Cao Qiu looked at Gu’er, who had stood up, then at the large basin of clothes. She was certain Gu’er wasn’t joking.
’I’ll wash my son’s clothes, but that old hag’s? Hmph!’ Cao Qiu snorted.
"So young and already so lazy. What’s wrong with a little work? Shouldn’t a young person do so chores? I’ve doted on you for nothing. Hurry up and wash them. We need to get back to the city."
Cao Qiu decided not to stoop to Gu’er’s level. She had to get back to the city; otherwise, who knew what that daughter-in-law of hers would be up to. She had to go back and keep an eye on her.
"Why are you giving us all this stuff? It’s not like we have none at ho. We don’t want it. Keep it for yourself. If you bring it ho, your older brother won’t get any. That greedy sister-in-law of yours will eat it all. Just leave it here. And don’t you dare give any to Gu’er. She’s an outsider, you hear ?"
Cao Qiu looked at the food and supplies Sun Jiaming was holding. She snatched them from his hands and, while still talking, placed them on the table in the main hall.
Sun Jiaming’s face was filled with helplessness. He didn’t want his mom to go back empty-handed. If he sent so things back for everyone to eat, his sister-in-law might be a little nicer, but his mom always refused.
Gu’er didn’t say anything. From this perspective, Cao Qiu was actually quite good to Sun Jiaming. She always made him delicious food, and whenever he tried to give her things, she refused to take them. In her heart, she still favored her son.
"Take this money. If you and Dad need anything, just spend it. And don’t go asking my sister-in-law for money."
Sun Jiaming pressed so money into Cao Qiu’s hand. His older brother’s earnings were mostly taken by his sister-in-law, and he didn’t want his parents to have a hard ti.
"I don’t want it. Your dad and I have enough. We don’t spend much anyway. You don’t need to worry about us."
Cao Qiu refused, but as the words left her mouth, she glanced at Gu’er and took the money. "Fine, Mom will take it. I’ll save it all for you, so you don’t go spending it on who-knows-who. When you need it in the future, Mom will give it back to you."
Sun Jiaming was helpless, and Gu’er just smiled. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t stand up to Cao Qiu. If Cao Qiu were exactly like Zhou Mazi, Sun Jiaming might have been able to be ruthless. But Cao Qiu was good to her own son—how could he bring himself to be cruel to her?
Sun Jiaming saw Sun Zhuzi and Cao Qiu off. Gu’er finished the laundry and went inside to accompany Grandma Sun.
Grandma Sun looked as if she had aged several years. The whole ordeal had clearly taken a toll on her spirit.
"Sigh... I was so looking forward to my son coming back, but as soon as he does, it’s like this. It would have been better not to have a son at all," Grandma Sun sighed.
Gu’er could understand her feelings. In her past life, Zhang Juan had been even worse than Sun Zhuzi. She often found herself thinking, ’It’s better not to have children,’ which was why she was so against the idea in this life.
"Don’t dwell on it, Grandma. It’s enough that Brother Jia Ming is a good person. You still have us to take care of you," Gu’er comforted her.
"Ah, yes, I have you two. You’re both good children," Grandma Sun said, patting Gu’er’s hand.
Gu’er chatted with Grandma Sun for a while, and after Sun Jiaming returned, he also stayed and talked with her for a bit.
"Jia Ming, Gu’er, are you ho?"
Suddenly, a voice called out from outside. Sun Jiaming went out to look and returned a mont later with two people.
One was from their own village, a man Gu’er should address as "Brother." The other was a stranger she didn’t recognize.
"You’re Zhou Gu’er?"
The stranger was a man, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He looked Gu’er up and down with a scrutinizing gaze.
"I’m Gu’er. And you are?"
’Who could this be?’ Gu’er wondered.
"I heard you know how to make pastries, like stead jujube cakes?"
The man didn’t answer Gu’er’s question, asking one of his own instead.
"I do. You must have heard about it from Aunt Wang."
Gu’er understood imdiately. The only one who knew she could make jujube cakes was Aunt Wang. She had helped out at Aunt Wang’s house last ti, but no one had sought her out since. She knew that few people around here made pastries these days, so she hadn’t held out any hope. She never expected soone to show up at her door today.
Hearing her answer, the man breathed a sigh of relief. He had co such a long way and was afraid he had found the wrong person.
"My surna is Cui. You can just call Brother Cui. My younger brother is getting married, and the bride is from Aunt Wang’s area. She requested that we present jujube cakes, but none of us know how to make them. After asking around, we found out you were the one who made the cakes at Aunt Wang’s house, so I was sent to invite you. What do you say? Will you co and help us out?"
The man, Cui, explained his reason for coming.
Gu’er was, of course, happy to have so business.
"I can help. But I’m selling popsicles right now, so if I co, I’ll have to take a whole day off. Is it just for steaming the jujube cakes? Also, I’m not sure if you heard, Brother, but when I helped Aunt Wang’s family, they paid ."
’It’s best to be upfront about this,’ Gu’er thought.
"I know. My aunt told . As long as you make the jujube cakes well and the bride is satisfied, we’re not stingy people. We’ll give you one yuan for your labor. How does that sound?"
Brother Cui was a straightforward man, stating the price before Gu’er even had a chance to ask.
One yuan wasn’t a lot; Gu’er made more than that in a single day of selling popsicles. But she was willing to take the job. She genuinely enjoyed making pastries. Besides, a wedding was a happy occasion, and it made her happy that people liked her jujube cakes.
"Alright. You can go back and tell them I’ll take the job. When do you need ?" Gu’er asked with a nod.
"Co in three days. We live at number twenty-eight Guanggu Road. Do you know where that is?"
Brother Cui told her the address.
"I know it. Then it’s settled. I’ll see you in three days."
Gu’er did know the place.
Brother Cui left. Sun Jiaming hadn’t interrupted the entire ti. It was Gu’er they were looking for, and he wouldn’t interfere whether she accepted or not.
"My Gu’er is so capable! You’re famous in the city now," Grandma Sun bead at Gu’er.
"Grandma," Gu’er said, her face flushing with embarrassnt.
"What’s there to be embarrassed about? Grandma is happy for you. You’re earning money with your own skills and can support yourself. That makes very happy."
Grandma Sun held Gu’er’s hand, her smile full of relief and comfort.
Sun Jiaming was also happy for Gu’er. He didn’t care how much money she made; what mattered was that her reputation was spreading. People knew she was skilled with her hands and could cook well, and that was a good thing.
Gu’er didn’t go into the city that day. She took a day to rest at ho, tidying up both her and Grandma Sun’s places. She also went to check on her adoptive mother, Li Hua.
Li Hua was the sa as before. With Gu’er no longer at ho, she was even busier. However, Zhou Mazi had been ho less recently. He was out carousing during the day and ca back late, so she wasn’t getting beaten or cursed at as much as before.
On the second and third days, Gu’er went to the city to sell popsicles. This would be her last batch; she figured that after making the jujube cakes, she would stop selling popsicles and switch to selling things like mushrooms instead.
While selling popsicles, she went near Liu Yuan’s house twice, but she didn’t run into him either ti.
On the fourth day, Gu’er rode her bicycle into the city, searching for number twenty-eight Guanggu Road as she went.
She was so focused on looking at the buildings to the side that she didn’t notice a bicycle suddenly darting out from an angle. The rider was going very fast and, upon seeing Gu’er’s bike, couldn’t brake in ti and crashed right into her.
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Thank you to cjy080837 and vfgty for the monthly tickets. The owner of this bicycle is soone connected to Gu’er. Guess who?
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