A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui'er was truly shaken by what Dali said. Even after returning home, she couldn't calm down for a long time. Sha Yanxiao saw this and asked, "What's wrong? What's going on? You look like you're so worried about the lawsuit."

Dali walked out, smiling and saying, "She just listened to me tell about my experience meeting the young marshal when I was a child."

Sha Yanxiao frowned, touched Gui'er's face and said, "Are you scared?" Then he said to Dali with a hint of reproach, "Why did you say that to him?"

Gui Er suddenly had an idea. Now was a good opportunity to ask Sha Yanxiao, so she quickly said, "No, I'm fine. Brother Dali, did you go back to see your family later?"

Dali said, "When I grew up and had the opportunity to go down the mountain, I went back once. It wasn't very meaningful. We were still so poor. Life didn't get any better after selling me off. My stepmother was even afraid I would stay and eat at home. I went back a few times and gave my father some money. That's when people in my family started to smile. But after my father passed away, I never went back. That was no longer my home."

Guier fell silent again.

Sha Yanxiao quickly said, "Actually, there are a lot of things like this happening nowadays. It's nothing special."

When Gui'er heard this, she took the opportunity to ask, "Did Brother Yanxiao's mother also die young?"

Sha Yanxiao was visibly stunned for a moment, then said calmly, "Not really. It's just that when I was very young, I was sent to a foster family. The only memory I have of my mother is one time, when I was about two or three years old. She came with her personal maid to bring money and clothes, and the foster couple told me she was my mother. That was the only time. After that, her maids always brought me here. Then suddenly they stopped. Seeing they had no money, the foster couple wanted to sell me. Luckily, the head of the family found me and took me away. I don't even remember what she looked like."

Gui Er asked curiously, "The Marshal has so many wives, so this one wouldn't be a big deal. Why doesn't he marry her?"

Sha Yanxiao said: "My father said she was married, and he was in dire straits at the time and couldn't care less about her. We haven't heard from each other for many years."

Gui'er connected the information that Sha Yanxiao and Dali said, and her thoughts gradually became clear. It was probably that when the Marshal and Mrs. Song met, they were both married with children. At that time, the Marshal was down and out, and somehow he met Mrs. Song, and then Sha Yanxiao was born. Because he was an illegitimate child who could not be seen in public, Mrs. Song had no choice but to send him to someone else for foster care. After a long time, she wanted to abandon him. It happened that the leader of Qingfeng Village, who was entrusted by the Marshal, found this illegitimate child and raised him to adulthood. Later, the Marshal's eldest son, the legitimate successor, was injured and disabled, and the leader was killed. The Marshal had no choice but to recognize Sha Yanxiao as his ancestral home.

After sorting out these relationships, Gui'er thought again and again and decided not to tell him that she knew Mrs. Song was Sha Yanxiao's biological mother. She felt a little sorry for Sha Yanxiao. Both his biological mother and father did not love him very much. For Mrs. Song, Sha Yanxiao was a scandal to her. Although the Marshal still valued him now, he was an illegitimate child and did not have a mother of noble status. If the Marshal had a better son, he would probably not care about him so much.

At this moment, Sha Yanxiao suddenly took Gui'er's hand and said, "Look, we've all talked about our life stories, now it's your turn. I don't even know what happened before you entered the Song Mansion."

Gui'er blinked and said, "Actually, I don't remember much. I heard Taohua say that our two families were neighbors and played together when we were young. Then one year the harvest was poor and they couldn't eat enough, so they sold us both to the flower boat. All my memories started there. Taohua said that it was because I fell while running away and hit my head on a rock on the shore, which injured me. Later, the flower boat's madam gave us to Master Long. On the first day we were given to Master Long, Young Master Song was fighting bandits and he rescued us. Since then, we have been in the Song family."

Sha Yanxiao curled his lips and said in a somewhat unhappy tone, "Then Director Song is still your savior."

Gui'er was a little confused, but nodded and said, "Indeed, he did. He also allowed me to go to school. If a girl learns culture, she can be independent and support herself in the future. I'm very grateful to the young master." Then she looked up and saw Sha Yanxiao's face, which was covered with dark clouds. She quickly said, "Of course I'm also very grateful to Brother Yanxiao. You're so good to me."

Sha Yanxiao's face immediately brightened up. Dali couldn't help laughing beside him, but Sha Yanxiao kicked him in the butt and said, "Get lost."

Gui'er remembered that she had not given Taohua the money from selling embroidery pieces yet, so she said something to Sha Yanxiao and rode out on her bicycle. She had planned to go to the hole in the wall as usual, but when she was about to reach the third concubine's courtyard, she saw Taohua strolling outside from a distance.

Guier was very surprised and got out of the car quickly to ask her why she was playing outside at this time?

Taohua hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "The third concubine went back to her parents' home. She took the two maids with her. There weren't many servants left in the courtyard anyway, so we're left with an old maid in her fifties or sixties. She's so old she's so arrogant that I can't get her to do anything."

Gui'er gave Taohua the money she earned from selling the embroidery samples. Taohua happily accepted it and said, "The shopkeeper said you embroider quickly and well, so she asked you to sell any new ones you have to her in the future."

Taohua said happily, "Okay."

Gui Er remembered what Tao Hua had just said and said, "The Third Concubine has returned to her parents' home. There's no one to take care of you here. How are you going to manage your daily diet?"

Taohua was a little hesitant and said awkwardly, "If it's the day I'm dining with the Marshal, I can eat my fill. Normally, Aunt Wu goes to the kitchen every morning to get the day's food, cooks it all at once, and then divides it into two meals. But she has family members at home, so she takes most of the food and shares it with them. She says I'm still young and haven't grown yet, so I shouldn't eat so much. If I get fat, I won't grow taller."

Gui Er said angrily, "How much have you eaten? Is it her turn as a servant to say how much you've eaten? Have you not eaten dinner yet?"

Taohua lowered her head and said nothing. Guier knew she had guessed it right and said quickly, "Wait here for me. I'll get you something to eat."

She turned around and rode her bicycle back to her yard. As soon as she entered the yard, she went straight to the small kitchen. Juxiang saw her and hurried over to ask, "Miss, are you not full? What do you want to eat? I'll make it for you in the kitchen."

Gui'er said, "It's too late. I need to take it out for Taohua to eat."

Juxiang groaned and said, "There's nothing else. There's a small dish of water chestnut cake, which I'm going to make for your breakfast tomorrow. The rest are just a few steamed buns left over by our servants."

Guier took a food box, put the water chestnut cake in it, hesitated for a moment, and put the steamed buns in as well, then prepared to give it to Taohua.