A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1118 Lin Peishan's New Partner

Dingxiang's face turned pale, and she tugged at Gui'er's sleeve: "Miss, we really have to leave quickly! I heard that the Japanese kill without blinking an eye. Last time I saw those Japanese soldiers at the dock, their eyes were so fierce..."

Acheng nodded in agreement: "Brother Qiang, why don't we ship the pawnshop's goods to Macau first? If a fight breaks out, those gold and silver valuables will become a burden."

Wu Mingqiang didn't answer immediately, but looked at Gui'er and asked, "What do you think, Miss?"

Gui'er was in a state of turmoil. She vaguely remembered that the Japanese army had indeed occupied Hong Kong in the past few years, but she couldn't recall the specific dates. Wu Mingqiang's words were like a stone thrown into water, making her already anxious heart even more uneasy. "Can we trust what Boss Liu said?" she asked hesitantly. "He's on good terms with the Japanese. Could it be that he's deliberately spreading this news to create panic?"

"It's hard to say," Wu Mingqiang shook his head. "But it's better to be safe than sorry. If it really comes to that, we should go to Macau to take refuge. Luckily, we opened that branch in time."

Dingxiang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly served Gui'er a bowl of soup: "Brother Qiang is so thoughtful. Don't worry, Miss. With Brother Qiang here, we'll definitely be fine."

Gui'er held her soup bowl, but had little appetite. Liu Lanfang's father... that comprador who fraternized with the Japanese, how much truth and falsehood were hidden in his words? And why did Wu Mingqiang maintain business dealings with such a person? Gazing at the deepening twilight outside the window, she felt that the fog of this chaotic world seemed thicker than usual, and even her breathing felt inexplicably sluggish.

"Let's do as you say for now," Gui'er said softly, "but I still need to go to school..."

Wu Mingqiang wanted to say something, but in the end he just sighed: "Don't be too reckless. Remember, staying alive is the most important thing."

The atmosphere at the dinner table became subdued; even the clinking of spoons against bowls was much quieter. The streetlights outside came on, their dim yellow light streaming through the windowpanes and falling on everyone's faces, yet unable to dispel the worry in their brows.

After that, Gui'er continued her ordinary daily routine of going to and from school. Occasionally, she would ask Tong Yujun to go shopping, but as Tong Yujun's belly grew bigger, she became too embarrassed to ask her to go out anymore. She also kept in touch with her classmates, but she didn't have any particularly close friends.

Lin Peishan returned home to recuperate. Gui'er would visit her about once or twice a month. Lin Peishan also learned that her family had helped her withdraw from school. However, because her foot injury was quite serious, although it had healed, she still walked with a limp. Lin Peishan was very concerned about this and often did not want to go out. Only when Gui'er came would she be willing to walk with Gui'er in the courtyard with her, leaning on her crutches. Seeing this, Lin's father and mother did not stop Gui'er from visiting anymore.

However, a few months later, when Gui'er visited Lin Peishan again, she found that there was a man who looked like a rich young master accompanying Lin Peishan.

Seeing that Gui'er looked a little embarrassed, Lin Peishan smiled and said to her, "Gui'er, this is my cousin He Zhixiao."

Gui'er quickly and politely said, "Hello Mr. He, I am Peishan's classmate."

He Zhixiao is about 1 meters tall, with a round head, round face, big double eyelids, flat nose, and thick lips. He is not exactly handsome, but he gives people a kind and approachable feeling.

He smiled and said, "So you are Sha. My cousin often mentions you in her letters. I studied in the United States before and only recently returned to China. My cousin has suffered such a disaster, and since I just started taking over the family business, I have more time to spend with her. Sha, please come visit us more often if you have time."

Gui'er smiled and said, "Definitely, definitely." She felt that He Zhixiao was indeed a humble and polite person. When she was at the Lin family, she saw that He Zhixiao was also very caring towards Lin Peishan.

However, when she left the Lin family that day, she overheard several old women whispering in a corner of the garden.

"Young Master He, he's been spending all his time here now. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was our young master."

"What do you know? This is the master and madam's idea; they want to bring the two of them together and strengthen their family ties."

"Oh my, is that true? But Miss's fiancé just left not long ago."

"Shh, keep your voice down. If the masters hear you, you'll be in big trouble. I overheard Madam talking to her maid, Li Ma, when I passed by her room the other day. I heard that Young Master He has liked our young lady since he was a child, and the adults were willing to play matchmaker. But when she came of age, our young lady met Mr. Chen first. The master and madam doted on her so much, and Mr. Chen was also very handsome, so they had no choice but to agree. But Mr. Chen was a short-lived man. Now that Young Master He is back, they specially asked him to come and spend more time with the young lady, saying it's to cultivate their relationship."

“That’s true. If our young lady were with Young Master He, her life would definitely be much smoother. Young Master He is gentle and kind to us servants. I also heard that he studied economics in America. He specializes in business. Although our master dotes on Third Madam and our young lady, they are still illegitimate children and concubines. There are also First Madam and Second Madam, who have a lot of children. Master can’t leave too much property to our young lady. If she could be with Young Master He, then Madam and our young lady’s later life would be stable. After all, Young Master He is the eldest legitimate son there.”

Others echoed his sentiments.

Gui'er felt a pang of bitterness in her heart. She turned to look at Lin Peishan's room on the second floor. Through the thin curtains, she could see He Zhixiao and Lin Peishan chatting and laughing. She didn't know if Lin Peishan knew about her parents' arrangements, but it seemed that Lin Peishan had no choice. She felt very sorry for her. She could have become a doctor, but fate had played a cruel trick on her. She was afraid that before long, she would have to obey her parents' arrangements and get married.

But she couldn't say anything. Lin Peishan had already suffered enough; she couldn't let her stay in the past forever, especially since she couldn't contact the organization now.

As she walked out of the Lin family's gate, the autumn wind ruffled the hem of her clothes. Her heart felt heavy, as if weighed down by a damp cotton wad. After that, Gui'er reduced the number of times she visited the Lin family.

A few days later, Gui'er was resting at home when the doorbell of the villa was rang urgently. When Sister-in-law Aying opened the door, she found it was Fourth Aunt and Sha Lili, with Sha Biyun jumping around behind them.

"Gui'er, it's been so long! We haven't seen each other since the New Year. And you, you never come to our house to play either," Fourth Aunt said affectionately, holding her hand.

Gui'er felt particularly confused and didn't know what Dingxiang was up to, but she still asked Dingxiang to make tea for them.

The fourth concubine's eyes swept around the living room, as if assessing something. "I've come today to bring you some good news."

"What good news?" Gui'er had a bad feeling.