A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 588 The Marshal Marries a New Concubine

The banquet was still going on. Guier glanced around and saw that delicious food and wine were being served on the table one after another. The guests were toasting each other and laughing all the time.

Gui'er moved through the crowd, her eyes keenly observing the movements of all parties. Just then, she saw several local wealthy people surrounding a young girl. The girl was wearing a light pink dress, her long hair cascading down like a waterfall, and her eyes were filled with shyness and innocence. She was being carefully introduced to the Marshal by the wealthy people.

When the Marshal saw the girl, his eyes lit up, and a satisfied smile spread across his face. He kept examining her. The girl bowed slightly, then greeted him softly, her voice as clear and melodious as a nightingale's song. The Marshal laughed heartily and struck up a conversation with the other wealthy men, praising the girl's elegance.

Sha Lili hadn't known when she walked up to Gui'er and whispered to her, "It seems Father has started looking for a new woman. I'm afraid it won't be long before a new concubine enters the house."

While everyone's attention was focused on the girl, the Marshal subtly winked at the attendant beside him, who understood and quietly withdrew. Not long after, Mrs. Song quietly appeared beside the Marshal. The two exchanged a glance, then, taking advantage of the bustling crowd, slipped away to a quiet corner of the mansion for a tryst.

Gui'er looked at the backs of the two and sighed. The Marshal obviously had a young beauty recommended by others, but he was still dating Mrs. Song. Didn't it prove the saying that a wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a secret lover? However, at this banquet, the Fourth Concubine actually arranged the marriages of her own children, which was also very remarkable. Gui'er also racked her brains to think about how to get the Marshal to agree to let Taohua marry Wu Dafu.

A few days after the banquet, the Marshal decided to marry his new eighth concubine. This eighth concubine was actually a schoolgirl, the one introduced to him at the banquet. She was beautiful, her features reminiscent of Gong Li in the film "Raise the Red Lantern." The Marshal was captivated the first time he saw her, as if possessed, and immediately decided to marry her into his family.

On the auspicious day, the new eighth concubine did not ride in a bridal sedan, but was brought into the mansion from the side door by a small blue cloth sedan. After entering the mansion, she had to kowtow to the ancestral tablets in the ancestral hall, then offer tea to the main wife and present headwear and jewelry to show her submission. Afterwards, the concubine had to pay her respects to the elders in the family one by one and officially integrate into the family. Everyone gathered in the main wife's side. The commander-in-chief and his wife sat in the main seat. On the right were the three sons, then the three beauties, Sha Lili, Gui'er, and the other daughters. On the left were the concubines of the several rooms, headed by the third concubine. After kowtowed to the commander-in-chief and his wife, the new eighth concubine had to offer tea to the concubines of each room one by one. The concubines each gave her a red envelope. Gui'er saw that the fourth concubine's red envelope was the largest.

Gui'er guessed that the Eighth Concubine had no power, because the entry ceremony was simple, there was no wedding banquet, and only a few tables of banquets were prepared to entertain close relatives, which was similar to the usual dinners in the mansion with the Marshal.

Ever since the Eighth Concubine entered the Marshal's residence, the Marshal had become a completely different person, completely forgetting everything else and spending his days with her. He had put aside the affairs of the Marshal's residence, even the concerns of Sha Yanyao's child. The Eighth Concubine lived in the exquisite courtyard that the Marshal had specially redecorated for her, originally belonging to the Eighth Concubine, Aunt Tong Yujun. The courtyard was bustling with servants and maids, and the Marshal accompanied her in reciting poems, painting, and chatting about everything, reveling in a gentle embrace that made even the older wives, the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Concubines, jealous.

However, the wife, the third concubine, and the fourth concubine did not have any, mainly because the wife had children and grandchildren, and her position in the Marshal's Mansion was unshakable.

The Third Concubine only had one wife, Sanmei, and now she was determined to marry Sanmei to the adjutant. The Eighth Concubine was favored, but she was not jealous. She often gave her gifts and befriended her. Everyone knew her intention. She wanted to use this new Eighth Concubine to help persuade the Marshal to agree to the marriage between Sanmei and the adjutant.

The fourth concubine had no desire to compete for favor. She was now busy preparing for the weddings of her two children. According to Wu Mingqiang, the fourth concubine had even sold many of her properties in Jiangcheng at low prices. Sha Yanxiao frowned and said, "Is this woman planning to run away?"

When Gui'er went to play in the Fourth Concubine's room, she asked Sha Lili, "How are your wedding preparations going?"

Sha Lili smiled bitterly and said, "There are actually quite a lot of things to buy. Not only did my father just walk away from the business, but the day after the banquet, he actually said he was drunk that day. But the words were already out, so we had to hold our noses and swallow them. But he wouldn't give a dowry or a betrothal gift, so mother had to sell most of her property in Jiangcheng. Now mother is really going bankrupt for us brothers and sisters."

Gui'er suddenly realized what was going on. After she went back and told Sha Yanxiao about it, Sha Yanxiao sent someone to deliver 20 gold bars, saying that ten of the gold bars were gifts for her younger brother, and the other ten were dowries for her younger sister.

The Fourth Concubine was naturally very grateful, and the people in Sha Lili's courtyard became even more enthusiastic towards Guier.

In the blink of an eye, the Lunar New Year draws ever closer. Frost blankets the streets of December. Faded lanterns hang in front of grocery stores, and red paper Spring Festival couplets rustle in the chill wind. Pawnshops are crowded with people redeeming their winter clothes. The clatter of the shopkeeper's abacus mingles with sighs. In the streets and alleys, vendors hawk maltose and frozen rice candies, while children clutch copper coins and stare eagerly.

The tailor shop on the corner was brightly lit, the proprietress furiously sewing new clothes on her sewing machine. In the teahouse, a storyteller struck a wake-up call, recounting the "Legend of the White Snake," while drinkers, sipping tea from their coarse porcelain bowls, discussed the war and the price of goods. The doors of the wealthy were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and servants carried New Year's goods. In the slums, the hungry huddled in a dilapidated temple, eagerly awaiting the porridge provided by the charity porridge factory. The sporadic sound of firecrackers could not mask the heavy atmosphere of the disparity between the rich and the poor at the end of the year.

That day, Sha Yanxiao brought Gui'er to Yunshanglou to order a dress for the Lunar New Year. Because Gui'er didn't want to appear too conspicuous, Sha Yanxiao chose a light lilac satin cheongsam, cut for a neat, slim fit. The collar was adorned with pearl buttons, and the plain jacquard pattern flowed subtly. The dark placket was lined with silver fox fur, with a subtle, fluffy hem at the collar and cuffs. The fur was visible as she walked, creating a luxurious, yet understated, look.

Sha Yanxiao smiled and asked Gui'er, "How about this material?"

Guier smiled and said, "I like it very much. Thank you, brother."

Sha Yanxiao wanted to make two more sets for her, but Guier quickly said, "Brother, I have so many clothes. I need a new one for the New Year, otherwise it won't be fresh anymore."

Sha Yanxiao didn't force her, but smiled and ordered her a sable scarf in a more subdued color, saying, "This way, your neck won't be cold."