Second Young Master talk more about interesting things in the military camp. I heard that the Second Young Master has been a widower for many years, and there is no considerate person in the courtyard. You can come to my courtyard more often, and I'll ask the servants to make you some soup to nourish your body." As she spoke, her eyes were always on Sha Yanxiao, with a hint of imperceptible desire.

She would occasionally play with her hair, and sometimes she would bite her lower lip, her eyes full of allure. Gui'er frowned, feeling strange.

Sha Yanxiao didn't seem to notice the Eighth Concubine's strange behavior. He smiled and said, "Thank you, Concubine, but I've always been a simple person. I don't mind eating anywhere."

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries. After a while, the Eighth Concubine seemed to remember something. She stood up, brushed her skirt, and said, "Second Young Master, Gui'er, I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving first." Before leaving, she turned back and gave Sha Yanxiao a meaningful look.

Gui'er watched the Eighth Concubine's actions from the side, and was extremely surprised. She had never thought that the Eighth Concubine would secretly use such means on Sha Yanxiao in such a public place.

Sha Yanxiao acted as if nothing had happened and picked out another fur vest for Guier.

After that, out of curiosity, Guier often followed the third and fourth concubines to play in the eighth concubine's courtyard.

When they arrived at the courtyard, the Eighth Concubine greeted them warmly, serving tea and snacks with a sweet smile on her face. She even invited the Seventh Concubine to play mahjong with her. She was very popular and had a carefree demeanor. She was completely different from her previous appearance at Yunshang Tower. Everything seemed completely normal. Gui'er's doubts grew even more intense, but she couldn't express them directly.

After returning, Gui'er found Shopkeeper Zhang and told him about the Eighth Concubine's behavior towards Sha Yanxiao that she had witnessed at Yunshang Tower. Shopkeeper Zhang simply waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "Perhaps the Eighth Concubine felt that the Marshal was old and that seeing the young and handsome Second Young Master was inevitably a little tempted, and she was confused for a moment. Don't take it too seriously. Are you afraid that someone will snatch your brother away because she's showing affection to the Young Marshal?"

Gui Er quickly said, "That's not the case. It's just that I know the Marshal is very sensitive about people cheating on him, and I'm afraid it will cause trouble."

However, a few days later, Sha Yanxiao approached Gui'er with a serious expression and warned her, "Guier, keep your distance from that Eighth Concubine from now on. I think her behavior and speech are very unusual. I asked someone to investigate her background, but they only found out that she was recommended by Mr. Liu from the rice shop and Mr. Liang from the pawnshop, as well as some other merchants. They couldn't find out her birthplace, parents, or siblings. I've asked Wu Mingqiang to investigate again. It's always unsettling until we find out."

Gui'er thought for a moment and said, "Brother, that's not right. If there really is something wrong with this Eighth Concubine, I should go to her room more often. She plays mahjong in the yard every day, drinks tea, chats, and listens to the radio. It's so lively. I can go over there with the others to play, and maybe find out what's going on."

Sha Yanxiao felt a little uneasy after hearing this. "I'm always uneasy. I always feel that this woman is not a simple person. But I also heard that her courtyard is really lively and bustling like a party every day." He pondered for a moment, sighed, and said, "Okay, you can go and have fun if you want, but you must be extremely careful. Don't take risks and test anything. If she becomes suspicious, it will be troublesome."

Guier nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry, brother. I know what to do."

After that, Gui'er went to the Eighth Concubine's courtyard every now and then as usual. On this day, everyone gathered in the Eighth Concubine's courtyard again. The sun shone warmly, and the maids shuttled around serving tea and water. The Third Concubine said while eating melon seeds, "I have to go back to my parents' home to visit my relatives in a few days."

Gui Er asked the Third Concubine curiously, "Third Concubine, where are your parents from?"

The third concubine smiled and replied, "Zhouzhuang, not far from Jiangcheng."

When Gui'er heard this, Erfeng's story suddenly flashed through her mind, and she said, "I suddenly remembered that Sister Erfeng married the lame young master from her mother's family, and it seems that he lived nearby." Then she turned to look at the Eighth Concubine, "I heard that the Liang family's old house is also near Zhouzhuang. If it's convenient for the Eighth Concubine when she returns to her mother's family, she could help us check on Sister Erfeng."

The eighth concubine's hand, which was holding the teacup, trembled slightly, and she almost blurted out: "That's not my hometown."

After these words were spoken, everyone present was stunned. After all, everyone knew that the Eighth Concubine had publicly claimed to be Mr. Liang's adopted daughter. According to common sense, Zhouzhuang, where the Liang family's old house was located, should have a close relationship with her.

The Eighth Concubine seemed to realize she had slipped up, a flicker of panic crossed her face, but she quickly composed herself, chuckling and explaining, "Look at me, I didn't explain myself clearly. I meant that I don't hang out with people in the countryside very often. I only know the Liang family's mansion in the city, and that's where I go every time I go back. I really haven't been to the old house in the countryside very often. I'm afraid if I go there rashly, it will cause trouble for Erfeng and the others."

The third concubine was the first to react. She laughed and said, "That's right. Eighth sister lives in the Marshal's Mansion now, so naturally she has less contact with those distant relatives in the countryside." The others also echoed her, and the slightly awkward atmosphere was finally resolved.