The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er thought something had happened at the mall, but Li Zhi shook his head.

"The mall’s fine, it’s doing great. When I said someone came to see me, I meant he wants to partner up for the Soviet Union trade. He wants me and Dingzi to ditch you and Jia Ming and go in with him instead. He said we’d split the profits three ways—the terms he offered were incredibly generous," Li Zhi told Gu’er.

Gu’er frowned slightly.

"I actually figured this might happen. When we started making money, it was bound to make some people jealous. It’s only natural for someone to get ideas and try to poach you."

It wasn’t that Gu’er hadn’t considered it, but she trusted them. She knew they weren’t the type to abandon their friends for profit.

"You have a point. Oh, and this guy has some connections. Neither Dingzi nor I agreed, but I doubt he’ll just give up. He might even go to the Soviet Union and start the same business. I’m worried he’ll try to compete maliciously with us."

Li Zhi was still worried.

"Oh? What kind of connections does he have?"

Gu’er asked.

"His dad is the director of the local institute, so he knows a lot of people."

Li Zhi was aware of the man’s background.

"It’s fine. We’ll just do our thing. We don’t need to be afraid even if he competes. Besides, Li Zhi, Dingzi, once we get through this busy period, I want to increase our shipping volume. Relying on carrying everything ourselves isn’t a long-term solution. I’m thinking we charter a boat or use a train, but both of those options require connections. Right now, it’s just an idea; I haven’t found the right people yet."

Gu’er explained her idea.

"So you want to go big! We’ll make a killing! I love it. Don’t you worry about it. Just focus on marrying Jia Ming. You just need to find the right people, right? Leave it to me. I’ll ask my dad to look into it when I get home. He has plenty of old army buddies in Harbin and other cities. I know a couple of people in Harbin myself. I refuse to believe we can’t find someone."

Li Zhi was incredibly excited. What man doesn’t dream of building his own enterprise? He had thought what they were doing was already great, but he never expected Gu’er to be so ambitious as to want to charter a whole train. If they pulled that off, the profits wouldn’t be just a drop in the bucket—they’d be immense.

"Great. I’ll leave finding the connections to you, then. In the meantime, I’ll think about what products would be best to ship. We can’t keep moving miscellaneous goods like before. With bulk transport, we’ll need to focus on high-demand items."

Gu’er didn’t stand on ceremony with Li Zhi. That was the point of a partnership—everyone contributed where they were most capable.

"Yeah, just talking about it gets me all fired up. I wish I could go find those people right now."

Li Zhi felt the blood thrumming in his veins. His excitement was beyond words.

"Can’t."

Dingzi, however, uttered a single word.

"What do you mean, ’can’t’? Why not? I think it’s a great idea! If we pull it off, think how much we’ll earn! Tell me, what’s wrong with it?"

Li Zhi stared at Dingzi, eyes wide, looking as if he wouldn’t back down until he got a clear explanation.

"Gu’er’s wedding."

Dingzi gave him two words.

"Of course I know she’s getting married! What does her wedding have to do with our business plans? We have to stop just because she’s getting married? Is that what ’can’t’ means?"

Li Zhi glared at Dingzi, completely baffled.

"Li Zhi," Gu’er couldn’t help but laugh, "Dingzi means you can’t go looking for people right now because of my wedding. You should wait until after it’s over."

Dingzi was so concise that Li Zhi hadn’t understood him at all.

"Damn it! Would it kill you to use a few more words?"

Dingzi shot him a look and then ignored him.

"Alright, we’re heading back. You should get some rest. You’ve got a busy few days ahead of you."

Li Zhi and Dingzi stood up.

After Li Zhi and Dingzi left, Gu’er sat back down on the sofa. The once-lively room was quiet again, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

After the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, she would be a wife. She wouldn’t be alone anymore; she’d have a companion by her side for whatever she did. A sweet smile spread across Gu’er’s face. ’She and Brother Jia Ming would definitely build a good life together. She believed Sun Jiaming would treat her well, and she would do the same for him.’

The seventh day arrived in the blink of an eye. Early that morning, Gu’er returned to the Lin family home. For one, Lin Shan was returning today. For another, a crowd of relatives had arrived, and she needed to be there to greet them.

The thought of relatives gave Gu’er a headache. Since reuniting with the Lin family, she hadn’t gotten to know their extended kin. She had a paternal aunt and a maternal uncle, neither of whom she had ever met, but both had arrived for the wedding.

Her maternal uncle, Chen Damin, had arrived two days ago, bringing his wife, Liu Yue Mei; their two daughters, Chen Ping and Chen Yu; and their son, Chen Shuangbao.

This uncle, Chen Damin, seemed to be an honest man. He was quiet and didn’t look like the type to stir up trouble.

Her aunt-in-law, Liu Yue Mei, was outwardly warm toward her, but it was obvious she was a snob. Gu’er wasn’t fond of her. It was a good thing they lived in different cities, or dealing with her would be a constant headache.

As for Chen Ping, she was nineteen. A marriage had been arranged for her, set for the eighth day of the eighth lunar month. Chen Ping was rather pretty and had a gentle, quiet disposition. She rarely spoke, and always greeted people with a good-natured smile.

Chen Yu, who was fifteen, had a much worse temper than her sister, taking after her mother in that regard.

Then there was ten-year-old Chen Shuangbao, a little tyrant. Gu’er had heard that the moment he arrived at the Lin family’s house, he had tried to take over Lin Zheng’s room and snatch his toys and clothes. There was one particular toy Lin Zheng cherished—one Gu’er herself had brought back from the Soviet Union for him. When Lin Zheng refused to hand it over, Chen Shuangbao threw a tantrum and smashed it, making Lin Zheng burst into tears. To make matters worse, Liu Yue Mei had actually blamed Lin Zheng, saying he didn’t know how to defer to his older cousin. She even called Chen Fengjiao selfish for not buying gifts for her nephew, arguing that since Chen Shuangbao was the Chen family’s only male heir, he should get whatever he wanted.

Chen Fengjiao was furious as well, but what could she say with so many relatives present, and in her own home?

Her paternal aunt, Lin Shuying, had come with her son, Zheng Zhongshan, and daughter, Zheng Xinghua. Her husband hadn’t accompanied them.

They had arrived the previous night, and Gu’er had arranged for Li Zhi to pick them up in his car. Lin Shuying must have been quite attractive once, but she looked aged beyond her years. Standing next to Chen Fengjiao, she appeared to be at least ten years older. A shadow of sorrow lingered in her features, suggesting she hadn’t had an easy life.

Zheng Zhongshan was a handsome young man who took after his mother, Lin Shuying, and bore some resemblance to Lin Shan. He was very thin, however, with a sickly pallor that made it obvious his health was poor. He gave Gu’er a warm, friendly smile when he saw her.

Zheng Xinghua, a young woman of sixteen, didn’t resemble Lin Shuying much. Her skin was a little dark and her lips were a bit full, giving her a plain appearance, but she had a great personality—very cheerful and open.

Overall, Gu’er’s impression of her aunt’s family was positive. As for her uncle’s family, she was truly at a loss for words.

But they were relatives who had traveled a long way for her wedding, so she figured she would just have to put up with them for a couple of days.

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