A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Guier nodded and smiled, saying, "My colleagues all wish me academic success, and I'm truly grateful to them."

Sha Yanyao smiled and said, "Come to think of it, you're leaving tomorrow, so I'll treat you to another cake."

"Miss, you haven't finished packing your luggage yet. You're leaving tomorrow, so you'd better go back home early to pack your luggage." Ah Cheng suddenly interrupted. He was also on guard against Sha Yanyao.

"Let the subordinates do small things like packing. Go back and tell the maid to pack a few more good clothes. When we arrive in Hong Kong, there will be no time to make new ones. Don't let people look down on you." Sha Yanyao turned and said to Acheng.

Ah Cheng stood there in a daze, not knowing what to do. Although Sha Yanyao was not his direct superior, he was also the master of the Marshal's Mansion. If he disobeyed, things might get out of hand.

Guier turned around and said to him, "Brother Cheng, you go back first. My brother will drive me back later. Tell my second brother that I'm going to have cake with my eldest brother and will be back later."

After listening to this, Acheng nodded and left.

Sha Yanyao looked at Ah Cheng's back and said, "Why did my second brother assign you such a bodyguard? You should find an honest person. You are soft-hearted and easily led by others."

Gui'er didn't want to talk about this topic any more, so she said, "He's just a bodyguard. It's not his job to take care of other things. Brother, let's go."

The two went to the Café de Café and ordered chestnut cream cake.

Sha Yanyao smiled and said to Gui'er, "I never thought that you would suddenly go to Hong Kong to study medicine. Hong Kong is so far away. I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to come home in the future. You must take care of yourself out there."

Guier smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, brother. I will."

Sha Yanyao took out a small box and said with a smile, "You are going on a long journey, and as your big brother, I don't have anything good to give you. This is just a small gift, maybe you can use it."

Gui'er didn't expect Sha Yanyao to give her a gift. When she opened the box, she found an exquisite ladies' watch inside. The small dial was matched with a genuine leather strap. It was very fashionable and it was obviously an imported product.

Gui'er was very surprised that Sha Yanyao would give her such an expensive gift. She took out the watch and put it on her wrist. It looked very nice. She said happily, "It looks really nice. Thank you, big brother."

Sha Yanyao smiled amiably. "I'm a little worried about you going to Hong Kong alone. Don't you have any friends or classmates to go with you? For example, if your family has a business, many people are heading to Hong Kong right now."

Gui'er's heart skipped a beat. She felt that Sha Yanyao was still not giving up and wanted to test her again. At this time, no matter who she revealed, they would become the target of Sha Yanyao's investigation.

She pretended to be happy, looking at her watch and said nonchalantly: "No, many of my classmates are planning to get married or become female employees. But my second brother said that his former schoolmate is willing to help, so it shouldn't be a problem. His schoolmate is a teacher there."

"Really? Has my second brother kept in touch with that schoolmate of his? After so many years, I wonder if he's still reliable."

"My second brother reportedly gave me some gifts. Money talks. Since they've already accepted the money, I can't help but help, right? How can I explain this to my second brother?"

Sha Yanyao was stunned for a moment, coughed, nodded, and said, "That's true, but so is my second brother. You're in such a hurry and rush. You must ask the servants to pack carefully and bring more things with you. After all, we are unfamiliar with the place. Otherwise, you can ask for leave and postpone your trip for a month or two."

"I'm going to be stuck here," Gui'er said quickly. "How can I do that? If I miss the course, I won't be able to keep up. I haven't received any systematic medical training to begin with, and I'm afraid I won't be able to learn well. It would be troublesome if I bring shame to my brother."

"How could that be? Besides, the mansion doesn't need your rations. In fact, it's okay if you don't go to school. I will be going to Shanghai to lie low in two months. If you stay until then, we still have some time to meet."

Gui'er wasn't sure if Sha Yanyao really couldn't bear to leave her or if he wanted to postpone his trip so he could continue his investigation, so she quickly changed the subject and said, "Brother, you're going to Shanghai to hide. Is that dangerous?"

Sha Yanyao smiled and said, "In our line of work, how can we say whether it's dangerous or not?"

Gui'er said quickly, "Then you must take care of yourself. Sister-in-law, Jinbao, and the other children are counting on you."

Sha Yanyao was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then smiled bitterly and said, "Sister, you really understand how difficult it is for me. I never seem to have a smooth marriage in my life. I thought Jinbao was my close friend, but it turns out she was just looking for someone to rely on."

Gui'er thought that it was so ironic that a man who was always playing with other women actually longed for love.

She thought that since she was leaving anyway, she might as well do a last good deed, so she said, "I'm going to be away for several years, at least a year. I'm afraid everyone in the mansion will have to ask my eldest brother and second brother for help. I'm afraid you two will have to work hard. The third and fourth concubines have children, but the most pitiful one is the seventh concubine. She has no children and was so worried before her father died. Although I have little influence, I still want to intervene and say a few words for her. After all, she is a member of our mansion. We should try our best to give her a place to stay and don't let people laugh at us because we can't tolerate her."

Sha Yanyao paused as he gripped the coffee spoon. A complex emotion flashed across his eyes. After a moment, he whispered, "Sister is truly kind. No wonder people say she has a kind heart."

He looked out the window. The sunlight shone through the glass onto his face, revealing a touch of melancholy. "She and I were classmates. Back then, she was the best student in the school. She had pigtails, and the teacher often asked her to lead everyone in reading aloud..."

He laughed at himself, "What a pity! We weren't a good match. My mother didn't like her, but later on, my father took a fancy to her and insisted on taking her into the mansion as his seventh concubine. What else could I do except watch helplessly?"

Gui'er hadn't expected this connection and was stunned for a moment.

"Now that my father is gone, I've finally freed myself from this burden." Sha Yanyao's voice deepened, a certainty in his voice. "After some time, when the rumors have died down, I will definitely give her a legitimate status, marry her in a formal ceremony, and let her stand by my side with dignity."

As he spoke, he tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "Don't worry, I'm here and I won't let her suffer any injustice."

Seeing the rare seriousness in his eyes, Gui'er couldn't help but wonder, if he married the Seventh Concubine, what would happen to Jinbao and Miss Tian? But she didn't want to get involved in those messy things. Anyway, now that the topic had been diverted, she decided to go with the flow. She nodded and said, "It's great that Big Brother thinks this way."

The cake was gradually finished and the coffee was cold. Sha Yanyao paid the bill and stood up, saying, "Let's go. You go back home first and don't keep my second brother waiting. I have some things to do. Today I will consider this a farewell party for you."