A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui Er finished taking the steamed buns and felt a little guilty, so she said to Ju Xiang, "The Third Concubine hasn't been home these past two days. There's only an old maid in her room. She said she's old and her hands and feet aren't very flexible, so she only cooks one meal a day."

Juxiang smiled and said, "Miss, take it all. Actually, that Wu Ma from their courtyard, her husband and daughter both work at our house. They always take things out of the courtyard for them. Everyone knows it."

Guier smiled awkwardly, "So everyone knows, but I'm not from their courtyard, so I can't say anything."

Juxiang said, "It's alright, young lady, you just mean well. I heard that it was Taohua herself who suggested going with the Third Concubine. You two have been here too short a time. Everyone in this mansion knows that the Third Concubine is a Pixiu, always coming in and never leaving. She asked Miss Taohua to live in her courtyard, probably because she wanted to take advantage of her monthly salary."

Gui'er was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect there was such a secret. She quickly picked up the lunch box and rode her bike to the place where she had asked Taohua to wait.

Taohua was still there. Guier opened the food box and took out the water chestnut cake and steamed buns. Taohua picked them up and started to gobble them up.

Gui'er sighed and said, "You can't do this. You're not a servant anymore. If you don't behave like a young lady, they'll bully you even more in the future."

Taohua said with a smile: "It's okay, the third concubine will be back tomorrow."

Gui Er asked tentatively, "I heard from my maid that Third Concubine is a very stingy person. Is it true that she withheld your monthly salary?"

Taohua lowered her head and said nothing. Gui'er knew it was true. She said angrily, "Isn't this too much? I'll go talk to the Marshal tomorrow."

Taohua quickly grabbed Gui'er and said, "Forget it, it's better to have less trouble than more. The Marshal adopted me as his adopted daughter just to recognize you. Living with the Third Concubine was my own choice. Although there is no monthly allowance, I am a young lady after all. I have food and drink, and I can go to a private school without having to work. It's much better than before. If I don't have money, I can just embroider more patterns and sell them. In fact, the Third Concubine has had a hard time too. She has been out of favor for a long time, and her monthly allowance is less than that of the other concubines. This courtyard requires money inside and outside. She uses my monthly allowance as payment for accommodation and food."

Gui'er knew that Taohua had always been gentle in character. She was just the Marshal's adopted daughter out of gratitude. She had to be cautious and careful in normal times, not to mention Taohua. She could only sigh deeply and didn't know what to do for a moment.

Seeing her like that, Taohua smiled and comforted her, saying, "Don't be sad. We are much better off now than before. The old maid in the courtyard also said that when we grow up a little, the mansion will find us a suitable match. By then, we will be proper wives, which is much better than marrying those peasants."

Gui Er couldn't help but burst out laughing and said, "Don't listen to her nonsense. The Third Concubine's own daughter was only 15 years old, and she was married to Marshal Zhang who was in his 70s. Even if he could live to 30, wouldn't Miss Sanmei still be a widow in her s? We must not sit idly by and wait for death."

Taohua thought it made sense and was a little bewildered: "But we can't leave the Marshal's Mansion now. Even if they let us go, we won't be able to survive outside."

Gui'er said, "I've thought it through. My application to skip a grade has been approved. Next semester I'm going to skip two grades so I can graduate faster. I must study hard and then go to Shanghai to continue my studies. That way I can escape the Marshal's Mansion."

Taohua said with envy: "You are really capable. I can't even leave this deep courtyard. I can only take one step at a time."

Gui Er smiled and said, "If I can really go to Shanghai, I will tell the Marshal that I am alone there and have no one to rely on, so I will take you with me so that you can have company."

Taohua said happily: "Really? But will the Marshal agree?"

Gui'er was actually unsure. She didn't even know whether she could go to study in another place. She had been thinking about a way to become independent. Somehow, the idea suddenly took shape in her mind tonight.

She said to Taohua, "Everything depends on human effort. There will always be a way. But you still need to work hard in the private school over there. By the way, what did you learn in the private school?"

Taohua counted on her fingers and said, "There are Three Character Classic, Hundred Family Surnames, Women's Virtues, Women's Instructions. Oh, and the teacher also taught us how to paint and play the piano."

Guier asked, "Are there any Four Books and Five Classics?"

Taohua said, "No, the master said that the commander-in-chief thinks it's enough for girls to know a few words. They don't need to be too knowledgeable. They will get married anyway."

Gui'er was quite surprised. When she was praised by the principal, the Marshal was so happy and even rewarded her with a bicycle. How could he not pay attention to the education of his own daughter?

She suddenly thought that among the young ladies in the Marshal's Mansion, only Sha Lili went to a formal school, and that was probably at the request of the Fourth Concubine.

Gui'er then asked Taohua, "You usually go to and from school with the other sisters from the Marshal's Mansion. Do you get along well with them?"

Taohua sighed and said, "Usually during class, the teacher is always teaching. After class, everyone goes back to their own courtyards. She and I rarely play together, and it seems that they don't interact much. Occasionally, they just talk about it, such as my father went to their courtyard five times this month, one more than others. It's well known that the third concubine is not favored, so I don't have much to say."

Gui'er suddenly realized that Taohua's life in the Marshal's Mansion was also quite difficult. She felt a little guilty, wondering why she didn't realize it earlier. She said to Taohua, "It's my fault. I was so busy with school that I didn't pay much attention to you. If you have any problems in the future, please tell me."

Taohua smiled and shook her head. "We're all living under someone else's roof, how can it be easy? Things are much better now than before, at least for me, better than ever before. The suffering I endure now is nothing compared to the past. I'm content."

Gui'er was speechless for a moment.

At this time, Taohua was full, and there was still a steamed bun in the food box. Taohua smiled embarrassedly and said, "I'd better keep this steamed bun. I don't know when the third concubine will be back tomorrow. Maybe I can use it to make a head." Then she took out a handkerchief, wrapped the steamed bun and put it in her pocket.

Gui Er felt mixed emotions and could only smile and say, "I will definitely come again tomorrow. If Third Auntie isn't back by then and you don't have food to eat, just tell me and I'll bring you something to eat."

When she returned to the courtyard, the lights were already on. Sha Yanxiao was sitting on the sofa in the living room reading a newspaper. Seeing her return, he asked, "Why did you take so long to deliver a small gift? Oh, look at you, you look so unhappy. Did you have a fight? You guys are such good friends, and you still have a fight?"

Gui'er hesitated whether to tell Sha Yanxiao about it.

Sha Yanxiao had already walked up to her, squatted down, pinched her cheek and said, "Tell me, what's going on?"

Gui'er thought about it and only told Sha Yanxiao about the harsh treatment the maid in the Third Concubine's house had given Taohua. She did not say that the Third Concubine herself had withheld Taohua's monthly allowance. After all, the Third Concubine was Sha Yanxiao's elder, and she was afraid that Sha Yanxiao would have a hard time doing so.

After hearing this, Sha Yanxiao said straightforwardly, "I thought it was something serious. I'll tell the steward tomorrow and have him give Wu Ma, who works in the Third Concubine's courtyard, a warning. Is this something you should be worried about? Stop being unhappy. Look at you, when you're unhappy, you pout like a duck."

Gui'er chuckled and said, "You are more like a duck."