The Adopted Cannon Fodder Made a Comeback

Sun Jiaming didn’t know why Gu’er was so sure, but he knew she cared deeply and was being completely serious.

He didn’t need to understand the whole story. He didn’t need to press her for a reason. He just needed to trust Gu’er. He believed she wouldn’t do anything without a purpose, nor would she deliberately make them worry. So, if Gu’er needed him, all he had to do was stand by her side.

"Li Zhi, Dingzi, you two go this time. It’s not like there’s anything important to negotiate, so just let Gu’er and me take a break and relax. We’ll all go together next time."

Sun Jiaming stopped questioning Gu’er and made his stance clear.

Li Zhi stared at Sun Jiaming. He could tell that Sun Jiaming, just like the rest of them, had no idea what Gu’er’s reasons were. But Sun Jiaming was different from him. He could stand by Gu’er’s side unconditionally. Even knowing nothing, he supported her. ’That shows how much he values her, how much he trusts her,’ Li Zhi thought. ’I can’t compete with that.’

"Forget it. If you two aren’t going, there’s no point in us going either," Li Zhi decided. "If we’re slacking off, let’s all slack off together. Besides, you know your big bro here has a car. If anything comes up, I’ll give you a ride. Without me, I’m afraid you guys wouldn’t be able to handle things."

Once Li Zhi thought it through, he also decided not to go. It wasn’t like any of them were hurting for money, so missing out on one payday was no big deal. Besides, he wanted to stick around and see if something would really happen, just as Gu’er predicted. If it did, he could be there to help.

"Who are you calling ’big bro’?"

Dingzi shot Li Zhi a dirty look. He was fine with not going to the Soviet Union, but he didn’t like Li Zhi calling himself "big bro."

"Yeah, who’s big bro now?" Sun Jiaming chimed in. "Want us to compare ages and see who’s really older?"

Gu’er just smiled without a word. In any case, she was the youngest of them all.

"Alright, you’re the big bros, you’re the big bros, okay? You win." Li Zhi held his hands up in surrender. "I’m at least older than Gu’er, right? I can be her big bro."

"That won’t work either. Gu’er is your future sister-in-law."

Sun Jiaming’s words were firm, but the faint blush behind his ears revealed he wasn’t as calm as he sounded.

"That’s right. She’s your sister-in-law," Dingzi nodded in agreement.

Gu’er’s face turned bright red. ’Weren’t we just talking about not going to the Soviet Union? How did the conversation suddenly jump to me being their sister-in-law? We’ve gone completely off-topic.’

"You’re not married yet, are you? What’s this about a sister-in-law? She’s just a little sister for now. You can call her sister-in-law after the wedding. Oh, speaking of which, when are you two getting married? I need to get a gift ready."

Though Li Zhi sounded casual, he felt a faint ache in his heart. He had already tucked his feelings for Gu’er away, and he truly wished her and Sun Jiaming well. But matters of the heart weren’t so simple. How could you just let go of someone you liked on command?

Sun Jiaming glanced at Gu’er. Of course, he wanted to marry her right away, but he had promised her two years, and he wouldn’t break his word.

"Let’s talk about it after that big house you mentioned is built and decorated. This place is too small for us now."

Sun Jiaming didn’t mention his two-year pact with Gu’er. When they first bought the place, it seemed adequate. But now, with so many people coming and going every day, it was definitely too small for a married couple.

"I’m not talking to you guys anymore! I’m going to make dinner."

Gu’er fled, her face beet red.

Hearing the roaring laughter from the living room, Gu’er felt her heart pound in her chest.

’If the house is finished next year, does that mean Sun Jiaming and I will get married? I’ll be a married woman in just one more year?’

The thought made her heart race and her face flush with heat. It was completely different from the fear she’d felt in her past life upon learning that Zhou Mazi wanted her to marry Zhang Da. This time, deep down, there was even a flicker of anticipation.

After dinner, Grandma Sun, Grandma Dingzi, and Li Hua went for their afternoon naps. Gu’er and the others resumed their conversation in the living room. Gu’er asked Li Zhi to go home and speak with his father, to see if he could arrange to have his father accompany her father, Lin Shan, on a visit to that factory.

Li Zhi agreed. Since Gu’er was so insistent—it was practically becoming an obsession for her—helping her was the least he could do. Even if they investigated and found nothing, it wouldn’t matter. It would just prove that Lin Shan and his own father were diligent workers. Worst case, they could invite the district chief to join them and flatter him and the district secretary a bit. They could just say that the safety protocols in their jurisdiction were so good that they had come to learn from them, and that would smooth everything over.

And if there really was a problem, as Gu’er suspected, then discovering and resolving it ahead of time would be a major credit to them. His dad probably wouldn’t refuse.

That evening, Gu’er also had a talk with Lin Shan.

Lin Shan looked at Gu’er intently. He didn’t believe she would be this persistent over a simple dream.

For him to lead an inspection team there, even with the local district chief and secretary’s cooperation, would be overstepping his authority. That district wasn’t under his jurisdiction. If they went and found nothing wrong, even if the local officials said nothing, it would create a rift and negatively impact his work.

But Lin Shan didn’t mention any of this to Gu’er. He knew she wasn’t the type of girl to fabricate stories or act out of ignorance. The fact that she had come to him meant she had already considered the consequences.

He was her father, and she cared so deeply about this. Seeing the worry etched between her eyebrows, Lin Shan patted her shoulder and nodded. He would do it, even if it had repercussions for him. His daughter wasn’t asking him to do anything wrong—she just wanted him to inspect a factory’s safety measures. In a way, it was for the factory’s own good. So, even if there were negative consequences for him, he would shoulder them.

"Thank you, Dad."

Gu’er was deeply touched. How could she not know she was asking Lin Shan to overstep his authority? But she had no other way to get the factory inspected. In her past life, a massive explosion had occurred there, which meant there had to be serious safety hazards. ’If they can find the problem and fix it, maybe the explosion won’t happen,’ she thought. ’Then all those people from my past life... they won’t have to die or be severely injured.’

She didn’t want Liu Yuan to die, and she didn’t want those workers to die. A single death could devastate a family. She also didn’t want her father to suffer any negative consequences because of this. But she needed him to be the one to act. The fact that he had agreed without a moment’s hesitation truly moved her.

"Silly girl."

Lin Shan patted Gu’er’s arm again. He wasn’t an unprincipled man. He loved his daughter, but if her request had been wrong or harmful to others, he would never have agreed. But aside from being out of his jurisdiction, there was nothing wrong with her request. Inspecting safety measures was a way to guarantee the workers’ well-being, so he was willing to do it.

The days passed in a haze of anxiety for Gu’er. On the evening of the third day of the fifth month, Lin Shan came home and told her, "We’re going to inspect the factory tomorrow."

Gu’er had originally wanted them to inspect a day earlier, on the third. But Lin Shan explained that an official inspection wasn’t so simple. It required the participation of several departments, proper procedures had to be followed, and they needed to coordinate with the chief and secretary of the other district. They could only proceed once everyone was in agreement. All the arrangements had been made, and the inspection was scheduled for the morning of the fourth.

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Continuing with three Chapters today to pay off my debt.