A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 522 Return to Nanjing

Guier nodded and said to Wu Mingqiang, "I understand. Thank you for telling me this. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

Wu Mingqiang nodded and stood up to say goodbye.

Guier waited until all the customers of Liu's Pharmacy had left before she called over Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu and told them what had happened.

Shopkeeper Liu frowned and said, "Whoever this person is, he dares to use such means against the actual ruler of a place. Perhaps he is just trying to disrupt the place."

Gui'er nodded in agreement. She said to Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu, "My brother is still investigating this matter, but I don't think he's a professional. Could you please tell Director Song about this and ask him to help investigate? But don't let anyone else know, or else, given the Marshal's personality, he'll definitely silence them."

Shopkeepers Zhang and Liu nodded and agreed. Shopkeeper Liu said, "I'm afraid your trip will be delayed because of this matter."

Gui'er shook her head and said, "It shouldn't be delayed for many days, probably just one or two days." After all, she had heard that the eldest wife was pregnant before, and her guess was that Jinbao was already pregnant, and in order to ensure that the child was born in the right month, they had to hurry back to Nanjing to hold the wedding.

When they returned to the Marshal's residence for dinner that evening, the Marshal spoke of how the doctor who had worked there for many years had seduced his maid, leaving him heartbroken. Then, he suddenly changed the subject, urging everyone to take care of their health and exercise more. He also urged Sha Yanyao not to let this disappointing incident delay his trip and to return to Nanjing to prepare for his wedding.

The other concubines thought it was that simple and agreed meekly. However, Sha Lili was so angry that she whispered in Gui'er's ear, "Is father getting old and confused? What does it have to do with us if the maids in his courtyard were seduced? I heard he turned the whole mansion upside down, but he didn't search your courtyard. He even beat my brother, that good-for-nothing, to death for finding a little bit of opium. Now he's lying in bed crying out in pain."

Gui'er wanted to laugh when she heard this, but she was afraid that Sha Lili would get angry, so she said, "Father is old and his temperament is a bit unstable. If he finds something on someone, he'll probably be angry with them. And if he found Third Brother's opium, wouldn't he be furious?"

Sha Lili sighed and said, "That's right. My mom also said that we should take this opportunity to get my brother to quit smoking. But I think there's something fishy going on, don't you?"

"What's weird?"

"Everyone says the maid in my father's room was seduced. If my father really had an affair with a maid, he would definitely marry her as his concubine. Besides, the maids in his room are so old, how could he be interested in them? The one who was beaten to death was in her 30s and looked like an old lady. I don't believe my father would be interested in her. It must be because of something else. Your courtyard hasn't been searched. Don't you know anything?"

Gui'er hadn't expected Sha Lili to be so clever, but she knew this matter was too serious to be disclosed casually. She said, "How would I know? Besides, I was genuinely curious and wanted to find out what was going on, but since they've been beaten to death, I'd be asking for trouble if I went in anyway. Besides, my father didn't search our compound because it's not a complicated one. It's just my brother and me, and he's not married, so there's nothing fishy about it."

After hearing this, Sha Lili couldn't explain it and didn't say anything else.

After dinner, when I returned to the eldest wife's house, someone came to inform Guier that the eldest wife was planning to take the train tomorrow and had already bought the tickets. They asked Guier to pack her luggage and set off with them tomorrow.

Gui'er agreed. Sha Yanxiao held Gui'er's hand, reluctant to let her go. Gui'er smiled and said, "Won't I be back on vacation in a few months?"

Sha Yanxiao said, "You are fifteen or sixteen years old now, and you are studying there. I am a little worried that your father will find you a husband there. If you find a husband in Nanjing, he won't be able to take care of you because it's so far away. It's better for you to stay here."

Gui'er was stunned for a moment. This was indeed possible, but she just smiled and said, "I don't want to get married."

After hearing this, Sha Yanxiao smiled and shook his head without saying anything else.

Gui'er felt that Sha Yanxiao was the only person in the Marshal's Mansion whom he could fully trust and tell her what was on his mind.

Early the next morning, Sha Yanxiao drove the military vehicle himself to escort them to the train station.

It was only then that Gui'er realized that Jinbao's clothes had been upgraded. They were no longer the homespun cheongsams she wore before. Today, she was wearing a brocade cheongsam with gold and silver threads. Judging from the workmanship and style, it should be from Yunshang Tower.

This time, they booked two suites on the train again. Madam, Sha Yanyao, and Miss Tian shared one, while Gui'er and Jinbao shared another. While Dingxiang was out getting something, Gui'er asked Jinbao, "Jinbao, judging by the workmanship and fabric of your dress, it should be from Yunshanglou, right?"

Jin Bao was delighted to hear this and said, "As expected, she's used to wearing Yunshanglou clothes. I could tell at a glance. Yes, Brother Yao took me to get this custom-made. I heard that all the wealthy ladies in Jiangcheng go there to get their clothes made. It's really good. The craftsmanship and embroidery are not inferior to those famous tailors in Nanjing."

Guier took a look at Jinbao's figure and didn't look like she was pregnant, but if the pregnancy was not that early, it wouldn't be noticeable.

Jin Bao noticed her inquiring gaze, glanced at the door, and after confirming that no one else was around, he smiled and said, "Guier, you're not an outsider either, so I'll tell you the truth, okay? I'm pregnant with your eldest brother's child. He asked me to give birth to the baby. Even though he can't marry me because he works in the government, he will guarantee our future. He also said that when we return to Nanjing, he'll hire a nanny to take care of me."

Gui'er was originally just curious, but now that she was sure, she didn't know how to react. She smiled and said, "Then what about your work?"

Jin Bao said nonchalantly, "Before you returned to Jiangcheng, I asked for leave from that job, but my boss said he couldn't give me that long of a leave, so I just quit. It turned out to be worth it."

Gui'er knew that Jinbao had chosen a more difficult path, because after Miss Tian asked her to give birth to a child for Sha Yanyao, she also realized that Miss Tian was not a good person. Moreover, when Liang Guowei wanted to approach Gui'er, Miss Tian not only did not help to stop him, but also played a role in fanning the flames. Jinbao still wanted to gain status by having a son, but it might not be that easy.

But now that it has come to this, she can't say anything more.