A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Gui'er quickly said, "Thank you for your kindness, Madam. I have promised my father and brother that I will not consider marriage before I finish my studies. We will leave this matter to Inspector Ouyang. We will take our leave now."

After leaving the Ouyang mansion, Wu Mingqiang gazed in the direction Rumeng had left, his expression complex. Gui'er patted his arm: "Brother Wu, this matter is considered settled. But Rumeng... you should avoid getting involved with her in the future, lest you cause more trouble."

Wu Mingqiang nodded emphatically: "I will remember your kindness, Miss. I will repay you the money later."

The farce has finally come to an end.

Gui'er stayed in the villa for two days with trepidation, and then asked A Si and A Cheng to go out and investigate. Only when she found that Wuyitang had not made any moves did she finally feel relieved.

She thought that since it was a rare holiday for the Lunar New Year, she should temporarily put aside these worries and relax. So she called Tong Yujun to ask her to go out and have some fun.

Tong Yujun readily agreed and came to pick up Gui'er in his own car. The car curtains had been changed to a light purple gauze for the New Year, which made Gui'er's brocade cheongsam look even brighter.

"Gui'er, let's go to the New Year's market first. I heard there are a lot of new and interesting things this year!" She smiled and lifted the carriage curtain, revealing a delicate gold bracelet on her wrist, which jingled with the movement.

Gui'er also changed into a light green Suzhou embroidery cheongsam that she had made at Yunxianglou before. Although the style was not very fashionable, the workmanship was excellent, and the gold and silver embroidery on it made it look very luxurious.

As the car drove along Queen's Road, the red banners adorning the shops were still up. Under the arcades, a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles, vendors set up their stalls and called out their wares. Children crowded around the sugar painting stalls, where an old craftsman would flick his wrist and draw a dragon with distinct scales and claws on the bluestone slab with syrup. Gentlemen in long gowns carried rice cakes wrapped in oil paper, while the wives of foreign company clerks held vases filled with silver willow branches, smiling and saying "Wishing you prosperity" as they passed by.

Arriving at the Lunar New Year market in Yau Ma Tei, the scene was so lively it was almost impossible to move. Bamboo racks were covered with windmills, which whirred in the wind, and colorful paper-cut "福" (good fortune) characters were hung densely. Tong Yujun pulled Gui'er to a flower stall, where the stall owner was shouting, "Peach blossoms bring good luck, daffodils ward off evil!" She picked out the most vibrant peach blossom and asked the shop assistant to pack a pot of golden-edged daffodils, saying, "These flowers are perfect for your room; they'll bring joy to your life."

As you walk further, you see clay rabbit figurines and wind-up frogs made of tin. Tong Yujun picks up a small toy that can play drums, winds it up, and the little tin figure starts to "thump-thump," making the children next to her clap their hands.

Gui'er stopped at a jewelry stall nearby. The stall owner, a woman with her hair in a bun, handed her a pair of pearl earrings: "Miss, these are freshwater pearls. They suit your skin tone perfectly. Wear them for the New Year to look fresh and clean."

Around noon, the two went to "Luk Yu Tea House". A white tablecloth covered the round mahogany table, and the waiter served char siu buns, shrimp dumplings, and two bowls of almond paste. The sound of firecrackers drifted in from outside the window - although the Hong Kong government prohibits setting off firecrackers, some children always secretly light small firecrackers. The crisp sound mixed with the shouts on the street added a bit of the festive atmosphere.

“I went to wish my parents a Happy New Year a few days ago. My younger brother has grown up a bit, and the concubine in the family has started to act arrogantly, bullying my mother without any respect for elders. My sister argues with her all the time. My father just pretends not to hear, which is boring, so I went home early.”

Tong Yujun used a silver fork to pick up a piece of Malay cake. "After the New Year, the person Xilun found to go back to his hometown to check the situation should be back. We'll see if we can bring his father, Master Song, and his wife over with us. It's said that their family property in their hometown is almost gone. The Japanese have robbed them openly and secretly. If they stay there any longer, their lives may be in danger."

"What about Brother Song?" Gui'er asked. "Did he come along too?"

"I haven't heard of that. My older brother has always been very decisive, and he disappeared as soon as the war started. It seems that the family is very wary of this matter and has never mentioned it. I don't dare to ask any more questions."

Gui'er knew what was going on, smiled and nodded, her gaze falling on the window: several laborers in coarse cloth jackets were carrying boxes of New Year's goods past, sweat dripping down their dark cheeks, but they gave their companions a simple and honest smile.

In the afternoon, we went to Victoria Peak. From the top, we could see the sails of ships dotting Victoria Harbour, with Western-style buildings and Chinese temples scattered along the shore. Tong Yujun took out her small silver camera and pulled Gui'er to take a photo in front of the "Marriage Stone," saying, "I heard that touching this stone will bring you a good marriage." Gui'er laughed and dodged away, but her sleeve brushed against the moss on the stone, getting a little damp.

As they descended the mountain, the setting sun painted the sea a golden-red hue. Streetlights gradually illuminated the scene; some shops hung up lanterns depicting the story of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea, while in the windows of some foreign firms, Santa Claus hadn't yet been taken down, but instead, Chinese red envelopes were displayed beside him. Suddenly, Tong Yujun pointed to the street corner: "Look, that vendor selling sugar-coated scallion pancakes hasn't closed up shop yet!" The two ran over and bought two rolls of sesame-coated pancakes; their sweet aroma mingled with the evening breeze, drifting through the bustling street.

“This year’s Spring Festival was more lively than last year, at least I had you with me.” Tong Yujun said while biting into a pancake, “It’s just that I keep thinking about my relatives and friends in Jiangcheng. I wonder how they are doing. I haven’t heard from He Ruizhu for a long time.”

Gui'er's heart stirred. Gazing at the darkening sky in the distance, she whispered, "It will be alright. Maybe next year, we can go back and visit."

Tong Yujun nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, I hope the war will end soon so that everyone can reunite."

A few days later, Gui'er arranged to meet Chen Zhongyu and Lin Peishan at Chen Zhongyu's bookstore.

On the way, Acheng said while driving, "Miss, lately Rumeng has been going to the pawnshop a lot. Today she pawns a silver hairpin, tomorrow she pawns a pair of earrings. She always comes to see Brother Qiang, and her eyes are all sticky. Anyone can see what she's up to."

Gui'er felt exhausted just hearing the name, her brows furrowing. But the person was there to pawn something, making them a respectable guest, and she couldn't just kick them out. She could only sigh, "Let her be, as long as she doesn't cause any more trouble."

Arriving at Xinmin Bookstore, I was surprised to find that despite the festive atmosphere of the New Year, the bookstore was doing very well, with a constant stream of people buying books and newspapers. The store had also cleverly added tables and chairs to a row of seats by the window and provided tea so that people could sit there, read books and newspapers, and drink tea. Some students and intellectuals even gathered there to discuss current events.

Gui'er smiled and said to Chen Zhongyu, "Brother Chen, your idea is really good! Business has picked up immediately, and it looks much busier than before."

Chen Zhongyu smiled and said, "This was all Peishan's idea." He pointed with his finger as he spoke.