A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 779 He Ruizhu's Recent Situation

Gui'er was actually quite looking forward to the banquet, but when she heard what Fourth Concubine said, she suddenly felt as if someone had hit her chest with a hammer.

The fourth concubine saw her expression change and asked curiously, "What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Gui'er stammered and found an excuse to cover up the incident, then left the Fourth Concubine's courtyard.

After returning to her yard and walking around, she felt bored, so she called Acheng out. She thought about it and suddenly remembered that she hadn't contacted her classmate He Ruizhu for a long time, so she decided to talk to her.

She knew where He Ruizhu's shop was. Her father used to be the shopkeeper for someone else. Later, that person went to Malaya and transferred the shop to He's father, and changed the name to He's Trading Company.

There are many types of business. After getting married, He Ruizhu also helped her father run the business and became a well-known female shopkeeper. She is a classmate that Guier admires very much.

Arriving at He's Trading Company, Gui'er disembarked from her rickshaw and was immediately struck by the Western-style décor. Large, bright glass windows displayed a variety of novelty goods. Inside, an ornate chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm, yellow glow. The walls were covered in European-style patterned wallpaper, and the shelves, made of exquisite wood, were divided into sections displaying perfumes, watches, and woolen goods. Though small, the shop exuded a sense of luxury and Western flair.

This business is not located on a busy street, and Guier seldom comes to this area, so she was very surprised. He Ruizhu used to dress rather simply at school, and she never expected that her family would run such a luxurious business.

As soon as I walked in, a clerk in a white shirt came forward to greet me and politely asked, "Miss, what would you like? We specialize in imports here and have many valuable imported goods. If you don't have what you like, you can also place an order and we will purchase it for you."

Guier smiled and said, "Is your shopkeeper here? I'm her classmate, Wu Guier."

The clerk looked at Gui'er and said with a smile, "You are looking for our lady. Please sit down for a moment. I will go see if she is free now."

Guier nodded and sat down on a red leather sofa nearby that was specially provided for guests to rest.

After a while, the sound of high heels hitting the ground was heard.

"Guier, you're here! Why didn't you tell me before you came?" It was He Ruizhu's voice. She was wearing a silk cheongsam, black high heels, and stylishly permed hair. She had gold earrings in both ears, a jade pendant around her neck, and a fine white marble bracelet on one wrist. Her look was completely different from the way she had looked in previous meetings and at school. She looked like a wealthy and powerful woman.

Guier smiled and stood up. "I've just been back for two days. I was bored at home, so I wanted to come and play with you. Will it bother you?"

He Ruizhu smiled and said, "Why bother you? It's a rare opportunity for you to come back. Let's go find a place outside where we can chat."

Guier readily agreed, and the two of them went to the dessert shop on the second floor of Wing On Department Store, which they often visited when they were students.

After sitting down, Gui'er looked at He Ruizhu again and said with a smile: "I see that your dress and appearance have changed a lot."

He Ruizhu said a little embarrassedly, "You mean this dress and hair? When I was a daughter, I didn't like wearing fancy clothes or jewelry. Maybe our family's financial situation wasn't as good as it is now. In the past two years, my father has contacted his old overseas employer and they have become our supplier. This way, we have a source of supply. The two stores my father took over didn't do very well. However, those high-end imported goods could still make some profit, but this made it inevitable that I had to dress more carefully. It was also a way to show off. Now I have to entertain those rich ladies and officials' wives. It's actually not as glamorous as you see."

"But it's good that you can find what you want to do. I've just graduated from Nanjing and I'm not sure what my future direction will be."

"Hey, you graduated so soon. I thought you still had another year."

"I graduated by skipping a grade because I was living with my eldest brother in Nanjing. His wife had a thorny personality, and things were not going well at home. To avoid conflicts, I moved out and lived with a teacher at school. But to avoid causing trouble for them, I had the opportunity to graduate early, so of course I chose to graduate early."

"Alas, it seems that every family has its own troubles. Even a wealthy family like the Marshal's can't escape it. So what are you going to do now?"

"I want to continue studying, especially I want to study medicine, you know that, but..." Gui'er didn't know what to say. The current situation was not convenient to tell He Ruizhu.

"But you're old enough now, so the Marshal's Mansion must be helping you find a husband, right?"

Guier smiled when she heard that. This was a pretty good reason.

He Ruizhu thought she had guessed right and said with a smile, "Actually, men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. Your family is so wealthy, and you are the young marshal's favorite sister. The in-laws they find for you will definitely be good. Even after you get married, you can continue studying medicine."

"Oh, don't talk about me. How are you? I see you're doing pretty well at work. By the way, why didn't I see your husband just now? Come to think of it, I haven't met him yet."

"Well, he always tells me not to work too hard and to have a child so that my parents can be at ease. Actually, my parents didn't push me at all. I have brothers and sisters. He doesn't like me to be in the spotlight. He thinks he is my father's senior apprentice and married me. So, he must be in charge of our family store. So, now that I am in charge of the family store, he feels that I am suppressing him. Humph. It's quite ridiculous, right?"

Gui'er smiled. It was inappropriate for her to butt in on matters between other couples. She said, "Of course it would be better for you to manage your own business. And your father would definitely want you to come and see. By the way, how is Tong Yujun now?"

"Oh, by the way, I almost forgot if you hadn't mentioned it. She's coming back soon. I think she's going to have a wedding with the second son of the Song family. They're going to hold it in their hometown first, and then have a banquet in Hong Kong."

"Really? That's great! We can finally see each other again. I didn't expect that she and Second Young Master Song would actually get married."

"Yes, I think Yujun is a very lucky person. She married the second son of the richest family in Jiangcheng, and they separated and moved to Hong Kong. How wonderful! She doesn't have to live with a large family. Her parents' family is close and wealthy. My father even said that if our family had been in the situation we are now, he would never have married me to that man."