The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: A Young Man’s Heart

"Oh, you... Mom can’t talk you out of it. There’s no one else here, so let me tell you something. When you’re in the city, if you really can’t stomach the cornbread, just buy yourself something to eat. Spend a dime or so. Your father doesn’t have to know. You’re working so hard; if you don’t eat well enough, your body won’t be able to take it."

Li Hua didn’t know what Gu’er was thinking. She just lowered her voice and spoke to her daughter.

"Mm, I know, Mom."

Gu’er nodded lightly. She hadn’t expected her adoptive mother to say such things to her. It was clear she genuinely cared for her. Looking at the silver strands in Li Hua’s hair by the firelight, she felt a lump form in her throat.

Gu’er slept soundly that night. Perhaps because she was so exhausted, she didn’t even turn over once.

In her dreams, Gu’er saw herself as a bride, wearing a white wedding dress the likes of which she had never worn before.

She heard the officiant’s declaration; she heard the groom say, "I do."

Gu’er smiled, a truly happy smile. She looked at the groom across from her. He was in a sharp suit, looking very dapper. She tried to see his face, but strangely, she couldn’t make out his features.

She couldn’t see his features, yet she knew he was a dashing man. Asleep, Gu’er’s lips curved into a slight smile. She was smiling...

The next day, Gu’er gathered a lot more wild vegetables, and on the third day, she went to the city.

Before she even reached her usual spot, she saw someone standing there, looking around anxiously.

When he saw Gu’er, he hurried over.

"Gu’er, you’re here."

Liu Yuan slowed down as he reached Gu’er, asking with a slight blush.

"Brother Liu Yuan, why are you here so early?"

Gu’er really hadn’t expected Liu Yuan to wait for her so early in the morning.

"I didn’t have much to do, so I came over."

Liu Yuan smiled and handed Gu’er the enamel mug he was holding.

Gu’er took it instinctively. The mug was slightly warm to the touch; she knew it must be filled with water.

Gu’er examined the mug. It was a white enamel mug with a few red words printed on it—the name of a factory, and below that, the year "’81."

The enamel was chipped in a few places, but it still looked decent enough.

’This is a product of the era,’ she thought. ’They’ve been in fashion since the sixties. It’s a high-end item that most families can’t afford. The Zhou family, for instance, just drinks water from bowls; they don’t have any mugs at all.’

Gu’er figured it must belong to Liu Yuan’s father. ’I can’t believe his father is a factory worker. In this era—the sixties, seventies, and eighties—being a worker is still a coveted job. They’re well-respected, too.’

’It’s a good thing I came back to the eighties. I can’t even imagine what it would have been like if it were the seventies.’

’But even now, things are very different from later years. In the early eighties, things like grain, cloth, and oil coupons haven’t been phased out yet, and the supply and marketing cooperatives are still a big deal. I’m just selling vegetables, which luckily don’t require coupons, or I wouldn’t be able to sell them at all. But it won’t be long now. By the late eighties or early nineties, none of this will be necessary. Doing business will be much simpler then.’

"Let me get that."

While Gu’er was examining the mug, Liu Yuan had already started pushing her cart.

"It’s fine. It’s just a few more steps. I’ve got it."

Without waiting for Gu’er’s reply, Liu Yuan pushed the cart forward.

Once everything was set up, Gu’er placed the mug on the cart and thanked Liu Yuan. frёewebnoѵēl.com

"Don’t be so formal with me. Have some water. It should be cool enough to drink now."

Liu Yuan gestured for Gu’er to drink. He had calculated roughly what time she would leave home and arrive in the city, so he had poured the water in advance and come here early to wait, just so she would have something to drink.

"Okay."

Gu’er thanked him again. She really was thirsty, having sweated a lot on the walk over.

The plain water was slightly warm as it touched her lips. It was like a clear spring moisturizing her dry throat, making every pore on her body seem to open up in relief.

’I didn’t realize Liu Yuan was so thoughtful. He poured the water for me early on. If he had brought hot water, I wouldn’t have been able to drink it now.’

Seeing Gu’er’s look of relief, Liu Yuan smiled, his eyes filled with a gentle warmth. He felt a deep sense of satisfaction.

Gu’er thanked him yet again. She realized that ever since she had met Sun Jiaming and Liu Yuan, she was constantly thanking them. Both of them had helped her so much, but she had nothing to offer in return.

"Brother Liu Yuan, what kind of wild vegetables do you like? Take some back with you."

Gu’er wanted to express her gratitude.

"No, no, we have some at home. You really don’t need to give me any."

Liu Yuan quickly waved his hands. He wasn’t here for a few vegetables.

"Well then, Sister Gu’er, I have to go run an errand. I’ll come back this afternoon to get the mug."

After speaking, Liu Yuan thought for a moment but decided to leave. He didn’t want to go, but he had to. There were people in this area who knew him, and it would be bad if someone recognized him and told his family. Besides, his mother might come by, and if she saw him, she would probably get the wrong idea. He didn’t want to cause any trouble for Gu’er.

"Okay, Brother Liu Yuan, you go on ahead."

Gu’er nodded at Liu Yuan. It hadn’t occurred to her to ask Liu Yuan to stay with her anyway.

In the afternoon, Liu Yuan came back. He chatted with Gu’er for a bit, and by then, her vegetables were all sold out. She returned the mug to him, said goodbye, and headed home.

And so, Gu’er’s days of gathering and selling vegetables began.

Each time she earned money, she would give a portion to Zhou Mazi and keep a portion for herself.

But the vegetable-selling business couldn’t last forever. Ten days later, Gu’er noticed a drop in sales. She knew the wild vegetables would soon be hard to sell, because fresh produce was about to hit the market.

One day, as Gu’er was bagging wild vegetables for a customer, a woman in her forties approached her stall.

"Miss, are you sold out of scallions?"

she asked Gu’er urgently.

"Auntie, I’ve just got this one bunch left. Do you want it?"

Gu’er looked down. There were only a few scallions left.

"Ah, that’s not enough. Miss, are you coming back tomorrow? If you are, could you bring some more scallions for me? I need both green onions and leeks."

The woman shook her head, looking at the small amount of scallions.

"Sure, I’ll be back tomorrow. How many do you need, Auntie?"

Seeing someone place an order for scallions, Gu’er quickly nodded. Business had slowed down, and it now took her two or three days to sell what she gathered in one, so she could afford to come for consecutive days.

"Just bring a lot."

The woman didn’t give a specific number.

"Aunt Wang, what are you going to do with so many scallions? Can you even eat them all?"

someone nearby who knew the woman asked curiously.

Aunt Wang said, "Sigh, my son is getting married soon."

Aunt Wang sighed after she said it.

"Isn’t that a good thing? Why do you seem unhappy? I saw your future daughter-in-law when she visited your house last time. She’s pretty, and a factory worker too! You’re so lucky to have a daughter-in-law like that."

the person said with envy.

"She is good. My daughter-in-law has a nice personality, and we get along well. But what you don’t know is that her family is originally from Henan, not from around here. They migrated here back in the day. Her family is quite capable, though; they’ve managed to put down roots here."

When talking about her daughter-in-law, Aunt Wang was clearly very satisfied. Having such a presentable daughter-in-law brought her honor.