The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Although Zhou Gu’er felt a chill in her heart, her eyes were locked on Zhou Mazi’s movements. She wouldn’t be a fool and take a-beating like in her last life; she would dodge.

But to Zhou Gu’er’s surprise, her adoptive mother, Li Hua, suddenly rushed over and hugged her tightly.

Zhou Gu’er froze for a second before it dawned on her. Her heart swelled with emotion. ’She’s hugging me to take the hit for me!’

That was a tobacco pipe. It would hurt terribly if it struck her adoptive mother’s back, and if it happened to land on her head... Zhou Gu’er couldn’t bear to imagine it.

She yanked her adoptive mother away and twisted her own body to dodge the blow. She wouldn’t take the hit, and she wouldn’t let her mother take it for her, either.

Zhou Mazi had expected Li Hua to shield Zhou Gu’er, but he never imagined Gu’er would pull Li Hua aside to dodge with her. In the past, Zhou Gu’er would never have dared to do such a thing.

"Husband, let’s just talk this out. Gu’er has been busy all day, please don’t hit her. If you have to hit someone, hit me instead."

After steadying herself and seeing that neither she nor Gu’er had been struck, Li Hua felt no relief. She knew Zhou Mazi’s temper; he wouldn’t rest until he’d taken his anger out on someone.

"You think you can run? She’s trying to rebel against me! I’d like to see just how she plans to defy me today!"

Zhou Mazi’s eyes were filled with malice. To him, Zhou Gu’er daring to dodge was an act of defiance. He felt his authority had been challenged.

"Husband..."

Li Hua was so afraid her lips trembled.

A gloating light flashed in Zhou Feng’er’s eyes. She refused to believe Zhou Gu’er would get off easy.

"Dad!"

Seeing Zhou Mazi raise the tobacco pipe to swing at her again, Zhou Gu’er cried out. Her voice was sharp, laced with anger.

"I made thirty cents selling wild vegetables today."

Zhou Gu’er stared at the pipe frozen in mid-air as the number left her lips. She had originally planned on coming back and telling Zhou Mazi she had only made twenty cents. She wanted to keep the rest. ’I can’t give it all to him. Nothing good will come of it even if I do. I have to keep some money for myself.’

At Zhou Gu’er’s words, Li Hua froze. She hadn’t even had a chance to ask Gu’er how the sales went. She never thought she’d actually sell them, let alone for thirty cents!

Zhou Mazi’s tobacco pipe stopped in mid-air. He couldn’t bring it down. ’Thirty cents! Even three cents is money, let alone thirty! Can this girl actually earn money? If she can make this much every day... could she really earn thirty yuan in a year?’

Zhou Mazi’s mind raced. ’If this is true, then Zhou Gu’er is a cash cow. I can’t beat her. If I hurt her so bad she ends up bedridden, who’s going to make money for me? I can be angry with people, but I can’t be angry with money.’

"You really made thirty cents?"

Zhou Mazi asked hesitantly, still in disbelief.

Zhou Gu’er noticed Zhou Mazi’s pipe had dropped to his side. She sneered inwardly. ’As expected, money works wonders.’

"It’s true. If you don’t believe me, Dad, I can show you right now."

With that, Gu’er turned her back to fumble with her handkerchief, where the money was wrapped. She had split it into two bundles. One held twenty cents, the amount she’d planned to show Zhou Mazi. Now, she had to add ten more cents to it.

"Impossible! How could wild vegetables sell for that much money? She has to be lying! Don’t believe her!"

Zhou Feng’er’s eyes went wide. Zhou Gu’er had been on the verge of a beating, but now their dad wasn’t going to hit her just because she’d made some money. She couldn’t accept this reversal.

"You shut your mouth! All you do is wander around all day. If you’re so capable, then you can go earn some money for me, too."

Zhou Mazi swore impatiently. ’So what if she’s my own flesh and blood? If she’s useless, I don’t like her all the same.’

Zhou Feng’er’s face went pale, and she bit her lip. ’Where would I go to earn money? He wants me to copy Zhou Gu’er, go dig up wild vegetables, and then sell them in the city? I’d never do that. The work would be exhausting!’

Zhou Gu’er finished arranging the money and stuffed the extra back into her clothes.

"Dad, Mom, take a look. This is thirty cents."

Zhou Gu’er opened her hand to show them the money. The room was dark and had no lamp. Zhou Mazi walked up to her, snatched the handkerchief, and carried it to the doorway, using the moonlight to inspect the coins.

He counted it carefully. It was exactly thirty cents. A flash of delight crossed his face. ’With this money, I can have a good time for a couple of days.’

"Guess you didn’t waste your day, or eat my food for nothing. I’ll be taking this money, then."

Once the money was in Zhou Mazi’s hands, there was no chance he’d give it back to Zhou Gu’er.

Zhou Gu’er had expected as much.

"I was planning on saving up the thirty yuan and giving it to you all at once, Dad. It’s fine if you take this now, go buy yourself some liquor. I’ll just keep a record of these thirty cents, and we’ll count it toward the final total."

Zhou Gu’er had already thought this through. Otherwise, if Zhou Mazi took a little today and a little more tomorrow, how would she ever save up the full thirty yuan?

"Hmph. Keeping such a clear tally with me. You eat my food, you drink my water, your lives belong to me, and you dare try to settle accounts? All of you better behave from now on. If you cause any more damn trouble, I’ll skin you alive."

Zhou Mazi grumbled in displeasure, but with the thirty cents in hand, he didn’t say anything more to Zhou Gu’er. He no longer even had the urge to hit Li Hua. He’d rather use that energy to go buy some cheap liquor.

Zhou Feng’er didn’t dare make another peep. She knew Zhou Gu’er’s thirty cents had done the trick; their dad wouldn’t hit her today. As for her mom, that wasn’t her real mother and never took her side to begin with. To have suffered such a major setback for nothing... she was furious!

"Dad, I’m going up the mountain tomorrow to gather more wild vegetables, and I’ll go to the city to sell them the day after. I won’t be taking care of chores around the house for now."

"Will Jia Ming be going with you the day after tomorrow?"

Zhou Mazi asked, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. If Sun Jiaming went again, it would mean he was interested in his eldest daughter.

"Brother Jia Ming isn’t going. I’ll go by myself. I know the way now, I’ll be fine."

Zhou Gu’er knew what her adoptive father was getting at, but she had no intention of using Sun Jiaming as a shield.

"Hmph. Useless. Go on."

Zhou Mazi snorted, clearly displeased. ’This girl is still worthless. Can’t even hold onto Sun Jiaming.’

"I’ll be here to take care of the house, so don’t worry. Just don’t overtire yourself."

Li Hua knew that tonight’s storm had passed. She was thrilled that her daughter could earn money, but her heart also ached for her.

"Mm."

Zhou Gu’er nodded.

"You must be starving, right? Let’s go, come eat something with Mom. You can’t sleep on an empty stomach."

Li Hua took Zhou Gu’er’s hand and started for the kitchen.

Zhou Mazi said nothing. Normally, he would have cursed her out for being a freeloader, but with those thirty cents in his pocket, he wasn’t in the mood to berate Zhou Gu’er.

"Are you coming?"

As she reached the doorway, Li Hua thought of her second daughter.

"I’m not going."

Zhou Feng’er muttered fiercely. She couldn’t be bothered to look at Zhou Gu’er, nor could she be bothered to acknowledge Li Hua.

"Then your sister and I will go on ahead."

Li Hua said nothing more and went to the kitchen with Zhou Gu’er.