A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 276 Guier decides to help the two brothers start their own businesses

Wu Dahua frowned, seeming a little embarrassed.

Wu Dafu said quickly, "If it was an ordinary family, it would be fine, but my master's wife's daughter was almost 30 years old. She got married, and the man died. She was driven out by her husband's uncles, and she brought back a son and a daughter."

Gui'er frowned upon hearing this. Needless to say, it must be the man's family who wanted to seize the property, so they did this. They were also pitiful people. So she asked, "How many children does your master and mistress have?"

As soon as Wu Dahua opened his mouth, Wu Dafu spoke first: "Two daughters and one son. Both daughters are married. The one who came this time is the eldest daughter. The son is idle all day long. He has not learned any of my master's skills. He has even started smoking opium recently. I think that damn old man wants our second brother to go to their house to take care of them in their old age and raise their son."

Taohua listened and said in a low voice, "This is too..." She was too embarrassed to continue.

Gui'er said to Wu Dahua, "So, what do you think, second brother? What do you think?"

Wu Dahua said a little bewilderedly, "I asked someone to tell our father about this matter, and he told me to handle it myself. I think the young lady is also a pitiful person, but the young master and the master and his wife really don't get along well. I'm afraid there will be conflicts in the long run."

This was the first time he expressed his thoughts since he came into the house. Guier knew that he still wanted to get married, and their father no longer wanted to take care of his son's life. In this era of war and poverty, it was difficult for ordinary parents to get their children married if they were unwilling to support them, so he was so conflicted.

Gui'er thought for a moment and said, "The young lady is in the workshop now. Is she living with you?"

Wu Dafu said, "Yes, she brings water to my second brother every day to show her courtesy, but her two little bastards don't like my second brother very much and even spit at him."

Gui'er sighed. It seemed that not caring about this matter by herself would not work out either. So she said to Wu Dahua, "Second brother, you can see the situation yourself. If you marry into your master's family, you will definitely have to take on the responsibilities of your master's family. Why don't you put it off for now and say that you will go home and discuss it with our father when you are finished as an apprentice. I will go out and help you find a better girl. The most important thing now is to master your skills first."

Wu Dafu said, "My second brother's craftsmanship is much better than mine. He's not very good at talking, but he's very smart. He's already mastered 80% of what the master does. And the reason the master and his mistress chose him is because he learned the art of weaving rattan from Lao Zhao, a craftsman in our village. There was a war a while ago, and the master and his mistress ran away. It was my second brother who went out to find some grass and made straw sandals, chicken coops, and katydid cages. He then sold them for money so we could have food to eat."

When Gui'er heard this, she thought it was a good skill. No wonder her master and his mistress took a fancy to it. Wu Dahua was 1.8 meters tall and could make money. Although he was a little slow in speaking, he had an honest personality. He would definitely have no trouble finding a wife in modern times.

Taohua suddenly interrupted and said, "What have you learned, Dafu brother?"

Wu Dafu was stunned for a moment, scratched his head and said: "Of course I have learned it well. Look, this is the pony I made for you." Then he took out from his pocket a wooden carving that looked like the toy horse you buy in the store, but without any pattern or color.

Seeing Taohua sigh secretly, Gui'er felt a little funny in her heart, so she said to Wu Dafu, "Third brother, Taohua means that you have to learn the craft well so that you can support the family in the future."

When Taohua heard this, her face turned red and she lowered her head without saying a word.

Wu Dafu quickly smiled and said, "Of course, of course, I will definitely study hard."

Gui'er said to Wu Dahua, "Second brother, if you ask me, I think this girl is pitiful. She is indeed not wrong, but her family is a little too complicated. You are an honest person, and I am afraid that you will be bullied if you marry into the family."

Wu Dahua seemed relieved after hearing this, and said with a shy smile, "I think so too."

Guier then said to her two brothers, "If your second brother refuses, will you two still be able to stay there and learn the craft?"

Wu Dafu said, "Of course he can stay. After all, many guests are here for my second brother. The rattan chairs he makes are so beautiful. I'm afraid he'll have to listen to some harsh words."

Gui'er nodded and said, "Then you should be patient for now. During this time, you can make some money and then set up a shop. The two brothers can open a shop of their own. Third brother, you are good at talking. If you see customers who appreciate the second brother, you can build relationships with them. It will be useful when you open your own shop later."

Wu Dafu nodded and said, "Okay."

A few people chatted for a while and each talked about their recent situation. When Doctor Wu heard that the third concubine asked Taohua to deliver something to the orphanage where someone had tuberculosis, he was so angry that he scolded the third concubine and told them to be careful in the future and not to be too obedient.

After chatting for over an hour, thinking Dali would be back soon, Shopkeeper Zhang let the two brothers leave the pharmacy. Before leaving, Wu Dafu suddenly turned to Gui'er and said, "Guier, I've seen you grow up to be more and more beautiful. Be careful that the people in your mansion don't marry you off to an old man. If that happens, bring Taohua to me and I'll take you away."

Gui'er was stunned for a moment, then nodded. Looking at the two brothers who had already become adult men, she felt emotional. Wu Dahua was honest and dull, but hardworking and kind. Wu Dafu was eloquent and good at observing people's words and expressions, but his hands-on ability seemed a little lacking. Although the two brothers had completely different personalities and might not be able to help when something happened, they were one of the few people in the world who would worry about her. She decided to help them get married and start a family. In this way, the two brothers would have someone to take care of them, and Taohua would have a good home in the future.

After much thought, Gui'er felt that she first needed a place to stay, that is, a house that could be used as a shop, and a workshop to make furniture. Gui'er suddenly remembered that after Tong Yujun's family ran away, they should have a lot of real estate that was sold at a low price, so she found He Ruizhu to inquire about these things.

He Ruizhu asked curiously, "Why are you asking about this? Do you want to buy a house? The Marshal's Mansion is such a luxurious place. I heard it's as big as a castle, with so much room to live in."

Gui'er said unhappily, "A relative of a friend of mine wants to settle down in Jiangcheng. He's a furniture maker, specializing in rattan chairs, and wants to open a workshop here, so he needs to find a suitable place. Didn't your father manage the Tong family's shop in Jiangcheng for so many years? Does he know of a suitable place? But it has to be cheap."

He Ruizhu said, "Yes, there are, but if you want to build a shop facing the street, it won't be cheap. If you want a remote place, there are plenty of empty mansions in Jiangcheng right now."

Gui'er didn't quite understand what she meant.

Seeing her bewildered expression, He Ruizhu sighed and said, "It's because of that war a while ago. The newspapers reported that nearly 100,000 of us ordinary people were killed or missing. Well, everyone thinks the Japanese will attack sooner or later, so those who are a little rich want to flee. Some go to Hong Kong, some to Malaya, and some to America. Aren't those houses empty? I have a cousin whose family owns two restaurants and a pawnshop. After this year, he also plans to go to America. He said the Chinatown there is the same as here, and he can still make money by running a restaurant there."

Gui'er quickly asked, "Does his family have any houses for sale at a low price?"

He Ruizhu said, "Their house is not cheap, but if you really want to find a cheap one, you can go to the east end of the city. The houses there are older, but they are all square. They used to be inhabited by rich families, but in the past two years, due to the war, many people have gone out and never come back." As she spoke, she wrote down a few street names for Guier.

Guier took a look and realized that it was near where Marshal Zhang's fourth daughter and her two adoptive mothers lived. So she had an idea.