A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

“I understand what you mean, Miss. But Brother Qiang said that Chen De knows Ouyang Bao. The two just completed a transaction and he did Ouyang Bao a favor. If we make a move against him now, Ouyang Bao might have some issues. Besides, we don’t know anything about the pawnshop’s market, so we can only use it for now and wait until later. But don’t worry, we will keep a close eye on Chen De during this time and this kind of thing will not happen again.”

Now that things have come to this, Gui'er couldn't say anything more.

After a quick meal back at the villa, Gui'er hurriedly went back to her room under the pretext of doing homework, closed the door, and took out Sha Yanyao's letter to read.

"Little Sister Gui'er: "

I hope you are well. I was relieved to hear that you arrived in Hong Kong safely. I was worried sick when I heard that you had a dangerous journey, but thankfully you were safe and sound.

I have been in Shanghai for several months now, and the situation here is truly beyond description. Work has been fraught with obstacles, making every step difficult. Yet, my colleagues, all with unwavering loyalty and patriotic fervor, have finally managed to establish a foothold and find temporary refuge. The journey has been fraught with peril, with comrades sacrificing their lives at times. Each day has been a struggle between hatred and fervor, but with the thought of our country's recovery etched in our minds, we dare not slacken our efforts.

A few days ago, devastating news arrived: Jiangcheng had fallen. The news struck like a thunderbolt. Of everyone in the household, only my wife, Xiuwen, escaped because she had gone to her parents' home beforehand; the rest are nowhere to be found. My heart is burning with anxiety, but I am powerless to help, and can only cry out in despair. Since ancient times, the fall of a city has often resulted in the slaughter of its people. Although I always try to comfort myself, hoping it won't be that bad, what I see in Shanghai is the sheer scale of the Japanese atrocities committed. Everywhere I look, there is devastation. Every time I think of this, my heart breaks.

In my grief and anxiety, I thought of my younger sister. In the past, you relied heavily on your two brothers for food and clothing. Now, in these chaotic times, I fear they too are struggling to make ends meet. I tried my best to ask a colleague in Hong Kong to send you a small amount of money. Although it's not much, it's enough for your daily expenses. If you have any extra money, you can look for part-time work to supplement the family income and also to strengthen your resolve.

My funds are also tight, and I need to set aside money to send someone back to Jiangcheng to search for Mother and Jinbao. Even if the hope is slim, I cannot give up. In these chaotic times, human life is as worthless as grass; simply "surviving" is a luxury. I hope my younger sister will take good care of herself, be careful with her words and actions, and not venture into dangerous places.

My work is special, so there's no need for a reply. When the country is restored to its former glory, we siblings can meet again.

Words cannot express the depth of my feelings; further explanation is unnecessary.

Brother Sha Yanyao”

After reading it, Gui'er was deeply moved and couldn't calm down for a long time. She remembered that when she first arrived at the Marshal's Mansion, Sha Yanxiao married Miss Ji, and she couldn't find a place to stay in the courtyard. She had once been protected by Sha Yanyao, but later, there were too many messy and ridiculous things happening in the main courtyard, and this relationship gradually faded. Now, at this critical moment of life and death, Sha Yanyao actually thought of her and, knowing that she had no money, asked someone to bring her money. It seems that this friendship is still there.

Moreover, from his letter, it was clear that his situation was also very dangerous, and Gui'er couldn't help but worry about him.

This is destined to be another sleepless night.

When Gui'er arrived at school the next day, she was still listless.

Lin Peishan was quite excited. She said, "Brother Chen is amazing. When I went to his shop yesterday, I found Xu Jing and Meng Haoliang there. The two of them were chatting in the shop, and they expressed many insights on the current situation that I had never heard of before. It's a pity you weren't there."

Gui'er laughed and said, "They're chatting in the shop. Who's managing the business then? Are there many customers?"

She was worried that if Chen Zhongyu, Xu Jing, and Meng Haoliang were to openly associate with each other, it would attract the attention of secret agents.

"It's just some students. It's strange, Brother Chen. When this bookstore first opened, it was clearly catering to the neighborhood. Now, it's mostly students."

Gui'er felt a sense of unease, but on the surface she smiled and said, "His place is near the school, so there are a lot of students there."

As soon as school was over, Lin Peishan would drag her to the bookstore again, and this time, she readily agreed.

Upon arriving at the bookstore, she first observed her surroundings and only felt relieved after finding no suspicious individuals.

Gui'er deliberately mentioned to Lin Peishan that Du Jianbang had delivered Sha Yanyao's letter to her yesterday. Chen Zhongyu then asked, "How is your older brother? Is this classmate related to your family?"

Gui'er couldn't directly say that this person was a spy, so she said, "I don't know how Du met my older brother, but he used to be in Shanghai, so there should be a chance for them to meet."

Chen Zhongyu understood immediately, nodded, and asked, "Did your older brother say anything about the situation in Shanghai?"

Gui'er sighed and said, "It's not good. My elder brother is also in a difficult situation. He told me not to reply to his letters, and that he might not even receive them. I'm afraid we won't be able to meet until the war is over."

Chen Zhongyu nodded, turned around, picked up a newspaper, and handed it to her, saying, "Is there any news from Shanghai in this? Take a look."

Gui'er took it somewhat bewildered and was about to open it when she suddenly realized that this was very likely information that Chen Zhongyu had passed on to her, so she put it away and said, "Okay, I'll look at it when I get home."

Lin Peishan tried various ways to chat with Chen Zhongyu, saying, "Brother Chen, my father saw you at the banquet last time and thought you were very talented. He was very interested in your experience working at the publishing house and he has also been thinking about investing in a newspaper. I wonder if you have any suggestions?"

Chen Zhongyu listened with interest and said, "I wonder which aspect Mr. Lin would be interested in?"

Lin Peishan laughed and said, "I don't know either. Why don't you come to my house for dinner this Sunday and we can talk face to face?"

This wasn't a meal; it was practically meeting the parents! Chen Zhongyu hesitated, his face flushed red with embarrassment, unsure how to answer. Gui'er said from the side, "Brother Chen, why don't you go and help out? It's all your old profession, you're familiar with it."

Chen Zhongyu glanced at Gui'er, hesitating to speak. Gui'er quickly winked at Lin Peishan. Lin Peishan, being a clever woman, said, "Ah, I'll go take a look over there. I remember there's a book there that I forgot to buy last time."

After Lin Peishan left, Gui'er quickly went up to Chen Zhongyu and said, "Brother Chen, Lin Peishan likes you, can't you tell?"

Chen Zhongyu's face turned bright red: "But how can I talk about feelings now that I'm in this position?"

"What is your status now? A promising young talent, you were the deputy editor-in-chief before, and now you own your own bookstore. Moreover, you're getting so close to Xu Jing and Meng Haoliang, I'm worried you're being targeted. If you could get to know more about these wealthy people and the upper echelons of Hong Kong, it would be beneficial for this work. Besides, Lin Peishan is a patriotic young woman, can't we develop her into one of our comrades?"