A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

The Seventh Concubine said, "I know that Madam and the eldest young master are in charge of the finances now, but the governance of the area is still in the hands of the second young master. He can still make money quickly. I just hope that if something happens to the Marshal, the second young master can look after me. I know I should have asked Madam for help, but it's not that I like to speak ill of her. After all, I was once favored. A concubine who has been favored by the master is a thorn in the eyes of Madam. She is unlikely to look after me, so I also hope that you can say a few good words to your second brother and ask him to look after me when the time comes. It's not that I have to ask you to give me anything. I have some savings myself, but when the time comes, you will naturally understand."

Gui'er was confused by what she said. Since she didn't say what specific help she wanted, she could only say in general terms: "We are all family, and we should help each other. Why does Seventh Concubine have to be so serious? I'm going to go see my father first." Then she slipped away.

When we arrived at the Marshal's dormitory on the second floor, Sha Yanyao was there too. He was sitting on the sofa in the Marshal's bedroom reading a newspaper, while Sha Yanxiao was sitting at the head of the Marshal's bed asking Doctor He about the Marshal's condition. The two brothers were busy with their own things.

Gui'er quickly greeted Sha Yanyao.

Sha Yanyao smiled and said, "Sister, are you back from get off work? I heard you're a nurse and a medical student in the hospital. Would you like to visit father? It would be a great learning opportunity."

Seeing him so calm and composed, not even a bit anxious, Gui'er had no idea what he was up to. She quickly said with a smile, "How dare I use my limited nursing knowledge on my father? As the saying goes, too much care can lead to confusion. I'm afraid I won't be able to do a good job."

Sha Yanyao glanced at the Marshal and asked Gui'er, "Who else is downstairs?"

"It's the Seventh Aunt. She said she wanted to come and look after Father."

Sha Yanyao snorted and said, "She's thoughtful. Mother said that when Dad was dying, there wouldn't be many people around him, so she asked me to come over and keep an eye on him. It's true. They say there's no filial son for a long-term sickbed, and it's the same for women."

Gui'er's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and she immediately made a decision in her mind. No matter how much she hated it, she had to pretend to drag Sha Yanxiao here more often during this period of time to avoid being in trouble with the people from the first house.

She smiled, pretended to be concerned and walked to the Marshal's bedside and asked, "Is Father feeling better?"

Doctor He smiled and said, "Miss, the Marshal is still in a coma. He can't eat and can only be fed with a nutrient solution. That's why he looks rather haggard."

Gui'er saw that the Marshal looked more than just haggard. After not seeing him for a few days, he had lost a lot of weight. The flesh on his face had deflated. His mouth was half open and he was wearing an oxygen mask. It seemed that he was breathing out more than breathing in, and it looked like he didn't have much time left.

She was a little scared, but when she looked up at the others, she saw no reaction, so she had to suppress her surprise. She felt it necessary to tell Song Xichen about this situation.

Sha Yanxiao discussed the treatment plan with Doctor He again. He also suggested going to Shanghai or Hong Kong to invite a famous doctor, but Doctor He rejected it, saying that the Marshal's current condition was not a problem of the famous doctor, but a problem of his own resistance and recovery ability, and it mainly depended on whether he could recover on his own.

Sha Yanyao had been sitting nearby, not saying a word. Sha Yanxiao walked over and said to him, "Brother, what do you think we should do?"

Sha Yanyao finally put down his crossed legs and the newspaper and said slowly, "Mother said that we should do our best. After all, Father is old and has been ill for a long time. If he is left half-dead after treatment, it will be very difficult."

Gui'er was quite surprised by Madam's idea. She always thought that everyone in the mansion might be afraid of the Marshal and dislike him, but as the Marshal's first wife, Madam should have the deepest feelings for him.

After hearing what Sha Yanyao said, Sha Yanxiao didn't know what to say anymore. He asked the maid beside him to take good care of her, and then pulled Gui'er out.

As soon as the two of them walked out of the main courtyard, they saw Sha Lili and her husband driving a car back from outside. They looked very happy, as if they had just gone out for a trip.

Sha Lili specifically asked her husband to stop the car to greet Sha Yanxiao, and said with a smile, "Second brother, I just came back from my uncle's house. They came to see Father and brought a lot of gifts. Oh, and this one is for you. It's a tie clip imported from the UK, and it's inlaid with diamonds. And, Gui'er, this one is for you. It's a silk scarf imported from France."

Sha Lili's two uncles both worked in the central government, high-ranking officials. Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "Thank you very much. Why don't you invite your uncles over to sit down and have a meal?"

Sha Lili's husband smiled and said, "Second brother, you are very reasonable. I said so too, but my two uncles said that they have been busy at home recently and it is not convenient to bother you. However, they will come to visit in a few days."

Gui'er immediately understood the hidden meaning. The four concubine's two brothers were indeed officials working in the central government. They were very smart and had probably heard from the four concubine about what had happened between Zhao Yingwu and Zhao Zongguan some time ago. They guessed that the two brothers were fighting openly and secretly at this time and didn't want to get into trouble.

Sha Yanxiao also heard it, but said nothing more. He smiled and said, "Okay, I will definitely treat you well at home when the time comes."

Then they went their separate ways.

Who knew that just as Gui'er sat down in her yard, opened the gift box, and was looking at the silk scarf that was said to be imported from France, Sally came over again.

Sha Yanxiao jokingly asked, "What's wrong? Can you come over and explain to me how to use this tie clip?"

Sha Lili said coquettishly: "Second brother, you are always making fun of others. I came to tell you that I am on your side."

Sha Yanxiao was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "What's the point of this and that? We're all one family, why are we being so specific?"

Sha Lili quickly corrected herself, saying, "Yes, yes, yes. Mother also said that since Father is ill, we should all unite. I hope Father can get better soon and continue to lead the family. Everyone, young and old, is counting on him."

Then, seeing the silk scarf in Gui'er's hand, he quickly changed the subject, sat down next to her and said, "Look at this material, it's really nice. I have one with a similar pattern, and let me tell you how to wear it." Then he helped Gui'er wrap the scarf around her neck and asked, "Does it look good?"

Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "It's really good."

Sally suddenly seemed to be in high spirits. She said to Gui'er, "I have some longer scarves. Would you like to come and take a look? Let's go."