Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder — I Rise to Female Lead Through Hard Work-Chapter 147: Confession

Five grown men spent over an hour in the kitchen, and by the end, they had prepared a full table of dishes.

Braised pork, minced meat eggplant, spicy tofu, winter melon and pork rib soup, steamed fish, stir-fried bitter melon with eggs, and a bowl of cold salad, with plain steamed rice as the staple.

"Ancheng, with your skills, you could be a head chef in a state-owned restaurant." Zhou Zeyuan complimented while taking a bite of the minced meat eggplant, which paired excellently with the white rice.

"If Ding’s talent went to a state-owned restaurant, it would be wasted." Gu Shizhao remarked with a corner of his lips curled up, glancing at Zhou Zeyuan.

"Ah, such matters have always been difficult to perfect."

"Stop using clichés." Ding Ancheng was speechless, "Since you had already returned to Jing City, why did you head south again? Is there something in Jiang Province?"

"Don’t you recognize a good heart? I’m doing this all for you and Gu Shizhao, otherwise, why would I be so free?" Zhou Zeyuan said, not forgetting to keep eating, his face showing satisfaction.

"Have you arranged a position for yourself?" Ding Ancheng asked.

"Ministry of Finance." Zhou Zeyuan squinted and said, "But you guys have quite a few good things on your hands. That Agarwood helped the old man from the Zheng Family sleep peacefully. Both Western and Chinese medicine couldn’t help, but with a whiff of the incense, he was better."

"The Zheng Family reciprocated by arranging someone directly into the Ministry of Finance. The Gu Family’s foundation is nothing but the Finance Bureau in Jing City, and now Gu Shizhao has directly bypassed the Gu Family and made it into the core. Interesting, the Zheng Family truly is a great family, seeing through everything without needing to say a word."

"Thanks to Ding and his wife." Gu Shizhao expressed gratitude without reservation.

"Since you’re heading back soon, is everything here tidied up?" Ding Ancheng asked.

"I’ve got Heizi taking over my job. We can’t disperse; Ding can find people at the usual spot anytime." Gu Shizhao responded, "As for Wen Chaokuan, Song Yiluo has already returned, his thoughts are partly distracted, knowing some of the matters concerning the Li siblings. Now his father is figuring out how to send him to Jing City."

"Though he’s a minor figure, sometimes a small slip can cost you everything. Don’t underestimate him." Ding Ancheng cautioned.

"Got it, everything is arranged. He can’t get to Jing City, and his father should step down soon. He should go to the countryside." Gu Shizhao said seriously, "Let’s be more vigilant recently, in case of any backlash."

The meal was a clean sweep, everyone showed their support for Ding Ancheng with action.

After the meal, Zhou Zeyuan left with Xu Jinchun, but before leaving, he urged Ding Ancheng to hurry up. Most didn’t understand, but Yi Roujing felt she did; in the book, the main character and the second male lead were friendly and helped one another.

Yi Roujing felt that Ding Ancheng should know about his true lineage.

That night, Ding Ancheng and Yi Roujing did not return to the County First Middle School staff housing, opting to stay at Bright Alley instead. Tomorrow, they would attend Huang Huimin’s wedding, and Bright Alley was closer. And with Gu Shizhao’s words, they felt safer not to separate and staying together.

Ding Ancheng and Yi Roujing slept in the main house, which was Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying’s room.

Li Hongying was meticulous and had earlier prepared bedding for them in the house. They just needed to put on fresh sheets.

After washing up, Yi Roujing entered the room humming a tune, quite different from her gloominess the previous night.

"Feeling happy today?" Ding Ancheng asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I was overthinking things. I think what you said yesterday was right." Yi Roujing pulled back the covers, only loosely covering her belly and chest, as the weather was getting hotter.

"Aren’t you going to ask how I came to know Zhou Zeyuan and Gu Shizhao?" Ding Ancheng leaned in to whisper.

Yi Roujing turned her head, eyes slightly bright, "Would you tell me?"

Ding Ancheng sighed and pulled her into his embrace, "You’re my wife, you can ask anything."

"Then spill it." Yi Roujing urged impatiently.

In the book, Ding Ancheng met Zhou Zeyuan after entering Jing City, and Gu Shizhao appeared much later; what was in the book no longer aligned with her reality.

"I went to Jing University for college. That’s when I met Zhou Zeyuan. We were in the same year, but he was in the Economics department. We clicked, and he is my teacher’s nephew, so we often met."

"The money I made before was through joint ventures with him. I had the ideas, and he had the connections."

"As for Gu Shizhao, I met him when I returned to Huaixi County after graduating. He had been beaten up badly, and I helped him out, so we got acquainted over time."

"Although I left Jing City, I didn’t give up on making money and partnered with Gu Shizhao." Ding Ancheng was transparent with Yi Roujing.

"Actually, when choosing the Worker, Peasant, Soldier University, I opted for Jing University for a reason. You might know I’m not my parents’ biological child." Ding Ancheng tightened his embrace, and Yi Roujing snuggled closer, sitting directly on his lap. They were so close they could hear each other’s heartbeat.

"Yes." Yi Roujing nodded, "But your parents treat you as their own."

"I know." Ding Ancheng’s lips curled, his expression soft, "Before my biological mother passed away, she left me two things: a letter and a jade pendant. When I turned eighteen, my parents gave them to me."

"I have no right to interfere with the past emotional entanglements of the previous generation. But considering the content of the letter, I intend to have a look in Jing City." Ding Ancheng confessed.

"I have no impression of my mother. She passed due to childbirth, and had me out of wedlock. She was remarkable in appearance, leading a tough life when sent to the countryside." In his heart, he referred to his biological mother simply as "mother." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"She was a smart woman who found shelter with my parents. Back then, the educated youth point was being renovated, and many educated youths stayed with the brigade families. She approached my parents and moved in."

"She was courteous and meticulous and got along well with my mom, which is why she trusted them to take care of me."

"In her heart, she missed that man, and in the letter, she mentioned me finding him. But she also said if he was married, I should pretend he doesn’t exist; if not, I could recognize him." Ding Ancheng’s voice was a bit constrained.

"Is he single?" Yi Roujing asked in a low voice, slightly raising her head. She had read from the book that he had indeed never married, claiming to be married with the wife being Ding Ancheng’s birth mother.

"Yes." Ding Ancheng nodded, resting his chin on the top of Yi Roujing’s head, making her shrink her neck from the ticklish sensation, prompting a soft laugh from him.

"My mother chose well; I’m glad for her."

"Did you acknowledge him?" Yi Roujing asked curiously.

"Sort of."

"What does ’sort of’ mean?" Yi Roujing’s eyes widened with a hint of confusion, prompting Ding Ancheng to kiss her forehead.

"Although I’ve never met my mother, she left a photo of herself in the letter addressed to me, which I sent to him." Ding Ancheng explained.

"So, will you go to Jing City?" Yi Roujing asked.

"No rush." Ding Ancheng said with a smile, "He needs to find me first to pay his respects to my mother."