A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui'er stayed in the main courtyard and chatted with the Marshal and the others for more than ten minutes before finally returning to her own courtyard.

As soon as she entered the living room, she plopped down on the sofa and said, "Oh, I'm so tired. I'm tired and hungry."

Sha Yanxiao smiled helplessly and said, "You're already a grown-up girl, you should pay attention to your manners."

Gui Er tilted her head and said, "We're all family here, there are no outsiders, so it doesn't matter."

Sha Yanxiao ordered the kitchen to bring out some snacks for Gui'er to fill her stomach, saying, "It's past dinner time now. If you eat too much, you won't be able to digest it. Why not just have some snacks and half a bowl of lean meat porridge to fill you up."

Guier nodded and said, "All is fine."

Soon, delicate pastries and lean meat congee were placed on the table. The peach blossom pastry was rosy pink, with distinct petal textures. A gentle bite revealed a crisp, sweet filling that was not greasy. The emerald siu mai, shaped like a pomegranate, had a emerald green crust that revealed the filling, offering a refreshing flavor. Then there was the jujube paste la gao, glossy and smooth, with a rich jujube aroma and a soft texture. Next to it was the thousand-layer oil cake, layered and thin as a cicada's wing, soft yet with a subtle chewiness, its sweet aroma lingering between the teeth. Then there were the petite, Suzhou-style fresh meat pies, their golden, crispy crust enveloping a juicy filling, overflowing with a savory aroma.

Lean meat porridge is even more exquisite. The carefully selected lean meat is cut into thin strips and cooked together with round and plump rice grains. The porridge is thick and the lean meat is tender. Every bite exudes the mellow aroma of rice and meat, showing the delicacy and exquisiteness of the diet of wealthy families.

Guier suddenly felt that there seemed to be a financial gap between the first and second wives.

Normally, even when the family gathered for breakfast in Nanjing, they would only have two or three dim sum dishes. The more precious ingredients, like shark fin and bird's nest, were all managed by his wife herself, including the ones Sha Yanxiao sent to Gui'er from Jiangcheng. Dingxiang was always indignant, but Gui'er didn't take it to heart. After all, she was living under someone else's roof, receiving care, so she just considered it rent.

Gui'er rolled her eyes left and right. Sha Yanxiao saw that she had something to say, so he let Zuoyou go.

Guier then said, "Brother, why do I feel like our family has become richer? No, it's our courtyard that has become richer than before."

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "I just prepared a few more snacks for you, and you think you're rich?"

Gui'er smiled embarrassedly.

Sha Yanxiao said, "Now that my father can't take care of things, I'm in charge of everything in the mansion. Naturally, they bring all the good things into this courtyard. I'm usually alone here, so how much can I eat and use? Now that you're back, you can help me with some of it."

"Oh, so that's how it is. I'd love to hear that," Gui'er said happily. "Since father has given you everything to manage, can you decide to marry Taohua off?"

"Be a little more patient. Some time ago, the third concubine came to me and said that Sanmei and Adjutant Pang were too close and she was pregnant. She asked me to help them think about it quickly and get this done. Otherwise, if we delay it any longer, the pregnancy will be revealed."

Gui'er was very surprised. In that era, it was still hard to accept such a thing as getting pregnant before marriage, not to mention that Sanmei was the daughter of the Marshal's family and the widow of Marshal Zhang.

She quickly asked, "What are you going to do, brother? Are you really going to talk to father for her? Will father agree?"

Sha Yanxiao sighed softly and said, "Father's personality is such that he definitely wouldn't agree. But since he's already pregnant, all we can do is say some nice things, or perhaps talk to him about it during the baby's full moon celebration while he's happy, and get him to agree. I think Father will agree in the end. After all, we don't need Marshal Zhang's influence anymore."

Gui'er thought that the three sisters were also pitiful. Three sisters died together, one died, one went crazy, and only she survived. Yet, she became pregnant with Marshal Zhang's child, and at such a young age, she remained a widow for so many years.

"In that case, let's marry Taohua off after Sanmei gets married." Gui'er thought that she should strike while the iron is hot. Once Taohua gets married, she will feel relieved and have nothing to worry about.

"If Taohua leaves, will you leave?" Sha Yanxiao suddenly asked.

Gui'er was stunned. She didn't expect Sha Yanxiao to suddenly ask this. Of course, she also wanted to leave. There were few people in this general's mansion who were truly kind to her.

Although the Fourth Concubine and her family treated her well, that was only for Sha Yanxiao's sake.

Come to think of it, Sha Yanxiao is the only one who is truly kind to me.

However, she had been in the Marshal's Mansion for so many years, and had been engaged in intrigue and endured humiliation for so many years. As she got older and her ability to survive in society became stronger, she felt that she was less and less willing to endure it anymore.

"There are so many people in the Marshal's Mansion. They are all family members, but it seems that there is no relative. Gui'er, you are my family. Can you stay and accompany me?" Sha Yanxiao said.

"Where can I go? I still have to go to school. We just finished our midterm exam. The results will be out in a few days." Gui'er really didn't know how to answer, so she could only change the subject.

"That's right." Sha Yanxiao didn't force her, but nodded with a smile.

After eating, Sha Yanxiao urged her to go back to her room to rest.

Gui'er returned to the room and Dingxiang just walked in with tea.

"No need for tea, I just finished eating and had a drink." Guier said as she changed her clothes.

"Miss, I have a big news to tell you. The eighth concubine has died." Dingxiang said mysteriously.

"What? How did he die? What happened?" Gui'er was very surprised. Before she returned to Nanjing, the Eighth Concubine was determined to find a way out. How could she die suddenly?

"Her death was even more bizarre. I heard she died by hitting her head against a wall."

"Hit her head against the wall? Commit suicide? How is that possible? How could someone like her even think of committing suicide?"

"Why is it so bizarre? I heard that when the guards found her, they noticed a dent on her forehead. She was already dead. But because she only had one meal a day, they didn't find out until the next day. No one knew when she died. When they pulled her out of the dungeon, she was stinking, but she was wearing an expensive cheongsam, and her hair was a mess. It looked really weird."

After listening to Dingxiang's description, Guier imagined what was happening and suddenly felt creepy.

"What's the Liang family's reaction? Have you found out?" Gui'er knew that the Liang family and the Duanmu family were close friends. The Eighth Concubine and Duanmu Heng were classmates who had known each other for many years. Perhaps they had some unknown relationship. She really wanted to know their reaction.