The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er looked at Lin Shan, a sense of grievance welling up inside her.

"Gu’er, I know you feel wronged. You want to go back to the village, you want to move out, because this place doesn’t feel like home to you. We haven’t given you enough, we haven’t done right by you, and that’s why you’re hurting. But Gu’er, no family is without conflict. Who doesn’t get angry or argue? Even teeth bite the tongue sometimes. If a tooth bites the tongue, can we just get rid of the tooth or the tongue? We can’t. When problems arise, we solve them. If you want to go back to the village, Dad will go with you, but you can’t move out. When something like this happens, Gu’er, you’re not the only one who’s heartbroken."

Lin Shan looked at Gu’er, his voice gentle. His heart ached for Gu’er, but he didn’t agree with her moving out.

Gu’er lowered her gaze. She understood what Lin Shan meant, but at times she truly didn’t want to be here anymore. Aside from Lin Shan and Lin Zheng, her feelings toward Chen Fengjiao were complicated. Add Lin Sui’er to the mix, and she felt that living together was oppressive. Nobody was comfortable.

"Sis, don’t go! Please don’t go, okay? I don’t want you to go! I don’t want you to leave!"

Meanwhile, Lin Zheng clung to Gu’er’s leg, his little eyes red.

"Don’t beg her. Let her go. She’s gotten bold, hasn’t she? Just one word of criticism and she wants to leave. Does she even see me as her mother? Since she came here, I’ve put her on a pedestal, I gave her my all. And her? She wants to move out because of an outsider. If she doesn’t consider this her home, then she can just never come back!"

Chen Fengjiao, however, was now furious. A moment ago, she had been afraid Lin Shan would hit Gu’er, and her heart had ached for her. But seeing that he didn’t, her relief gave way to a simmering rage.

Gu’er’s hand, which was stroking Lin Zheng’s head, froze.

"Feng Jiao, Gu’er isn’t our enemy, she’s our daughter. Ask yourself, do you treat her the same way you treat Sui’er? If someone treated Sui’er like this, how would you react? By saying things like this now, are you trying to break her heart completely?"

Lin Shan looked at Chen Fengjiao, at her red-rimmed eyes. ’When did my wife become so unreasonable?’

Chen Fengjiao didn’t speak. She looked at Gu’er, then at Sui’er, her body trembling slightly.

"Tell me. Are you saying that if Sui’er doesn’t apologize to Liu Yuan, you’ll move out?"

Chen Fengjiao questioned Gu’er, and the look in her eyes made Gu’er’s heart ache.

Gu’er nodded. It wasn’t just because of this; she truly did want to move out. But she couldn’t bear to leave Lin Shan and Lin Zheng. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Sui’er, apologize to your sister and to Liu Yuan."

Chen Fengjiao looked away from Gu’er. Despite her words just now, she couldn’t—and wouldn’t—let Gu’er move out. Her only choice was to compromise, but the taste of it was bitter, filling her with resentment.

"Mom! Mom, are you abandoning me too? I won’t apologize! If you don’t want me either, then I’ll leave too! And I won’t come back!"

But Lin Sui’er refused. ’If you, Lin Gu’er, can use this threat, then so can I.’

"I told you to apologize, Sui’er! I told you to apologize! Do you hear me?!"

Chen Fengjiao’s eyes were now bloodshot, like an enraged lioness. She felt as if a string inside her was about to snap.

Lin Sui’er stared at her mother in disbelief. Her mom had never treated her this way before. She was completely stunned.

"Apologize. If you don’t apologize, you’re no daughter of mine."

Chen Fengjiao’s expression was crazed. No one knew how much pain she was in at that moment.

"I... I’m sorry."

Lin Sui’er was frightened. The words tumbled out of her subconsciously.

"You heard her. Are you satisfied now? You’re not leaving?"

Chen Fengjiao glared at Gu’er, her eyes fixed on her.

Gu’er fell silent. She knew that if she insisted on moving out now, Chen Fengjiao might snap. She didn’t want to see her biological mother in such a state. But this wasn’t what she wanted. She had never intended to threaten anyone; she simply felt suffocated in this house and wanted to leave.

Lin Shan frowned. ’Feng Jiao’s mindset is all wrong. Speaking to Gu’er this way... is she trying to make an enemy of her? They’re mother and daughter, for goodness’ sake.’

"Feng Jiao."

Lin Shan called out her name.

"What else do you have to say? I made Sui’er apologize. What more do you want? So Lin Gu’er doesn’t see me as her mother—fine, I accept that. Even though she’s my daughter, the one I gave birth to, I’ll accept her no matter what. But Lin Shan, is she the only one who’s your daughter? Is Sui’er not? What more do you all want? Are you trying to drive us to our deaths?!"

Chen Fengjiao finally exploded. She even screamed Lin Shan’s name, a sign she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Silence fell over the room, broken only by the sound of Lin Sui’er’s sobs.

"Brother Liu Yuan, Li Zhi, you two should head back for now. I’m so sorry about today."

Gu’er also sensed that something was very wrong with Chen Fengjiao’s state of mind, so she told Liu Yuan and Li Zhi to leave.

"Okay, okay, we’ll get going then. We’ll come back after the New Year."

Li Zhi chimed in hastily, knowing it was inappropriate for them to stay any longer.

Liu Yuan also nodded, giving Gu’er a worried glance.

Gu’er walked the two of them to the door.

"If anything happens, give me a call."

Li Zhi whispered to Gu’er at the door. Gu’er nodded.

Liu Yuan also urged her to take care, and then he and Li Zhi went downstairs.

Gu’er closed the door.

In the living room, Lin Sui’er was draped over Chen Fengjiao, crying. Chen Fengjiao sat in a daze, while a frightened Lin Zheng stood there, completely at a loss.

Gu’er walked over. She wanted to say something, but the look Chen Fengjiao gave her left her speechless.

Gu’er took Lin Zheng’s hand. The little guy looked up at her, not knowing what to do.

Gu’er led Lin Zheng back to their room. They couldn’t help by staying in the living room, and Gu’er couldn’t bring herself to offer any words of comfort.

Everyone needed to cool down right now. Otherwise, any words spoken would only hurt more.

Lin Shan also stood up and followed Gu’er and Lin Zheng.

Chen Fengjiao watched Sui’er, who was still nestled against her, crying. A look of confusion appeared in her eyes. ’I was so happy when we found Gu’er... but is her living here good or bad for our family? We used to be so harmonious. Nothing like this ever happened before. Today was just so humiliating.’

"Gu’er, after you went missing, your mother was wracked with guilt and grief. On top of that, she didn’t have enough milk back then, so raising Sui’er wasn’t easy. That’s why she doted on Sui’er so much and poured all the love she had for you onto her. I’ve been busy all these years, and your mom has managed everything at home. When it comes to the children’s upbringing, I’m the one who failed. Your mom hasn’t had a job these past few years, so all her energy has been focused on Sui’er. Sigh... usually she won’t even let me say a single word of criticism about Sui’er. Gu’er, I know you feel wronged, but I still have to say it: it’s not that your mom doesn’t like you. It’s just that for so many years, she’s been devoted to Sui’er. It’s become a habit."

Lin Shan sat on a stool, watching Gu’er hold Lin Zheng as a flash of helplessness crossed his eyes. ’No matter how difficult things get outside, I always feel they can be resolved. But things at home... why are they so hard to fix?’

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Thanks to dingdingdangdang3 for the like! And thanks to everyone for your support. As you all know, with Gu’er returning to this family, conflict was inevitable. Don’t worry, she’ll be moving out soon and will be starting to earn her own money. As for what will happen to the Lin Family, stay tuned to find out!