The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

After Gu’er and Grandma Sun finished lunch, she had Grandma Sun take a nap while she sat on the kang and did some needlework.

The weather would soon cool down, and the nights were already getting chillier than before. She wanted to sew some thicker clothes for Grandma Sun.

As she was sewing, Gu’er suddenly heard voices from the courtyard.

’Is Sun Jiaming back?’

’Probably not. For one, it’s still too early. And for another, it didn’t sound like just one person, but several people.’

Gu’er put down her needle and thread, climbed off the kang, slipped on her shoes, and headed outside.

Gu’er stopped at the doorway of the main house. She didn’t cross the threshold, because she saw several people walking right toward her.

Leading the group was a middle-aged man and woman.

The man was around forty. He wasn’t short, but his back was slightly stooped, so he didn’t seem particularly tall.

He had short hair and somewhat dark skin, with thick eyebrows and large eyes. Deep wrinkles fanned out from the corners of his eyes, and he had a high nose bridge. All in all, his features were quite regular and well-proportioned.

Gu’er could see at a glance that this middle-aged man resembled Sun Jiaming, but he seemed more simple and honest than his son, lacking Sun Jiaming’s sharp vigor.

The woman looked to be about the same age as the man. She was about five-foot-three, but her stocky build made her seem shorter.

Her hair was tied up and coiled into a bun at the back of her head.

She had dark skin and small eyes that tilted up slightly at the corners, giving her a sharp, severe look when she stared at people.

She had a fleshy nose and rather thick lips that were slightly dark in color.

Her looks were average, but you could tell she was a formidable person.

Both of them were well-dressed.

Seeing the people following them and chatting with them so warmly, Gu’er immediately guessed who they were: Sun Jiaming’s parents.

’Sun Jiaming went to the city today. Do his parents know? Why have they come back now?’

Technically, this was the Sun Family’s home, and they could come back whenever they pleased. It had nothing to do with her. Yet, Gu’er’s heart began to pound. She wasn’t ready to meet Sun Jiaming’s parents.

"Oh, Gu’er’s here! Quick, this is Uncle Sun and your aunt."

An auntie who saw Gu’er quickly smiled and added, addressing Cao Qiu, "I tell you, Gu’er has worked so hard recently. Look how clean the house is! She tidied it all up herself. She’s so diligent, and she even earns money selling popsicles. A truly capable girl."

The auntie sang Gu’er’s praises.

Cao Qiu glanced at Gu’er. There was a smile on her face, but a sharp glint flashed in her eyes. ’The shameless hussy, living in my house. She really thinks she’s the lady of the house now. As if she’s worthy!’

But Cao Qiu didn’t embarrass Gu’er. Instead, she just smiled and continued talking to the people behind her.

Gu’er offered a greeting, then stepped back to let everyone into the house.

A few neighbors followed them inside, chattering away with Sun Zhuzi and Cao Qiu.

Gu’er didn’t join the conversation. She quietly went to pour two glasses of water and brought them to Sun Zhuzi and Cao Qiu.

"This girl Gu’er is so thoughtful."

An older woman also praised Gu’er.

"Yes, very thoughtful. But... Gu’er, is it? You can stop busying yourself. You’re being so diligent, how can I not feel embarrassed? Anyone who didn’t know better might think we were the guests. This is my house, after all."

Cao Qiu chuckled, but her words were barbed. She was accusing Gu’er of overstepping her bounds as a guest.

Gu’er’s face flushed red. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. In truth, even if she weren’t close to the Sun Family, helping pour a glass of water upon arriving at someone’s house was nothing. The hosts would normally just think she was diligent. This was clearly Cao Qiu just looking for faults.

However, Gu’er said nothing. It was her first time meeting Sun Jiaming’s parents, and they were in the Sun Family’s home with so many people watching. She couldn’t start an argument.

The neighbors in the room were all adults and understood the hidden meaning in Cao Qiu’s words. They exchanged glances, all realizing the same thing: Cao Qiu clearly didn’t approve of Gu’er. Her returning at this time was likely because of the situation between Sun Jiaming and Gu’er. It seemed Sun Jiaming’s parents might be against the match. Looks like there was going to be some drama to watch.

The neighbors said a few more words before taking their leave. They could go gossip outside, but they couldn’t stay here any longer.

Once everyone had left, Cao Qiu glanced at Gu’er.

"What, is Gu’er not going home? Are you planning to stay for dinner at your auntie’s house?"

Cao Qiu said this deliberately, wanting to humiliate Gu’er.

Sun Zhuzi glanced at his wife but said nothing.

Gu’er understood Cao Qiu’s intention. It was obvious now that Cao Qiu was not an easy person to deal with. On top of that, a woman who would abandon Grandma Sun in the village was clearly not a filial daughter-in-law. She knew this woman would definitely look down on her. Although Gu’er wasn’t afraid of Cao Qiu, she didn’t want to confront her right now. The matter with Liu Yuan hadn’t even been cleared up yet, and now Sun Jiaming’s parents were back, creating more trouble. Gu’er felt a headache coming on. ’It would have been so much better if you all had waited until I’d sorted things out with Liu Yuan,’ she thought. But she also knew that things rarely go the way you want.

Just as Gu’er was about to speak, she heard Grandma Sun calling for her from the inner room. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Yes!"

Gu’er answered and went straight into the inner room, effectively ignoring Cao Qiu’s question.

Cao Qiu’s face instantly darkened. ’This Gu’er is too disrespectful! How dare she ignore my question? If she really marries into this family, will there even be a place left for me?!’

"Uncle, Auntie, Grandma wants you to come in."

Gu’er, however, simply stood gracefully at the door to the inner room and spoke to Sun Zhuzi and Cao Qiu.

"Ah."

Sun Zhuzi stood up at once. It had been a long time since he’d seen his mother, and he truly missed her.

Cao Qiu, however, gritted her teeth. ’Why won’t this old hag just die already? If she were dead, Jiaming could move to the city with us, and this whole business with Gu’er would be over.’

She really didn’t want to go into the inner room, but she had to. If she came back and didn’t visit her mother-in-law, the village gossip would drown her. So, she slowly stood up as well.

"What’s the rush?"

She snarled at Sun Zhuzi in a low voice. Sun Zhuzi froze for a moment, then instinctively stopped and let Cao Qiu go first.

Gu’er saw this and understood everything perfectly. Brother Jia Ming’s father looked like him, but his temperament was completely different.

She shook her head silently and went back into the inner room.

"Mom, we’re back to see you! Oh, Mom, you look wonderful! You look like you’ve even put on some weight since we last saw you."

Cao Qiu put on a smiling face as she walked over to her mother-in-law.

As she entered, she noticed the smell in the room was much fainter than before. In the past, although Jiaming had always tried to keep things tidy, he was a man and not very thorough with his cleaning. So, while it was clean, there was always a bit of a smell.

But now, that strange musty smell was gone. The air felt fresher and less stuffy.

’Gu’er must have cleaned it. Really, does she have to show off like this? She’s really treating the Sun Family home as her own. If I don’t put her in her place, she’ll think she owns the place!’

Cao Qiu thought to herself resentfully.

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Thank you to sea·breeze for the scented sachet, and thank you to Zeng Yun and Happy Bean for the monthly tickets. Thank you all for your support. A father’s love is as steady as a mountain. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there! May you all be healthy!