The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

After Gu’er rode away on her bicycle, Sun Jiaming clenched his fists.

He had gone into the city a few days ago to handle a property deed, but he hadn’t gone to see Gu’er. His business partner had asked if he was interested in investing more, as they were planning to expand the business.

Sun Jiaming had said he would think about it. With his current dividends, he didn’t have to worry about food or clothing. But investing more meant taking on risk. If the business lost money, it wouldn’t be a small sum; it could take years to earn it all back.

But risk also meant opportunity. He had done his research and looked into the market. Seeing Gu’er today sealed his determination. He would invest more. He had a family to support. He was going to buy a house in the city—a big one. He would bring his grandmother to live there, and when the time was right, he would make sure Gu’er married him in grand style.

Gu’er, oblivious to Sun Jiaming’s thoughts, hummed a song all the way back to the Lin Family’s home. She took her things to the kitchen and started making dinner with Chen Fengjiao.

Watching the constant smile on Gu’er’s face and her cheerful demeanor, Chen Fengjiao felt a pang of unease. This was her own flesh and blood, yet she seemed closer to others than to her. A single trip back to the village made her this happy, but she was never this cheerful at home. She didn’t even want Gu’er to go back anymore. ’What’s so great about that village, anyway?’

That was what she thought, but she didn’t say it out loud, afraid of upsetting Gu’er.

The days passed just like that. After a light rain, the weather turned cooler, and Gu’er started wearing a jacket.

After breakfast, she tidied up and went to the gatehouse.

It had rained yesterday, so the mushrooms should be delivered today. Come to think of it, over ten days had passed since her last trip back. It was already the end of the month.

Next month, not only would she be selling mushrooms and other mountain goods during the day, but she would also start attending night school in the evenings. Her life was busy, but it was fulfilling. The more Gu’er thought about it, the happier she became.

Gu’er waited in the gatehouse until noon, but no one came.

She began to feel a little anxious. She went next door to buy two steamed buns and started eating them with the water she had brought. Before leaving, she had already told Chen Fengjiao that she wouldn’t be home for lunch.

Around one in the afternoon, Gu’er heard a noise. She peeked out the gatehouse door, and her face lit up with joy.

Not only had Uncle Zhao and Brother Zhao arrived, but Sun Jiaming was there too. They were pulling a cart, their faces glistening with sweat.

"Quick, come in and wash up."

Gu’er said, her heart aching for them.

She led the three of them to the washstand. She had bought the stand herself some time ago, along with a basin and two towels. She had already drawn water that morning, so it was perfect for them to wash their faces now.

Once they were all cleaned up, Gu’er had them drink some water while she went outside to take a look. Goodness, they had brought several burlap sacks of mushrooms this time. ’How many pounds must that be?’

"Gu’er, we really had no choice. When people found out we were picking mushrooms to sell in the city, so many families came to us. They’re all from the same village, and we’re on good terms with them. Some are even relatives. We just couldn’t turn them down, so we brought them all. And this isn’t even everything; there’s still more back home."

Seeing Gu’er’s surprise, Uncle Zhao explained with some embarrassment. Gu’er had originally only planned to partner with his family, but once the villagers learned there was money to be made selling mushrooms, they all came knocking. It felt wrong to refuse anyone.

"It’s alright, Uncle. But you have to tell them first—with this many mushrooms, the price can’t be high, and there’s no way I can sell them all in one day. As long as they trust me and don’t complain that the earnings are too little, it’ll be fine."

Gu’er didn’t really mind. More mushrooms just meant more work for her. If she could, she wanted to help everyone.

"Don’t worry, Jia Ming already told them," Uncle Zhao said, patting his chest in assurance. "They said you can decide the selling price, and they won’t let you work for free. They’ll be happy with whatever you can give them."

"Okay. Brother Jia Ming, you’ve kept a record of how many pounds each family contributed, right?"

Gu’er then asked Sun Jiaming.

Sun Jiaming nodded. He had a ledger where he had clearly recorded each family’s share.

As they moved the mushrooms inside, Gu’er went to buy some steamed buns and pickled vegetables. She knew Sun Jiaming and the others must not have eaten yet. At this hour, there were no proper eateries nearby, so she could only get them something simple to make do with.

While they ate, Gu’er opened each burlap sack to inspect the contents. Some of the mushrooms had been cleaned, while others hadn’t.

"A few of the aunties back home are watching over the rest. They’ll clean all of them. And if any don’t sell, we’ll sun-dry them. Don’t worry, we won’t let them go to waste,"

Sun Jiaming said to Gu’er between bites of his bun.

Gu’er nodded. That was a good way to handle it.

After they finished their buns, Gu’er didn’t send them back right away. Instead, the group of them took the cart and headed out.

They found a spot, split into two groups, and started selling mushrooms.

Because they had so many, their asking price wasn’t high. Both groups sold at the same fixed price with no haggling, so customers could buy from either one. The main goal was to sell them quickly.

When sales slowed down in one location, they moved to another. By a little after four in the afternoon, a lot of mushrooms were still unsold. Gu’er told them all to head back home. They couldn’t spend the night in the city, and it wouldn’t be safe to travel back too late.

Sun Jiaming worried that Gu’er would stay and continue selling after they left, so he insisted she move the remaining mushrooms back into the gatehouse before he felt at ease leaving.

They returned to the gatehouse, where Gu’er poured the mushrooms onto the floor to air out. If left smothered in the sacks overnight, many would spoil by morning. Once they were all spread out, she and Sun Jiaming locked the door together.

Sun Jiaming and the others headed back to the village, while Gu’er returned to the Lin Family’s home.

"Oh, so you decided to show your face? Even if you want to run wild, you could at least think about us! We’re starving here. If you don’t want to come home, then just stay out for good!"

The moment Gu’er opened the door, Lin Sui’er laid into her.

Gu’er froze. She glanced at the untouched meal on the table and understood. The whole family must have been waiting for her.

"I’m sorry I’m late."

Gu’er apologized. She truly hadn’t expected them to wait. She had assumed it would be like at the Zhou family’s home—if she was late, they would eat first and just save some food for her.

"It’s fine, it’s fine, you’re not late," Chen Fengjiao said, quickly stepping between the two sisters, afraid they would start fighting. "You must be tired. Go wash your hands so we can eat."

After Gu’er washed her hands, the family sat down at the dinner table.

"Dad, Mom, I’ll probably be coming home late quite often for a while. Please don’t wait for me to eat. Sui’er and Zheng’er are still growing; it’s not good for them to go hungry. Just save a little something for me."

Gu’er explained as she ate. ’Since we’re all living under one roof, we should try to be more understanding of each other.’ She didn’t want everyone to have to accommodate her schedule; over time, that would only lead to conflict.

"Mom, look at her! If I’m a little late, you give me a whole lecture. But her? She runs wild outside every day like this, and you don’t say a thing!"

Lin Sui’er found fault with Lin Gu’er in every possible way.

"Your sister is busy with proper business. She went out to sell mushrooms, which is different from you. Do you ever go out for any proper reason? All you do is hang around with that good-for-nothing crowd."

Chen Fengjiao looked at Sui’er, exasperated that her daughter wouldn’t live up to her potential.

"Hmph! Selling mushrooms. Of course, someone from the village would sell mushrooms. You can get mushrooms anywhere, yet she’s out *selling* them? How many dimes can she possibly make in a day? It’s just an excuse to go out and fool around. Besides, what’s wrong with my friends? They’re all from the city, and their families are well-off. Being with them makes me look good. *She’s* the one who’s an embarrassment, running around peddling things."

Lin Sui’er’s face was a mask of contempt and defiance.

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Thank you to Dong Han Yue for the monthly ticket, and thank you, everyone, for your support. I had a parent-teacher conference today. My ’Little Snow’ got a 100 in math, 97 in Chinese, and ’Excellent’ in both English and Conduct. She had a cold and was dizzy during her exams, but her grades are still pretty good.