The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Sun Jiaming didn’t know why Gu’er was so confident, but he saw how much thought and money she’d poured into this matter. He knew she was actually the most worried one of all.

Sun Jiaming gently wrapped his arms around Gu’er from behind.

Gu’er stiffened for a moment, but she didn’t resist, resting her head against Sun Jiaming’s chest.

"Don’t worry anymore. I believe in you. How about I take you out for the day?"

Sun Jiaming was worried Gu’er would get upset from constantly looking across the street.

"Let’s not. It snowed yesterday, so the melting snow has made the roads all wet and hard to walk on. Besides, it’s too cold, and there’s nothing fun to do."

Gu’er shook her head. She really didn’t want to go out.

"Alright, whatever you say. We won’t go out then."

Sun Jiaming didn’t care where they were; as long as Gu’er was with him, he was happy.

Sun Jiaming stayed with Gu’er as she made a call to the nursing home. They had visited last month, bringing many things for the elderly residents. The seniors had been delighted, holding Gu’er’s hand with such affection and calling her a living Bodhisattva for giving them security in their later years.

The number of residents at the nursing home had grown quite a bit since it first opened, and they had hired more staff. The monthly costs for food and supplies weren’t small, but for them, it was an amount they could still afford.

The management staff at the nursing home was also good, and Wang Shun was extremely dedicated. It could be said that from the beginning until now, other than spending some money, they really hadn’t had to worry about a thing.

The weather was getting colder, and with the accumulated snow on the roads, travel by car was difficult. It would be impossible for them to visit the nursing home before the New Year, but they still had to call and check on things.

Hearing that everything at the nursing home was fine, Gu’er was relieved.

Around noon, Gu’er and Sun Jiaming found a small eatery near the department store to have lunch.

The eatery was packed, with people lining up. As she waited, Gu’er considered something. ’Maybe next year I should rent out the fourth floor and turn it into a dedicated food court. That way, customers who finish shopping can just go up to the fourth floor for lunch instead of having to leave the building. It would be very convenient. But if I really do rent it out, management might be a hassle. I’d have to be strict about food quality and hygiene. I’ll think about it after the New Year.’

When she and Sun Jiaming returned home with the ledgers, they found Cao Qiu and Sun Zhuzi there. Besides them, Wei Hong and Sun Ting had also come. Sun Jiasheng, however, was not there; he was working at the department store.

"You’re finally back! Where did you go on such a cold day?"

Cao Qiu came to the door, helping Sun Jiaming and Gu’er with their coats as she spoke.

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt."

Sun Ting also called out cheerfully.

Gu’er smiled at her and patted her head. Although Sun Ting had thrown a tantrum here when she and Sun Jiaming got married, she was still just a child. She only visited occasionally, so Gu’er wasn’t about to give a child the cold shoulder.

"Gu’er and I went to the department store. Mom, I’ll take those. Don’t worry about it."

Sun Jiaming replied, then quickly spoke up when he saw his mother take the ledgers and start to open them.

"Look at you. They’re just ledgers, what’s wrong with me holding them? Are you afraid I’ll find out how much you’ve earned? Relax, no matter how much you make, I won’t be greedy for it."

Cao Qiu shot her son a reproachful look.

"Mom, that’s not what I meant. Gu’er and I have already gone over these ledgers and confirmed everything is correct. They still need to be shown to Li Zhi and Dingzi. I was just afraid you wouldn’t understand them."

Sun Jiaming understood what his mother was thinking, but he couldn’t agree with it.

"We’re all family here, Jia Ming. Just let your mom take a look."

Wei Hong spoke up, a flicker in her eyes. She also wanted to know how much the department store was making. Although Sun Jiaming always gave his mother money, and his mother used it to help their family, who would ever complain about having too much money? She had a whole bunch of relatives on her side of the family, too. She had suggested letting her relatives work at the store, but Sun Jiaming hadn’t agreed. ’Well, surely there’s no problem asking Sun Jiaming and Gu’er to lend me some money to help my family start a business,’ she thought.

Gu’er glanced at her but said nothing. Instead, she took the ledgers from Cao Qiu’s hands and went straight into their room. She couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath arguing.

Cao Qiu didn’t dare to refuse Gu’er, nor did she dare to scold her. She knew Gu’er’s personality and knew that her son would definitely side with his wife. So, if she angered Gu’er, she would be the one to suffer.

Wei Hong pouted. ’My mother-in-law is so useless. She’s always bossing me around, but the moment she’s in front of Gu’er, she becomes a total pushover.’

Gu’er put the ledgers away in the room before coming back out. The moment she emerged, she heard Wei Hong saying, "Jia Ming, look, your sister-in-law has never asked you for anything before. If I wasn’t at my wit’s end, I wouldn’t be begging you. I don’t need much, just twenty thousand yuan. Twenty thousand. Can you lend it to your sister-in-law?"

Gu’er frowned. ’I thought my in-laws were here to visit Grandma since it’s almost the New Year, but it turns out they came to borrow money.’ She knew that Sun Jiaming gave Cao Qiu money quite often, but she had never said a word about it. It was right for a son to be filial to his mother. Since they were well-off, they naturally wanted everyone to live a good life. But to ask for twenty thousand yuan right off the bat... ’Do they think our money just grows on trees?’

Before Sun Jiaming could say anything, Cao Qiu exploded. "Borrow twenty thousand? What for? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to borrow money?"

Hearing Cao Qiu’s words, Gu’er understood. ’This must be my sister-in-law’s idea. It looks like my mother-in-law didn’t know about it. Even though I don’t like her, she’s still pretty good to her younger son. She wouldn’t fleece her younger son for the sake of her older one.’

"Mom, my older brother wants to start a small business, right? He asked to borrow money from me, but you know I don’t have any. I have no other choice! I can’t just let my own family struggle to get by, can I? So I thought I’d ask Jia Ming. Don’t worry, if my brother makes money in the future, he’ll definitely pay it back."

Wei Hong said this with a placating smile. She knew her mother-in-law; if she had told her beforehand, she definitely would have said no.

"And what if he doesn’t make money?"

Cao Qiu asked.

"That’s impossible. My brother said he’s done his research. It’s a sure thing."

Wei Hong hurriedly assured her.

"Bull-shit! Who can guarantee they’ll make money in business? If he loses it all, does that mean you just won’t pay it back? Do you think my son’s money just falls from the sky? Asking for twenty thousand right off the bat—what kind of small business needs twenty thousand yuan? Why don’t you take a good look and see if your brother is even worth twenty thousand if you sold him! With his character? He’s the type who wouldn’t even bother to pick up a toppled oil bottle. You expect him to make money? The guy has a liquor bottle glued to his hand all day, drunk out of his mind, and you think he can make money? I already let it slide when you take my older son’s money to subsidize your own family, and now you want Jia Ming’s money too? Let me tell you, no way! Even if Jia Ming has the money, he can’t lend it to you. Once that money is lent out, it’s never coming back. This isn’t two hundred yuan, it’s twenty thousand! How dare you even ask! You should take a look in the mirror and see if your face is worth twenty thousand!"

Cao Qiu tore into her daughter-in-law. She was genuinely furious. If she had known her daughter-in-law was going to pull something like this today, she wouldn’t have let her come at all.