The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Although Gu’er felt a little flustered inside, she wouldn’t mess up steaming the jujube cakes. Since she had promised them, she was determined to do a good job.

By the time the jujube cakes were out of the steamer and their rich aroma filled the air, Gu’er still hadn’t seen anyone from the Lin Family arrive.

Although Gu’er hadn’t said much to Chen Fengjiao, she secretly hoped the woman would come looking for her. ’If she did, it would mean she still cares.’ But the other woman never came.

It would be a lie to say Gu’er wasn’t disappointed. Even with the faint resentment in her heart, there was also a deep longing for a family connection.

’She dotes on Lin Sui’er so much, so what about me?’ A pang of heartache struck Gu’er.

The Cui family was very satisfied with the jujube cakes and gave Gu’er one dollar for her work. Gu’er quietly accepted the money, offered her congratulations, and then left the kitchen, wheeling her bicycle out of the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, Gu’er was just about to get on her bike and ride away when she saw the person standing there and froze for a moment.

Lin Sui’er’s mother was here, waiting for her. ’So she did come, she just didn’t enter the Cui Family’s home.’ Gu’er didn’t know how to feel about that.

"Gu’er? Are you Gu’er?"

Chen Fengjiao rushed forward when she saw Gu’er, grabbing the bicycle’s handlebars. As she asked, her face was a whirlwind of emotions—eagerness, anticipation, and a touch of panic.

"My name is Gu’er. Can I help you, ma’am?"

Gu’er forced herself to remain calm.

Hearing Gu’er call her "ma’am," Chen Fengjiao swayed on her feet.

"You... how old are you this year?" Chen Fengjiao asked.

"Eighteen."

Gu’er already had an idea of what was happening. ’If there are no other coincidences, then this woman should be my birth mother.’

In her past life, she had never come here to make jujube cakes, nor had she run into Lin Sui’er. She might have crossed paths with her birth mother, but fate had kept them from knowing each other.

"What month is your birthday?" Chen Fengjiao pressed.

Gu’er fell silent for a moment. Her birthday month... she didn’t know it herself.

"August."

Gu’er just made it up.

"Impossible. How could you have been born in August? It should be the sixth day of the fifth month," Chen Fengjiao said in disbelief.

Gu’er just stared at her. ’After two lifetimes, only now do I know my birthday is the sixth day of the fifth month. Isn’t that tragic?’

"No, that’s not right. You were too young then, you wouldn’t remember when you were born."

Chen Fengjiao’s thoughts and emotions were in a jumble, and she muttered to herself.

"What are you talking about, ma’am? Who are you talking about?"

Gu’er knew exactly what she was talking about, but she didn’t want to admit it. She felt too wronged.

"Gu’er, do you... do you have parents?"

Chen Fengjiao didn’t know how to phrase it. Although she felt this was almost certainly it, there were many people with the same name, and some who even looked alike. The age was right, but the birthday didn’t match.

"That’s a funny question, ma’am. People don’t just spring from a rock. Of course I have parents."

Gu’er’s voice was tinged with mockery, but her heart was aching.

"No, no, that’s not what I meant. Are your parents still around? Are they good to you? Did they ever tell you anything?"

Chen Fengjiao didn’t know how to explain herself. She was afraid of being mistaken, but as long as there was a glimmer of hope, she wanted to be sure.

"My parents are both around, and they treat me very well. Especially my mom. I’m her own daughter, so why wouldn’t she be good to me? Tell me what? What could they possibly say?"

Gu’er didn’t know if her words would hurt the other woman, but she herself was hurting. She didn’t want to hurt her, but then she thought of Lin Sui’er, and her past life. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong to be abandoned by her parents and forced to live such a life.

Chen Fengjiao took a step back. Hearing Gu’er’s words, her heart ached terribly. ’Could I have been mistaken? Is this girl in front of me not my long-lost eldest daughter? She said she’s their biological child, so...?’

"Then what village is your family from?" Chen Fengjiao asked, remembering where she had lost her daughter.

Gu’er told her.

"No, that’s not right. It can’t be from that area. It’s too far away," Chen Fengjiao said, shaking her head.

Watching her like this, Gu’er’s heart ached. She desperately wanted to open her mouth, but for some reason, she just couldn’t.

"Are you... are you really your parents’ biological child? Is it possible you were adopted, and you just don’t know it?"

Chen Fengjiao suddenly grabbed Gu’er’s arm, questioning her urgently.

Seeing the hopeful expression on her face, Gu’er felt as if needles were pricking her heart. ’If she really cared about me, would she have abandoned me and ignored me for all these years?’

Gu’er wanted to ask, to find out exactly why. ’Maybe there’s a hidden reason I don’t know about.’

Just as Gu’er was about to speak, she heard a voice calling out, "Mom! Mom, where are you? I’m hungry! Hurry back!"

It was Lin Sui’er’s voice.

"Yes, I’m coming right back!"

Chen Fengjiao called back. She had been out waiting for Gu’er for quite a while. Her younger daughter was still at home; she had sprained her ankle and couldn’t get around easily, so she needed to be taken care of.

Gu’er saw the anxiety and loving concern on Chen Fengjiao’s face.

Gu’er laughed. ’Even if she is my birth mother, after all these years apart, what feelings could she possibly have for me?’

’This is such a huge moment, asking me all these questions. But the second Lin Sui’er calls out, her attention immediately shifts back to her. Lin Sui’er is her real daughter, the one she pampers. She’s going back, isn’t she? So what’s left for me to say?’

"You should hurry back, ma’am. Your daughter is calling for you."

Gu’er said, though she actually wanted Chen Fengjiao to keep asking.

"Then, you... I’ll go back first. You... I..."

Chen Fengjiao didn’t know what to say. The shock of it all was too great.

But Gu’er’s heart ached. Seeing Chen Fengjiao let go of her arm, she said nothing more, got on her bicycle, and rode away.

As Chen Fengjiao watched Gu’er’s retreating figure, her eyes reddened and tears fell. ’No, I still think it’s her. This must be my eldest daughter. I’ll wait for my husband to come home tonight and discuss it with him. I already know which village Gu’er is from, so we can go and ask around. We might be able to find something out. But for now, I have to go back. I have to take care of my younger daughter. Otherwise, she’ll start throwing a tantrum again soon. My little girl has never been wronged in her life, and this time she was injured because of Gu’er. She won’t blame Gu’er, will she? I need to have a good talk with her. Gu’er might be her older sister. I can’t let there be conflict between them.’

Chen Fengjiao went home. She had no idea that Gu’er hadn’t gone far, but had stopped to watch her. Seeing Chen Fengjiao leave, Gu’er felt an emptiness in her heart. ’Is this really my birth mother?’

Gu’er wanted to cry, but no tears came. She had once desperately longed to find her birth parents, to know that they hadn’t just abandoned her, to know her real surname, to know what kind of people they were, to receive their love. But right now, all Gu’er felt was disappointment.

Gu’er rode her bike back, her mind in turmoil. She kept replaying the encounter, and not paying attention, she hit a pothole and fell. Staring at her scraped elbow, Gu’er laughed—a heartbreaking sound. ’When Lin Sui’er falls, her mother is there to feel sorry for her. But what about me? I fall, and who is there to feel sorry for me?’