A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Back in the courtyard, Gui'er still felt unwell. Sha Yanxiao saw her listless appearance, frowned, and asked, "Why did you go out so cheerfully? And come back so dusty and grimy?"

Gui'er hesitated for a moment and told what had just happened, but he only said that he felt that the man was strange and did not dare to say that he had seen him before.

Sha Yanxiao's face turned pale after hearing this. He asked Gui'er, "You said the Marshal came for a while and then suddenly left?"

Gui'er nodded, not understanding why.

Sha Yanxiao thought for a moment, then suddenly said to Gui'er with a gloomy face, "Don't go to the Fourth Concubine's place anymore, okay?"

Gui'er was about to ask for clarification, but when she saw that Sha Yanxiao looked unhappy, she quickly shut up.

After that, Gui'er reduced the number of times she went to the Fourth Concubine's room, but in order not to attract attention, she would still go there once or twice occasionally. However, she never saw the man again.

Although she was a little depressed, Guier did not show it. She went to school early and came back late as usual.

That day she went to see Taohua, and Taohua said happily, "I have embroidered two more patterns. When I embroider more, I can sell them."

When Gui'er heard this, she thought that she had never been to the address Song Xichen mentioned before and thought that she should go and check it out. So she said, "Why don't you give me your two yuan first? I'll go there myself this time."

The next day before going to school, I told Sha Yanxiao about this matter in advance. Sha Yanxiao said, "Then I'll let Dali go with you."

Gui'er said, "No need. It's right near Wing On Department Store, on the same street as the school. There's also a police station over there, so I don't think anything will happen."

Only then did Sha Yanxiao give up.

As luck would have it, Tong Yujun asked Guier to go shopping at Wing On Department Store after school that day. Guier had no choice but to say, "I have a relative who wants to sell embroidery pieces, and I need to run the trip for her."

Unexpectedly, Tong Yujun became interested after hearing this and said, "There are places like this. I want to go see them too."

Gui'er thought it didn't matter, so she agreed.

After school, the two walked directly out of the school and came to an alley according to the address given by Song Xichen. They found that it was not a very remote place. There were barber shops, grocery stores, bookstores, snack shops, etc. in the alley. It was a commercial alley attached to the bustling street. Because it was not in a busy area, perhaps because the rent was not that expensive, the things sold in it were quite cheap.

Tong Yujun looked around curiously and said, "I didn't expect there was such a place. It's really nice."

Gui'er was also a little surprised. If this were in modern times, it would probably be a pedestrian commercial street.

The two of them walked around slowly and bought two pancakes at a snack bar. They ate as they walked and slowly arrived at the place mentioned on the address.

The door was closed, and there was a sign above it that read "Zhen Xiufang". Guier knocked on the copper ring on the door, and a woman in her 40s, plump and kind-looking, came over to open the door.

Guier said, "I was introduced here by Aunt Zhang. I have embroidery pieces to sell."

The woman smiled and said, "Oh, Aunt Zhang has already told me. Please come inside."

The two walked in and found a charming little courtyard and a two-story building. The woman introduced herself with a smile, saying, "Actually, I'm a distant relative of Aunt Zhang, and my last name is Zhang."

Gui'er quickly greeted, "Hello, Shopkeeper Zhang."

The shopkeeper Zhang said with a smile, "No wonder Aunt Zhang praised you. You are indeed a young man with a steady mind and a good understanding of human nature."

Gui Er took out a new peach blossom embroidery pattern and showed it to Shopkeeper Zhang. Shopkeeper Zhang took it in his hand, examined it carefully and said, "It's really good. The embroidery is all popular colors nowadays. Many people like this. If you have it in the future, just give it to me. The price is negotiable."

Guier nodded and smiled, "Actually, my friend embroiders by herself, and she doesn't have a large quantity. It would be great if we could provide her with a targeted supply."

Shopkeeper Zhang nodded happily, paid Gui'er the wages, and said with a smile, "Actually, Aunt Zhang and I visit each other quite often. Miss, if you need anything, feel free to come to me."

Gui'er was stunned for a moment, feeling that Manager Zhang was hinting at something, but because Tong Yujun was there, she just smiled and said nothing.

After finishing her work, Tong Yujun said, "Let's go to the restaurant on the second floor of Wing On Department Store and have some snacks before leaving."

Gui'er suddenly realized at this time that Tong Yujun was a little unusual today. She was usually a precious and luxurious young lady, so why would she suddenly be interested in these common people's places?

Guier asked, "Is there something wrong?"

Tong Yujun glanced around and said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's leave first."

So, the two of them went to the restaurant on the second floor of Wing On Department Store. Tong Yujun ordered a glass of cocoa and Guier ordered a glass of orange water.

Gui'er spoke first: "What's going on? Why are you so mysterious?"

Tong Yujun said, "I'm afraid my aunt is not well."

Gui Er was stunned for a moment and said, "Isn't she very nice? A few days ago, when we had dinner together at home, Dashuai, no, my father even specially asked her to come over and sit next to him. Most concubines don't get this treatment."

Tong Yujun said in surprise: "Is it true?"

Gui'er said, "Yes, I can't lie to you."

Tong Yujun seemed a little relieved and said, "That's good, because the nanny who came with the dowry came out and told my father that my aunt asked the family to find a way out, fearing that we would be implicated."

Gui Er frowned and said, "What happened? I have no idea. The mansion has been quite peaceful these past few days."

Tong Yujun was completely relieved when she heard her say that. She said a little embarrassedly, "Oh, that's good. By the way, can you keep this a secret for me?"

Guier smiled and said, "We are good friends, what's there to say? Besides, you know I'm not a big talker."

Tong Yujun smiled and nodded, then sighed and said, "Honestly, my father has regretted it now. Although the marriage with the Marshal has allowed him to meet many dignitaries and has taken our family's business to a higher level, he lives in fear all day long."

Gui Er was a little confused: "What do you have to be afraid of? Although the Marshal is strict, the Eighth Concubine is pregnant now and is the most favored."

Tong Yujun shook her head and said, "You yourself escaped from the Song family's deep backyard, how could you not know the hardships? The general's mansion has many wives and concubines, and I'm afraid the intrigues must be even more intense."

Gui'er was speechless for a moment. She felt that what Tong Yujun said was indeed the truth. She was now thriving in the Marshal's Mansion. She was probably because, firstly, the Marshal was grateful for her life-saving grace, and secondly, she was brought into the Mansion by Sha Yanxiao. In fact, she was on the same side as Sha Yanxiao, the heir. The eldest son was disabled, and the third son was weak. Sha Yanxiao was now the person with the greatest hope of inheriting the position of Marshal, so naturally everyone praised him.

Back at the Marshal's Mansion, Gui'er was still a little dazed. Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "What's wrong? Every time you go out, you seem to come back holding your breath."

Guier glanced at him and said, "I can tell you, but you can't tell anyone else."

Sha Yanxiao said somewhat displeasedly, "What big deal can a little kid like you have? Are you worried about me not keeping my mouth shut?"

Gui'er said, "Then you have to promise me not to tell anyone else."

Sha Yanxiao had no choice but to say, "Okay, I promise."

Only then did Gui'er tell her that Tong Yujun had come to see her.

Sha Yanxiao listened and sneered, "Isn't this just taking advantage? The Tong family has gained so much since marrying my sister to my father. Their wealth has probably doubled."

Gui'er widened her eyes in surprise and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Sha Yanxiao looked at her, smiled helplessly, patted her head and said, "Children, don't meddle in adult affairs, understand?"

Although it was already evening, Gui'er still wanted to give the money to Taohua as soon as possible, so she rode her bicycle out. Sha Yanxiao asked her to put the things down and go back immediately, so he did not go to find Taohua, but put the wallet in the hole in the wall that Taohua told him.

Then he hurriedly rode his bike back.

When they came to a bend in a rockery, they suddenly heard someone talking. Guier was startled and looked around but there was no one there. However, the voice was still faintly heard.

She was suddenly horrified, thinking that she was a modern person who always believed in science. If she went like this, she would definitely suffer from mental illness.

Thinking of this, Guier plucked up her courage, quietly pushed the bicycle behind a tree, parked it, picked up some stones to use for self-defense, and walked towards the place where the sound came from.

When we walked up to the rockery, we realized that it was not haunted, but a man and a woman were having a secret meeting there.

The woman said, "Why are you looking for me now?"

The man said, "I didn't want to bother you. I didn't know I was you. Now I think it's fate. You can't just reject me again. I'm having a hard time making a living right now."

The woman said, "What does that have to do with me? We are no longer related."

The man said, "I know your family got a lot of benefits by sending you here, can't you help me out a little?"

Guier finally understood what was going on. It was the man who wanted to blackmail the woman. Although she couldn't see who it was, she looked down on such a spineless man.

She thought for a moment, found a corner to hide in, picked up the stone in her hand, and threw it into the pool behind the rockery.

With a "thump", the man and woman hiding in the rockery were frightened and fell silent. After a long while, a man and a woman came out of the rockery. The man turned out to be the man Gui'er met in the fourth concubine's room that day.

The woman with a big belly was the pregnant eighth concubine.