A Girl Traveling Through Troubled Times

Chapter 1034 Pulling and Contest

"Boss lady, please help me out. I won't wear your clothes for nothing." Gui'er took out another silver coin, which was the last bit of money she had.

"Alright, since you like it so much, I'll lend it to you for a while. Remember to return it to me when you leave." With that, the proprietress went into the small room next door and brought out a neatly folded kimono. It was dark and plain without any patterns. She didn't even teach Gui'er how to wear it, and simply put it on the counter.

"Thank you." Gui'er didn't mind, took the kimono, fetched some hot water and tea leaves, and hurried back upstairs.

Upon entering the room, she first brewed tea, then poured the packet of powder that Manager Liu had given her into the teapot. Fearing it wouldn't be effective enough, she only brewed enough for one cup. Afterward, she crumpled the paper containing the powder into a ball and threw it forcefully out the window.

Then she quickly changed into a kimono. She didn't know how to wear it, so she just put it on based on her memories and tied the obi (sash) haphazardly.

Just as we were getting everything ready, someone knocked on the door.

"Miss, Captain Hao has arrived." It was Lin Zhengfu's voice.

"You're here," Gui'er said in a deliberately coquettish voice as she walked over and opened the door.

Standing at the door were Lin Zhengfu and another man. The man looked to be in his early fifties, about 1.8 meters tall, with a robust build, fair skin, a square face, big eyes, double eyelids, and a high nose. He was handsome and imposing, even with a touch of elegance.

Gui'er was stunned. She had always thought that traitors were all sharp-mouthed and monkey-faced, but she never expected that there would be such a person with a flat head and a neat face. If she hadn't been told that this person was a traitor, she would have completely thought that he was an elder with a certain social status.

The other party was stunned when they saw Gui'er's attire.

"Oh my, Miss, you look absolutely stunning in this outfit! How did you get it? You were clearly wearing men's clothing just now," Lin Zhengfu exclaimed from the side.

"I borrowed it from the hotel owner. I don't know if Captain Hao will like it?" Gui'er lowered her head, feigning shyness.

"Beautiful, really beautiful, even more beautiful than those Japanese women's clothes." Captain Hao's eyes were glued to Gui'er the moment he opened the door.

"Oh dear, look at me. You two can continue chatting. I'll take my leave now. Goodbye, goodbye." Lin Zhengfu quickly turned and left.

"Captain Hao, please come in and have a seat," Gui'er said gently.

Captain Hao was usually fawned over, and he was used to putting on a dignified and respectable elder's demeanor. But now, seeing Gui'er, he felt a chill run down his spine and stood there somewhat at a loss. He thought to himself, "No wonder these Japanese devils like Japanese women so much. They really have a unique charm. Today it's my turn to enjoy it."

Gui'er noticed his eyes were fixed on her, unmoving. A sense of unease crept into her heart. Was he doubting her? She softly said, "Captain Hao, why don't you come in and sit down?"

It was only then that Captain Hao realized that he, a normally imposing captain, had lost his composure. He quickly put on a stern face, nodded, and went into the house.

As Gui'er watched him enter the room, she quickly said, "Captain Hao, please sit down. This place is unlike other places; there's nothing here. I don't have anything to offer you either, I'm really sorry. Let me make you a cup of tea."

"It's alright, where are you from?"

Gui'er was afraid he was too impatient, but seeing that he was still pretending to be a gentleman, she felt much more at ease.

“I am originally from Shanghai. After Shanghai fell to the Japanese, my parents passed away one after another. I was really desperate and now I have to go to Hong Kong to seek refuge with relatives. That’s why I asked Captain Hao for help.”

"...It must be tough for a girl like you to come all the way from Shanghai to Guangzhou all by yourself." Lin Zhengfu also said that the girl was a virgin. He didn't believe that a single girl could travel such a long distance safely without being bullied.

"Of course not. We've been through so much fire and gunfire. I barely survived, thanks to the care of my old servant and the fact that my parents had some savings. But we were destitute when we arrived in Guangzhou. Mr. Lin said that you, Captain, are the most kind-hearted, so you helped us find a place. I hope you'll have pity on me, a mere woman." As Gui'er spoke, she picked up the teapot, poured a pot of tea, and handed it to the Captain with both hands.

Captain Hao sized up the girl in front of him. Besides being beautiful and charming, she also possessed a composure and dignity that girls from humble families often lacked. It turned out she was the daughter of a wealthy family who had fallen on hard times.

"You went to stay with your relatives in Hong Kong, but you'll be living under their roof anyway, which is really pitiful. Although I'm older, I'm quite successful in Guangzhou. Why don't you come with me? You'll have a better place to stay. You see the landlady of this inn? I can let you run an inn or a business like hers, so you'll have no worries about food and clothing. You won't have to live in my inner quarters. I'll come to see you occasionally, which will reduce a lot of trouble. What do you think?"

As Captain Hao spoke, he took the tea that Gui'er handed him and sipped it.

"Hmm? Why is this tea bitter?"

"Oh, the proprietress said the tea wasn't very good, so she gave me two pieces of dried tangerine peel. Is that a bit too much? But it's okay, it has a sweet aftertaste after drinking it for a while. Try another sip, and maybe you'll be able to taste the flavor." Gui'er said, gently supporting Captain Hao's hand that was holding the teacup with her small hand.

Captain Hao felt that Gui'er's small hands were soft and smooth, as white as snow. When she touched him, it felt like he was being electrocuted. He subconsciously nodded, picked up his teacup, and drank it all in one gulp.

Gui'er smiled broadly and nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Captain Hao's suggestion is certainly very good. But I'm also worried that if the Japanese are driven away one day, will I also suffer a great misfortune along with you? After all, people like this who sell out their country for personal gain will not have a good ending."

Captain Hao was stunned; it was the first time anyone had dared to speak to him so bluntly.

"That's what they say. But look at Guangzhou now, how many people die every day? Only a few reckless fools come out and talk about resisting the Japanese, and a significant portion of them are reported by others. You have to think long-term. Didn't the Qing Dynasty replace the Ming Dynasty in the same way?" Captain Hao said, suppressing his displeasure. He was only doing this because this young woman was to his liking; otherwise, he would have arrested her and given her a severe beating.

Seeing that he had drunk a whole cup of tea without any reaction, Gui'er's heart began to pound. She distanced herself from him and sat down on a stool a coffee table away from Captain Hao, smiling as she said, "What the captain said makes perfect sense. I was short-sighted. However, I do have a fiancé in Hong Kong. Breaking the engagement so rashly would damage the reputation of my parents and family."