A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

When Sha Yanxiao heard Duanmu Heng, his face turned a little bad. When the third concubine saw it, she quickly shut up and rubbed her hands together.

Gui Er was also somewhat baffled by her long and confusing speech, so she asked, "Third Concubine, are you asking my brother to intercede with the Marshal on your behalf, asking him to approve the marriage between the Chong Adjutant and Sister Sanmei?"

After hearing this, the Third Concubine said with some embarrassment, "Of course that's fine. Well, what do I mean? I mean, we all listen to the head of the family. The Marshal is our head now, and the Second Young Master will be our head in the future too. What I mean is, we all listen to you, including Gui'er and Taohua. Their future marriages will also have to be decided by you, the head of the family. Isn't that right?"

She rambled on and on, and the point was that she was listening to the boss.

Gui'er was already a little confused by her. Sha Yanxiao had frowned since he heard the name Duanmu Heng. Later, he lost his patience and said, "I understand. I'll find a chance to talk to father about Sanmei's matter. Adjutant Pang is also a talented person. If there is nothing else, please go back."

After hearing this, the third concubine quickly stood up, but opened her mouth as if wanting to say something but hesitated. However, she glanced at Sha Yanxiao's face, sighed, smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll go back first." Then she turned and left.

Gui'er looked at her back, then turned back to look at Sha Yanxiao, who had a look of impatience on his face. She knew that Sha Yanxiao actually looked down on the timid, sarcastic and harsh Third Concubine, so she didn't say anything else, but she always felt something was wrong.

It was already the end of the year, and everyone was very worried about the Marshal's departure. There was no definite date for his return, but the festive atmosphere in the streets and the mansion was getting stronger and stronger.

The streets were crowded with people buying New Year's goods, their bags and bags full. Faded lanterns swayed from the eaves of shops. Children stood on tiptoe, clutching copper coins, peering out from the sugar painting stalls. The sweet aroma of malt sugar mingled with the steaming heat of preserved meat. Cloth shop assistants climbed ladders to hang new banners, while tailors scissors rustled, cutting new clothes. On the street corners, storytellers struck a wake-up stick, their stories of chivalrous heroes intertwined with the crisp sounds of stove sugar. As dusk deepened, kerosene lamps lit up one after another, illuminating the falling snow on the shoulders of homebound pedestrians. The faint sound of firecrackers could be heard.

The housekeeper at the Marshal's residence had already come to ask Sha Yanxiao about the New Year decorations he wanted to buy, and about the New Year's gifts and change for each household. Sha Yanxiao thought for a moment, but still concerned about the face of the first household, he said, "Go ask the Madam and the eldest young master for the money they need, and withdraw it from their accounts. Just let me know."

Only then did Guier realize that the Marshal had given him access to the accounting office of the Marshal's Mansion. This was the Marshal's small treasury. It seemed that Sha Yanxiao was indeed confirmed as the heir.

Sha Yanxiao was quite a good person. He asked the housekeeper to ask the lady, and then took Guier to the main courtyard to pay his respects to the lady.

It just so happened that the Marshal's butler was here too, asking his wife to distribute the New Year's goods.

The lady seemed to have noticed that the Marshal had handed over the power of housekeeper to Sha Yanxiao, but Sha Yanxiao gave it to her. Although she was not happy about it, she had no choice. So she put on airs and kept finding fault with every item. The housekeeper smiled beside her, and Sha Yanxiao let her do what she wanted.

Gui'er ran to tease Sha Yanyao's son.

Gui'er quietly asked Sha Yanyao, "Brother, the New Year is almost here. Are you going back to Nanjing? I haven't heard from my sister-in-law lately. Will she be angry?"

Sha Yanyao was helpless. "How can I leave in this situation? But she didn't bother me much after she knew Jin Bao had returned. I'm worried now. With the Duanmu family's background and our family's close relationship with him, if Director Tian finds out, the consequences will be disastrous."

Gui'er's heart moved. She was worried that she couldn't find a way to get rid of the Duanmu family. She smiled and said to Sha Yanyao, "I think it's possible. After this is over, let's use Director Tian to get rid of this group of traitors."

Sha Yanyao looked at Gui'er in surprise and said, "My sister, you are so bold. Have you forgotten what Director Zhou did to our family? Director Tian and Director Zhou are actually the same person, but Director Tian is on our side."

After all, the Marshal is the leader of Jiangcheng and Fengcheng. When he didn't show up for a few days, rumors and speculations began to spread in the city. Although Sha Yanxiao came forward to calm the situation, there was still an atmosphere of instability in the city.

Most people in the Marshal's Mansion knew where the Marshal was going, so there were not so many speculations. However, they were all worried about the Marshal's negotiations, wondering whether they could succeed. The fifth and sixth concubines, who were unaware of the situation, were making a fuss all day long and trying to find out the news everywhere. However, because they were not very popular, no one was willing to tell them the truth, so they seemed like headless flies, running around everywhere without any results.

Gui'er was also worried about what might happen if the Marshal was away all the time. That day, she and Sha Yanxiao were discussing what to do if the Marshal didn't return by New Year's. Suddenly, a steward ran in and said, "Second Young Master, the Marshal is back and wants you to come over."

Sha Yanxiao quickly dragged Gui'er to the main courtyard, where the Marshal was brimming with pride, his face filled with an irrepressible smile. As soon as he saw Sha Yanxiao, he shouted that his plan was a success and that he was going to have a grand banquet to celebrate. He patted his bald head triumphantly and said, "I finally got Old Shen's stuff. Good boy, you don't know, it's a whole warehouse full of stuff. I didn't even take everything before I came back to grab some gold bars and banknotes. I'm telling you, even if we didn't stay in Jiangcheng anymore, that little bit of stuff would be enough to last us a lifetime."

The banquet was finally held, but because this matter was very private, no outsiders were invited. Only people from the Marshal's Mansion and the Duanmu family were invited.

The banquet was held in the spacious main hall of the Marshal's Mansion, adorned with bright red lanterns, illuminating the entire space with a festive atmosphere. The dining table was laden with delicacies from land and sea, including bird's nests, shark fins, bear paws, and other rare ingredients. Exquisitely carved porcelain plates held the vibrantly colored and fragrant dishes, emitting an alluring aroma.

Everyone took their seats in turn. The Marshal sat at the main seat, flanked by elders from the Duanmu family and important figures in the Marshal's mansion. Gui'er was also seated at the main table, next to Duanmu Heng, who would glance at Gui'er from time to time.

After three rounds of drinks, the Marshal excitedly talked about the "results" of his trip to Shanghai. It turned out that he only took back some gold bars, silver dollars and silver notes, while those antiques were actually transported to Hong Kong.

Everyone was puzzled by his actions and looked at each other. Sha Yanxiao frowned and asked first, "Father, those antiques are rare treasures. Why are they being shipped to Hong Kong?"