bookcurios Chapter 681 Auntie 3 is trying to get a gift from Taohua
Chapter 681 Auntie 3 is trying to get a gift from Taohua
A few days later, arrangements were finally made with the main house, and Sha Yanyao, his wife, and Miss Tian boarded the train back to Jiangcheng. This time, he offered not to bring Jinbao with him, which Miss Tian was quite pleased with. However, aside from Miss Tian and her servants, everyone else knew that Jinbao was pregnant and couldn't afford the arduous journey, but they kept it a secret.
After a half-day bus ride, when we returned to Fengcheng, military vehicles and cars were already waiting at Fengcheng Railway Station. They were still looking very majestic, but everyone was still frightened by the last attack. As soon as they came out of the train station and got on the car, most of them looked nervous.
When Sha Yanxiao saw this, he said to everyone, "Don't worry, everyone. After that incident, I had people clean up the nearby mountains along the way and eliminated all the suspected bandits."
"But the people last time were not bandits." Miss Tian said worriedly.
Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law. After that incident, I realized the importance of counterintelligence, so I also checked the people in these social circles. Now it's much quieter."
Miss Tian smiled and said, "Second Uncle is quite capable. This makes us feel relieved."
Everyone got in the car and returned to Jiangcheng smoothly.
Gui'er asked Sha Yanxiao, "Brother, how is Father doing now? I heard he's taking in another new woman, and Mother is very angry."
Before Sha Yanxiao could say anything, Dali said, "By the way, don't pretend to be filial this time and run to the Marshal as soon as you get back to the mansion. Let your wife go first, so that you don't get caught in the middle of the conflict between the two sides."
Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "What Dali said makes sense. Father is just trying to prove that he's still capable. I don't want to get involved in this messy backyard business. If Madam wants to take care of it, she can handle it herself."
Gui'er thought it made sense, so she nodded and said, "You said before that Sanmei was going to get married soon. Is that true this time?"
Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "Is this true? Well, she's already showing her pregnancy, so what's the point of not getting married? Besides, Adjutant Pang is a rare figure in the army and has the support of many people. Marshal Zhang doesn't have much influence now, so he can definitely agree to their marriage."
Dali shook his head and said, "I heard that Adjutant Pang had a wife in the countryside, but after he fell in love with Miss Sanmei, he ran back and forced his wife to divorce him. He is very ambitious and should be careful."
Gui'er was stunned for a moment. It seemed that there were people like this in every era, but it was useless to say anything now.
After returning to Sha Yanxiao's yard, Gui Erjiu took out her report card and showed it to him.
Sha Yanxiao smiled and said, "I've never been worried about your academic performance. It's always been so good."
Gui'er asked him tentatively, "I'm graduating in a year, and I don't know what I'm going to do then."
Sha Yanxiao patted her head and said, "I didn't expect you've reached the age where you need to think about your future. Why do I feel like you're still the little kid you were when I first came home with you yesterday? Don't worry about your studies. If you don't want to stay in Nanjing anymore, you can come back. You can also go to other places. As for Shanghai, although I have acquaintances there, it's a bit chaotic right now. I'm worried about you staying there alone."
Seeing that he supported her to continue her studies, Guier felt relieved and nodded with satisfaction.
Gui'er said goodbye to Sha Yanxiao and headed towards the third concubine's courtyard. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw several of the three beauties' dowries placed in the corner.
A vermilion camphorwood chest, its color already somewhat dull, and the brass locks showing a hint of rust, suggested its age. The chest was engraved with simple patterns, its lines unadorned, yet it exuded a sense of time-honored charm. Next to it was a half-worn dressing table, its wooden top showing a few signs of wear and tear, and the mirror had a few fine cracks that fragmented the reflection. On the table lay a set of ordinary rouge and powder, the porcelain vase's glaze uneven, not looking high-end. There were also a few quilts, the covers vibrant in color but not soft to the touch, clearly not of premium material.
Gui'er sighed inwardly after seeing this. It seemed that the Third Concubine was not favored in the Marshal's Mansion and had not saved much private money. The dowry she gave to her daughter was also a collection of half-new and half-old items.
She turned and went to Taohua's room. Taohua was embroidering. Seeing Gui'er come in, her eyes lit up instantly and she greeted her joyfully: "Guier, you're here at last. Have you seen Sanmei's dowry outside? Sanmei can finally get married in style."
Taohua's face was full of anticipation, as if she saw the scene of herself getting married happily in the future. "After the third beautiful sister gets married, it will be my turn to marry the rich man next."
Seeing Taohua's happy face, Gui'er felt happy for her, and the two sat down to chat. Taohua swept away her previous cautiousness and became very lively and cheerful. She chattered about the interesting things between her and Wu Dafu, her eyes full of longing.
The two chatted for a while, and Guier felt a little tired, so she wanted to go back and rest.
After getting up and saying goodbye, the third concubine who had been sitting in the inner room came out and called Gui'er: "Guier, you're back. It's a rare visit for you. Come sit with me."
Gui'er had no choice but to smile politely and say, "Third Aunt, it's been a long time since we last met. Congratulations! Sister Sanmei is getting married."
The Third Concubine's face was filled with helplessness and fatigue. She took Gui'er's hand and began to complain, "You don't know, I spent a lot of money on Sanmei's marriage, from preparing the dowry to hiring a matchmaker. Which one didn't cost money? Father didn't like Sanmei in the first place, and now he hasn't given a penny. Your brother gave Sanmei a set of jewelry as a dowry, but I can't spend it. It's not easy for me, an unfavored concubine, to come up with such money."
Gui'er listened patiently, nodding slightly to show her understanding. The Third Wife then changed the subject, looking at Gui'er and asking, "By the way, I heard Taohua has a boyfriend. Do you know what that guy does? I've spent a lot of time and money raising Taohua over the years. Her marriage must be arranged well, and the betrothal gifts must not be ambiguous."
Gui Er understood the Third Wife's intentions: she simply wanted to use the opportunity of marrying Tao Hua to earn a dowry. She knew that Wu Dafu had been working as a carpenter with Wu Dahua for years, and while he could make ends meet, he was still far from wealthy. He was unlikely to be able to come up with a dowry that would satisfy the Third Wife.