The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

There was no problem with Gu’er’s wages.

Because the bride’s family was satisfied, and because the plump, doll-shaped steamed bun Gu’er had made was just to Aunt Wang’s liking, she readily paid Gu’er fifty cents.

And that wasn’t all; she also picked out one of the remaining jujube cakes and gave it to Gu’er.

Aunt Wang hadn’t originally planned on giving her one. But Gu’er’s work had been truly to her liking, and on top of that, Gu’er had sold her scallions very cheaply before. So, she gave Gu’er a jujube cake to show her gratitude.

When it was time for Gu’er to leave, both Aunt Wang and Aunt Cheng came out to see her off.

"Ni Ni, dear, thank you for steaming the jujube cakes for Hua’er and for rolling out the noodles for us. They really hit the spot! If you ever come to our home in Henan, we’ll be sure to treat you well."

Aunt Cheng held Gu’er’s hand, expressing her warmth.

"Thank you, Auntie. I’ll definitely visit if I get the chance."

Gu’er nodded, but she was just being polite. She didn’t know if she would ever have the chance to go to Henan in this lifetime, and even if she did, she could never just go looking for Aunt Cheng.

"You’re a capable girl, Ni Ni. This is for you. Just a little something from me. My Hua’er is getting married, so you can share in the joyous occasion. I hope you’ll also find a good husband’s family one day."

Aunt Cheng pressed something into Gu’er’s hand. Gu’er looked down and saw it was a small packet wrapped in red paper. If she wasn’t mistaken, it was probably lucky money.

Gu’er looked at Aunt Cheng and could see the sincerity of the gesture.

She glanced over at Aunt Wang, who just smiled at her with no trace of displeasure. So, Gu’er thanked Aunt Cheng and accepted the gift.

After exchanging a few more words, Gu’er took her leave of the two women, carrying the jujube cake.

’What should I do with this jujube cake?’

Gu’er looked at the jujube cake in her hand. Though they called it a small one, it wasn’t small at all. She certainly wouldn’t be able to finish it by herself.

’The best option is to eat it myself.’ She knew that even if she brought it home, her adoptive mother would never get a taste.

If she took the jujube cake home, her adoptive father and Zhou Cai would definitely eat it.

’And there’s no way I’m letting them eat it.’

’But what about the leftovers if I can’t finish it myself?’

She opened the red paper packet again. Inside were eight cents. It wasn’t much, but it wasn’t a trivial amount either. It was the gesture that mattered.

After some serious thought, Gu’er walked to a supply and marketing cooperative.

Gu’er looked around for a long time. Many items required ration tickets, and besides, she couldn’t afford much anyway.

In the end, she bought a jar of canned fruit and a bag of old-fashioned sponge cakes.

She bought these items because she remembered that the first time she met Sun Jiaming, this was what he had been carrying.

Gu’er was buying them for Sun Jiaming’s grandmother.

Gu’er had no intention of trying to curry favor with Sun Jiaming; she simply wanted to express her gratitude. Although Sun Jiaming hadn’t gone into town with her since that first time, she had run into him once in the mountains. He had told her she could have all the scallions on that side of the hill. She had sold or given away all of the Sun Family’s scallions, and a good portion of the money she’d earned was thanks to them. She had been wanting to thank him ever since. Now that she had the jujube cake, she could buy a couple of other things and finally pay them a proper visit. A single jujube cake by itself would have been too meager a gift.

Gu’er wrapped up her purchases, carried them back to the village, and went straight to the Sun Family’s home.

She wasn’t afraid of being seen. If anyone saw what she was carrying, she would just say that Sun Jiaming had asked her to bring it back for him. Everyone in the village knew that Sun Jiaming often bought things in town for his grandmother, so no one would be suspicious.

"Who is it?"

When Sun Jiaming heard the voice and came out to see Gu’er, he froze for a moment. He had never expected her to show up at his door.

"Oh, it’s Sister Gu’er! What brings you here? Quick, come in and have a seat."

Once he recovered from his surprise, Sun Jiaming ushered Gu’er inside.

Gu’er hesitated for a moment before following him inside. Sun Jiaming was an upright person with no ill intentions, so she wasn’t afraid.

Sun Jiaming led Gu’er into the main room.

The room was simple but had all the necessities, and it contained far more than Gu’er’s own home.

"Here’s some water, Sister Gu’er."

Sun Jiaming handed Gu’er a large enamel mug filled with water.

"Thank you, Brother Jia Ming."

Gu’er said, thanking him.

"So, Sister Gu’er, what can I do for you?"

Sun Jiaming couldn’t quite figure out why she had come. In his mind, Gu’er was a quiet but strong and independent girl who wouldn’t normally pay a visit without a reason.

"I came to let you know, Brother Jia Ming, that I’ve picked all the scallions on the other side of the hill."

Gu’er explained about the scallions. Aunt Wang had needed some yesterday, so she had taken almost all that was left.

"Don’t worry about it. It’s too far for me to go there anyway. I already told you they were yours, Sister Gu’er. You didn’t need to make a special trip just for this."

Sun Jiaming smiled good-naturedly. They also grew scallions in their own yard. While they weren’t as tasty as the wild ones, that hill was too far away for him to visit often. If Gu’er could use them, he was happy to let her have them.

"The wild vegetable season is almost over, so I won’t be going into town to sell them anymore. I owe a lot of my success to your scallions, Brother Jia Ming. And you even helped me find such a good spot to sell. I don’t have much to offer in thanks, but I was helping out a family today for their son’s wedding, and they gave me one of the jujube cakes they’d steamed. I brought it for your grandmother. I also bought some sponge cakes and canned fruit. You know I don’t have much money, Brother Jia Ming, so I can’t afford anything better. I hope you won’t mind."

Gu’er pushed the items across the table toward him.

"What’s all this? We’re from the same village. A few scallions are nothing. Take these back right now, or I’ll get angry."

Sun Jiaming’s expression grew serious. He had helped Gu’er without expecting anything in return and had never thought she should repay him. He knew she had a difficult life, and he felt it was completely unnecessary for her to spend her money on gifts for him.

"Brother Jia Ming, I know you’re not looking for anything in return. But I bought these for your grandmother. Her health isn’t good, and I’m from a younger generation just coming to visit her. You can’t make me show up empty-handed, can you?"

Gu’er knew Sun Jiaming was a straightforward man, but her gratitude was just as genuine.

"I still can’t accept them. You work so hard for the money you earn. How could I take things you bought with it? If word got out, what kind of person would that make me look like?"

Sun Jiaming still shook his head.

"Please accept them, Brother Jia Ming. I actually have something else I’d like to ask for your help with. If you don’t take these, I won’t have the nerve to ask."

Gu’er tried a different approach.

"If you need help with something, just tell me. As long as it’s something I can do, I won’t refuse. But you have to take these things back with you."

Sun Jiaming figured she must have something on her mind, but he still had no intention of accepting the gifts.

"Brother Jia Ming, you know what my family situation is like. If I take these things home, not only will I get no thanks for it, but my father might even beat me for wasting money. He’ll demand to know where I got the money, and if I can’t give him a good answer, my life at home will become unbearable. I’ve already bought them, and I can’t just turn around and sell them. This is a gift for your grandmother. It’s from the heart. Please, just accept it on her behalf."

Gu’er looked at Sun Jiaming, her gaze full of sincerity.

Sun Jiaming fell silent. What Gu’er said was the truth. If she took these things home, she’d only be in for trouble. Selling them again wasn’t a real option either. But accepting them...

’Oh, what the heck. I’ll just accept them.’ As it happened, the things she brought were all his grandmother’s favorites, and they had run out at home. He would accept them, and whatever Gu’er needed, he would just do his best to help her.