"Oh, you... Mom can't talk you out of it. There's no one else here, so let me tell you something. When you're in the city, if you really can't stomach the cornbread, just buy yourself something to eat. Spend a dime or so. Your father doesn't have to know. You're working so hard; if you don't eat well enough, your body won't be able to take it."
Li Hua didn't know what Gu'er was thinking. She just lowered her voice and spoke to her daughter.
"Mm, I know, Mom."
Gu'er nodded lightly. She hadn't expected her adoptive mother to say such things to her. It was clear she genuinely cared for her. Looking at the silver strands in Li Hua's hair by the firelight, she felt a lump form in her throat.
Gu'er slept soundly that night. Perhaps because she was so exhausted, she didn't even turn over once.
In her dreams, Gu'er saw herself as a bride, wearing a white wedding dress the likes of which she had never worn before.
She heard the officiant's declaration; she heard the groom say, "I do."
