Free Web NovelChapter 33: Chapter 33: Eavesdropping
Gu’er watched her adoptive father stroll away, hands behind his back, swaggering with every step. She knew he was in high spirits. Gu’er also knew he was either off to find someone to drink with or to gamble with. By tomorrow, that money would likely be long gone.
But Gu’er didn’t mind. Even though she had earned the money, once she gave it to Zhou Mazi, it was his. If he wanted to squander it, that was his business.
Gu’er washed her face and went to the kitchen with Li Hua. Everyone else had already eaten, leaving only her.
"Sis, you still got any money on you? Give me ten cents."
Unexpectedly, Zhou Cai had followed her.
Behind Zhou Cai, Zhou Duo’er was also there, but she remained silent, listening from the shadows at the kitchen entrance.
"It’s all gone. I gave it all to Dad. The cloth I wrapped the money in is still outside; you saw it. There isn’t a single cent left."
Gu’er spread her hands at Zhou Cai. Even though he had called her ’sis’ today, she had no intention of giving him any money. ’If they actually cared about me, I wouldn’t be stingy. I’d spend it on them, buy them food. But for these three Zhou siblings...’ Gu’er sneered inwardly. ’I’d rather feed my money to a dog.’
Besides, if Zhou Mazi found out she was secretly hiding money, she knew what would be waiting for her, and she had no desire to endure that again.
"Really all gone? You didn’t hide a little?" freeweɓnovel.cѳm
Zhou Cai asked, his eyes darting around skeptically.
"Hide it? Why would I hide it? Didn’t Dad say I had to give it all to him? If I hid any, he’d beat me to death."
Zhou Gu’er put on a very honest and fearful expression.
"Your big sister is an honest person; she wouldn’t hide money," Li Hua said. "Besides, what do you need money for? If you want some, go ask your dad."
Li Hua believed her daughter’s words.
"Hmph, you’re useless. You earn money and don’t even think to give me any. What’s the point of the family raising you? Just a freeloader. In the future, when I’m in charge here, don’t even think about coming back."
Zhou Cai ignored his mother. Realizing that getting money was a lost cause, his expression toward Gu’er soured. He cursed at her before storming off.
"Don’t mind him," Li Hua said, rushing to comfort her, afraid Gu’er would be upset. "He just sees you’ve earned money and wants to waste it. Even if you had some, you couldn’t give it to him."
"It’s okay, Mom. I really don’t have anything left. I gave it all to Dad, not even a single cent is left. Otherwise, I would have given some to Cai Zi."
Gu’er spoke softly, her expression slightly aggrieved. It wasn’t an act for Li Hua, but for Zhou Duo’er, who hadn’t left the doorway. She needed the Zhou family to believe she hadn’t hidden any money.
"Mom believes you. How could I not know what kind of person you are?"
Li Hua nodded. In this family, the one she trusted most was Gu’er. This eldest daughter of hers was the most honest.
’Thinking of Li Hua’s trust, Gu’er felt a slight pang of guilt, but she wouldn’t change her ways because of it. Everything she did was for her future. She couldn’t afford to be soft-hearted; otherwise, they would devour her until not even her bones were left.’
"You must be exhausted today. Hurry up and eat."
Li Hua handed the food to Gu’er.
"Mhm, I only ate one cornbread bun for lunch and couldn’t even bear to eat a single bite of the vegetables. I’m starving."
Gu’er nodded, took the bowl, and began to wolf down her food.
Li Hua’s eyes filled with compassion.
At the doorway, Zhou Duo’er continued to listen in on their conversation. They were just talking about how hard it was for Gu’er to push the cart to the city and how difficult it was to sell the vegetables. Hearing nothing useful, she left and went inside.
"Sis, I listened. She really didn’t hide any money. She’s gotten bolder than before, but she still wouldn’t dare to hide money. If Dad found out, wouldn’t he beat her to death?"
Zhou Duo’er reported what she had heard to Zhou Feng’er.
The room was very dark, so Zhou Duo’er couldn’t clearly see her sister’s expression. At that moment, Zhou Feng’er’s face was grim. The more capable Zhou Gu’er became, the more uneasy and resentful Feng’er felt. Yet, she couldn’t stop Zhou Gu’er from making money, so she could only resort to other schemes.
"She really wasn’t lying?"
Zhou Feng’er was still skeptical.
"Really, she wasn’t. It was just Mom and her in there at the time, and she was talking to Mom. You know Mom favors her; she wouldn’t lie to Mom."
Zhou Duo’er nodded repeatedly.
"I see."
Zhou Feng’er now believed Zhou Duo’er, but she still felt indignant.
"Maybe I should follow her to the city the day after tomorrow."
Zhou Feng’er was green with envy over the money Zhou Gu’er was making.
"If you want to go, Sis, then you go. I’m not going. I just heard her tell Mom that for lunch she could only eat a cornbread bun, without even any vegetables. Her water spilled, so she had nothing to drink, and the cornbread bun was so dry it could choke you to death. She also got several blisters on her feet and asked Mom to get her some hot water to wash her feet and pop them."
Zhou Duo’er shook her head repeatedly. She was also envious of the money Zhou Gu’er was making, but she was unwilling to suffer like that. ’Wouldn’t walking that far kill me?’ Besides, the money earned wouldn’t go to her; Dad would take it all. She wouldn’t get a single benefit from it. She wasn’t an idiot.
Hearing Zhou Duo’er’s account, Zhou Feng’er hesitated. She wasn’t one to endure hardship either. Thinking about the long journey and what Gu’er said about the blisters on her feet... she wasn’t as tough and thick-skinned as Zhou Gu’er. So, Zhou Feng’er once again gave up the idea of going to the city with her.
Gu’er didn’t know about Zhou Feng’er and Zhou Duo’er’s conversation, nor did she want to. Right now, she was soaking her feet in hot water.
Her feet really did have blisters; she hadn’t been lying to trick Zhou Duo’er. Although she walked every day and went up the mountains, two consecutive trips to the city, especially today’s, had made her feet protest by forming blisters.
"Rest for a day tomorrow."
Li Hua said while lancing Gu’er’s blisters with a sterilized needle.
"It’s fine, it won’t stop me from walking. I can only make some money during this half-month window. In another half-month, everyone’s vegetables will be ready, and no one will be buying."
Gu’er didn’t seem to mind. ’Doesn’t she know pain? Doesn’t she know exhaustion?’
She knew both.
But she had no other choice. For now, this was the only way she could make money.
In her past life, she had just been an ordinary woman. She had no special skills or talents. Her only way to make money was through her own two hands and hard work.
She was reborn, it was true. She knew many things about the future—how things would develop, who the country’s next leader would be, and the major events reported on television. But what good did any of that do?
The national leaders and those major televised events were too far removed from her life, completely beyond her reach.
As for other things... in her past life, she never played the stock market. She had heard of bear and bull markets, but she knew none of the specifics, not even when stocks were first issued. She couldn’t possibly play the market; besides, she couldn’t afford to.
She had never bought a lottery ticket and couldn’t remember any winning numbers, so she couldn’t get rich that way. Besides, the lottery didn’t even exist yet.
She’d heard that during the Reform and Opening-Up, many people went south to trade clothing and made a fortune, but she had no capital and no connections. That was impossible for her.
She knew from her past life that many people had also made a lot of money as resellers in Russia. Their region was close to Russia, but she didn’t have the means to go there, nor could she become a reseller.
All of these paths were dead ends for her. She could only rely on herself, honestly earning a little hard-earned money bit by bit.
So, a little exhaustion and a little suffering were nothing. As long as she could change the fate of her previous life and not live the same way again, she was willing to endure any hardship, no matter how bitter or tiring.
