A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 607 The Story of the Seventh Concubine

Duanmu Heng nodded happily upon hearing this and said, "I see, Miss Gui'er is really thoughtful. My parents originally just wanted to discuss mining cooperation with the Marshal, leaving marriage to fate. Now that they see Miss Gui'er and I, we are truly a perfect match, made in heaven. I will definitely urge my parents to work hard."

After hearing this, Gui'er suddenly understood. No wonder the Marshal didn't want to pay attention to them before. It turned out that these people wanted to get something for nothing, and let the Marshal marry his daughter and give him the mine. But the Marshal probably listened to her advice later, so he changed his strategy and treated them well, hoping that they would take back Director Shen's batch of gold, silver and antiques.

But this matter is still very difficult, so they are also in a dilemma and probably want to back out. However, I hope that lying to him like this will have some effect.

Duanmu Heng stayed there and chatted with Gui'er for a while before leaving.

Shopkeeper Zhang came over and said in confusion, "Guier, didn't you want to marry him? Why are you being so nice to him again? Don't let him misunderstand you, it would be troublesome."

Guier looked around the store to see if there was anyone else and then said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I just want him to put in some effort and help get the antiques that belong to the Chinese back from the Japanese. It won't be too late to turn against me once we get the things back."

Shopkeeper Zhang said, "If you ask me, it's fine if we can't get those things back. It's already late, and we're still thinking about these worldly possessions. Even if we get them back, they won't belong to us. The most important thing is to drive away the invaders and let everyone survive and make it to the end."

Guier could understand her feelings. After all, Shopkeeper Zhang had no way of foreseeing what China would be like decades later.

She smiled and said to Shopkeeper Zhang, "Shopkeeper Zhang, do you know about the Eight-Nation Alliance and the burning of the Old Summer Palace?"

Shopkeeper Zhang said, "Of course I know about such a sensational thing."

Gui'er said, "At that time, the Eight-Nation Alliance robbed a large number of treasures belonging to our country from the Old Summer Palace. The British, in particular, have a museum dedicated to these treasures. That is simply humiliating for us. If we can't recover Director Shen's things, they may appear in Japanese museums in the future, which is also a shame for us. As the sons and daughters of China, we have the responsibility to take them back. No matter who gets them, as long as they are in Chinese hands, they may be exhibited in our own museums in the future and be seen by our descendants. If we don't take them back now before they leave China, they will be difficult to recover if they are left abroad in the future."

At this time, Shopkeeper Liu also came over. He smiled admiringly and said, "Guier, you've grown up and become more and more like an intellectual. You're right. We can't let our treasure fall into the hands of the Japanese. If we can get it back, we must get it back. But you have to be careful too. I think Duanmu Heng is also a two-faced person. I heard everything you said to him. As soon as he heard that you had no dowry, he wanted to slip away immediately. Such a person is unreliable. No matter how slick he is and how good he is at talking, you must not fall into his trap. Do you understand?"

Guier smiled and said, "Manager Liu, don't worry. I'm not someone who has never seen the world. How could I be deceived just because he has a slightly flat head and a slightly smooth face?"

After hearing what she said, Shopkeeper Zhang and Shopkeeper Liu knew that she had indeed grown up in the Marshal's Mansion and had seen countless handsome young men from aristocratic families. She was not like those girls from small families who would easily fall in love with a man who was a little more elegant.

"By the way, I asked your brother. Your two brothers recently returned to their hometown and settled the matter of the farmland. He also said that your biological father and your eldest brother heard about this and bought a small piece of land near the farmland, saying that the family would be reunited in the future. Now your two brothers have to make furniture in the city and cannot go back, so the newly purchased farmland has been handed over to your eldest brother and your father to manage." Shopkeeper Zhang said to Guier.

Gui'er frowned. She didn't even know her biological father's name. She only knew that her brothers and sisters were ranked according to their wealth and status, and that her eldest brother should be called Wu Darong. But this eldest brother was the biggest beneficiary of the family. He was sold during the famine, and because the family didn't have enough food after his eldest brother married a wife, his two younger brothers were driven out to fend for themselves. Now, he was flattering her and claiming they were family.

However, she couldn't explain the reason to Zhang and Liu. She just smiled and said to Zhang, "I understand. Thank you."

Shopkeeper Zhang smiled again and said, "Your third brother, Wu Dafu, is urging me again. He asked me to ask you when you can marry Taohua."

Gui'er sighed and said, "He just can't keep his cool. I don't know how many times I've tried to persuade him, but he still asks me this every time."

Shopkeeper Zhang said, "He's probably afraid too. After all, the Seventh Concubine's story caused quite a stir in Jiangcheng a few years ago."

Gui'er was stunned for a moment. She had originally thought that a prominent man like the Marshal would be very secretive about taking in his adopted daughter. How come even Shopkeeper Zhang and Shopkeeper Liu knew about it?

She asked curiously, "What's going on? When I entered the Marshal's Mansion, the Seventh Concubine was already there. I didn't ask much about it. I just thought she was a very low-key person."

Shopkeeper Zhang and Shopkeeper Liu looked at each other. Shopkeeper Zhang sighed and said, "I didn't dare tell you before, but now that you're grown up, it's good to know so you can be on guard. This Seventh Concubine is quite pretty, isn't she? She has parents, but the family couldn't afford her anymore, so she was bought into the Marshal's Mansion when she was about ten years old and became a maid in the First Lady's room. It's said that because she was smart, the Marshal and his wife made an exception and adopted her as their adopted daughter. Her food, clothing, and other expenses were similar to those of the other young ladies in the Marshal's Mansion."

"But then she grew up and became more and more beautiful. She caught the Marshal's eye and once took advantage of him to lose her virginity while she was drunk. When his wife found out, she didn't dare blame the Marshal. Instead, she blamed the girl for seducing him. It's said that she was given a drug that was prescribed to the girls in the brothel. The poor girl had just been tormented by the Marshal, and then she was given the drug again. It's said that she bled profusely, like giving birth, and was almost dead. She was sent to a hospital with a foreign doctor, who saved her life. However, she couldn't have children. Isn't that a big hospital where many wealthy people go for treatment? That's how the news spread."

"Doesn't that child have parents out there? When she heard the news, she ran to the Marshal's house and knelt down to beg him to release her daughter. But the Marshal had her parents beaten up, saying he wanted the girl to be his concubine and let her enjoy a good life. He gave them two silver dollars and told them to stop making trouble, or he would be rude. The girl's parents were both honest people, so they didn't dare say anything and just left."