"Hahah, I scared you! Hahaha, scaredy-cat!" Gu Qiang clapped his hands and laughed cheerfully, revealing all of his yellowed teeth.
Once Gu Yan saw it was Gu Qiang, her heart finally relaxed.
According to her experience in her previous life, the more she cared about Gu Qiang's pranks, the more he would prank her.
This behaviour came with the descriptive noun, spoiled brat.
Gu Qiang was Zhang Lan's eldest son. He had a high fever when he was very little, and it damaged his brain, which was why his IQ was equivalent to that of a four or five-year-old despite being twenty-something.
But Gu Qiang was the only person who did not have a bad heart in this family since he was extremely naive.
Gu Yan did not get mad, but she didn't care about Gu Qiang either and kept on tending the fire. She put two potatoes in the brick fire pit and used a stove poker to adjust the heat inside.
Gu Qiang got bored but didn't want to leave, so he just squatted on the side and watched.
He saw that the roasted potatoes were ready to eat, so he instantly reached out his hand and grabbed one. It burned his hand so much that he screamed but didn't let the potato go.
Then, he capered outside.
Gu Yan laughed helplessly when she saw that. Then, she used the stove poker to get the other potato out and wrapped it up in newspaper.
She remembered that she never ate a full meal when she was little.
Even though she was the one who made all three meals every single day, Gu Yan had always been the last person to eat at the table.
When she was lucky, she could eat about half-full by the time she got to the table.
When she was unlucky… she could only sip some watery vegetable soup.
As a result, Gu Yan was malnourished and bone skinny at eighteen. She was 165 centimeters tall but weighed only a little more than seventy pounds.
She always worked in the field, so her skin was tanned and dark.
But her eyes were extremely bright and beaming.
Gu Yan made breakfast and then fed the pigs and hens. Once she finished all her tasks, the entire family was finally up and slowly enjoying their breakfast.
As they ate, Zhang Lan urged Gu Moli to eat more because she was still growing and whatnot.
Gu Moli was seventeen and 160 centimeters tall. She was well-developed and voluptuous, even starting to fill out her curves.
After a while, when they almost finished eating, Zhang Lan called Gu Yan inside.
Only the very bottoms were left of two big bowls of dishes. The big pot of rice was gone too. Gu Yan scooped out some cooked rice crust from the bottom and ate it with whatever was still left of the dishes.
Zhang Lan broke off a twig of rice straw and picked her teeth with it. She said carelessly, "Big girl, you hurt your leg, and I don't see it healing anytime soon. The army recruitment officers will come here the day after tomorrow; just let your younger sister go instead of you."
Gu Yan's hand that was holding the bowl froze when she heard that.
Gu Dagang was smoking and puffing on the side. He never had any ideas of his own; he was henpecked by his wife Zhang Lan his entire life.
He looked at his wife's expression and added, "Oh, Yan, you're the older sister, and you hurt your leg, so you can't go anymore. Why don't you save this position for your little sister and keep the goodies within the family, right?"
In Gu Yan's previous life, Zhang Lan and Gu Dagang, the husband-and-wife duo, echoed each other just like that. One was rough and the other soft.
Gu Yan remembered that she gave her spot to her younger sister Gu Moli despite her unwillingness.
That day, when the army recruiter came here, she watched Gu Moli leave with that person happily. Meanwhile, Gu Yan hid in her room and cried for a very long time.
She remembered all those disgusting things that Gu Moli had done in her previous life. The fact that Gu Yan hadn't done anything to Gu Moli as of yet was already a sign of great mercy.
Let her go instead of me this time again?
Oh hell to the no!
Her leg was much better now anyway. Besides, if she could join the army one year earlier, she could change so many things and wouldn't be faced with so many obstacles.
She could be with Lu Ye earlier with a better version of herself!
It was too damn hard for her to leave this place in her previous life! So hard to be accepted by the National Defence University! All those times, she missed Lu Ye!
Those painful and poignant memories stoutened Gu Yan's determination!
But, she could not oppose Zhang Lan's family right now.
Gu Yan just kept her eyes low. She held the bowl in her hand and ate breakfast without saying a word.
Once Zhang Lan saw the grumpy and cold demeanor, she became extremely irritated and threw the twig of rice straw at Gu Yan's body.
"They're just going to send you back with your wimpy attitude like this. Anyway, this thing is set and done. Just let the recruiter take your little sister the day after tomorrow!"