Chapter 15.2

By the time they left the store, the sky had already darkened, and snowflakes were gently falling from the sky.

Wen Nuan’s exhaustion vanished, and she exclaimed in delight, “It’s snowing! So beautiful!”

It wasn’t surprising that Wen Nuan reacted with such excitement—southerners tend to have the same response when they see snow.

However, Gu Qinghan glanced at her and asked, “Aren’t you cold?”

Wen Nuan holding the child, started catching snowflakes, laughing without looking back, “Not cold at all.”

It was also the little one’s first time seeing snow. She kicked her tiny feet excitedly, laughing heartily.

Gu Qinghan watched the woman and child laughing in the snow, then looked up at the snowflakes falling from the sky, and his expression softened.

While playing in the snow, it didn’t feel cold, but once they returned to the guesthouse, Wen Nuan’s smile faded.

Guesthouses in this era were quite basic. Taking a bath was out of the question, and there wasn’t much hot water for washing either. They managed to get two kettles of hot water and barely washed their feet.

What troubled Wen Nuan the most was that even the coal for the stove was rationed. Once they used it up, there wouldn’t be anymore.

By the latter half of the night, Wen Nuan was woken up by the cold. Even though she was already wearing a coat, once the stove ran out of coal, the entire room turned frigid. No matter how thick the quilt was, she still couldn’t feel warm. Her feet, in particular, were frozen stiff.

Wen Nuan hugged the child tightly, afraid that she might catch a cold. But the child was warm, not only because she had Gu Qinghan’s military coat as a base, but also because a thick quilt covering her. She shouldn’t have been cold at all.

Wen Nuan instinctively looked toward the rocking chair across from the bed.

Because the bed was quite small, only 1.35 meters wide, Gu Qinghan had to make do for the night by sleeping in a military sleeping bag on the rocking chair nearby.

The room had no curtains, so she could still see what was happening across the way. She noticed Gu Qinghan, with his arms crossed and long legs resting on a bench. Although it looked quite uncomfortable, he hadn’t woken up; he probably had fallen asleep as well.

Wen Nuan turned over and leaned closer to her daughter, thinking that sleeping close together might help raise the temperature.

She reached out and touched the small hand that stretched up to the top of the head, discovering it was still warm, which put her mind at ease.

As the stove cooled down, Wen Nuan felt increasingly cold. She curled her body slightly, but still felt a chill, so she turned again to look at Gu Qinghan on the rocking chair.

She wasn’t sure if her movements had been too loud, but Gu Qinghan opened his eyes in the dim light. His first instinct was to glance at the two people on the bed.

The soldier’s keen sense made him realize that Wen Nuan on the bed must have woken up. He lowered his voice and asked, “Are you awake?”

Wen Nuan bit her lip, seriously contemplating for two seconds. In truth, she didn’t feel so cold that it was unbearable.

Gathering her courage, she softly said, “You… come over here and sleep.”

Wen Nuan couldn’t see Gu Qinghan’s expression; in the silent, deep night, she could only rely on his voice to discern his presence.

“What’s wrong?” Gu Qinghan’s voice was low and deep, like the sound of a cello drifting through the oppressive darkness.

After waiting a little while, Wen Nuan, feeling the cold becoming intolerable, spoke in a pitiful tone, “It’s so cold!”

Then, she hurriedly added, “You should come over quickly. The three of us can squeeze together. It will be warmer that way.”

She added with a guilty tone, “So the child won’t catch a cold.”

In the darkness, Wen Nuan couldn’t see Gu Qinghan’s appearance, but she knew her face had turned fiery hot, and in an instant, she no longer felt so cold.

After a few seconds, the rocking chair let out a piercing creak as Gu Qinghan stood up, the sound resonating in Wen Nuan’s ears like thunder.

Gu Qinghan deliberately moved quietly, but the rustling noises were still audible.

It wasn’t until a tall figure approached the side of the bed that Wen Nuan truly understood what it meant to feel a sense of oppression, causing her entire body to tense up. Her previously curled-up form became even more rigid.

She took a deep breath, she mustered all her strength to shift her body slightly, making room for the man to lie down.

A wave of warmth enveloped Wen Nuan as she watched the figure slowly settle onto the bed beside her. Her heart couldn’t help but race and her body began to tremble, unsure whether it was from the cold or the nervousness.

The man’s warm breath surrounded her, and Wen Nuan caught a faint scent of sweat, which wasn’t unpleasant, mixed with a hint of soap—the kind she used back in her hometown.

As the man lay down, the bed creaked again with a sharp “squeak.”

Wen Nuan, feeling tense, turned over, facing away from Gu Qinghan, and reached out to tightly hold the sleeping child beside her.

In the darkness, the man shifted as well, moving closer in. They both lay on their sides, yet it seemed they deliberately maintained some distance from each other.

Though they weren’t pressed tightly against each other, Wen Nuan instantly felt warmth enveloping her. Her body finally stopped shaking as the man’s warm breath brushed against her ear, leaving her wide awake.

She tightly shut her eyes, trying to fall back asleep quickly. However, the more she focused on it, the more awake her mind became. Even Gu Qinghan’s breathing sounded remarkably clear to her.

As Wen Nuan shifted restlessly for the fifth time, Gu Qinghan chuckled softly, his voice husky, “Didn’t you say it wasn’t cold?”

Wen Nuan’s mind was in disarray, and it took her several seconds to register Gu Qinghan’s words.

Was he making fun of her?

Did he just laugh?

Wen Nuan slightly turned her face. Although she couldn’t see Gu Qinghan’s expression, she somehow felt that he must be smiling at that moment.

Her previously tense state instantly relaxed as she stubbornly replied, “I didn’t know the nights in the north would be this cold!”

Suddenly, Gu Qinghan reached out with his long arm and pulled both her and the child into an embrace.

“Don’t move anymore; just sleep,” he said.

His warm breath brushed against Wen Nuan’s ear, causing her to blush, but her mood was no longer as tense as before.

Feeling that the atmosphere was a bit awkward, she quietly asked, “Have you thought of a name for the child?”

They would be heading to the family compound tomorrow, and by then, both her and the child’s household registrations would be transferred over.

Back in her hometown, they had already discussed it and decided that once the child arrived here, they would register immediately to save an extra step.

As a result, during the three-day journey, the two of them hadn’t come up with a name; they were too busy chatting with Liu Mingfei and taking care of the child.

Gu Qinghan fell silent for a moment, just as he was about to speak, Wen Nuan interrupted him, saying, “Just don’t name her something like Ju, Hua, Mei, or Lian. Those sound awful.”

In the original story, the child was named Gu Meilian. It wasn’t an unpleasant name, but it certainly wasn’t appealing either.

“……”

How did she know he was planning to use the name Meilian?

“Then what do you think sounds nice?” Gu Qinghan countered.

That question stumped her. Wen Nuan decided to feign deep thought and fell silent.

As she pondered, Wen Nuan began to feel drowsy, realizing that coming up with a name was truly difficult!

In her drowsy state, she felt as if her feet were like icicles; if her feet were cold, it was nearly impossible for the rest of her body to warm up.

After considering it, she casually leaned against Gu Qinghan’s legs, slowly placing her icy feet between his.

Feeling the warm temperature, she snuggled closer to the child’s quilt and drifted off to sleep, content.

Gu Qinghan stared at the ceiling of the room, wide awake throughout the night.

—o—o—o—

Because she hadn’t slept well the previous night, Wen Nuan didn’t wake up until the child started crying the next day.

The little one had already kicked off her quilt and was happily sucking on her fingers.

Wen Nuan groggily opened her eyes and saw the child still chewing on her fingers.

She reached out to take them away and asked, “You’re so big now; don’t suck on your fingers anymore. Where’s your father?”

She felt the bedding beside her; although it was warm, he should have been up for quite a while.

The little one had no idea where Gu Qinghan had gone. Seeing Wen Nuan awake, she rolled over and nestled in her arms, reaching out to tug at her clothing.

Because it had been cold the night before, Wen Nuan had worn a padded jacket to bed, which was just the opportunity the child needed.

She lazily yawned, thinking that since the weather was so cold, she might as well turn to the side and feed the child until he was full.

Just as the child hadn’t finished drinking, the door to the room was opened, and Gu Qinghan’s footsteps could be heard.

When Gu Qinghan saw Wen Nuan lying in bed, breastfeeding their daughter, he immediately turned away and said: “I bought breakfast. After we eat, we’ll take the car.”

Wen Nuan hurried to finish feeding the child, then planned to wash up and tidy things a bit. However, when she came out from washing up, it seemed her luggage hadn’t been opened; it was neatly placed aside.

Moreover, Gu Qinghan’s tall figure was standing by the bed, holding a diaper, seemingly studying how to help the little one change it.

Wen Nuan didn’t mind him; after all, the child was already a few months old and wasn’t as fragile as when she had just been born, so she let him be.

By the time Wen Nuan finished her breakfast, Gu Qinghan had already changed the little one’s diaper. At that moment, the baby was sitting on the bed, full of energy and playing.

“All set, we can head out now.”

Wen Nuan asked curiously, “How long do we have to sit in the car?”

Gu Qinghan cast her a faint glance before replying, “Probably six or seven hours.”

Wen Nuan: “……”

Well, it was no wonder Gu Qinghan had bought such a large amount of breakfast; she had just thought he was treating her like a pig.

So it turned out to be the provisions for the journey!

Gu Qinghan noticed the helpless expression on Wen Nuan’s face and immediately asked, “Do you have motion sickness?”

Wen Nuan shook her head. “I’ve never been in a car for that long, so I’m not sure.”

Before leaving, Gu Qinghan had deliberately placed the preserved plums and essential oil he had bought earlier into the pocket of his military coat, thinking they might come in handy later.

After tidying up, Gu Qinghan carried the bags and led them to an inconspicuous shop.

There was already a military green truck waiting there, and a few women with their heads wrapped in checkered cloth were standing nearby, holding bags, bamboo baskets, and woven sacks, waiting.

Wen Nuan guessed that they were likely all heading to the Air Force base in the Northern Military District and were probably family members.

Wen Nuan felt a bit worried; it seemed that winter in the north required storing vegetables, unlike in the south where they could still grow some produce during winter.

However, they had come at the wrong time. It had already started to snow, so there likely wouldn’t be any vegetables available for sale.

Originally, she had planned to buy twenty catties of potatoes yesterday, but Gu Qinghan had said it wasn’t necessary; they could buy food when they arrived at the family compound.

The few women were sizing up Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan beside her. A couple as handsome as them was indeed rare, especially the little one in Wen Nuan’s arms. He was as chubby and fair as a porcelain doll, which was also quite uncommon.

A few of them whispered among themselves, their pairs of eyes scrutinizing the couple, as if they wanted to see right through them.

A woman who looked older than both Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan approached them with a smile and asked, “Are you also taking this trip?”

Since Gu Qinghan was still wearing his military uniform and there was no need to hide his identity as a soldier, Wen Nuan nodded.

The woman then introduced herself in a friendly manner, “My name is Deng Juxiang. You must be coming along with the troops, right? How old is your child?”

Wen Nuan smiled back. “Yes, we came from G Province in the south. I’m Wen Nuan.”

She then adjusted the little one’s hand and added, “She’s almost eight months old.”

Deng Juxiang’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s quite a distance! No wonder you followed your husband to the army; otherwise, you wouldn’t see him for two or three years.”

Wen Nuan didn’t know what to say. After all, even when Gu Qinghan was stationed in the same province, he could only come back twice a year. If he happened to be assigned a mission, he might not come back even once a year.

She glanced at Gu Qinghan and then said, “Yes, that’s why I’m following my man to the military; it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other that the child might not even recognize her father.”

Gu Qinghan, who was busy helping to organize the luggage, paused for a moment when he heard Wen Nuan say this.

Deng Juxiang smiled again and sighed with understanding, “Even if you follow them to the base, there’s a chance that you may not see each other every day.”

Then she looked at the child and smiled: “Can such a small child adapt to the climate here? Did you bring enough clothes? I heard that there’s no winter where you come from.”

Wen Nuan patiently explained, “It’s not that there’s no winter; it’s just that it doesn’t get very cold for long, and it doesn’t snow.”

Deng Juxiang then started talking about her hometown, introducing its specialties and climate.

Wen Nuan listened with a smile, and the little one was very well-behaved, looking at Deng Juxiang with big, sparkling eyes, not making a fuss at all.

While chatting, it was time to get on the bus. A military truck could hold a lot of people, but perhaps because it had snowed for the past two days, there weren’t too many today. However, the truck was still half full.

Once they boarded the military truck, it swayed back and forth. The children found it amusing and didn’t cry or fuss, their big eyes curiously watching the scenery retreating behind them.

Deng Juxiang was also lively and enthusiastic, pulling Wen Nuan into conversation after conversation. However, Wen Nuan only later realized that Deng Juxiang was talking to her because she was prone to motion sickness and wanted to distract herself.

Unfortunately, she still felt nauseous and was on the verge of vomiting. Wen Nuan turned to Gu Qinghan beside her and said, “Take out the preserved plums and the balm we bought before getting on the bus; this sister-in-law is feeling carsick.”

Gu Qinghan quickly pulled the preserved plums and the balm from her pocket. After Deng Juxiang took them, she applied two drops of balm under her nostrils, and her symptoms indeed improved a lot.

She laughed a bit tiredly, “Your man is really thoughtful; he’s prepared everything for you.”

At her words, Wen Nuan looked up at Gu Qinghan, who shyly turned his face away.

Slowly, the truck drove into a mountain path, and the surroundings became increasingly desolate. The temperature gradually dropped, and the distant mountains and forests appeared covered in a blanket of white as if it had recently snowed.

Wen Nuan held the child and instinctively leaned closer to Gu Qinghan. The people who were familiar with each other all huddled together to keep warm.

Gu Qinghan caught a hint of a unique sweet fragrance and, without thinking, prepared to take off his military coat.

“No need to take it off; just wrap the child up in the coat,” Wen Nuan said, stopping him from undressing.

She didn’t want Gu Qinghan to catch a cold. Besides, the child had seen him frequently these past few days and was willing to be with him.

Wrapping the child inside his coat would be better.

“I’ll do it for both of you,” Gu Qinghan insisted stubbornly.

Wen Nuan grasped his hand, her expression serious. “You’re only wearing two layers yourself; you can’t take it off!”

Gu Qinghan had just been assigned to this unit and if he catches a cold and takes sick leave upon his arrival, this might have negative impacts.

Although life and death were natural phenomena, Wen Nuan wished to avoid anything that could be prevented.

Gu Qinghan glanced at the others in the truck; everyone was huddled together, leaning against one another for warmth.

After considering, he opened one side of his military coat and directly wrapped both Wen Nuan and the child into his embrace.

“Don’t move; we still have over an hour to go,” Gu Qinghan said, his body tense and his voice low.

Wen Nuan was indeed shorter compared to Gu Qinghan, and with the child held against her chest, it was easy for him to tuck both of them inside his coat.

Peering out from the military coat with her bright, dark eyes, Wen Nuan noticed that several of the army wives were looking at her with disapproving expressions.

She tilted her head, resting against Gu Qinghan’s collarbone, choosing not to look at them.

Only Deng Juxiang was smiling broadly, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes as she softly murmured to Wen Nuan, “Your man really knows how to take care of his people.”

“You’re still young; being sweet and loving like that is really enviable.”

Wen Nuan’s face grew even hotter.

She glanced up at Gu Qinghan, but he wore a neutral expression, still cold and unsmiling.

However, his arm, which wrapped around her and the child, tightened a little more, as if afraid even a hint of cold air might sneak in.

Slowly, Wen Nuan nestled into Gu Qinghan’s arm and dozed off.

—o—o—o—

When the truck finally stopped, they had arrived at a guarded gate with soldiers standing watch.

On a wall at the entrance to the compound, there was a prominent inscription that read, “Make every effort to eliminate the invading enemy.”

Above them, fighter jets soared by, resembling enormous silver eagles spreading their powerful wings as they sliced through the thick clouds, returning home.

After the truck passed inspection, it resumed its journey toward the family quarters.

In the northern winter, the trees had shed their leaves, and the shrubs in the flowerbeds on either side were bare. However, unlike when they had arrived, the skies had cleared.

The sunny day after the snow was the most beautiful; the clouds in the sky looked like fluffy cotton candy, soft and pure white, and the sky was as blue as the ocean.

The truck stopped in front of the family quarters, and as Deng Juxiang got out, she pulled a paper bag of pine nuts from her burlap sack and handed it to Wen Nuan. “Sister, this is a specialty from my hometown. Try some, and if you have time, come over to chat. My husband is the commander Zhao Yongfu of the 37th regiment.”

Wen Nuan nodded at her. “Alright, I definitely will. Thank you, sister-in-law.”

At that moment, Gu Qinghan exchanged a few words with two other men dressed in military uniforms. One of the men then ran over and called out, “Sister-in-law, hello! I’m Li Daxiang. Welcome to the Northern Military District! If you need any help in the future, just let me know.”

Wen Nuan wasn’t sure what to say, so she repeatedly expressed her thanks and then walked over to Gu Qinghan, with the child still in her arms.

The child seemed to slowly grow attached to Gu Qinghan. As soon as they reached him, she opened her arms, wanting to be held.

Gu Qinghan, with both hands full of luggage, didn’t want Wen Nuan to carry anything, so he said, “Wait a moment, I will carry you later.”

Wen Nuan coaxed, “Daddy still needs to handle the luggage, so don’t be in such a hurry.”

Gu Qinghan turned back and said, “Let’s go back and put the luggage down first. Just follow me.”

Meanwhile, Li Daxiang and another comrade each hoisted a wooden crate purchased in Beijing and stepped ahead.

It seemed that the arrival of a new military wife had drawn attention, as several military wives from both the same row of houses and those across the street gathered around, all staring at Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan.

“This is the new Deputy Commander Gu, isn’t it? He looks quite handsome.”

“Such a pity he got married so early; if it had been a year later, I would have introduced him to my cousin.”

One person couldn’t help but shake their head. “His wife looks so frail.”

“Oh my, with a gust of that northwestern wind, she might be blown away!”

“And there’s a little one too! Goodness, she’s so small—why bring her to Northern Military District?”

However, another chimed in, “But she’s so beautiful! Truly stunning; I’ve never seen such a good-looking woman before. Look at her fair skin! And that slim waist! I almost want to go over and pinch her!”

In the corner, someone sourly commented, “What’s the use of being pretty? She probably can’t even cook a meal, let alone follow orders…”

—o—o—o—

On the other side.

Gu Qinghan, accompanied by Wen Nuan and the child, walked through a series of three-story courtyard houses arranged in a zigzag pattern. They finally stopped in front of a row of red-brick houses with green tiles. Li Daxiang raised his voice, “Deputy Commander Gu, it’s right here.”

Wen Nuan glanced at the house in front of her.

It was a traditional red-brick building, but the houses were all connected in a straight row rather than in a zigzag. Their home was the last one in the line. Each family had a small plot of land in front of their door, which was quite spacious. It seemed that after spring, they would still be able to grow some vegetables.

The construction of these houses was probably the same throughout, neat and uniform.

There were five units in the row of houses, which was somewhat different from the zigzag-shaped family quarters. Wen Nuan speculated that this arrangement must have been based on the occupants’ positions. Just a moment ago, she had also seen individual courtyards with their own gates.

The straight row of houses consisted of several units, totaling possibly more than twenty homes, but there likely weren’t many that were actually occupied—probably around ten families.

Gu Qinghan took the key that Li Daxiang had handed him and pushed open the half-height courtyard gate. He then used the key to unlock the door to the house.

Gu Qinghan turned to her and said, “Come in and take a look.”

Wen Nuan entered while holding the child. As soon as she walked in, she found herself in a small living room. There was a stove in the living room, which seemed to be for heating. Wen Nuan had never used a stove like this before.

In the center of the living room, there was an Eight Immortals table with four chairs around it. One wall featured a five-drawer cabinet and a dining cabinet, and the furniture was all complete.

To the left, as one entered was a kitchen. The kitchen had a door leading to the courtyard, likely for ventilation.

On the stove, there was a large pot, and it wasn’t new; it seemed to be a temporary preparation.

Apart from the pot, there were no other utensils present.

However, the kitchen clearly hadn’t been used much; the walls were still white and hadn’t been blackened by smoke.

Wen Nuan thought it was quite nice.

The room was at the far end, featuring a blue wooden door with glass panels…

In the middle of the room stood a bed, and it had nothing on it yet. Wen Nuan had thought they would be sleeping on a heated kang, and just thinking about how cold it had been last night made her wonder what they would do without one.

Next to the bed was a window, also with a blue wooden frame and glass. When she pushed open the window, she could vaguely see through the rows of trees, their leaves fallen, to a distant airplane runway.

It turned out they were at the very end of the row!

That was great; they wouldn’t have to open the window and see their neighbor’s front door!

After Gu Qinghan dropped off the luggage, he followed Wen Nuan as she explored the house. When he saw her open the window and look toward the distant runway, he worried she might not like it.

He said, “It can be a bit noisy being so close to the runway. If you don’t like it, we can reapply for a different place later.”

Wen Nuan shook her head, smiling at him. “No, it’s fine. The location is perfect.”

In truth, if planes were really flying, the entire residential area couldn’t escape those sounds; moving anywhere would be the same.

“This place is really nice; I like it a lot.”

Moreover, the most important point was that the house was very clean and quite new. The previous family must not have lived there for long.

When she walked into the room, she noticed a small room next to it. Though it wasn’t big, it would be useful in the future.

Gu Qinghan met Wen Nuan’s gaze and felt that she wasn’t being perfunctory at all. He said, “As long as you like it.”

Wen Nuan smiled, “I really do like it.”

Then she playfully teased the child in her arms and asked, “Baby, do you like it here?”

The little one waved her hands and feet, laughing so much that drool dripped from the corner of her mouth as if she was also saying she liked it very much.

Gu Qinghan felt a weight lift from his heart.

After dropping off the luggage, Gu Qinghan hurriedly went to report.

Wen Nuan wandered around the house by herself with the child, looking to see what items she needed to buy.

Just as she was considering going out to purchase a few bowls, there was a knock at the door.

Standing outside was a military wife dressed in a red floral outfit, with a red scarf wrapped around her neck and her hair neatly braided. She smiled and asked, “Are you the wife of Deputy Commander Gu?”

“Hello, I’m Liu Meili, the wife of Chen Jiawei, the commander of the 79th Regiment. I wanted to discuss something with you.”

Wen Nuan suppressed the curiosity in her heart, nodded at her, and smiled politely. “Hello, may I ask what the matter is?”

Liu Meili looked up and glanced around Wen Nuan’s house, then walked in without hesitation. She said, “It’s like this: I want to swap houses with you. I wonder if you would be willing.”