A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Sha Yanxiao picked up a piece of meat for her and said, "I've basically taken over the military and political affairs smoothly now. I'm really worried about these women in the mansion. What's father doing with so many women in the backyard? They're all like black-eyed chickens. Those without children will be given money to send out. Those with children can leave if they want, but if they don't want to leave, they'll be paid according to their monthly allowance. As long as they don't make trouble, they'll be fine. If they do, they'll be sent away. I don't have the energy to manage all these people."

Gui'er thought for a moment and suggested, "Why don't you let your wife handle this matter? She is the mistress of this mansion."

Sha Yanxiao was stunned when he heard this. He laughed heartily and said, "I didn't expect you to be even more ruthless than me. Think about it, these women may appear to be minors, but they have actually been competing with Madam for her favor for decades. If they fell into Madam's hands, would she be able to spare them?"

Gui'er was stunned for a moment, then thought about it and realized that she was not thoughtful enough. Although Sha Yanxiao was impatient with the intrigues of these women in the mansion, he was still kind-hearted in his heart and wanted to give them a chance to live.

She told Sha Yanxiao that she was going to take Taohua for a measurement tomorrow. He thought for a moment and said, "I don't have anything to do tomorrow, so I'll go with you guys."

The next day, Sha Yanxiao, wearing a well-tailored casual suit, took Guier and Taohua to get measured in the car.

When passing by Zhenxiufang and Liu's Pharmacy, Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu were busy in their own shops.

Sha Yanxiao stopped to watch the busy figures of Shopkeepers Liu and Zhang in the store. He then politely and gently called out, "Shopkeeper Zhang, how's business lately?"

Shopkeeper Zhang, who was sorting embroidery, heard the voice and looked up suddenly. Seeing it was Sha Yanxiao, his face was instantly filled with surprise. He quickly put down the things in his hands and walked out to greet him. He said with a smile, "Oh, it's Master Sha, Master Sha, you are such a rare guest! Please come in and have a seat, have a cup of tea and rest your feet. I have to treat you well today."

Shopkeeper Liu, who was standing nearby, heard the noise and hurried over from Liu's Pharmacy. He enthusiastically agreed, "Yes, yes, it's rare for you to come here. We just got some good tea, so you must come in and try it."

The shop was still quite busy at the time, and upon hearing the commotion, they all cast curious glances. Sha Yanxiao stood tall and straight, his demeanor outstanding. Though dressed in casual clothes, his innate majesty and extraordinary aura were hard to conceal. However, no one recognized him as the Young Marshal, and instead whispered to each other, speculating quietly about his identity.

Sha Yanxiao smiled and waved his hand, then said calmly, "Manager Zhang, Manager Liu, thank you for your hospitality. However, I'm accompanying my sisters on some errands today, and time is tight, so I won't come into the store to disturb you. I hope your business is booming, and we'll talk again when we have time."

Seeing that Sha Yanxiao was indeed busy, Shopkeeper Liu felt sorry for him, but he couldn't force him, so he said, "Okay, Young Marshal, you're busy, so come often when you have time."

Shopkeeper Zhang looked a little worried. He winked at Gui'er secretly and pointed at Sha Yanxiao. Gui'er didn't understand why. She thought she wanted him to pay attention to Sha Yanxiao, so she didn't take it to heart and nodded.

After saying goodbye to the two shopkeepers, Sha Yanxiao continued on his way with Gui'er and Taohua. Soon, they arrived at Shopkeeper Zhou's tailor shop.

Shopkeeper Zhou was concentrating on sorting fabrics in the shop. When he heard footsteps, he looked up and saw Gui'er. He said calmly, "You're here. Okay, sit inside. I'll get a ruler to measure your sister's body."

Then he turned his head. The moment his eyes met Sha Yanxiao's, his face suddenly turned pale, and his eyes instantly ignited with a strong fire of hatred. He lowered his head slightly, pretending to tidy up the counter, but his hand secretly reached into the drawer under the counter.

Seeing the sudden change in Shopkeeper Zhou's expression, Gui'er remembered the look Shopkeeper Zhang had just given her. She secretly cried out inwardly, and immediately sensed danger. She quickly stepped forward and stood between Shopkeeper Zhou, Sha Yanxiao, and Taohua. She reached out and firmly grasped Shopkeeper Zhou's hand, and whispered anxiously, "Shopkeeper Zhou, what are you doing?"

Shopkeeper Zhou glared at Sha Yanxiao angrily, his eyes blazing with fire. He gritted his teeth and whispered, "He must be the warlord in Jiangcheng right now! I want revenge for my deceased wife!"

Gui'er held Manager Zhou's hand tightly, her eyes firmly fixed on him as she spoke, "Manager Zhou, calm down! We are all deeply saddened by your wife's sacrifice, but it wasn't the Young Marshal who killed her. Fengcheng and Jiangcheng are now entirely dependent on the Young Marshal to maintain order. If anything were to happen to him, these two cities would inevitably fall into chaos, and even more people would suffer! Think about it, is this what your wife would want to see? We must prioritize the overall situation!"

Shopkeeper Zhou's hands trembled slightly in the drawer, his eyes filled with pain and struggle. He stared at Sha Yanxiao intently, as if he could see through him. After a long moment, his eyes gradually dimmed, and he slowly pulled his hand out of the drawer, letting it hang limply by his side. He said in a low voice, "Forget it..."

At this time, Sha Yanxiao was completely unaware of the thrilling scene that had just happened and was looking at the fabrics in the store with great interest.

Shopkeeper Zhou took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in his heart, and said to Taohua, "Miss, come here and get measured."

Although Taohua didn't hear the whispered conversation between the two, she noticed something unusual from Shopkeeper Zhang's expression. She walked tremblingly to Shopkeeper Zhou, who picked up a ruler and began to measure Taohua's size.

After taking the measurements, Shopkeeper Zhou said coldly, "Okay, the clothes will be ready in three days. Come pick them up then. If there's anything that doesn't fit, you can take it back for alterations."

Taohua asked curiously, "Gui'er, how much does this wedding dress cost?"

Guier smiled and said, "It's 10 silver dollars in total, including the cost of the fabric, the workmanship, and the buttons."

When Taohua heard this, her eyes widened and she said in surprise, "Ten silver dollars! That's too expensive! Gui'er, let's cancel the subscription. It's too painful to spend this money."

Shopkeeper Zhou and Sha Yanxiao both turned their heads to look at Taohua.

Gui'er was a little embarrassed. She took Taohua's hand and said, "Taohua, this is my wedding gift to you. This is the only wedding you'll ever get, so I can't let you down. Besides, Shopkeeper Zhou is a skilled craftsman. This wedding dress will definitely be beautiful. Don't refuse it."

Taohua hesitated for a moment, looked at Guier's sincere eyes, and finally nodded and said, "Okay, Guier, thank you so much."

Then a group of people came out. Sha Yanxiao first sent Taohua back to the outer house, and then drove Guier back to the Marshal's Mansion.