The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

With the nursing home situation settled, Gu’er and the others could finally relax.

The weather had started getting cold in October. A couple of days later, the first snow fell. Gu’er and the others rarely went out unless it was absolutely necessary.

Li Zhi, Dingzi, and Grandma Dingzi spent most of their time at the Sun Family home. While the older women chatted, the younger ones would hang out. Sometimes they planned for the future, drawing up rules and regulations for a shopping center; other times, they played poker and mahjong. At night, they’d fix some side dishes and drink spirits. Life was good.

With the cold weather, Gu’er worried something might happen at the nursing home, so she called often to check in. Wang Shun always reported back that they had stocked up on plenty of firewood and coal, and the rooms were kept very warm.

As for food, there was meat, vegetables, and soup, with more than enough rice and steamed buns for everyone.

The cleaning staff were diligent, keeping the rooms spotless. They also regularly helped the residents change and wash their clothes, and even washed their hair and gave them baths.

The residents ate well, lived in a warm place, and had people to care for them. If someone caught a cold, they got medicine right away. They were all very satisfied, saying their lives were much better than before, and they were all deeply grateful to Gu’er and her friends.

Gu’er was relieved to know everything was going well over there. It would have been a huge hassle if the staff were just cutting corners.

November flew by, and soon it was December. The weather grew even colder, making everyone want to stay cooped up in their warm houses, unwilling to take even a single step outside.

Gu’er, Sun Jiaming, Li Zhi, and Dingzi were playing mahjong. Gu’er had just won a hand, but before she could collect her winnings, the sound of Dali pounding on the door rang out.

"Who is it?"

Hearing the noise, Aunt Zhao quickly hopped off the heated bed platform and ran out to ask.

Gu’er couldn’t imagine who it could be. ’Who would visit on such a cold day? Could it be my adoptive mother?’

She had heard that a few days ago, Zhou Mazi had tracked down Li Hua. He demanded money and even wanted to move in with her, expecting her to support him. Li Hua refused, and apparently, a fight broke out. Later, Li Hua asked her aunt, Lin Shuying, for a loan. Her aunt was initially willing. After all, Zheng Xinghua’s sweater shop was doing well, and both Lin Shuying and Zhongshan had jobs, so they had enough money. But then Lin Shuying remembered what Gu’er had said before, and she refused to lend the money.

Afterward, Gu’er had Dingzi intervene and run Zhou Mazi off. While she didn’t want to get involved in the Zhou family’s affairs, she couldn’t stand by and let Zhou Mazi continue to harass her adoptive mother, Li Hua.

’Did Li Hua finally reach her breaking point? Or did something happen to the Zhou family’s children?’

Gu’er looked toward the door.

"Gu’er, is Gu’er home?"

The person who burst through the door immediately asked anxiously. But it wasn’t Gu’er’s adoptive mother, Li Hua. It was her biological mother, Chen Fengjiao.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

Gu’er shot to her feet. She could see the anxious look on Chen Fengjiao’s face. For her to show up directly without calling first, the matter had to be extremely urgent. ’Did something happen to Dad?’

Gu’er’s heart sank.

"Oh, Gu’er, I’m so glad you’re here. I need to talk to you."

Relief washed over Chen Fengjiao when she saw Gu’er. She grabbed her daughter’s hand, as if the physical contact was the only thing that could calm her down.

’It doesn’t seem to be about Dad. Then who could it be about?’

Gu’er led Chen Fengjiao into her and Sun Jiaming’s room.

Sun Jiaming, Li Zhi, and Dingzi exchanged glances. Trouble was brewing again, they just didn’t know who in the Lin Family it involved this time.

"Gu’er, I’m begging you. Please, I’m begging you... you have to help Sui’er. You’re the only one who can help her."

Inside the room, Chen Fengjiao gripped Gu’er’s hand, tears streaming down her face.

"Sui’er? What happened to her?"

Gu’er hadn’t expected it to be about Lin Sui’er. She and Lin Sui’er had never gotten along, but they rarely saw each other these days, so there hadn’t been any major conflicts. ’What could possibly have happened to Lin Sui’er? And what would she need my help for?’

"Sui’er she... she..."

Chen Fengjiao’s lips moved, but she didn’t know how to begin.

"Mom, you have to tell me what’s wrong. How can I help her if I don’t know what’s going on?"

’Gu’er didn’t understand what was so difficult for her mother to say. If she was this reluctant to talk, why come to me at all?’

"Gu’er... are you... are you really willing to help your sister? Don’t you... don’t you secretly wish her ill?"

After Chen Fengjiao finished speaking, she looked at Gu’er.

Gu’er stared back at her mother, her eyes filled with a mix of anger, fury, and disappointment.

"Mom, Sui’er and I have our issues, but is that all my fault? Don’t you know exactly what kind of person Sui’er is? Do you really think you should be blaming me? Fine. Let’s put that aside. Even if we have our problems, to the rest of the world, we’re sisters. Full sisters, born of the same mother and father. That blood tie is unbreakable. Yes, I admit, I don’t like Lin Sui’er. But I have never once wished her ill, because she is my sister, and she isn’t a fundamentally evil person. You’re my mother. She spent more time with you than I did, so I can understand why you favor her. But I never thought you would think of me like this. If you truly believe I want something bad to happen to her, then why are you coming to me for help now that she’s in trouble?"

Gu’er’s words were harsh, but only because she was truly hurt. Ever since she’d returned to the Lin Family, her biological mother had always favored Lin Sui’er. Gu’er understood. Lin Sui’er had grown up with their mother, so Gu’er never competed for affection. But she felt she had always done right by Chen Fengjiao. She earned money and was never stingy with her mother. With their father living in the countryside, she and Sun Jiaming visited Chen Fengjiao constantly. Forgetting holidays, even on normal days, they brought her whatever she needed, always worried she might be going without. When she was free, she’d take her mother shopping or on outings. What more could she do? What would it take for her own mother to see her true feelings and finally treat her and Lin Sui’er as equals?

"I... I didn’t mean it like that. I just... Gu’er, please don’t be angry with me. It’s my fault, I don’t know how to talk properly. I know you’re a good kid. You’ll help Sui’er, won’t you?"

Chen Fengjiao knew she shouldn’t have said such a thing, but Gu’er was her only hope now. She had called Lin Shan, but he had gone to a village, and she couldn’t reach him. Besides, she didn’t quite dare to find him anyway. She was afraid he would lose his temper and hit Sui’er. She had no other choice but to come to Gu’er.

"That’s not a given. If she’s digging her own grave, I won’t get involved."

Gu’er’s words were cold.

Chen Fengjiao hadn’t expected Gu’er to say that, and she immediately burst into tears.

"Alright, alright, stop crying. Just tell me what happened. I’ll see if it’s something I can handle."

’Gu’er really didn’t know what to do with her mother. She was lucky she married Dad. Any other man wouldn’t have let her become like this.’

"Gu’er, you know Sui’er’s grades are bad. She hates studying and doesn’t want to be in school, but she’s afraid your father won’t allow her to drop out, so she just hangs around there. Two months ago... she... she got involved with a group of... punks."

Chen Fengjiao trailed off, watching Gu’er closely, wanting to see her reaction.