A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

"Since the Fourth Concubine is not in a position to talk about it, then as a junior, it's naturally not appropriate for me to ask. It's getting late, so I'll leave first." Gui'er knew that the Fourth Concubine was teasing her. She was worried that there was a struggle for favor or intrigue in the mansion. She didn't want to get involved in it, so she quickly ran away.

"It's the eighth concubine who wants to introduce a girl to your brother." said the fourth concubine.

"Oh, so that's it." Gui'er heard it. She wasn't particularly surprised. "Maybe the Eighth Concubine wants to introduce a date to my brother. Then she can arrange for her own people to come to the mansion. This can also win over my brother. It's really a good idea." However, she was still a little puzzled. When the Eighth Concubine Zheng Wanyu first got married, she was very attentive to Sha Yanxiao and showed that she was very fond of him. Why did she suddenly change her mind and introduce her to someone?

"Humph, that vixen, she's now relying on her youth to completely bewitch the Marshal. Originally, when the Madam went to Nanjing, I should have been the head of the household, but he actually took the reins himself. How could she, a childless concubine who entered the mansion so late, be so entitled?"

As expected, it was still a tangle of intrigues. Gui'er didn't want to get involved, so she smiled and said, "The most important thing is to see what father thinks. He's getting better and better now, and I'm afraid he's becoming more and more opinionated. We can't say much. If there's nothing else, I'll go back first and come back to see Auntie."

As he said this, he wanted to slip away.

"You were in such a hurry to graduate and come back because you were afraid that she would snatch your brother away? Then you and your brother will never be able to have a relationship." The fourth concubine suddenly said.

"Ah? What?" Guier thought she had misheard.

The Fourth Concubine looked around and said mysteriously to Gui'er, "I've been through this. In the beginning, your brother really did treat you like a younger sister, but in the past two years, I've noticed that his perspective on you has become increasingly skewed. I thought you two were just being affectionate, but it turns out you're still just a child, naive and clueless."

These words had a huge impact on Gui'er. Her face turned red and white. She didn't know whether the Fourth Concubine said this because she wanted her to help her in the intrigue, or whether she was telling the truth.

But no matter what, she absolutely couldn't let her run away. Gui'er secretly took a deep breath, smiled and said to the Fourth Auntie, "Fourth Auntie, I think you're just too free now that Lily's not home, so you're just daydreaming. You know, my brother and I have a good relationship. He says he's my brother, but in reality, he's just like my father. If you think about these things, he'll be angry if he finds out."

"Oh, I'm an experienced person, I wouldn't be wrong, but please don't tell your second brother about this. I don't want to get involved in the affairs of you young people, just let it go. I just can't stand that Zheng Wanyu. She's trying to play tricks on everyone in the mansion, especially your brother. She used to like your brother so much and was completely devoted to him, so why is she suddenly so kind to introduce him to someone? You better be careful."

Gui'er responded politely with a few words and then left.

She kept thinking about what the Fourth Concubine had just said, and walked back to her yard in a daze.

By dinner time, Sha Yanxiao had returned, dressed in military uniform, the crisp fabric framing his tall and straight figure. His eyebrows slanted down to his temples, his eyes were deep and sharp, and beneath his high nose, his thin lips were tightly pursed. His imposing face held both the vigor of youth and the composure of a veteran on the battlefield.

Gui'er suddenly felt her cheeks getting a little hot and she didn't dare to look Sha Yanxiao in the eye.

"Damn it, it's all because of the nonsense I heard from the Fourth Concubine." She tried hard to suppress the throbbing in her heart, calmed down, and said to Sha Yanxiao with a smile: "Brother, you're back."

Sha Yanxiao sat down on the sofa and said to Gui'er with a tired smile, "Why are you back so early today?"

Gui Er couldn't say that it was Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu who told her not to go there so often. After a moment's thought, she said, "Business at the pharmacy has been very bad lately. Shopkeeper Liu let all the employees go, and there aren't many customers. He said the market isn't peaceful, so he told me to come back."

After hearing this, Sha Yanxiao sighed and said, "I have tried my best to persuade the wealthy families in the city, but they still can't let go. If rich people are like this, let alone ordinary people." There was fatigue in his words.

Gui'er quickly comforted him, "Our place is actually better than other places. I believe that after a while, they will come back if they see nothing is wrong."

Sha Yanxiao knew she was trying to comfort him, so he smiled and said, "Let's eat first."

The dinner was very sumptuous. When the cook brought the dishes over, she smiled and said, "Miss, it's a good thing you're back. Normally, the young master never pays attention to his food. He refuses even when we cook more, preferring simple meals and saying he wants to save money."

Sha Yanxiao quickly said, "I'm just not very particular about food. Gui'er is a girl, and her body is more delicate, so she naturally needs more nutritious and delicious meals."

After dinner, the two sat in the living room, listening to the radio and chatting.

Suddenly, the announcer's clear voice blared from the radio: "Attention, listeners! We have an important news report for you. Recently, the government, to maintain national stability and social order, has launched a full-scale, harsh campaign against the revolutionary party. The revolutionary party's perverse actions, their vain attempts to undermine national stability and disrupt people's lives, are truly a pest to the nation and a public enemy of the people."

The government hereby solemnly calls on the public to actively provide information related to the revolutionary party. If any report is confirmed, a generous reward will be given to honor the report. With the government and the people united, we will be able to completely eradicate the pernicious influence of the revolutionary party and restore peace and prosperity to China. Let us work together for the prosperity of our country and the rejuvenation of our nation!

After hearing this, Gui'er's face, which was originally smiling, turned pale in an instant.

"Alas, the country is in crisis, and we small towns like them are doing our utmost to prepare for war, but the bigwigs above us are completely unconcerned and are still doing these meaningless things."

"Shh, brother, don't talk nonsense. If it gets out, it will be terrible."

"We're all family here, don't worry." Sha Yanxiao sighed again, a look of fatigue and desolation in his eyes. He said, "Sister, you've seen since you came back that father is getting better. He's thinking about slowly taking over the power from me. But before, his attitude towards the Japanese was very ambiguous. I'm worried that if the Japanese attack and we can't defeat him, he'll take his army and defect to the Japanese."