The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er could easily hear the sarcasm in Xiao Li’s words, but she paid it no mind. ’What kind of person is Xiao Li, anyway? Just some sort of head waiter at the hotel, ranks far below the manager. Nothing more than the manager’s lackey. If I were to argue with him, I’d just be lowering myself to his level.’

Even though she hadn’t been capable in her past life, she now had a lifetime of experience. She wasn’t afraid of people like Xiao Li, but she also never dared to underestimate anyone. You never know what the future holds for a person; someone you look down on today might become a great success tomorrow.

"Aren’t you going to discuss this with your manager?"

Gu’er asked Xiao Li. Her request wasn’t unreasonable. Transportation was underdeveloped in this era, unlike in later years when every city would have restaurants from all over, offering a taste of every kind of cuisine. But that wasn’t the case now. Many of the people who stayed here had never tasted anything beyond the local fare. Though the hotel was famous in the area, it only served local dishes.

Gu’er could cook a few dishes with unique flavors. That way, she could sell the wild boar and roe deer for a good price, and the hotel could properly entertain its honored guests. It was a win-win situation. She wasn’t trying to take advantage of them.

"No need. I can give you an answer right now. You want eighty cents? In your dreams! You think just because you’re a woman with a halfway decent face, you can get a good price? Who do you think is so desperate for you? You’re just a bunch of country bumpkins, driven mad by greed. Even if your families are starving from famine, don’t think you can run over here and strike it rich. You think we’ve never seen the world, just like you?"

Xiao Li’s words were laced with obvious sarcasm.

Sun Jiaming’s expression instantly changed. He strode forward and grabbed Xiao Li by his cotton-padded jacket, veins popping on his forehead as a red glint flashed in his eyes.

"Apologize."

He gave Xiao Li’s jacket a hard tug, dragging him toward Gu’er and demanding he apologize to her.

Xiao Li was no match for Sun Jiaming and stumbled several times as he was dragged along. He shrieked, "What do you think you’re doing? Let go of me! You have a death wish, causing trouble here? Do you have any idea where you are? Let go, or I’ll kill you!"

He was yelling at the top of his lungs. Gu’er frowned. ’What kind of person is this Xiao Li? It seems the staff at this hotel aren’t up to much. If I had known, I would’ve chosen somewhere else to sell the boar meat.’

"Apologize."

Sun Jiaming completely ignored his blustering. He wasn’t the least bit afraid. The man had dared to insult Gu’er; how could he possibly let it slide?

"Apologize my ass! Who do you think you are? I’m telling you, forget about selling this boar. We’re not buying it! We wouldn’t take it even if you got on your knees and begged. What’s more, I’ll make sure you can’t sell it anywhere else in the city!"

Xiao Li wasn’t scared in the slightest. ’A few ignorant hicks who don’t know their place. They should take a good look at where they are.’

Uncle Zhao started to panic. He wanted to intervene but held his tongue. He didn’t care if they insulted him, but they couldn’t insult Gu’er. Gu’er was a good girl. So, despite his anxiety, he wouldn’t try to stop Sun Jiaming.

"We don’t give a damn whether we sell it or not. You said you wanted to kill me, is that right? Well, if you don’t apologize right now, I’ll kill you first."

Sun Jiaming’s expression was icy. He had been gripping Xiao Li’s jacket, but now his hand moved to the man’s throat.

Not only did he place his hand on Xiao Li’s throat, but he also began to squeeze. He wasn’t being reckless or impulsive; he knew what he was doing. But as a man, how could he possibly tolerate someone insulting the woman he loved right to his face?

"I won’t! What’s she but a piece of—"

Xiao Li was still talking tough when several men burst out of the back kitchen, each of them holding a weapon.

"What do you think you’re doing? You’ve got a lot of nerve!" the apparent leader of the group shouted at Sun Jiaming. "Don’t you know where you are? You dare cause trouble here? Let him go, now!"

Sun Jiaming acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing, turning a deaf ear to them. He simply repeated to Xiao Li, "Apologize," and tightened his grip.

Zhao Daniu stood behind Sun Jiaming, glaring at the newcomers, ready in case they tried to rush forward and attack Sun Jiaming.

"Gu’er, this... this is..."

Uncle Zhao was extremely anxious. He’d never seen a standoff like this before, and in the city of all places! ’What are we going to do if this blows up? The city folk will definitely side with their own. There are so few of us, how can we possibly come out on top?’

Gu’er remained silent. She knew Sun Jiaming was standing up for her, and she also understood what Uncle Zhao wanted—for her to tell Sun Jiaming to stop.

But she couldn’t. She couldn’t tell him to stop. If she did, she would be letting Sun Jiaming down and, worse, it would make the other side see them as weak. Then they would be bullied even more fiercely.

’If you let yourself be walked over, you can’t blame others for stepping on you.’

’Sun Jiaming is standing up for me. I should stand right beside him. What is there to be afraid of!’

"It’s just a hotel, what’s so special about it? If you don’t want to stay in business, just say the word. Brother Jia Ming, do what you have to do. I’ll pay for any damages. I’d like to see which one of them dares to step forward. I’d like to see what they can possibly do to us."

Gu’er stood up straight, her voice ringing out, her face a mask of icy charm and disdain. At that moment, she no longer resembled a simple farm girl. Instead, she carried the powerful aura of a young lady from a prestigious family, as if she held the hotel’s very fate in her hands.

In truth, Gu’er didn’t want to act this way. She knew this hotel was no simple establishment; even her father, Lin Shan, would normally avoid offending the people here. But that referred to the manager and those with even higher authority, not someone like Xiao Li. Gu’er had never wanted to ride on anyone’s coattails, but if she didn’t put on a show right now—intimidate them and make them believe she had some kind of status—they would surely rush in, and her group would undoubtedly suffer for it.

"Don’t worry," Sun Jiaming said, nodding at Gu’er. "A punk like him can’t make any real trouble. I could beat him senseless and no one would stand up for him."

He had already considered the consequences before he made his move. First, he could not allow anyone to insult Gu’er. Second, if the hotel really decided to pursue the matter, he had ways to smooth things over.

This exchange between Gu’er and Sun Jiaming sowed suspicion in the minds of the men who had rushed out. They stared at the pair, their expressions uncertain. If these were just villagers, they could beat them up and be done with it. No one would come looking for trouble afterward; the villagers would just have to swallow their bad luck. But if these people really had some kind of status, then things would get complicated.

’Do they really have connections? They must. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have this kind of presence, and they wouldn’t dare say things like that. We’ve seen plenty of villagers before, and they’re always timid and cowering. These two don’t act like they’re from some backwater village at all. We’d better not make a move.’

Xiao Li’s eyes darted around frantically. "Don’t... don’t listen to them!" he choked out. "They’re... they’re... COUGH, COUGH, COUGH."

He was trying to tell everyone not to believe Gu’er and Sun Jiaming, but as he shouted, Sun Jiaming’s hand tightened, cutting off his words and sending him into a coughing fit.

"Apologize."

Sun Jiaming stared down at him, his grip tightening, his eyes devoid of mercy.