The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

After they finished eating, everyone gathered the trash into bags.

They were in a shady spot, shielded from the bright sun. It wasn’t hot, and a gentle breeze made it very comfortable.

"Hey, you guys are just lying around after eating. Get up and move a little!"

Li Zhi complained, as several people had already made themselves comfortable and were lying down.

"The sun is too strong at noon. If we’re going to do anything, let’s wait a bit. We should take a midday rest first."

Sun Jiaming wasn’t lying down, but he was leaning back, having noticed that Gu’er was also looking a bit lethargic.

"You think this is home? Taking a noon rest? If we were going to rest, why even come out? It would’ve been much more comfortable to rest at home."

Li Zhi grumbled, but seeing that everyone was feeling lazy, he added, "Fine, we’ll rest for a bit before doing anything else."

Having agreed, he plopped down on the mat himself and felt a sense of comfort seep through every pore.

Gu’er saw the men lying down. Her grandma and Grandma Dingzi had actually fallen asleep. The elderly don’t sleep much at night and usually take a nap at noon, so they were probably truly tired.

Watching them sleep so peacefully, Gu’er’s lips curled into a smile. ’What were they all working so hard for? Wasn’t it just to give themselves and their loved ones a good, comfortable life?’

"So, where should we go next time? Have you guys thought about it?"

Li Zhi couldn’t actually sleep. He rolled over and started talking to them again.

"How about Willow Tree Island? We can take a boat over," Gu’er suggested.

"What’s there to see? There’s nothing but willow trees. It’s not like this park, where we at least have these apricot blossoms to look at."

Li Zhi thought Willow Tree Island sounded boring.

"Let’s go."

It was Dingzi who spoke up. He hadn’t taken his grandmother there yet. Whether it was interesting or not, he had to take her to see it. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Willow Tree Island was indeed undeveloped at the moment. There was nothing there besides willow trees, but that didn’t matter. The point was to have fun, and looking at willows was fine too. Gu’er felt the same way.

"Gu’er, can I come along next time too?"

Xinghua asked Gu’er in a low voice.

"Of course, why not? As long as you want to, you can come with us every time."

Gu’er patted her hand. "The point of coming out is to have fun. It doesn’t matter if there’s a big or small group, as long as we all get along."

"I understand. Thank you, everyone."

Xinghua nodded, her smile especially brilliant.

"Let’s make the most of the good weather. When autumn comes, we can go to the village to pick and roast corn, and roast eggplants, potatoes, and squash. We can also go into the mountains to pick mushrooms, gather hazelnuts, and collect pine nuts and mountain hickory nuts. Otherwise, when winter comes and it’s freezing cold, we won’t even be able to go out."

Gu’er suddenly felt a wave of nostalgia for her days in the mountains.

"I mean, if you want to eat that stuff, there’s plenty to buy. Do you really need to go pick it yourself?"

Li Zhi said to Gu’er.

"Is buying it the same as picking it yourself? Picking and gathering it yourself, that takes skill. There’s a sense of accomplishment when you find it. Whether you eat it or not is beside the point. Besides, you don’t have to go. When the time comes, you, Jia Ming, and Dingzi can go fishing. You men can do your thing, what’s it to you what we women do?"

Gu’er retorted.

"That’s true."

Li Zhi nodded, not continuing the bickering with Gu’er.

"Gu’er, what are pine nuts? And mountain hickory nuts and hazelnuts? I’ve never seen them before."

Xinghua was very curious.

"When the time comes, I’ll show you. They’re all delicious,"

Gu’er replied to Xinghua.

Nearby, Lin Shuying sighed with emotion. She herself was a Northeasterner, yet her daughter didn’t even know about these things. She felt a pang of sadness.

After their midday rest, once the sun wasn’t so harsh, the group packed up their things and continued to stroll through the park.

In reality, the park wasn’t that big; they could have seen it all long ago. Even though the flowers were beautiful, they were still the same ones. But being together, talking and laughing, made even a second tour enjoyable.

They had dinner at a restaurant. Afterward, Grandma went to rest on the kang bed-stove, while Gu’er collapsed onto the sofa. She had already been a little tired, and after walking all day, she felt like her body was about to fall apart.

When Sun Jiaming came out from his wash, he saw that Gu’er had already fallen asleep with the TV still on.

A look of concern crossed Sun Jiaming’s face. ’Gu’er is exhausted.’

Sun Jiaming gently scooped Gu’er into his arms. Gu’er’s eyes fluttered open, still hazy with sleep.

"There, there. Let’s go to the bedroom to sleep."

Sun Jiaming coaxed her softly.

Gu’er was indeed exhausted. She wrapped her arms around Sun Jiaming’s neck and buried her head in his chest.

After placing Gu’er on the bed, Sun Jiaming brought some water to wash her face and feet. He covered her with a light blanket, placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, and let her sleep.

A smile lingered on Gu’er’s lips. ’Having a man like this... I’m so happy.’

Gu’er slept soundly and sweetly, not waking until the sky began to lighten at dawn. She lazily opened her eyes.

She looked at Sun Jiaming sleeping beside her.

Sun Jiaming wasn’t awake yet. The sight of him with his eyes closed filled Gu’er with a sense of peace. ’This man might not be the most handsome, but he’s the best to me.’

As Gu’er watched Sun Jiaming, she couldn’t resist leaning in and giving him a light kiss.

But before she could pull away, Sun Jiaming’s arms wrapped around her.

"What’s this? Trying to run away after stealing a kiss? You have to take responsibility for that."

Sun Jiaming opened his eyes and looked at Gu’er, his gaze full of amusement.

"You were pretending to be asleep! You cheater!"

Gu’er pouted. ’This is the first time! The very first time I’ve ever been caught stealing a kiss!’

"So what if I’m a cheater? It’s your fault for stealing a kiss."

Sun Jiaming teased her.

"So what if I kissed you? I like you, so what? Is that not allowed?"

Gu’er decided to be brazen and say it outright.

"Allowed? Of course it’s allowed. My Gu’er likes me; I couldn’t be happier. Let me show you how much I like you, too."

As he spoke, Sun Jiaming rolled over, pinning Gu’er beneath him.

"The-the sun is up."

How could Gu’er not know what Sun Jiaming meant?

"It’s still early."

Sun Jiaming said, cutting off her next words with a kiss.

By the time Gu’er could even think of resisting, Sun Jiaming had already taken a tender cherry into his mouth, the bud hardening under his tongue.

Gu’er let out an intoxicating moan.

The early morning sun cast a golden sheen over Gu’er’s body. Her skin looked fair with a faint pink blush, and the soft golden light made her all the more intoxicating, all the more enchanting. Sun Jiaming was completely mesmerized. Unable to resist, he tasted every inch of her body.

Sun Jiaming’s kisses burned like fire across Gu’er’s skin. The blood in her veins roared and awakened. By the time he entered her, she was already fully aroused. It wasn’t long before she reached her peak, panting above the clouds, following Sun Jiaming as they climbed to the summit again and again.

When Gu’er had first woken up, the sky had just been brightening. By the time they finished, the room was already filled with scattered sunlight.

Looking at Gu’er’s flushed face, her sultry eyes, and her heaving chest, Sun Jiaming leaned in to kiss her again.

This time, however, Gu’er didn’t indulge him. They had to go out today, so they couldn’t fool around anymore. Otherwise, she’d be the one suffering later.

Sun Jiaming knew this as well, so after a few more kisses, he pulled back. After Gu’er caught her breath for a moment, they both got dressed and out of bed.

——————

Third update of the day is here. I’m heading into the mountains tomorrow, so I have to stay up all night to write the next day’s Chapters.