The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

The next day, Gu’er and Sun Jiaming went to the department store. On the way back, Gu’er saw someone selling popsicles. It reminded her of the time she used to sell them, so she bought one.

Sun Jiaming didn’t stop her, as he didn’t know that women shouldn’t eat cold things at a time like this.

Gu’er only ate half the popsicle before giving the rest to Sun Jiaming. Even so, by the afternoon, her abdomen started to ache.

Sun Jiaming panicked. He had no idea what to do and said he wanted to take Gu’er to the hospital.

"There’s no need, Brother Jia Ming. It’s normal for women to get cramps. Don’t worry, just get me a cup of hot water, please."

Although Gu’er said she was fine, her heart felt warm and sweet. In her past life, she had also gotten cramps frequently, sometimes so painful she would break out in a cold sweat. But even then, she still had to rush through all sorts of chores every day. If she was a little too slow, or even whimpered, she would get a scolding, and maybe even a beating. Now that Sun Jiaming was so concerned about her, she felt happy despite the pain.

"Okay, I’ll go right now."

Sun Jiaming hurriedly poured a cup of water for Gu’er. He thought for a moment, then opened the door and went out.

’What’s he gone off to do?’

Gu’er was puzzled, but she didn’t dwell on it and slowly sipped the hot water.

A little while later, Sun Jiaming came back in. This time, he wasn’t empty-handed. He was holding a jar in one hand and a hot water bottle in the other.

Sun Jiaming took the cup from Gu’er, added some brown sugar, stirred it, and handed it back to her. Then he placed the hot water bottle in her lap.

"Gu’er, Grandma said women shouldn’t eat cold things at a time like this. From now on, whenever you get your period, I’ll watch over you and make sure you don’t. Otherwise, it’ll cause health problems when you’re older. Grandma also said drinking brown sugar water helps, and we have some at home. I’ll make it for you from now on. This hot water bottle is good, too. Don’t worry about the heat. Just hold it against your stomach, and it won’t hurt as much."

Sun Jiaming spoke softly, but with great earnestness. He had gone out just now to ask Grandma about this and what he should pay attention to. When Grandma learned that Gu’er had eaten a popsicle, she gave him a scolding. She asked how he could be so thoughtless as to let Gu’er eat something cold. She also said that he was Gu’er’s man, and he had to take good care of her in matters big and small. He shouldn’t overlook the little things. If a man doesn’t even care about the little things, how can you expect him to handle the big ones?

’Actually, even if Grandma hadn’t said anything, I would have paid attention from now on. I just didn’t understand before. Now that I know, I’ll naturally be careful. Nothing about Gu’er’s health is a small matter. To me, it’s all important.’

Gu’er looked at Sun Jiaming, sipping the sweet brown sugar water as a warm sensation spread across her abdomen. Her eyes grew moist. ’What does a woman really want in this life?’ 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

’No matter how much money you have or how well you eat, it’s all just to fill your stomach.’

’No matter how big your house is, you only sleep in one bed at night.’

’No matter how much power you have, it all means nothing on the day you die.’

’All I ever really wanted was a man who would treat me well. As long as he kept me in his heart and was good to me, I would do anything for him willingly.’

Gu’er gently rested her head on Sun Jiaming’s shoulder. At that moment, she felt like the happiest woman in the world.

Three days went by in this way. For those three days, Sun Jiaming wouldn’t let Gu’er go outside, insisting she stay in and rest. He kept her company, telling her stories about his childhood, things he’d heard, and his plans for the future—he told her everything he could think of. Worried her back would get sore, he even gave her massages. He took care of her with meticulous devotion.

The moment Gu’er was finally free, before she could even step out the door, Lin Shuying came over for a visit with her children. She wasn’t as anxious anymore, not like the lost and unsettled way she was when she first returned. Li Hua had also been comforting her lately, telling her to relax. Seeing how well Li Hua was doing now, she felt that if she could just leave Zheng Daniu, she could have a good life, too.

Lin Shuying was chatting with Grandma Sun and Aunt Zhao, while Zheng Xinghua went to find Gu’er. Gu’er and Sun Jiaming were looking over the account books.

When Sun Jiaming saw Zheng Xinghua come in, he greeted her and went out to keep Zheng Zhongshan company, giving the two of them some space to talk.

"Sis, you’re amazing. You can even understand this stuff."

Zheng Xinghua looked at the account book in Gu’er’s hands with a mix of envy and admiration.

"I couldn’t understand it at first either. I just learned slowly, and eventually, I got the hang of it."

Gu’er smiled and patted the bed, motioning for Zheng Xinghua to sit down.

"You’re still the amazing one, Sis. If it were me, I’d never be able to learn. My dad always says I have the brains of a pig. I only finished first grade, and the few characters I know were all taught to me and my brother by our mom. I can’t compare to you."

Zheng Xinghua’s spirits dropped as she spoke. Her dad never let her go to school, saying it was useless and making her do chores at home instead. Her older brother couldn’t go to school because of his health. The only reason they could recognize any words was because their mom taught them in her spare time.

Looking at Zheng Xinghua, Gu’er felt a pang of pity. Zheng Xinghua’s situation was a bit better than her own had been, but not by much. Her fate was a bit like Zhou Feng’er’s, though Zheng Xinghua’s character was a hundred times better than Zhou Feng’er’s.

"Xinghua, if Auntie and the rest of you end up staying here, what are your plans?"

Gu’er put down the account book and asked Xinghua seriously.

"My mom said she’s going to see if she can get a janitor job with Auntie. Sis, you have no idea. Auntie says the other cleaners at your department store are really good at slacking off and faking their work. They make Auntie do all the dirty and tiring jobs, saying that since she’s the newcomer, she’s supposed to do them. They threaten to report her to the higher-ups and get her fired if she doesn’t do it. Auntie does the most work, but when it’s time for performance reviews, they’re the ones who get ’outstanding’ ratings and bonuses. They barely do anything but get paid a lot every month, while Auntie works the hardest and gets nothing. My mom says if she can work with Auntie, she’ll definitely work hard. But if they don’t need anyone, she’ll find something else, whether it’s washing dishes or doing laundry for people. She’s sure she can find something. She told us not to trouble you. Sis, please don’t tell my mom I told you any of this!"

Zheng Xinghua felt very close to Gu’er, so she told her whatever was on her mind.

Gu’er frowned slightly. She hadn’t expected this at all. When Li Hua went to work at the department store, no one knew about their relationship, and Li Hua herself had never told anyone. Gu’er had asked her twice how the job was, and Li Hua had always said it was going well. Gu’er had taken her at her word, never imagining something like this was happening.

’The department store’s process for awarding bonuses to outstanding employees involved entrusting the selection to a single person, who would then report to the manager for approval before the finance department issued the money. It seems the person in charge of the evaluations has gotten a taste of power and become corrupt. There’s definitely something fishy going on here. I have to find time to ask Li Hua about it. If one department is behaving this way, others will follow their example, and sooner or later, it will lead to serious issues.’

’But this can’t be rushed. To catch them, I’ll need evidence. I have to come up with a specific plan. I’ll also need to get on the same page with Jia Ming, Li Zhi, Dingzi, and Liu Yuan to work out a concrete strategy.’