Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1020

Chapter 1020: Missed Opportunity
Knowing how stubborn her grandson was, Grandma Zhang nodded and didn’t insist anymore. She took a bite of the egg and closed her eyes, savoring the taste. It had been a long time since she had eaten eggs.

After his grandparents finished the eggs, Zhang Ermu scooped rice into their bowls and took out the stir-fried pickled vegetables with pork from the basket.

“Grandpa, Grandma, from now on, we will have meat and vegetables to eat, so don’t hold back—eat it all,” he urged.

Grandpa Zhang frowned when he saw the rice and asked, “Ermu, where did you get so much meat and vegetables?”

“A few days ago, Brother Chenze showed me where to find vegetables and grains in the mountains. He also taught me how to set traps. The places are hidden, and no one else goes there, so I have been gathering grains, vegetables, and fruits over the past few days,” Zhang Ermu explained.

“Isn’t it dangerous to go to the mountain alone?” Grandma Zhang asked, worried.

Zhang Ermu shook his head and said, “Don’t worry, Grandma. The spots are far from where the wild beasts roam, so there is no danger. Plus, I can pick bamboo shoots and mushrooms near Brother Chenmo’s house. The path is easy, and there are plenty of mushrooms.”

“Grandpa, Grandma, don’t worry. What I do now is much safer than when I needed to hunt animals. Our family will get better and better,” he added with a smile.

Hearing this, Grandpa Zhang nodded and reminded his grandson, “Ermu, the Li family is our family’s benefactor. We must never forget their kindness and repay them.”

“I will remember your teaching, Grandpa,” Zhang Ermu promised.

Fearing someone might come by, the elderly couple quickly ate their dinner and sent their grandson back.

Back at home, Zhang Ermu washed his hands and feet before bringing dinner to his parents’ room. The family usually ate in his parents’ room since it had the largest Kang bed.

As he passed his sister’s room, he called, “Xiao Lan, come and eat dinner.”

Seeing her son entering the room, Mother Zhang asked, “Has your brother left?”

Zhang Ermu nodded as he placed the food on the small table on the Kang bed. He looked at his mother and said, “Mother, don’t worry about my brother. You should focus on taking care of your health.”

Father Zhang, sitting on the side, sighed and said, “If only I could work, you wouldn’t have to live like this.”

“Father, don’t blame yourself. If it weren’t for you and Mother, I wouldn’t be here. You injured your spine protecting me, and it’s my duty to care for you and Mother in your old age,” Zhang Ermu replied.

Father Zhang was silent for a moment before he said, “But your brother was right. You should find someone to marry so that you will have someone to care for you when you are old.”

“I will, Father, but only after Xiao Lan is married,” Zhang Ermu said with a smile.

Though they knew he was only saying it to appease them, Father and Mother Zhang couldn’t bring themselves to pressure him further. He carried too many burdens on his shoulders and he didn’t want to harm another family’s daughter by marrying her.

Not long after, Zhang Yulan entered the room and said, “Brother, you don’t need to find a match for me. I already like someone.”

Startled by her words, Zhang Ermu frowned and asked, “You like someone? Who is he? Where did you meet him?”

Seeing her son’s deep frown, Mother Zhang interjected, “Let’s eat first. We can discuss this after dinner.”

Zhang Ermu nodded and served rice to his parents. He glanced at his sister and reminded her, “Xiao Lan, eat the egg.”

Zhang Yulan looked at her brother in surprise and asked, “Second Brother, isn’t this for Mother?”

“Mother and Father already ate it during lunch. This is for you. Didn’t you say your stomach was hurting? I added ginger to help with the cramps,” Zhang Ermu said casually.

Zhang Yulan sighed and said, “I wonder who will be lucky enough to marry my second brother.”

Zhang Ermu paused for a moment and said, “Your second brother isn’t as good as you think.”

When Zhang Yulan heard her second brother’s words, she disagreed and refuted instantly, “Second Brother, you are great. Those women who rejected you didn’t see that because they are blind. You are hardworking, considerate, and filial. Whoever marries you must have saved a country in her past life.”

Speechless by his sister’s rainbow fart, he flicked her forehead and said helplessly, “Even food can’t shut you up, can it?”

Rubbing her forehead, Zhang Yulan said, “Second brother, I heard from Sister Liu Hua that her cousin will be staying in the village and won’t go back to the city. She is 24 and unmarried. I think she would be a good match for you.”

The moment Mother Zhang heard this, she glared at her daughter and scolded, “You are an unmarried girl. How can you talk about such things? Eat and stop talking.”

She glanced at her second son, who kept eating without reacting. Remembering what happened in the past, she sighed, blaming the Liu family for their broken promise.

‘What a pity. If that hadn’t happened, they might have several grandchildren by now,’ she thought.

Though he said nothing, Zhang Ermu had paid attention to Liu Piao since her return. When he first saw her with a boy, whom he thought was her son, he was so shocked that he lost sleep and appetite. His condition improved only when he discovered that the boy was not her son, a fact confirmed by Liu Hua and Xiao Li.

He didn’t know why she ran away from her wedding to that man six years ago. When their engagement was broken off seven years ago, her family clearly told him that Liu Piao loved that man and was unwilling to continue their engagement.