A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui'er was stunned. These people were actually the girls from Shitang who worked as prostitutes with Rumeng.

She looked at the prostitutes. Although they were heavily made up, their skin made them look no more than 10 or 20 years old. If they removed their makeup, they would probably look even younger. One of them, kneeling at the very back, still had a baby face.

Gui'er had never imagined she would encounter such a scene, and was at a loss for what to do. The customers who were pawning their items also turned around to watch the commotion.

Ah Si and Ah Cheng quickly stepped forward and said, "You've got the wrong people. If you don't care about our business, then don't get in our way. Go away, go away, go away."

"Miss, we know Mr. Wu stopped taking charge of our area because of what happened after you came last time. Please, we're begging you, otherwise we'll starve to death." The prostitutes dared not resist and could only stand up, turning back to say as they walked away.

Gui'er stared wide-eyed, somewhat at a loss. Seeing the other guests also looking at her curiously, she quickly turned her back.

After a while, she turned around. By then, all the pawnshop customers had finished their business and left.

Chen De came out from behind the counter, glancing outside as he walked, and sighed, "Sigh, it's still like this after all. If word gets out, I wonder what they'll say about our shop."

Gui'er frowned and thought for a moment, then turned to ask Acheng, "Brother Acheng, why did they say they were doomed? They could become maids instead of selling their bodies."

Ah Cheng shook his head and said, "Once you enter the world of prostitution, it's like entering a deep sea. They used to come from brothels and have served countless customers. Unless they leave Hong Kong, they won't be accepted for work anywhere if they are recognized. They'll even be considered unlucky to work as maids in other people's homes. Miss, don't worry about them, it has nothing to do with us."

Gui'er felt bad after hearing this. When she first transmigrated, she was also sold to a brothel by her family. Fortunately, she was rescued before she could serve customers. These women were not as lucky as she was.

After sitting for a while longer, Gui'er also felt bored and decided to go back.

"Miss Gui'er is here, isn't she? Why didn't you come to my clinic for your follow-up appointment?"

Gui'er looked up upon hearing this and saw He Xiuxiang, the young mistress of Ren'an Hall.

"So it's you, young mistress. Please come in and have a seat. Our place is small, please don't mind." Gui'er quickly and warmly greeted her.

"No, no, I'm not sitting here anymore. I'm going to play cards, and on my way back I passed by your shop and saw your usual car parked there. I knew you were here, and I was wondering why you didn't come for your follow-up appointment. How are you? Have you been feeling better these past few days?"

"Thank you for your concern, young mistress. I'm much better now, and I guess I don't need to take any more medicine, so I didn't go for a follow-up appointment," Gui'er said with a smile.

“Hey, that’s not how it works. Even if you don’t prescribe medicine, you can still come over for a pulse check. It’s always good to have a follow-up examination. I heard you used to study medicine with Manager Liu. My husband is working at the shop right now, so you can go over and exchange tips with him. Come on.” He Xiuxiang said as she affectionately took Gui’er’s arm. Gui’er couldn’t refuse, so she followed her for a few steps to Ren’an Hall, which was not far away.

As soon as Lin Zhidong, the young master of Ren'an Hall, saw her, he greeted her warmly and said, "Miss Gui'er, you've arrived? Are you feeling any better? Are you still dizzy? Come to the consultation room, let me take your pulse."

Gui'er sat down in the consultation room. Lin Zhidong placed two fingers on Gui'er's wrist, closed his eyes for a moment, and frowned slightly: "Your pulse is still a bit weak. It seems that you haven't recovered from the hard work of the past few days."

He withdrew his hand, and He Xiuxiang immediately handed him a glass of warm water, smiling as she replied, "That's right, Miss Gui'er is all alone in Hong Kong, without her father, brothers, or elders, and surrounded by servants. She's definitely lacking in some ways."

Gui'er held the water glass, smiled but didn't reply.

He Xiuxiang sat down next to her and lowered her voice: "Speaking of which, I've seen your shopkeeper Wu going to Shitang a lot lately. I heard from the neighbors that he's getting close to a girl named Rumeng. Could it be that..." She didn't finish her sentence, but looked at Gui'er with a probing look in her eyes.

Lin Zhidong coughed lightly from the side: "Xiuxiang, are you seeing a doctor?" He then turned to Gui'er and said, "Miss Gui'er, there are many rumors outside that Mr. Wu ran off with that prostitute after taking your money. Although it is unpleasant to hear, in chaotic times, people's hearts are unpredictable. It is too conspicuous for a young girl like you to hold such a large pawnshop business in your hands."

Gui'er tightened her grip on the cup and smiled faintly, saying, "Brother Wu isn't that kind of person. Young Master, please don't listen to those people spreading rumors."

He Xiuxiang persisted: "It's best if he's not, but even if he isn't, think about it, you're an orphan here, the warlord is dead, and the fate of your eldest and second brothers is unknown. You don't know if you'll ever see them again. How can you rely entirely on servants? They're not family after all. It's more stable to find a husband."

Gui'er frowned, wondering if these two were trying to set her up as a matchmaker.

Who knew that He Xiuxiang would change the subject: "But then again, you're all alone in Hong Kong with no relatives or friends. Where are you going to find someone? What if you run into a heartless person? Can your savings withstand the damage?"

At this point, she took Gui'er's hands in both and said affectionately, "Look at our Ren'an Hall. Although we're not extremely wealthy, we're still quite well-known in Hong Kong and Kowloon. Zhidong is an honest man. I've discussed it with him. If you don't mind, you can come and be our second wife. We'll take care of the businesses you brought with you. It'll be more secure than if you guarded them yourself. Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. We'll be like sisters. You can still go to school, and I'll stay home to take care of the children. Zhidong can just focus on expanding our business. Isn't that great? You won't have to worry about anything."

Although Lin Zhidong was holding a fountain pen and scribbling for a long time without writing a single word, he secretly glanced at Gui'er and observed her expression.

Gui'er was stunned for a moment, then wanted to laugh. Did these two couple think she was a fat sheep? So, she was bringing all her family property to their house to become a concubine, and that was helping her?

Seeing that Gui'er didn't react, Lin Zhidong coughed and said, "Miss Gui'er, please don't blame my wife for being blunt; she's just being kind. I know this is unfair to you. You are the daughter of a high-ranking official; in Jiangcheng, even marrying the richest man wouldn't be considered marrying above your station. But in these chaotic times, having someone to rely on is better than drifting alone. Your assets are still yours, but we will manage them to prevent others from coveting them."

Although Gui'er was somewhat annoyed, she wasn't too bothered. After all, she had seen this kind of person since she was a child. She stood up and said, "I appreciate the kindness of the young master and young mistress, but I recently received a letter from my brother. He is safe and sound. Our family has indeed been greatly affected by the war, so I have an even greater responsibility to safeguard this property for my brother. Of course, I am aware of your good intentions. If you need to pawn anything in the future, please come to our shop. I will give you a discount."