A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

"Is this my niece? She looks so pretty." Gui'er leaned over to take a look. Suddenly, the little girl started crying. Taohua quickly patted her and comforted her, "She still has a quick temper."

Wu Dafu rubbed his hands and said, "Thanks to the money you sent last time, Taohua was able to hire a good doctor and had a peaceful confinement. Look, you sent more things, and the house is almost full."

Wu Dahua and Miss Zhang Si's concubine were already busy in the kitchen, chopping meat with a crackling sound, and the aroma of wild duck meat soon wafted out.

Miss Zhang Si said enthusiastically, "Sister, you must stay for dinner before leaving."

The table was overflowing with lunch: wild duck stewed with potatoes, the broth thick and juicy; steamed rice, white and fragrant; and stir-fried vegetables and pickled radish, all grown in the family's fields. Wu Dafu served Gui'er the rice: "Try it! It's all made with the things you brought."

During the meal, Wu Dahua said to Gui'er, "I heard the Japanese are about to attack. Didn't the people in the Marshal's Mansion say they should leave for shelter?"

Gui Er frowned and said, "Brother, what are you talking about? The Marshal's Mansion is the master of a city. Jiangcheng and Fengcheng are both guarded by them. How can they run away? Besides, if they run away, wouldn't it be like handing over the territory to others and losing everything?"

Doctor Wu shook his head and said, "That's not the case. Men should stay and fight. You're a girl, do you really have to stay here forever? Our father has already written to us saying that the land he helped us buy in the mountains has been finalized and the house has been built. I'll go back to take a look in a while, and maybe plant some sweet potatoes, taro, or something like that in the land. That way, you can work here and go back to farm when you have free time. It's an extra income, and if a war really breaks out, you'll have a place to hide. If the young marshal really hasn't arranged a place for you, then if a war really breaks out, you can hide in the countryside with us."

Gui'er didn't expect that the two brothers had already made such a long-term plan, while she herself had no plans at all. She said vaguely, "We'll talk about it when the time comes."

Before leaving, Taohua stuffed a small basket of eggs into Guier's hand and said, "These are laid by our own chickens. I don't have anything good to give you, but this is just a token of my appreciation." Wu Dafu and Wu Dahua saw Guier off to the door, repeatedly saying, "Come often when you have time."

Back at the Marshal's Mansion, Sha Yanxiao asked, "Are you happy to see your brother today?"

Guier smiled and said, "Of course I'm happy. Taohua's baby is born, and they also gave us a small basket of eggs from the chickens they raised. I've given them to the kitchen. I'll cook them for you later. It's a token of their love."

Sha Yanxiao nodded and said with a smile, "They are thoughtful."

The two were talking when the butler suddenly ran in breathlessly and said, "Master, Miss, that..."

Before he could finish his words, the fifth concubine and the fifth concubine rushed in, dragging their two daughters. They rushed to say to Sha Yanxiao, "Yanxiao, you are the commander-in-chief now. You have to judge the situation and give us justice, otherwise we will die."

Sha Yanxiao frowned and asked impatiently, "What's wrong with you two? Why are you talking so seriously?"

The Fifth Concubine wiped her tears and said, "Now that the Marshal is gone, it's only right that we be given our share of the family property. Now that the Madam has not given us any, she's also withholding our monthly allowance. We were already living very hard. Now we can barely afford to eat."

The Sixth Concubine also stepped forward and said, "Young Marshal, no, it's the Great Marshal. Look, your sisters are actually about the same age as Gui'er. The eldest one in my family is only one year younger than Gui'er. It's time for her to find a husband, but she needs a dowry. I haven't been very favored in these years, and I don't have much money at all. If I find her a husband now, I won't even be able to come up with a dowry. What should I do? You are the one who calls the shots in the mansion now, you have to make the decision."

Sha Yanxiao rubbed his eyebrows and glanced at the two daughters of the fifth and sixth concubines. The four girls were immediately frightened like quails and hid back.

"It's a serious matter for my sisters to find someone. Have you told Madam? I believe Madam won't stop you. Besides, our father's funeral just happened. Even if we want to have a wedding, it won't be that soon." Sha Yanxiao said calmly.

"That's not the case. She's not young anymore. She needs to find a husband. It'll take at least a year or two, and there'll be engagements and gifts, and so on. Then, once the mourning period is over, won't she be able to get married? Besides, even if there's no one she likes for the time being, she still needs to prepare a dowry at her age. My family has two wives to prepare, and I don't have any money at all. You, you see..."

"Then you can find a partner for him first. I will talk to my wife later. You guys go back first." Sha Yanxiao ordered them to leave.

The fifth and sixth concubines opened their mouths, wanting to say something but stopping themselves. However, they didn't dare to say anything more and had to leave in disappointment.

Gui'er looked at their backs and breathed a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong? Is Gui'er also thinking about finding a partner?" Sha Yanxiao asked with a smile.

Gui Er pouted and said, "I don't want to get married. I can't stand a man having three wives and four concubines, unless he also agrees that I can find a third or fourth husband."

Sha Yanxiao was stunned when he heard this, then he threw his head back and burst into laughter: "Is Gui'er going to be the Republic of China version of Wu Zetian?"

Seeing he'd misunderstood, Gui'er quickly said, "That's not true. I only believe in monogamy. Marriage isn't necessarily the ultimate outcome of love, but once you're married, you should remain faithful to your partner. But where can such a marriage exist in today's society? Even if a man respects his wife deeply and claims to love her, he can still turn around and find someone else. So I'm simply not getting married."

Sha Yanxiao stared at her blankly, and after a while he said, "No, I will never have three wives and four concubines, don't worry."

Gui'er thought he meant that if she got married and the man had three wives and four concubines, Sha Yanxiao would give him justice. She smiled and said, "Brother, don't talk about me. How are you going to deal with the matter of the fifth and sixth concubines just now?"

Sha Yanxiao said helplessly, "I also know the character of the Fifth and Sixth Concubines, but they are indeed my sisters. If I don't help them, am I going to watch them waste their youth in this mansion?"

Gui'er shook her head and said, "Then you should just ask Madam to find husbands for them. Don't ask Madam for money, or she'll think you still have her money. I think their goal is to use those sisters' marriages to get their hands on the family fortune. I've never heard of the Fifth or Sixth Concubine finding husbands for their daughters. How could it be so coincidental that they would think of finding husbands for their daughters right after the Marshal's funeral?"