A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 763 Jiangcheng's security deteriorates

This dinner can be said to be very sumptuous, and the dishes are even better than the one Sha Yanyao and Miss Tian had at their son's full moon banquet.

After dinner, a new round of children's competition began.

The women were all chattering about their own advantages, and the Marshal was getting tired of listening. He said, "Any of you can take care of him, just bring him here every day so I can see him." After that, he turned and went into the study.

When the concubines heard this, they immediately surrounded the little boy. The little boy had never seen such a scene before, so he crawled down from his seat and rushed directly to Gui'er, snuggling into her arms.

Gui'er could only smile and say, "My dear aunts, this is so thoughtful of you. Cheng Gang is still a little uncomfortable with his new home on his first day back home. How about this? I'll bring him back to our courtyard to stay for one night. I'll call my eldest brother and ask which aunt he prefers. I'll ask that one to take care of him. Is this okay with you?"

The women finally fell silent. The Seventh, Fifth, and Sixth Concubines turned and left. They knew their status and conditions in the Marshal's Mansion very well; there was no way Sha Yanyao would let them raise his son.

Gui'er dragged the little boy back to Sha Yanxiao's yard. Seeing that he was already yawning, she said to him, "Chenggang, you're tired too. Go to sleep first. I'll call your father and find out which grandma's room you'll stay in. I'll help you find one tomorrow. Don't worry, your grandma loves you."

The little boy showed a hesitant look on his face. Dingxiang smiled and said, "I guess when the young master was in Nanjing, he was taken care of by the maids. Why don't I take care of him tonight?"

Dingxiang had lived with Guier at Jinbao's place for a while, so she was an acquaintance of the little boy, so he agreed immediately.

Sha Yanxiao specially arranged a guest room for him to stay temporarily.

After Ding Xiang brought the little boy into the house, Sha Yanxiao looked at their backs and sighed, "Big brother, you're the same. You've been so wise all your life, but now you've gotten yourself into such a mess because of these family matters."

Guier smiled quickly. As a junior, it was not convenient for her to comment. She quickly made a phone call to report safety to Nanjing, and told Sha Yanyao that the little boy was very much loved by the Marshal, and the concubines also liked him very much and were vying to raise him. She asked him which courtyard he planned to entrust the child to?

Sha Yanyao was silent for a moment. She heard him and his wife discussing the matter over the phone. His wife said, "Give it to the third child. Although she's stingy and narrow-minded, she's timid and wouldn't dare do anything out of the ordinary. The fourth child is too cunning and has always been a seductress. Who knows what she'll do with Cheng Gang?"

Then Sha Yanyao came back and said to Gui'er, "Guier, let's entrust Cheng Gang to the Third Concubine."

Gui'er had heard the conversation between mother and son and was speechless. However, she didn't bother to care about it and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll tell Dad tomorrow."

After hanging up the phone, it was already late. Gui'er had been busy all day and was tired. Sha Yanxiao touched Gui'er's head and said, "You're tired today too. Go to bed early. We can talk about it tomorrow if there's anything."

Gui'er nodded, walked up the stairs, and returned to her room. She looked out the window. The courtyard was silent, and the air was filled with the fragrance of fresh grass and the faint scent of flowers. A feeling of nostalgia emerged in her heart. She had come here as a child. It had been several years now. It would have been wonderful if she could have lived here forever, but it seemed that not much time had passed since the catastrophe.

The next day, Gui'er conveyed Sha Yanyao's words to the Marshal. The Marshal had no objection and asked the housekeeper to arrange two older maids and find a wet nurse outside.

When the third concubine heard the news, she was as happy as if she had found a treasure. She brought her maids to pick up the little boy, carrying a rattle, a small pistol, and a bunch of toys and snacks.

The little boy saw that there were fun things and delicious food, so he was willing to accept them, but he still looked at Gui'er with some fear.

Guier smiled and said, "Third Grandma is a nice person. You can live in her courtyard. You can visit Grandpa every day. Dad will come back to see you when he is on vacation. Don't worry."

The third concubine said excitedly, "I haven't had a son in my life, but I have a grandson in my old age. That's really great. Don't worry, I will raise him well and he will definitely have a bright future."

"This is the eldest brother's son. Third Aunt just needs to tell the eldest brother." Sha Yanxiao said with a smile.

When the Third Concubine heard this, her expression changed a little. Deep down, she was still afraid of the Madam. She smiled and said, "Of course."

Guier personally took the little boy to the third concubine's courtyard and watched him settle down. She finally felt relieved to leave after she realized that the matter was finally resolved.

When she returned to her own courtyard, Sha Yanxiao had already gone to the military camp. She suddenly had nothing to do, and since she didn't have to go to school, she planned to go to the Zhenxiufang to see the shopkeepers Zhang and Liu. Ah Cheng said, "I heard from the other brothers that things are not peaceful in the market right now. There were two kidnapping cases last month, which hasn't happened in several years. From now on, Miss, I have to accompany you when you go out."

Gui'er was very surprised. "Brother, you've always been committed to stabilizing the situation. How could you allow such a terrible thing to happen? Besides, haven't the bandits in the nearby mountains been eliminated? What's the current status of the case? Has it been solved? Has the person been rescued?"

Ah Cheng sighed and said, "He wasn't a bandit to begin with. He was just an ordinary villager. Because his crops failed, he couldn't find any work in the city. He became so daring that he actually targeted a wealthy lady he met on the street and kidnapped her in the street. The patrolmen found him quickly, but when they surrounded him, he got desperate and stabbed the wealthy lady twice. He also slit his own throat."

"The other was a local with some free time. He usually did odd jobs to make a living, but now the situation is unstable and many shops are not hiring. He couldn't make a living, so he targeted the daughter of a boss who had employed him before. He pretended to be an acquaintance and coaxed the little girl out. He suffocated her to death on the spot and buried the body. He then extorted money from the shop owner. The case was quickly solved, but after these two incidents, the people in the city were in a state of panic. The young marshal even issued a notice to reassure the people, saying that any criminals would be severely punished."

Gui'er felt very heavy-hearted after hearing this. The current situation affected the economy, and the bad economy led to social instability. This series of domino effects was all caused by the Japanese invasion. She suddenly felt very powerless. No matter how hard people tried in that era, they were just like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

"I know. I'll pay attention. Please help me prepare the car."