A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Since Sha Yanxiao agreed to help Gui'er and Taohua arrange their marriage, he took action.

He knew very well that the Third Concubine was a person who would take advantage of others, so it would not be easy to get a reasonable betrothal gift for Wu Dafu and Taohua. However, for Guier and to make things work for them, he decided to do it himself.

One afternoon, Sha Yanxiao brought Gui'er to the Third Concubine's courtyard. When the Third Concubine saw Sha Yanxiao, she smiled broadly and said respectfully, "Second Young Master, I am honored to have you here. What do you want from me?"

Sha Yanxiao didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point, "Third Aunt, Sanmei is already married. You have a girl named Taohua in your courtyard. She's also reached the age of marriage, and her father is currently ill. I'm in charge of everything in the mansion, and I figured as a brother I should consider her, so I found her a husband. Gui'er told me last time that you're very concerned about Taohua's marriage and even mentioned the betrothal gift. I figured Taohua has been in the mansion since she was a child, so she's considered a younger sister, so it's only natural that I should be concerned about this matter."

Upon hearing this, the Third Concubine was secretly delighted and quickly said, "Second Young Master, it's great that you're concerned about this matter. Taohua has been by my side for so many years, and I hope she can marry off in a dignified manner. The betrothal gift shouldn't be too small, otherwise, others will think we're mistreating her."

Sha Yanxiao smiled slightly and said, "Third Concubine, what you said makes sense. However, you also know that the current situation is turbulent and it's not easy for everyone. The family Taohua is marrying is just ordinary people, and the gift they can offer is really limited. We should also be considerate of them, right?"

The Third Wife's smile faltered upon hearing this. She said, "What? Taohua, she's actually marrying into an ordinary family. How can that be? She's the daughter of a wealthy general. But since it's the Second Young Master's arrangement, I can't say anything. However, Taohua grew up in the general's mansion, so she can't be too shabby, right? I've raised her for so many years, and I've put in a lot of effort."

Sha Yanxiao nodded and said, "I see how hard Third Concubine works. How about this? I don't want to put you in a difficult position. I'll personally contribute some money to make up a betrothal gift for Taohua. What do you think? But the amount must be determined based on the actual situation. It can't be too outrageous."

The Third Wife pondered this and thought that since Sha Yanxiao was willing to contribute, she would be able to make some money. So she said, "Second Young Master, how about this? The betrothal gift should be at least 100 yuan, plus some gold and silver jewelry. Otherwise, I really won't be able to explain it to anyone else."

Gui'er took a deep breath. Fortunately, she didn't talk to her directly. If she had talked to the third concubine directly, Taohua's betrothal gift would probably be even more outrageous.

Sha Yanxiao twitched the corner of his mouth and sneered. This third concubine really asked for too much.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Third Wife, one hundred dollars is too much. An ordinary family would find it difficult to save that much money in a lifetime. In my opinion, thirty dollars, plus a pair of silver bracelets, is already a very generous betrothal gift. Think about it, Taohua will live a stable life after marrying into the family. Besides, I have to prepare a dowry for her so that she won't bring shame to the Marshal's Mansion."

When the Third Concubine heard this, she became anxious and said, "Second Young Master, thirty dollars is too little, isn't it? How am I supposed to live my life in the future?"

Sha Yanxiao's face straightened, and he said, "Third Concubine, don't be ungrateful. Although Taohua grew up in the Marshal's Mansion, she is not the Marshal's biological daughter after all. Everyone knows that she has only been a half-maid in your courtyard all these years. Besides, the Marshal is in poor health now, and the expenses of the Marshal's Mansion are high. I have tried my best to give this. If you don't agree, I'm afraid this matter will be difficult to handle."

Seeing Sha Yanxiao's resolute attitude, the Third Concubine knew that it would be useless to continue arguing, so she said helplessly, "Well, since the Second Young Master has said so, what else can I say? I'll just do as you say."

Seeing that the third concubine had given in, Sha Yanxiao felt relieved and took Gui'er to say goodbye.

Next, he began to prepare Taohua's dowry. He knew that Taohua was marrying into an ordinary family, so the dowry should not be too luxurious to avoid attracting attention.

He had four quilts carefully selected, their covers made of thick, coarse cloth, printed with festive peony patterns, symbolizing prosperity and prosperity. He also prepared a small, exquisite sewing basket filled with various colored silk threads, embroidery needles, thimbles, and other essential needlework items. Taohua was a skilled and skilled needleworker, and these items were both practical and thoughtful for her.

In addition, Sha Yanxiao also purchased a set of blue and white porcelain bowls and plates from Jingdezhen. Although not produced by the official kilns, the porcelain is exquisitely crafted and painted with simple orchid patterns, adding a touch of elegance to the dining table of ordinary people. He also purchased a copper hand warmer with a simple zigzag pattern on the body, which can be used to warm peach blossoms in winter. It is both practical and beautiful.

He also ordered several sets of clothing made for Taohua's daily wear. These included two plain cheongsams, made of comfortable cotton, with a fitted, simple and elegant style. He also ordered several sets of cloth shirts and trousers, primarily in blue and gray, which were both stain-resistant and attractive, making them suitable for work. These clothes were neatly stacked in a jujube-red camphorwood chest, the corners of which were copper-wrapped and fitted with a small copper lock. The chest was both sturdy and beautiful, making it the perfect place to store Taohua's clothes and some of her belongings.

After solving the problems of betrothal gifts and dowry, there is still a key problem ahead, which is to persuade the Marshal to agree to Taohua marrying an ordinary person.

Sha Yanxiao knew the Marshal's temper well, and he was afraid that speaking directly would be difficult to succeed. So, he bribed Zhao, the Marshal's butler, to learn from him what the Marshal was thinking recently.

Butler Zhao secretly told Sha Yanxiao that the Marshal was recently worried about his health preventing him from consummating his marriage with the Eighth Concubine. He sighed and was in a bad mood all day long.

After hearing this news, Gui'er had an idea and said, "Brother, we can find a fortune teller for the Marshal and tell him that the Marshal's recovery is so slow because Taohua is killing him. He must marry Taohua off as soon as possible, and not marry her too well. Then maybe the Marshal will agree."

After hearing this, Sha Yanxiao thought it was a good idea and immediately began to make arrangements. He found a fortune teller who was quite famous in the local area and explained the plan to him.

One day, Sha Yanxiao brought a fortune teller to the Marshal's residence. The Marshal was sitting in the yard basking in the sun when he saw Sha Yanxiao and a stranger come in. He asked in confusion, "Yanxiao, who is this?"