A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui Er could only respond vaguely: "Third Concubine, Tao Hua's partner is a down-to-earth and hardworking man, but the specific matters of the betrothal gift still need to be discussed in detail. It's too early to talk about it now."

At this moment, Sanmei came out from the inner room with her son. She was wearing loose clothes, and her belly was already bulging. In this era, marrying while pregnant was bound to be criticized. Sanmei looked a little uneasy. She forced a smile and said softly, "Sister Guier, you are here."

Gui'er looked at Sanmei and felt very pity in her heart. She walked up to her and comforted her softly, "Sister Sanmei, don't worry, things will get better and better. You and Adjutant Pang truly love each other, and you will definitely be happy in the future." Sanmei nodded slightly, with a hint of gratitude in her eyes.

The next day, Gui'er got up early and went to visit the Marshal's residence under the leadership of Sha Yanxiao.

As I stepped into the main courtyard, a depressing atmosphere hit me in the face. The Marshal was half lying on the armchair, looking haggard, in stark contrast to his usual majestic appearance.

The Marshal's movements were extremely limited after his illness, and he could only move with great difficulty. His once nimble legs felt as heavy as lead, and every step was accompanied by a violent tremor. Finally, with the help of his attendants, he was able to stand, limping and walking with great effort. His face was distorted, and the corners of his mouth were slightly crooked. When he spoke, his tongue was not very obedient, and he struggled to squeeze out a few words: "Gui...er, you...are...here."

Guier walked forward respectfully, greeted the Marshal, and then handed him the report card. The Marshal took it, his eyes gleaming as he struggled to decipher the handwriting. After reading it, his mouth trembled slightly as he managed to say, "You, you are the best student among your brothers and sisters. You will have a great future."

After saying this, he ordered his attendant to bring two silver dollars and handed them to Gui'er. This was considered a generous reward at the time. The Marshal then looked at the other children present, raised his voice, and said intermittently, "You... all... should learn from... Gui'er."

However, Gui'er clearly sensed that the other children present at the Marshal's residence were completely indifferent to his words. In the past, they had always been respectful and fearful in his presence, but now their eyes wandered and their expressions were perfunctory.

The Marshal naturally noticed this subtle change. His expression darkened instantly, and a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. He slammed the table hard and shouted, "What...what? You...don't listen to what I say? Think...back then, when I...I gave an order, thousands of soldiers...who dared...who dared to disobey! Now...now even you...don't take me seriously!"

The Marshal was so angry that his whole body was shaking and his chest was heaving violently.

At this time, the lady cautiously mentioned the Marshal's plan to take a new eighth concubine, and gently and tactfully persuaded him, "Marshal, you see, you haven't fully recovered yet. Why don't you take care of yourself first? It's not too late to consider these things later."

Upon hearing this, the Marshal flew into a rage, his eyes wide open as he roared, "You...what do you know! My...my Marshal's family should...should have a large and prosperous population! You...you only gave birth to one son, and you...you won't have any more, and you're still...still trying to stop me! How...how can you be considered virtuous!"

The lady was scolded by the Marshal, her eyes were red and her lips trembled, but she did not dare to say anything more. She lowered her head silently. When she came out of the Marshal's room, the lady hurriedly wiped her tears with a handkerchief.

When Sha Yanyao saw this scene, his face turned very bad and his brows were tightly furrowed, but in the end he endured it and said nothing.

After leaving the Marshal's place, Gui'er felt a little heavy-hearted.

She arrived at the Zhenxiu Shop. The streets outside were bustling with activity, the shop's sign gleaming in the sun, and pots of blooming flowers, delicate and alluring, stood at the entrance, adding a touch of elegance to the shop.

Zhenxiufang's business was quite good. When Gui'er went there, she happened to see the shopkeeper Zhang discussing prices with an embroiderer who came to sell embroidery samples. Various exquisite embroidery products were displayed on the counter, including handkerchiefs, sachets, screens, etc., which attracted many customers to stop and choose.

When Gui'er walked into the store, Manager Zhang and Manager Liu saw her at a glance and greeted her warmly.

The three of them found a corner to sit down. When there were no customers around, Guier lowered her voice and talked about how she helped set up an underground printing factory in Nanjing.

After hearing this, Shopkeeper Zhang and Shopkeeper Liu's eyes were filled with satisfaction and admiration. Shopkeeper Zhang smiled and said, "Guier, you have really grown up. You can stand on your own now. We are so proud of you!" Shopkeeper Liu also nodded repeatedly.

Gui Er then asked Shopkeeper Zhang, "Shopkeeper Zhang, please take the trouble to tell my dear brother Wu Dafu that Taohua has a chance of getting married. Ask him to think of a way to raise money for the betrothal gift and see how much he can raise."

Shopkeeper Zhang nodded and said, "Don't worry, Gui'er, I will definitely bring it to you."

Within two days, Sanmei's wedding arrived. On the day of the wedding, the Jiangcheng sky was a brilliant blue, and the sun shone brightly, yet it didn't add much to the festive atmosphere. Because the Third Concubine and Sanmei weren't particularly favored, the wedding seemed particularly quiet. The Marshal's residence didn't host any grand celebrations, with only a simple wedding hall. The decor was rather sparse, the red satin a bit worn, barely creating a festive atmosphere.

Sanmei wore an ordinary red wedding dress and a white veil on her head. Guier knew that this was the most fashionable dress in the Republic of China. Although there was no gorgeous jewelry to embellish her, her face was still filled with a happy smile, but her eyes hid a trace of reluctance to leave her son. She held Marshal Jiang's son in her arms. The little guy seemed to feel the separation and cried babblingly. The third concubine's eyes were red, and she kept telling Sanmei: "Child, when you get there, you must live a good life and don't worry about home. I will take good care of the Marshal's grandson." Sanmei nodded with tears in her eyes: "Mom, don't worry, I will. It's just this child..." As she said, she hugged her son tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face.

The auspicious time had arrived. Sanmei handed her son to the third concubine and walked out of the general's residence, looking back every few steps. Adjutant Pang, riding a tall horse and dressed in military uniform, was waiting outside the door with a dashing demeanor. Seeing Sanmei emerge, he quickly dismounted and helped her into the bridal sedan. With a burst of firecrackers, the wedding procession slowly departed, leaving the third concubine holding the child.