The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Once Sun Jiaming finished his meal, Uncle Zhao arrived. Aunt Zhao had told him not to come back too late, fearing he might hold up Gu’er and the others.

Uncle Zhao came with his two sons, carrying baskets on their backs and in their hands. Gu’er did a quick count and realized they had gathered just as many mushrooms as she and Sun Jiaming had, if not more.

’They’re quite capable,’ Gu’er thought with a smile as she looked at Uncle Zhao’s simple, honest face.

Aunt Zhao’s eldest son was named Zhao Daniu. Just like his father, he seemed very down-to-earth. After a quick greeting, he started helping pack the mushrooms into bags without even taking a sip of water.

Gu’er and Sun Jiaming each rode their bicycles into the city.

This time, because they had so many mushrooms, they didn’t sell as quickly as before. When sales slowed down in one spot and the crowds thinned, Gu’er and Sun Jiaming moved to another location. Finally, as it was getting late, they sold off the remaining portion at a discount.

That day, they made a total of twenty-three yuan and seventy cents. Gu’er was still delighted.

Back at home, when Gu’er handed Aunt Zhao twelve yuan, her hands trembled slightly.

It wasn’t that she’d never seen money before, but she had never earned so much at once. A dozen or so yuan would last her a long time.

"This is too much. You don’t have to give me so much. You and Jia Ming ran around all day. Just give me ten... no, eight yuan is enough."

Aunt Zhao felt too embarrassed to take it. Gu’er and Sun Jiaming had done all the selling; her family had only picked the mushrooms. She would feel bad taking the full amount.

"Please take it, Aunt Zhao. I can’t be making a profit off of you. Besides, you help us by looking after Grandma. How could we go off to pick and sell mushrooms with peace of mind otherwise? And if I really turn this into a business, there will be plenty more ways I’ll need help from you and Uncle Zhao. If you don’t take this, I won’t be able to ask for your help in the future."

Gu’er pushed the money back. She couldn’t possibly take advantage of Aunt Zhao.

"Alright, then I’ll take it. It’s only right that I help look after Grandma. As for the future, whenever you need me or your uncle, just say the word. If nothing else, your uncle and your big brother are still good for some hard labor."

Aunt Zhao stopped being polite and accepted the money.

After Aunt Zhao left, Gu’er brought up an idea with Grandma Sun and Sun Jiaming. During the peak of mushroom season, she wanted to use Sun Jiaming’s gatehouse to store the mushrooms and other mountain goods. When the time came, she wouldn’t return to the village. She would be in charge of selling during the day, while Sun Jiaming would be in the village, in charge of procurement. They could have Uncle Zhao and Zhao Cheng deliver the goods to the city. This division of labor seemed more reasonable. Otherwise, their current routine of picking, cycling to the city to sell, and then cycling back every day was just too exhausting. It was fine for a day or two, but it wouldn’t be sustainable in the long run.

Gu’er’s words made Sun Jiaming fall silent.

He didn’t oppose her desire to make money, and he agreed with her plan to sell mushrooms and mountain goods. It would not only let Gu’er earn money herself but also help the other villagers earn some too. That way, the villagers’ opinion of Gu’er would surely change, and a situation like last time, when she was in trouble and no one helped, wouldn’t happen again.

But this meant Gu’er would have to live in the city. Sun Jiaming was worried, and he couldn’t bear to be apart from her.

But he couldn’t leave. First, his grandmother was here. Second, Gu’er needed someone to help her on this end, and he was the most suitable person for the job.

"Brother Jia Ming, is it not okay?"

Seeing Sun Jiaming’s silence, Gu’er felt a little anxious.

Grandma Sun sighed inwardly. She knew what her grandson was thinking; he didn’t want Gu’er to go.

"Where will you live, then?"

Sun Jiaming asked Gu’er.

"I’ll just live in the gatehouse. I can line up a few stools to make a bed. I’ll just need to bring a couple of quilts."

Gu’er was not afraid of hardship.

"No, you can’t live in the gatehouse by yourself. It’s not safe."

Sun Jiaming shook his head. He really wanted her to come back and stay at night, but that would mean she’d have to ride her bike back and forth every morning and evening, which would also be exhausting.

"I’m having someone clean up the gatehouse; it should be ready in a few more days. I’ll also hurry up and get the business license sorted. As for a place to live, I’ll ask a friend to find you a decent place to rent. The gatehouse is too close to the road. I’m afraid something might happen if a bad person shows up at night."

Sun Jiaming thought for a moment and decided renting was the best option. ’It’s not that I haven’t considered buying a place,’ he thought. ’But it couldn’t be too small—it would have to be big enough for me, Gu’er, and Grandma. I’ve already checked the price of a forty-square-meter apartment, and I can’t afford it. I could manage a smaller place if I spent all my savings, but that would leave me with nothing. If an emergency came up and Grandma or Gu’er needed money, I’d be helpless. I can’t leave us without a safety net; the family needs to have some emergency funds. So, buying is out of the question for now. Renting an apartment for Gu’er is the most practical solution.’

"Okay, Brother Jia Ming, you don’t need to ask anyone. I’ll look around the city myself over the next few days and find a place that’s cheap but nice."

Gu’er agreed. Although renting would cost some money, she also thought it was a good idea. First, it would put Sun Jiaming’s mind at ease, as her safety was indeed a concern if she were alone in the city. Second, she had another plan in mind if she was going to live in the city.

But before they had a chance to sort out the rental, someone came looking for the Sun family the very next evening.

Seeing the people Zhou Mazi and Li Hua led into their home, Gu’er felt a complicated mix of emotions. ’I thought they weren’t coming,’ she thought. ’I can’t believe they showed up now.’

"Brother, sister-in-law, this is Gu’er. Take a look. We raised her to be this big. See how well we raised her, how lovely she is. We definitely didn’t mistreat her."

For once, Zhou Mazi wasn’t spouting vulgarities; instead, he wore a fawning smile.

Li Hua’s eyes were red-rimmed, and she remained silent.

Gu’er looked at the two faces before her. She already recognized Chen Fengjiao, but it was the first time she had seen the man beside her.

The man was around forty years old, of average height, and looked a little thin. He had thick, dark, and very well-defined eyebrows, but they weren’t like hers. ’My eyebrows must take after my mother,’ she thought.

His eyes weren’t small and tilted up slightly at the corners, making him look somewhat stern and imposing. Gu’er felt that such eyes looked better on a woman’s face and a bit strange on a man’s, though they did make him look younger than his age.

It seemed Lin Sui’er’s eyes took after their father.

The man’s nose was very straight.

Gu’er now knew who her nose resembled. Both hers and Lin Sui’er’s noses were very straight; they had both inherited that from their father.

As for his lips, their shape was also well-defined.

’He’s actually quite handsome,’ she mused. ’The only flaw is that his skin isn’t fair.’

Gu’er glanced at Chen Fengjiao again—she wasn’t fair-skinned either. It seemed that she and Lin Sui’er’s darker complexions were natural, inherited from their parents, neither of whom had fair skin.

It was strange that she was contemplating such things, because she was already certain: the couple standing before her must be her biological parents.

However, Gu’er felt little for them right now. In her heart, their importance couldn’t compare to Grandma Sun, let alone Sun Jiaming. And they certainly couldn’t hold a candle to her adoptive mother.

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