The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er understood everything Sun Jiaming said. A lot of people would understand, too, but understanding and actually doing something are two different things.

Gu’er was glad Sun Jiaming was telling her all this. It meant he didn’t see her as an outsider.

"Gu’er, I know what the problem is, but I can’t bear to see my mom hurting. Every time she cries or throws a tantrum, I, as her son, can’t stand it. And she knows that, which is why she always cries and makes a scene with me. I was planning to wait until Grandma was out of the hospital to have a proper talk with her. But Mom won’t even visit Grandma in the hospital. I don’t blame her for that; I know she has some unresolved issues with Grandma. As her son, I’ll fulfill those duties in her place. But for her to go to your family’s home and cause such a scene... You were right. If she keeps this up, she’ll eventually destroy any affection we have left. She’ll end up being despised by everyone. That’s why I had to be cruel today."

Sun Jiaming paused for a moment before continuing, "At that moment, Mom called me heartless. She said I’d forgotten my own mother now that I had a wife. Seeing her sitting on the floor, bawling her eyes out... it was agonizing. But I knew if I went soft on her, she would just continue her old ways. That’s why I had to be blunt and cruel today. Gu’er, seeing the look on her face... honestly, it felt worse than taking a beating. But I had no other choice."

Listening to Sun Jiaming’s slightly hoarse voice, Gu’er could sense his turmoil. Her heart ached for him. ’After all, that’s his own mother. Even when Chen Fengjiao is upset, I feel bad for her.’

Gu’er gently wrapped her arms around Sun Jiaming, letting his head rest on her shoulder, comforting him in silence.

"No matter how unfilial she thinks I am, I have to stand firm. She promised me she won’t show up at your door to cause trouble anymore, and she won’t go around saying reckless things. She won’t be living with us in the new house. If I miss her, I’ll go visit her at her place."

Sun Jiaming had already settled things with Cao Qiu. He had been incredibly harsh, never imagining he would one day say such things to his own mother. Seeing the shock and hurt on her face, the disappointment and chill in her eyes—it felt worse than a knife twisting in his gut. But he knew that if he relented, if he didn’t hold his ground, their home would never know peace. In the end, his mother would be left despised by everyone, and he couldn’t let that happen. If his cruelty today could make her finally settle down, then once her temperament gradually improved, he would go back to being a good, filial son. He would still take care of her in her old age.

Gu’er didn’t know what to say to comfort Sun Jiaming.

She was at a loss for words. ’It’s just like with Li Hua,’ she thought. ’No matter how many people call her weak or say she brings her suffering upon herself, she’s still the one who raised me. I could never just cut her out of my life. I’ll always treat her well.’

"Okay, I’m acting like a child," he said, shaking his head. "Let’s not talk about it anymore. You should get some sleep. I should have sent you home for a proper rest, but instead, I kept you here at the hospital."

Sun Jiaming composed himself and lifted his head from Gu’er’s shoulder, offering her a small smile. Then, he gently wrapped an arm around her, letting her lean against his own shoulder.

"Okay, I’ll sleep for a little while," she murmured. "If you get tired, Brother Jia Ming, you should close your eyes for a bit, too."

Gu’er didn’t say much more. Leaning on Sun Jiaming’s shoulder, she closed her eyes. She was truly exhausted from the past ten-odd days.

Sun Jiaming gazed at Gu’er’s sleeping face, his eyes filled with tenderness and adoration. ’She’s so wonderful,’ he thought. Just having her by his side, even without saying a word, was enough to put his heart at ease. He longed to stroke her cheek but held back, afraid he might wake her.

Gu’er slept through the night, leaning against Sun Jiaming. He didn’t dare move, worried he would disturb her. By the time she woke up, his entire side was so numb he had lost all feeling in it. Yet, he didn’t have a single complaint. On the contrary, he felt utterly blissful. ’What could possibly bring a man more happiness than his woman sleeping peacefully in his arms?’

Gu’er was a little embarrassed. She hadn’t expected to sleep so soundly.

Gu’er helped him massage his numb arms and legs.

"I’m fine, really," Sun Jiaming said, waving it off. "It’ll be okay once I walk it off. You go wash your face. I’m going to buy us something to eat." 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Sun Jiaming didn’t seem to mind at all. He even reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. ’They say a woman looks her worst first thing in the morning, with an unwashed face and messy hair, but to me, Gu’er looks more beautiful than ever.’

Gu’er freshened up, wiped Grandma Sun’s face, and tidied up the room a bit.

Then they ate breakfast together.

Having slept for a good part of the night, Gu’er wasn’t tired. She saw that Sun Jiaming looked haggard, so she urged him to go back to their place and get some sleep.

Sun Jiaming didn’t argue. There wasn’t much to do for Grandma at the moment. In truth, there were two reasons he was keeping Grandma in the hospital: first, so she could be properly monitored, and second, because their new house wasn’t ready yet.

These past few days, while taking care of Grandma, he had also hired people to work on the house.

It wasn’t just the house he had bought, but also the one Lin Shan had bought for Gu’er. Lin Shan had given him the keys, and he had arranged for people to renovate that one as well.

The walls had been plastered and painted white. The bed frames, cabinets, and other furniture had been custom-built. He’d even had someone build a sofa. Most of the work was nearly finished.

However, he hadn’t had time to buy anything else. With Gu’er at the hospital today, he could go back to check on things. If the work was finished, he needed to pay the craftsmen. Plus, he had to buy the remaining furnishings to get the house ready for Grandma to move into after her discharge, and for Gu’er to live in.

Gu’er didn’t know any of this. She thought Sun Jiaming had gone home to rest. But when he returned in the afternoon, she saw his bloodshot eyes and knew he hadn’t slept at all.

Gu’er tried to make Sun Jiaming go back, but he refused. Instead, he made Gu’er go home with Lin Shan. He told her he could sleep while keeping watch overnight, and that she should go home for a good night’s sleep and come back to relieve him during the day.

Unable to change his mind, Gu’er left with Lin Shan.

On the way home, Lin Shan spoke at length with Gu’er. He praised her for her devotion to Grandma Sun and also offered some advice and suggestions regarding her business venture with Li Zhi, selling goods in the Soviet Union.

Gu’er listened intently, thinking that his words made a lot of sense. ’If only I’d known all this before,’ she thought. ’Maybe my last trip to the Soviet Union wouldn’t have been so fraught with problems.’

"Dad, why didn’t you tell me this last time before I left?"

Gu’er linked her arm with Lin Shan’s. She was comfortable enough to do this with Lin Shan now, but she still wasn’t used to being so familiar with Chen Fengjiao.

"If I didn’t let you experience it for yourself, you’d never know how things really are. To grow up, you have to take some falls. Falling down isn’t a bad thing. Isn’t there a saying, ’a fall into the pit, a gain in your wit’? Now that you know where you went wrong, you’ll have the experience to overcome it next time. We can share our experiences with you, but unless you live through it yourself, you can never truly understand."

Lin Shan looked at Gu’er, finding himself growing fonder and fonder of his eldest daughter. She was bold and driven, yet she was also willing to listen to advice. Most importantly, she was kind-hearted—not the type of entrepreneur who was only in it for the money.

"Okay, I’ll keep that in mind, Dad. Don’t you worry."

Gu’er took Lin Shan’s words to heart.

’In her past life, she never had a father to guide her. Following Li Hua, she had only learned to be meek. Even though she was reborn, she had spent the past six months just struggling and finding her own way. Only now did she realize what a blessing it was to have a father to teach her and rely on.’

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Thank you to Yulanhua Kai for the monthly ticket, and thank you all for your support. We’re only six monthly tickets away from a bonus Chapter. So, should I beg for tickets, or should I beg for tickets?