Free Web NovelChapter 216: Chapter 216: Cao Qiu’s Problem
Sun Jiaming knew Gu’er hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so he hurried downstairs to buy a meal and bring it up for her. He sat with her and ate a little more himself.
After they finished eating, Gu’er told Grandma Sun and Sun Jiaming about her experiences over the past few days. She didn’t hide anything, but of course, she didn’t go into detail about the more dangerous parts, afraid of worrying them.
Even so, Grandma Sun’s heart pounded with fear as she listened. It was a foreign country, after all, not their own. There were only three of them. If something had happened, they wouldn’t have even known about it back home. She kept patting Gu’er’s hand, murmuring, "Thank the heavens." freewebnσvel.cѳm
Sun Jiaming’s gaze was filled with tenderness and concern. He hadn’t expected it to be so chaotic over there. ’But then again,’ he thought, ’any place full of opportunity, a place where you can make money, is bound to be dangerous. Otherwise, everyone would have already struck it rich.’
"Gu’er, you’re not pulling my leg, are you? You made tens of thousands in just a few days? You must have misspoken. You mean a few hundred, right? And after hundred comes thousand... So how much is ten thousand, exactly?"
Grandma Sun’s eyes went wide. She couldn’t even quite grasp how much "tens of thousands" was, but she knew it was a lot—more money than she had ever seen in her life. She found the figure a little frightening.
Sun Jiaming’s pupils contracted. He believed Gu’er wouldn’t lie, but he truly hadn’t expected the business to be so profitable. The last time his friend gave him his two-thousand-yuan cut, he thought it was a considerable amount. But compared to this, that money was nothing.
Sun Jiaming frowned slightly. ’He had partnered with a friend who also claimed to be trading goods in the Soviet Union. He had given his friend nearly three thousand yuan as capital, but over three months, the friend had only given him about two thousand in dividends. Although there would be more dividends in the future, the amount was far too small. At the time, his friend had promised a fifty-fifty split. Since he wasn’t going himself, Jiaming had said he’d be happy with just thirty percent. But looking at it now, he’d be lucky if his friend was even giving him ten percent.’
’Before, Sun Jiaming had no idea how much money could be made over there. Now, after hearing Gu’er’s story, he understood: his friend had almost certainly been shorting him. But Sun Jiaming also understood that since he wasn’t there himself, his friend controlled the accounts. How much was he willing to share?’
’Besides, from what Gu’er said, going there wasn’t without risk. He hadn’t gone himself, so he’d just have to accept whatever his friend was willing to give him. He’d just treat it as free money. He just wouldn’t invest any more with him in the future.’
’Since Gu’er had already agreed to a three-way split on the profits, he shouldn’t get involved. It would only make things awkward for Li Zhi and that guy Dingzi.’
’With Li Zhi, Dingzi, and the Vietnamese over there looking out for her, Gu’er’s safety shouldn’t be an issue. If she needed him, he would go with her. He just wouldn’t take any money, so he wouldn’t cause any friction between Gu’er, Li Zhi, and the others.’
’If Gu’er planned to do business with the Soviet Union long-term, maybe it would be better for him to open a shop here.’
’Grandma needed someone to look after her at home, so he couldn’t be away for long periods. If he opened a shop here, Gu’er wouldn’t have to worry about how to sell the goods. She couldn’t just keep selling them at a street stall forever.’
Sun Jiaming made up his mind in an instant, but he didn’t say anything. Now wasn’t the right time.
Although Grandma Sun remained in shock for a long time, she simply thought Gu’er was very capable and didn’t think beyond that. It never even occurred to her to wonder if Gu’er would spend any of that money on her. Her way of thinking was simple: having food to eat, a place to live, and her family by her side was enough.
Then, Gu’er asked Sun Jiaming if Cao Qiu and Sun Zhuzi had come to the hospital to help take care of his grandmother.
Sun Jiaming’s expression soured, and Grandma Sun’s face became impassive.
"She came once a few days ago, sat for a little while, and then left," Grandma Sun said. "I told her not to come back. When she’s here, you can’t even tell who’s supposed to be taking care of whom. And she never stops talking. It’s so annoying."
Grandma Sun’s heart had grown completely cold toward her daughter-in-law. It was better not to see her at all.
"When I went home today, I saw Auntie at my house," Gu’er said. "It looked like she was giving Mom a hard time. Mom said she comes over every other day and gives her a headache with all her arguing."
’This can’t go on,’ Gu’er thought. ’If Cao Qiu keeps making scenes like this, Chen Fengjiao will eventually snap. If things blow up, it will create a rift between our families, and Sun Jiaming and I will be caught in the middle.’
"What? She’s going to your house to cause trouble now?" Grandma Sun sputtered. "How does she have the nerve? I thought she had finally decided to behave, but instead, she went to your house! That Cao Qiu, I..."
Grandma Sun was so angry she was speechless. She could accept her son and daughter-in-law not coming to visit her, but running off to someone else’s home to cause a scene? What was that all about? How could she have ever agreed to let that woman marry into the family?
Sun Jiaming also hadn’t expected his mother to go to Gu’er’s house to harass Chen Fengjiao. He’d been at the hospital day and night recently, while also trying to find time to hire people to fix up a house for his grandma to live in after her discharge. He was exhausted, and he couldn’t believe his parents would do something like this. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"Brother Jia Ming, you can’t choose your parents. There’s a saying that a son never finds his own mother ugly. As children, we shouldn’t resent our parents. Besides, no matter how she treats others, Auntie has always been good to you. But Brother Jia Ming, if she keeps this up, she’ll eventually lose everyone’s affection. If everyone comes to dislike her, what will happen to her then?"
Gu’er looked at Sun Jiaming. ’He was born and raised by Cao Qiu, and she has always been very good to him. It’s not that he doesn’t have feelings for her; he’s her son, just as I’m Chen Fengjiao’s daughter. When you’re in that position, it’s something outsiders can’t understand or appreciate. It’s only because of Sun Jiaming that I’ve tolerated Cao Qiu again and again. Otherwise, who is Cao Qiu to me? I’d just throw her out if she showed up at my door. I respect her and tolerate her because she’s the one who gave birth to and raised Sun Jiaming. But everything has a limit. If that line is crossed, things will inevitably explode, and I don’t want Sun Jiaming to be put in a difficult position when that happens.’
"Jia Ming, Gu’er is right," Grandma Sun said, looking at her grandson. "You can’t choose your mother or your son. But you can’t keep indulging your mother like this. Sooner or later, she’ll alienate everyone. Even if you and Gu’er get married and live separately, if she shows up every other day to make a scene, nobody could stand it. You owe her a debt for giving birth to you and raising you, but no one else does. She didn’t do them that favor."
Grandma Sun looked at her grandson. She knew he was in a difficult position. She even knew that Sun Jiaming’s filial piety toward her was, in a way, his attempt to make up for Cao Qiu’s shortcomings. But if Cao Qiu kept on like this, she was afraid she would eventually destroy the family, and maybe even drive Jia Ming and Gu’er apart.
"I understand, Grandma, Gu’er," Sun Jiaming said, his resolve hardening. "I’ll go back and make things clear to my mom."
Sun Jiaming had made his decision. Before, he could never bring himself to be harsh with her, because Cao Qiu was his mother and he always tried to be understanding. But what his grandma and Gu’er said made sense. If he let his mom continue like this, no one would be able to stand it. He had to harden his heart and force her to change. Only if she changed could the family live in harmony, and that would be better for everyone.
***
A recommendation for Embroidered Court Fragrance by Meiyan Kongkong. Synopsis: As an adopted daughter, Mu Yan has only two possible fates: if the master’s family has a son, she marries him. If they have a daughter, she must become a concubine-in-waiting.
She endures humiliation to marry her "brother" with whom she shares no blood ties, only to be betrayed, cast aside, and have her child stolen from her. She truly comes to hate this world with every fiber of her being.
Just when she thought it was all over, she is unexpectedly reborn at the age of fourteen. Facing the "brother" with whom she shares no blood, will she marry him, or will she not? Thank you to Karl King for the He Shi Bi, and thank you to Mingming Baobao Geda, Huaxi Qinggua, Melody Ranran, Lingmu Jingyan, and tang3119 for the monthly tickets! Looks like I’ll be posting three Chapters today because of the He Shi Bi bonus Chapter. I don’t know if it’s the heat, but my vision is a little blurry.
