Free Web NovelChapter 38: Chapter 38: A Selfish Motive
After patting Gu Nuan Nuan’s little head, Zhang Wei Qiang turned to Zhang Minzhen. "Don’t let your imagination run wild. I’m not a man like Gu Lihui with a wandering eye. The main reason is, seeing you in this situation... Nuannuan will have a lot of school expenses in the future. If there’s ever a time you’re short on cash, you’ll have some wiggle room, right? And it’s not just you. Our parents are getting older, and there will always be times when money is needed.
We haven’t formally split the household yet, but Mom and Dad never ask us for money. I give Mom a few yuan a month, and she even hesitates to take it, always saying there’s enough food and drink at home. The truth is, I know it’s because Second Brother and Third Brother don’t contribute. She’s afraid that if she takes my money, your sister-in-law will have something to say about it. Sigh, every family has its own troubles. Tell me, if there’s a real emergency and we need money, should I give it or not? If I ask your sister-in-law to pitch in, and Second and Third Brother refuse to contribute, how could she possibly feel good about it? So, sometimes, having many siblings isn’t entirely a good thing. The extended family and the nuclear family are both important, but when you’re trying to take care of both... it’s inevitable that someone gets overlooked..."
"I was wrong, Brother." Zhang Minzhen was deeply ashamed of herself for letting a scumbag like Gu Lihui make her doubt her own brother.
"It’s not your fault. To be honest, this is a bit selfish on my part, too. Even though I say I treat everyone the same, I know that when it comes to your sister-in-law’s side of the family versus ours, I’m definitely biased toward our own."
"...It’s only human to be biased."
"Exactly. Your sister-in-law is already a very good person, so don’t you go feeling bad about it. After all, asking her to treat you the same way she treats her own siblings is not only unlikely, it’s asking the impossible. As long as what she does is passable, that’s fine. Don’t get upset thinking she’s biased—that’s just making things hard on yourself.
Life is what you make of it. You can’t rely on anyone but yourself. I’m your older brother, and I can help you out in a pinch, but I can’t be there every second, ready to pull you up. So, from now on, you’ll have to rely on yourself most of the time. Just remember, no matter how tough the obstacle, you just have to brace yourself and push through. Your brother is no coward, and you’re my own sister. I’m sure you’re cut from the same cloth."
"Mm. I’m not upset, not when I have a brother as good as you. Brother, don’t worry. I’ll make my life better and better." Zhang Minzhen couldn’t help but secretly wipe away her tears, trying her best to say these words calmly. She didn’t realize the thick, nasal tone in her voice had already betrayed her emotions.
Zhang Wei Qiang didn’t point it out and just nodded.
Gu Nuan Nuan lowered her head, her eyes red. ’An uncle like this... how could I possibly let him throw his life away for nothing again in this lifetime?’
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought about giving a warning to save the lives of everyone on that bus, but she knew it was impossible. What reason could she possibly give to stop that bus from running, to prevent the tragedy from happening?
Tell people she was from the future? Or tell them she could predict it?
Gu Nuan Nuan sighed inwardly.
’I’m no longer a real child. I’m not naive enough to think that just because I was reborn, I could become a savior, a living saint who could rescue everyone from their suffering. My own power is still too small. Apart from changing the fates of my mother, uncle, grandparents, and myself, I can’t ask for much more. Greedy people rarely meet a good end.’
The topic of conversation between Zhang Wei Qiang and Zhang Minzhen shifted, and they began discussing what kind of small business would be suitable to start.
Although their discussion didn’t lead to a final conclusion, just knowing that she wasn’t alone—that her closest family was silently supporting her—made Zhang Minzhen feel much more grounded. The road ahead no longer seemed so full of uncertainty.
What the two of them didn’t know was that Gu Nuan Nuan had been secretly trying to come up with ideas the entire way.
Once they reached town, Zhang Wei Qiang kept his promise and bought Gu Nuan Nuan some fried dough sticks. Gu Nuan Nuan, using the excuse that she was too full from breakfast, insisted on breaking the dough sticks into three pieces so they could all eat together. In the end, the two of them couldn’t win the argument and had to eat their shares.
As she ate the fried dough stick, Gu Nuan Nuan suddenly thought of the *jianbing guozi* from her past life, and her eyes lit up. ’A *jianbing* business would be perfect for Mom! This kind of northern snack is almost nonexistent in the south right now. If she made and sold them, they’d be a real novelty.’
’Most importantly, *jianbing* aren’t hard to make, and the tools are easy to get. One can be made in just a few minutes. The batter can be made from mung bean flour, soybean flour, or even black bean flour. You can wrap a fried dough stick inside, and it’s not only delicious but also filling enough to be a proper meal. In my past life... that father and son, they both loved to eat it. Back then, I thought the ones sold outside were unsanitary, so I learned to make them at home—from spreading the batter to making the sauce and frying the dough sticks...’
’After countless experiments, I’d tasted my own creations. They were just as good as, if not better than, the ones sold outside.’
Gu Nuan Nuan regulated her breathing and gave a wry smile. ’No skill is ever useless.’ She never imagined this one might become the way she and her mother made a living in this life—even the source of their first pot of gold. She forced herself to think calmly. ’Uncle works at the grain station, so getting the raw materials Mom needs for the *jianbing* shouldn’t be a problem.’
’The biggest problem is, how do I teach Mom this skill without arousing suspicion?’
"Nuannuan, once you’re at school, don’t overthink things. Just focus on your studies. Your parents’ issues are for adults. Right now, your main job is to study. Only by learning a great deal can you make your mom proud, understand?" The bicycle stopped. Zhang Wei Qiang and Zhang Minzhen got off. Zhang Wei Qiang lifted Gu Nuan Nuan down with one arm, then handed her an army-green bookbag and a lunchbox from the handlebars—the kind most kids used back then—as he instructed her.
"I know. Goodbye, Uncle. Goodbye, Mom."
Gu Nuan Nuan took the bag, put it on her back, and looked around. She realized they had arrived at her school gate without her noticing. It was still early, so not many other students had arrived. The teacher on duty wasn’t at the gate yet. Fortunately, school security wasn’t so strict back then. Since some early-rising students had already started to trickle in, the old gatekeeper had already opened the small side gate.
She waved at the two of them and walked directly through the ajar side gate into the school. As she did, relevant memories automatically surfaced in her mind with perfect clarity. In an instant, she remembered everything: where her classroom was, which seat she sat in, the face of her old deskmate, and the names and faces of all her subject teachers.
’How incredible.’ She was amazed but also secretly relieved. ’It’s a good thing I remember all this, or I’d be in big trouble.’
