The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

As it turned out, Gu’er hadn’t expected Li Zhi to take Feng Ling along. She only realized he was when Li Zhi brought Grandpa Guan over, saying he’d be staying with them for a few days.

The reasoning was that since Feng Ling was a woman, it would be more convenient to have her around in case Marina needed anything.

Gu’er didn’t object. Compared to how she used to be, Feng Ling’s gaze was much more peaceful. She was quicker to smile and talk to people, treated others with more sincerity, and seemed much more open and at ease.

Although Gu’er rarely saw Feng Ling, she could sense the change in her. Feng Ling was capable and perceptive. Having once experienced the pain of losing a child herself, Gu’er believed she would be able to take excellent care of Marina.

Marina had no objection to Feng Ling either, so it was settled that the four of them would go together.

"It seems Li Zhi still can’t get over Feng Ling. His family set him up with so many potential partners, but he wouldn’t even give them a look. Now that he’s taking Feng Ling on this trip, I guess he’s finally made up his mind."

Sun Jiaming murmured to Gu’er after the group had left.

"Yes, he never let her go. You know Li Zhi... he may seem talkative, cheerful, and playful on the outside, but once he’s set his mind on something, he rarely changes it. It’s just like when he first met me. Once he decided we were friends, he stuck by us no matter what anyone else said. He’s the same way with Feng Ling. And now that Feng Ling has changed... she’s not a bad person, really. She just had some issues holding her back, which was why she didn’t want to get close to everyone. Now that she’s worked through them, it would be great if she and Li Zhi could make it work."

Gu’er knew Li Zhi well. Despite his seemingly carefree demeanor, Li Zhi was actually very sharp. Back when he had feelings for her, she was already in love with Sun Jiaming. Yet, he still helped her and never once tried to break them up.

Now, he liked Feng Ling, and Feng Ling had feelings for him, too. If they got together, it would be a wonderful thing.

"You’re right. Li Zhi isn’t getting any younger, and his family is constantly pressuring him. It’s better for him to be with Feng Ling than to end up with some stranger he barely knows."

Sun Jiaming nodded. They were both the type of people who, once they made up their minds, rarely looked back. They had forgiven Feng Ling ever since she’d shielded Gu’er from a motorcycle and taken a beating for her. At her core, Feng Ling was a good person. As long as she wanted to be part of the group, she’d fit in just fine. She and Xinghua, for instance, got along great.

With the group gone, Grandpa Guan stayed at Li Zhi’s place but came over to eat during the day. When they had free time, he, Grandma Dingzi, and Grandma Sun would sit and chat. Sometimes, they would even take Grandma Sun downstairs in her wheelchair for a walk to enjoy the sunshine. However, since the weather was still cold, they didn’t go out very often.

Marina, Dingzi, Li Zhi, and Feng Ling were gone for nearly a month. If they hadn’t called twice during that time, everyone back home would have been anxious enough to go looking for them.

Even with the calls, Grandma Dingzi prayed every day. Her granddaughter-in-law, Marina, was heavily pregnant, and she was terrified that something might go wrong.

Gu’er knew the main reason for the long stay was that Marina was reuniting with her family and wanted to spend some quality time at home with them.

Meanwhile, Li Zhi and Dingzi had found their old Vietnamese contacts and were getting ready to reopen their shop.

The Vietnamese contacts agreed the moment they saw Dingzi, without a second thought. The US Dollars he had given them in the past had been a tremendous help, and they were deeply grateful. They promised that as long as Dingzi’s shop was there, they would watch over it and ensure nothing ever went wrong.

They didn’t even have to worry about finding a location for the shop. Dingzi’s father-in-law—Marina’s father—directly arranged for two of the best storefronts and didn’t charge them a single penny. His only instruction to Dingzi was to treat his daughter well.

So while they were there, they set up the shop and procured some goods to ship back when they returned. Once they were home, they could ship goods from their side over to Vietnam. In the future, they wouldn’t have to travel back and forth so often. With someone there to receive the shipments, they could get their previously interrupted business running again.

Marina’s sister even offered to connect them with contacts in European and American countries, since she had lived there for over a year and had connections. But when Li Zhi mentioned this to Gu’er over the phone, she didn’t commit, saying they should wait to discuss it until they returned.

The truth was, Gu’er had her reservations. European and American countries were more developed than their own at the moment, but importing goods wasn’t a simple matter. It would be a hassle, even with connections. Besides, consumers at home didn’t have a strong appetite for Western products yet; the spending power just wasn’t there. If they were going to expand in that direction, it would be better to wait a few years.

However, Gu’er thought they could consider exporting instead. When the time was right, they could discuss it with Zheng Changsheng and collaborate. They could create some more casual styles to export to European and American countries. That way, they could earn foreign money instead of letting foreigners earn their countrymen’s money.