The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

A little over ten days later, Gu’er and the others went to the Soviet Union again. This time, Sun Jiaming went along too. Li Hua’s injury required quiet rest, and with Aunt Zhao looking after her, they could leave without worry.

Because the river had thawed, they took a boat this time.

Not too far from their city, there was a port with ships sailing to the Soviet Union. Of course, the fare wasn’t cheap—several hundred yuan per person.

Gu’er had also heard about a type of speedboat that was incredibly fast and could go directly to the Soviet shore. But the thought of it was a bit frightening, so she stuck with the boat.

This time, Gu’er went to see the sisters, Marina and Marisa, again. She brought them pearl powder and personally mixed it to make a face mask for them.

She used the pearl powder for a mask every day now, so she had become quite skilled at mixing it.

The people in the Soviet Union had different dietary habits than those in China, and their skin wasn’t as smooth or delicate as Gu’er’s. After the pearl powder mask was done and the two sisters had washed their faces, they could feel how smooth and pleasant their skin felt. Gu’er then applied some Pehchaolin face cream for them, and they immediately felt how soft, moisturized, and fragrant their skin had become.

"Oh, Lin, you are truly amazing."

Marina praised Gu’er. The eyeshadow and lipstick Gu’er had brought her last time had made her the center of attention at a party. Many people didn’t know what they were, and there was nowhere to buy them, which made her feel quite smug. She hadn’t expected this Chinese girl, Lin, to bring her another wonderful thing. This stuff could make her skin softer, smoother, and more radiant. ’If I keep using this... what’s it called, a face mask, and this "sparrow cream," won’t I become even more beautiful? My face smells so nice, too. Won’t all the men like me even more?’

Gu’er accepted her praise, as well as Marina’s invitation to have dinner with the sisters.

Gu’er didn’t get to meet Marina’s father, the Senior Inspector, but she wasn’t disappointed.

Marina talked a lot with Gu’er and was even more enthusiastic toward her than last time.

Gu’er bid farewell to Marina and her sister. She didn’t make any requests this time either, because she knew the time wasn’t ripe. The new street market would only open for business after a meeting in August. All she needed was to get the Senior Inspector’s approval and secure a well-located stall before then. She wasn’t in a hurry. After all, haste makes waste.

They stayed in the Soviet Union for a few extra days this time, even visiting another city for two days before heading back.

What surprised Gu’er upon their return was that Li Zhi had bought a car. She watched as he smugly pulled up in a Toyota, telling them to just call him whenever they needed a ride, and he’d be there on demand.

Gu’er just smiled. ’Maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but I’m not particularly interested in cars.’ She did think, however, that she should buy a motorcycle. It would be less hassle to ride, faster than a bicycle, and convenient for getting around.

Sun Jiaming supported her idea. They should save their money to buy a house. Besides, if the shop in the Soviet Union worked out, it would require a significant investment. Furthermore, neither he nor Gu’er knew how to drive, so buying a car now would be useless. He figured when he had time, he’d learn to drive, and then he could take Gu’er wherever she needed to go. It would be more convenient for everything.

In April, they went to the Soviet Union again. This time, Gu’er brought osmanthus oil for Marina and Marisa, explaining that it would make their hair smell fragrant. Gu’er knew that people in the Soviet Union sometimes ate raw meat, which gave them a certain body odor. It wasn’t a pleasant smell. Perhaps they themselves didn’t notice it or had gotten used to it, but to people from China, the smell was quite strong.

However, she hadn’t seen any perfume for sale in China yet, so she didn’t give any to the sisters. Instead, she just brought them some fragrant products to help them smell nice.

By now, both Marina and her sister were very fond of Gu’er, finding the Chinese girl quite magical. They looked forward to her visit every month.

In the blink of an eye, May arrived. Li Zhi and the others had bought all the goods for the trip, but Gu’er asked them to go without her. She and Sun Jiaming would be staying behind this time.

Li Zhi and Dingzi both found it strange. Everything seemed fine on Gu’er’s end. Grandma Sun and Li Hua’s health had improved greatly, and Lin Shan’s family was doing fine. So why wasn’t Gu’er going?

"How can we go if you don’t?" Li Zhi asked. "You’re the one who deals with Marina. If you have a problem, just tell us and we’ll help you solve it. Then we can all go together."

Dingzi also looked at Gu’er with concern.

Gu’er remained silent.

Li Zhi and Dingzi then turned to Sun Jiaming, but he just shook his head at them. Gu’er had only told him to stay behind as well, without explaining why.

"Just say something! We’ve been partners for so long. Is it that you don’t trust us or what?"

Li Zhi was getting anxious, and not entirely because of the Soviet Union trip. He was genuinely worried about Gu’er.

Gu’er looked at the three concerned faces before her. ’But what could she say? Could she tell them she had been reborn, and that she knew a fatal explosion would occur at Liu Yuan’s factory on the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, killing him and several others?’

’Even though Liu Yuan didn’t marry Huang Mingyu in this life, who knew if the tragedy would still happen? She had to stay. She couldn’t let Liu Yuan go to the factory that day. It would be best to have her father contact the factory a couple of days beforehand to inspect the equipment and so on. To prevent disaster before it strikes. She truly didn’t want this tragedy to occur.’

’But how could she explain it? They would just think she was crazy.’

"I... I had a dream a few days ago," Gu’er finally said, having no other excuse. "I dreamt about the factory where Brother Liu Yuan works. There was an explosion, and a lot of people died. So I can’t leave for the next few days. I have to watch over Brother Liu Yuan. I can’t let anything happen to him."

Having no other reason, Gu’er could only use the dream as an explanation.

"Of all the dreams to have, you had to have one like that... Honestly. Besides, dreams are the opposite of reality. Don’t worry, that kid Liu Yuan will be fine."

Li Zhi’s face was full of disapproval. He thought it was something serious, but it turned out to be just a dream. ’Women,’ he thought, ’they always overthink things when they have too much time on their hands. Taking a dream seriously...’

Dingzi said nothing. He didn’t think Gu’er was the type to get worked up over a dream, but she offered no other explanation. The whole thing was a bit strange.

Sun Jiaming, however, frowned slightly. He remembered last year, when Gu’er had come back and asked him to find out which factory Liu Yuan worked at and to ask about a person named Huang Mingyu. Even back then, her expression was filled with worry, as if she knew something bad was going to happen to Liu Yuan.

He hadn’t pressed her for details at the time. But now, she was bringing up Liu Yuan again. He also believed Gu’er wasn’t someone who would overreact to a dream. Thinking back, Sun Jiaming began to understand. Gu’er was taking this matter with Liu Yuan very seriously, and had been since last year. If she said the factory would explode, she must be fairly certain. ’But why? How could she possibly know, almost a year in advance, that Liu Yuan’s factory would explode and that he would die?’