The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Gu’er felt her eyes grow warm. ’So this is what Grandma Sun was thinking.’

’But Grandma mentioned Aunt Zhao’s mother?’

Suddenly, Gu’er understood. Aunt Zhao must be the three-year-old daughter of that widow from back then. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

’I can’t believe Aunt Zhao didn’t marry far away, but ended up in our own village. No wonder she’s so close to the Sun Family. No wonder she’s always willing to come and take care of Grandma Sun. So that’s the reason behind it all.’

"Gu’er, don’t blame the others for not helping you. After all, you were brought here by your mother, while Zhou Mei and the rest are from the village. The relationships are naturally different. Besides, you know it yourself—not many in the village dare to provoke the Zhou family. Even if everyone thinks they’re in the wrong, very few would dare to stand up and say so. In the Zhou family’s eyes, you’re an outsider, but in everyone else’s eyes, you’re one of the Zhous, so they don’t want to get involved. And another thing, how could they ask the Second, the Fourth, and the Sixth to come and mediate? What kind of people are they? They were no good even when they were young. If they had asked Sun the Third, Chen the Fifth, or Eighth Uncle Zhou, they definitely wouldn’t have forced you. Those few are pretty fair. But they don’t live nearby, so they would have found out late, and since no one went to get them specifically, they probably didn’t come. Gu’er, remember this for next time something happens: don’t just try to bear it all by yourself like a fool. Come find Jia Ming, and ask the Third, the Fifth, the Eighth, and the Tenth to step in. If that’s still not enough, have someone carry me over there too! I’d like to see if Second Brother Zhou and his cronies still dare to act fierce. I’ll spit right in their faces and see if they still care about their old reputations!"

Grandma Sun spoke for a long time without even pausing.

Gu’er was astonished. ’I always thought Grandma Sun was a very kind old woman with no temper to speak of. But hearing this, she’s not someone to be trifled with, either. She’s got quite a fiery personality.’

’That makes sense. Grandpa Sun was such a formidable man back in the day. As his wife, it’s impossible that Grandma Sun wouldn’t have any temper at all.’

As for the people Grandma Sun mentioned, Gu’er knew of them. Second Brother Zhou wasn’t Zhou Mei’s great-uncle, Zhou Erpao, but rather the man they called "Second Grandpa." Grandma Sun was referring to people from her own generation.

’From what Grandma said, it seems there are about ten old, highly respected elders in this village. And that "Second Grandpa" and his group are the Zhou faction—they side with the Zhou family.’

’When the incident happened, Zhou Mei and the others were the ones who went to find people. I had no idea about any of this, and I had neither the time nor the opportunity to get anyone myself. That’s why the three old men they brought were all on the Zhou family’s side.’

’If I had known, I could have sent someone to get the other men Grandma Sun mentioned. They aren’t part of the Zhou faction, so the situation would have definitely been different.’

Only then did Gu’er understand that the village was actually divided into factions, and that among the elders, some were unreasonable while others were just.

But it wasn’t Gu’er’s fault. In her previous life, she had always lived with the Zhou family. Not two years after marrying Zhang Da, she moved to the city. Any news she heard from the village was just gossip from others. She didn’t understand the village’s inner workings. If she had, she would have called for people early on. With someone to ensure justice and take the lead, she wouldn’t have been left with no one to help her today.

"I understand now, Grandma."

Gu’er nodded, committing Grandma Sun’s words to memory. Regardless of what might happen in the future, she knew Grandma Sun was saying all this for her own good.

"Go to sleep. Don’t think about it anymore. A person can survive no matter what. If you’re not going back to the Zhou family, then so be it. Don’t you worry about food and drink; we have everything here. If you want to farm, my family has land. I’ll give you a plot. Plant it, and it’ll be enough to feed you. If you don’t want to farm, then we won’t. Don’t worry, you definitely won’t starve to death."

Grandma Sun was giving Gu’er confidence. Now that the girl was in her home, no matter what the future held, she had done what she ought to do.

"Okay, I..."

Just as Gu’er began to speak, a shout suddenly rang out from outside. The voice sounded somewhat frantic, and Gu’er shot up into a sitting position.

Gu’er listened intently to the shouting outside.

’It sounds like they’re calling for Sun Jiaming and me.’

’It’s my adoptive mother.’

Gu’er recognized the voice.

’My adoptive mother must have come back from my maternal grandmother’s house. She must have heard what happened and came looking for me. How could Zhou Mazi let her come over this late? I wonder if he took his anger out on her... if he hit her.’

Gu’er hurriedly got off the kang.

"Is that your mother? Gu’er, slow down. Light the lamp first, don’t bump into anything."

Grandma Sun had also realized what was happening.

"Mhm."

Gu’er grunted in acknowledgment, fumbling her way to the table.

She then heard someone answer from outside. It was Sun Jiaming; he was up. Gu’er let out a long sigh of relief.

She fumbled to light the lamp, and the room brightened.

"Gu’er, open the door. Auntie is here."

By then, Sun Jiaming had already led Li Hua to the door of the room.

Gu’er opened the door.

"Gu’er, my poor Gu’er! Quick, let Mom see. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Li Hua threw her arms around Gu’er, crying.

"Mom, I’m fine. Sit down, quick. Did you just get back?"

Gu’er quickly assured her she was fine and pulled Li Hua to a seat.

In the lamplight, Gu’er saw that her adoptive mother’s hair was a mess and there was a handprint on her face. A surge of anger rose in Gu’er’s heart; her mother had definitely been hit by Zhou Mazi.

"Did he hit you?"

Gu’er reached out and touched her adoptive mother’s face.

"It’s nothing, it’s nothing, it doesn’t hurt. I went to your grandma’s house, but your grandma wasn’t sick, so I came back. As soon as I got back, I heard about this. Gu’er, what on earth happened?"

Li Hua’s face was etched with worry. In truth, she had returned before Zhou Mazi got home, but she had found it strange that no one was there.

She had called out in every room, but no one answered. There wasn’t even a spark in the kitchen stove. She felt something was odd and was just about to go out and ask around when Zhou Mazi returned with a group of people.

The moment she asked a question, Zhou Mazi, without a second word, grabbed her by the hair, slapped her twice, and cursed her out.

’What in the world happened?’ she had wondered, unable to process it.

Once inside, she lit a lamp and saw that not only was Zhou Feng’er’s face swollen and her lip split, but her back was also injured. Her heart ached for the girl, and she frantically asked what had happened.

But no one would tell her.

After fussing over Feng’er, she noticed Gu’er was missing. When she asked, Zhou Cai told her that Gu’er would never be coming back. He said she had severed ties with the family, and that their dad had even received fifty yuan, so now he could eat meat and wear new clothes.

Li Hua was stunned. ’What does he mean, "severed ties"? And fifty yuan... could it be? Did Zhou Mazi sell Gu’er?’

Li Hua was frightened senseless. Gu’er wasn’t her biological daughter, but back then, before she had any children of her own, there was only Gu’er. She had treated Gu’er as her own flesh and blood. Both she and Cui Tie had been very good to Gu’er. You could say Gu’er was her first child, so the bond was naturally different.

If Li Hua hadn’t genuinely cherished Gu’er, she wouldn’t have insisted on bringing her along when she remarried. All these years, Gu’er had worked hard without complaint, just like her. She truly felt Gu’er was her own daughter. But what had happened now? Why would Gu’er sever ties, and where had she gone?