Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Again
Gu’er had no idea what Sun Jiaming was thinking. She was already fast asleep.
By the time she woke up, the sky outside was already faintly bright. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.
’I wonder where my adoptive mother took the three Zhou siblings to live? Still, she should have some money on hand. She used to give me all her wages, and I took them so she wouldn’t feel bad. But I also give her money every month and for holidays, so she should have several hundred, maybe even close to a thousand yuan.’
’They’ll probably try to rent a house, right? Time was so tight, I wonder if they found a place.’
Gu’er turned over.
’There are small motels around here, too. If they didn’t find a rental, they’ll probably stay in one of those, right? With Zhou Cai and the others there, my adoptive mother won’t end up sleeping under a bridge, at least.’
’Sigh... Zhou Cai and the others are just the worst. They’re completely ungrateful. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to make my adoptive mother leave with them.’
Gu’er sighed.
"What’s wrong?"
Sun Jiaming’s voice made Gu’er jump. She had thought he was asleep, and his sudden question nearly scared the life out of her.
"It’s nothing. I was just thinking about my mom. I don’t know where she stayed last night."
Gu’er didn’t hide it; she really was a little worried.
"I’ll go to the mall today. I’ll tell Liu Yuan to keep an eye out. If Mom runs into trouble and needs money, he can give her some, and we’ll pay him back."
Sun Jiaming knew Gu’er couldn’t stop worrying about Li Hua.
"No. The mall provides meals, anyway. As long as my mom can eat her fill, I don’t care if those guys go hungry. Any money I give my mom just gets squandered by them. It’s not like they don’t have hands and feet; let them earn their own money. Besides, if Mom has money, that Zhou Mazi will come sniffing around. It’ll only end up hurting her."
Gu’er shook her head. She wasn’t just being stubborn; she was speaking the truth.
"Alright, then I’ll just tell Liu Yuan this: if Mom runs out of money, don’t let her take an advance on her salary, and don’t lend her any money either. But make sure she has food to eat. How does that sound?"
Sun Jiaming didn’t argue with Gu’er.
Gu’er nodded. That was good enough. As long as she had food to eat, that was all that mattered.
Seeing that Gu’er had stopped worrying, Sun Jiaming rolled on top of her.
"Ah—"
Gu’er let out a small cry.
"What? Did I hurt you?"
Sun Jiaming asked anxiously, his hands moving up and down her body as he checked to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
Gu’er’s face flushed red. She glared at Sun Jiaming but didn’t say anything.
"So you’re not hurt, and it’s not painful... then? Could it be that you missed me, too?"
Sun Jiaming relaxed and whispered in Gu’er’s ear.
"Go away! Who missed you? I need to use the bathroom."
Gu’er gave Sun Jiaming a light tap. She hadn’t used the bathroom all night, and the pressure from his weight was too much for her bladder.
Sun Jiaming chuckled, then got up with Gu’er and went to the bathroom. He had to go, too.
When they returned, Sun Jiaming hugged Gu’er again.
"We should get up."
’Gu’er knew Sun Jiaming was incredibly pent-up. They couldn’t do anything in the car during the trip, and at the hotel, she’d shared a room with Lin Shuying, so he couldn’t do anything then either. It would be a miracle if he didn’t want to let loose now that they were finally home.’
"It’s still early, not even five o’clock. It’s not too late to get up at eight or nine. Let’s go another round."
As Sun Jiaming spoke, his hand had already slipped inside Gu’er’s clothes.
Since it was already getting light out, Sun Jiaming didn’t just caress her; he also kissed her for a long, long time.
By the time the two of them went out to eat, it was already past eight o’clock. Gu’er was blushing a little, but Grandma and Aunt Zhao were very kind. They said the couple had worked hard these past few days and didn’t need to get up early, that they could sleep in as late as they wanted.
Gu’er glanced at Sun Jiaming, who was listening with a smile and even nodding. She suddenly felt that he was so much more thick-skinned than she was.
After they finished eating, Lin Shuying came over with Xinghua. Zheng Zhongshan had gone to the mall again to continue his accounting lessons. He was also planning to enroll in night school or something similar once he felt a bit stronger.
’Lin Shuying was supportive of him. If her son’s health improved, he would eventually need to get married and build a life here. If he could acquire a skill and find work, she wouldn’t have to worry so much about his future.’
"Gu’er, in a couple of days, I’d like to go see your dad. Would that be okay?"
Lin Shuying asked Gu’er. Her own problems were resolved, and although she had already called Lin Shan, she still wanted to see him and talk things over in person. After all, Lin Shan was her own younger brother; he wasn’t just anyone.
"Of course. Let’s go together in a couple of days. I’ll call my dad and have him arrange it. We’ll see which day he’s not too busy, and we can go to the village for the day."
Gu’er was very happy. She missed Lin Shan, too.
"Okay, then I’ll wait for your word."
Lin Shuying nodded.
Then she opened her mouth to say something to Gu’er, but no words came out.
Because Gu’er was still thinking about visiting Lin Shan, she didn’t notice.
"Mom, let me say it. You’re making this so difficult. What’s there to hesitate about with Gu’er?"
Zheng Xinghua saw her mom open her mouth several times without saying anything and was getting anxious.
"Oh, Auntie, is something on your mind?"
Gu’er really hadn’t known. Hearing what Xinghua said, she looked at Lin Shuying.
Lin Shuying smiled, looking a little embarrassed.
"Gu’er, here’s the thing. I’m going to be starting night school, right? And during the day I’m learning to knit, so I can’t work. My mom was hoping to get a job cleaning at the mall. She doesn’t want to bother Uncle Lin to find work for her, and she said if she’s at the mall, she can keep Aunt Li company. That way, if Aunt Li needs anything, she’ll be right there to help. But if the mall isn’t hiring for cleaners, she was thinking of checking if that restaurant needs anyone for dishwashing or something. Just... if a position opens up, could you keep my mom in mind?"
Xinghua was a straightforward person and just said the whole thing outright.
Gu’er listened to Xinghua and glanced at Lin Shuying. Lin Shuying was blushing, a hint of hope in her eyes. In truth, she wasn’t trying to take advantage of Gu’er. She just felt that with Li Hua no longer living here, if she worked with her, they could look out for each other. Furthermore, she hadn’t lived here for many years and wasn’t familiar with the area. She felt that working for family would be better than working somewhere else; no matter the job, she wouldn’t feel so afraid.
"What’s there to be embarrassed about? Auntie, even if you hadn’t said anything, I was planning to ask you. It’s perfect, you can keep my mom company. And if anything happens with my mom, you can let me know. But let’s wait until after we get back from visiting my dad’s place."
Gu’er didn’t refuse. Lin Shuying was a good person, so she wasn’t worried. Besides, neither she nor Lin Shan would ever let Lin Shuying wash dishes for a living. If her aunt wanted to work at the mall, both she and Lin Shan would feel at ease.
"Gu’er, thank you so much."
Lin Shuying thanked Gu’er. With a job, she could support Zhongshan and Xinghua. She felt she had been indebted to Gu’er ever since she arrived, and she resolved to remember this kindness and work hard.
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Thank you to Yanzi125 for the monthly ticket, and thank you all for your support.
