Chapter 30.1

After the family of three finished putting up the couplets, Wen Nuan took the thawed pig’s stomach and briefly boiled it in rice wine with ginger and scallions. 

After washing it thoroughly, she cut it into slices, stir-frying them briefly with ginger slices and peppercorns. Finally, she added some water along with some dangshen, lotus seeds, and red dates to start stewing.

While the pig’s stomach was stewing, Wen Nuan waved to Gu Qinghan, who was holding the baby and watching the ice lanterns. “Qinghan, help me chop half a chicken. We’ll save the other half to cook on the second day of the New Year.”

“Okay, just a moment,” Gu Qinghan replied. She put the little one back in the cart, but before she could let go, the child made a crying face, looking quite aggrieved.

Wen Nuan glanced at the child and handed her a rattle drum that Gu Qinghan had bought earlier. “Play with this for a bit. Your dad will play with you later.”

To her surprise, the little one took the rattledrum, looked at it, and immediately threw it on the ground, clearly displaying her little temper.

However, Wen Nuan was not one to indulge her temper. She picked up the rattle drum and handed it back to her, pinching her little nose. “What a little cheapskate.”

Gu Qinghan was strong and soon finished chopping the chicken. Then she asked, “Should I just throw the chicken directly into the pot? ”

“No, wait for me to add it later. First, put the other half of the chicken outside in the yard to freeze; we’ll eat it on the second day of the New Year.” The broth had yet to turn a milky white, and the pig’s stomach was quite tough, requiring a longer cooking time than the chicken.

Wen Nuan planned to save half of the chicken to see how Gu Qinghan wanted to eat it later. After all, half a chicken along with a whole pig’s stomach was enough to fill a large pot. There were only the three of them, and since Lele was still small, she wouldn’t eat much. Using it all for soup seemed a bit wasteful.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan had no objections. She took the remaining half of the chicken and went outside the yard to hide it properly.

Though there were no thieves around, it was still necessary to guard against small animals making a mess.

—o—o—o—

At eleven o’clock, Wen Nuan cooked a bowl of pork rib and egg noodles, and the family casually ate a little.

After finishing the noodles, Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan began to make dumplings. Since they had more than a few catty of pork, Wen Nuan decided to have Gu Qinghan chop up some extra meat, intending to make a variety of fillings: pork with cabbage, pork with pickled vegetables, and pork with radish, along with a vegetarian filling made with eggs and vegetables.

Gu Qinghan was responsible for rolling the wrappers while Wen Nuan pinched them closed. They worked together efficiently and managed to make the dumplings quite quickly.

The little one usually took a nap every afternoon, but seeing Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan making dumplings, she had no intention of sleeping and insisted on joining the fun.

Gu Qinghan gave her a piece of dough to play with. After getting the dough, Lele awkwardly began to pinch and knead it with her small hands, happily playing by herself.

It was not until after two o’clock that they had finished making all the dumplings.

Noticing that Lele hadn’t taken her nap, Wen Nuan looked at the child who was struggling with the dough and said to Gu Qinghan, “Later, I need to handle the pig intestines that Sister Juxiang brought over. You take care of the child’s nap, okay? ”

Wen Nuan also had a habit of taking a nap, but since Gu Qinghan had just returned from a meeting and mentioned that there would be a Spring Festival gala performance in the big auditorium that night, Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang had already agreed to go over early tonight. Therefore, Wen Nuan decided not to take a nap.

She needed to prepare the New Year’s Eve dinner early so they could eat and then go watch the performance.

“No problem. I’ll carry Lele for a while, and when she falls asleep, I’ll put her in bed. I’ll help out too.” 

After saying this, he directly handed the baby carrier to Wen Nuan, asking her to help carry Lele on her back.

The little one always enjoyed being carried on someone’s back, but since she started eating solid food, Lele had gained some weight. Therefore, Wen Nuan didn’t often carry her unless it was inconvenient to do chores.

At that moment, seeing Gu Qinghan with the baby carrier, Lele kicked her legs excitedly and laughed joyfully.

As Wen Nuan placed the child onto Gu Qinghan’s back, she adjusted the carrier, saying, “You might need to walk her around a bit; otherwise, this little one won’t want to sleep.”

“Sure, help me throw Lele’s blanket over my back too. I’ll take her out for a walk,” Gu Qinghan replied. Since he had never carried Lele before, he needed Wen Nuan’s help to adjust the carrier.

Wen Nuan stood in front of him, but Gu Qinghan was so tall that it was a bit awkward for her to adjust the carrier. “Could you bend down a little? I’m not doing this smoothly; it’s hard to manage,” she said.

Gu Qinghan chuckled and bent down slightly so that his eyes were about level with Wen Nuan’s, though he was still a bit taller.

Noticing the flour on Wen Nuan’s face, he extended his thumb to wipe it off for her. “Can you manage? If not, I can try myself,” he offered.

Wen Nuan twisted the straps of the carrier a couple of times and then tucked the remaining length in to secure it, letting out a sigh of relief. “All set! If the little one doesn’t sleep, just bring her back. I’ll finish preparing the pig intestines and help her sleep for a while.”

After a moment’s thought, Wen Nuan asked, “By the way, should we invite Daxiang and Erhu over for dinner tonight? We’ve made so many dumplings anyway.”

“No need,” Gu Qinghan replied. “The cooking team has already prepared the New Year’s Eve dinner for everyone. Don’t worry; there are plenty of wild boars this year, and they’ll eat and drink well.” Gu Qinghan was pleased that Wen Nuan regarded his subordinates as family and didn’t mind that they ate a lot.

Gu Qinghan remembered when he had just joined the army—he was still a rookie. Back then, he didn’t know any better and mistook someone’s polite words for an invitation. 

He ended up having lunch at a sister-in-law’s house. Later, he overheard her saying that he had eaten all their grain and they wouldn’t be able to cook for a week.

Though he didn’t understand the situation at the time, Gu Qinghan knew that every family faced grain shortages. He had eaten two steamed buns during that visit, completely unaware that his actions would leave them unable to cook for a week.

He wondered if people really didn’t want him to eat at their homes at all.

However, Gu Qinghan knew that Wen Nuan was not simply being polite. During the Winter Solstice, she had invited Daxiang and Erhu over for dinner. 

Before that, Daxiang had helped gather firewood and even brought him some snacks to take back to the dorm.

Wen Nuan had never mentioned these things afterward; she was genuinely grateful for their help and felt for those soldiers who couldn’t go home to reunite with their families during the holidays. That was why she invited them for a meal.

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qinghan added, “Since we’ve made so many dumplings, we can send some to our comrades in the regiment who are staying at the base for the New Year. Let the cooking team add a few extra dishes for them.”

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Sure, I’ll get a basin for you to carry them over. That way, the dumplings won’t get squished.”

With that, she turned around to the cabinet to find a larger basin, then took a variety of dumplings, filling the basin to the brim.

Wen Nuan placed the basin on the table and smiled, saying, “You have your meal allowance, and the food at home is enough for me and Lele, so let your comrades enjoy a better New Year’s meal.”

Suddenly, Gu Qinghan reached out and pulled Wen Nuan into his embrace. “Thank you.”

“Wen Nuan, thank you,” he said softly.

Wen Nuan looked at him and smiled brightly. “I’m your wife; why are you being polite with me? ”

Then, Wen Nuan went back to the room, took out the scarf she had knitted for him and walked over. 

She stood on her tiptoes; she wrapped the scarf around his neck twice. “I forgot to remind you to put on your coat earlier. You’re only wearing a cotton jacket now; I don’t know if it’s warm enough. You should put on the scarf.”

“Alright, I’ll take it over now.” Gu Qinghan glanced down at the scarf, the corners of his lips curving into an appealing smile.

“Yeah, hurry there and back; don’t catch a chill,” Wen Nuan replied.

She then looked at Lele, who was nestled on Gu Qinghan’s back and adjusted the blanket around her. “You need to sleep quickly. If you don’t take a nap now, you won’t get to see the performance tonight.”

The little one beamed with excitement, kicking her feet and letting out an enthusiastic “Ah—,” though it was unclear whether she was saying she wanted to sleep or not.

After watching the figure of Qinghan with Lele on his back fade away, Wen Nuan didn’t idle. She quickly prepared the pig intestines that Sister Juxiang had brought over, intending to make a dry pot of pig intestines.

However, the intestines were quite long, so after washing them several times, Wen Nuan decided to chop half of them for marinating. The marinade would be great for mixing with rice, making it very appetizing.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, Gu Qinghan was walking towards the regiment with the little one on his back. 

Many soldiers in the regiment were taken aback by the sight—they thought they were hallucinating.

The usually cold Vice Captain Gu, who could freeze the Spring Flower River outside the base, was actually carrying a cute baby?

Everyone nearly dropped their jaws in disbelief, convinced they must be imagining it. 

But after rubbing their eyes, they confirmed they were not mistaken.

That same Vice Captain Gu, who often scolded them mercilessly, was now carrying a baby.

Someone commented, “I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but it seems like there’s a peculiar warmth of kindness on Vice Leader Gu’s face.”

“Maybe it’s… fatherly love? ”

“I don’t believe it; Vice Leader Gu and the word love don’t match.”

The little one was quite well-behaved, wrapped snugly in a bright red floral blanket that covered her entire body, leaving only her plump, fair face exposed. Her big, dark eyes curiously surveyed the soldiers around her, who were also gazing at her.

At times, she would giggle at the soldiers, a cuteness that made it hard for anyone to resist stealing a few extra glances.

Seeing this, Li Daxiang hurried forward and asked, “Vice Leader Gu, is there something you need to handle? Just call me if you do. Why are you carrying Lele over here in this cold weather? ”

Having witnessed Gu Qinghan feeding the child and trimming her nails, Li Daxiang wasn’t surprised by the scene. However, he was now more concerned about whether there was an urgent situation at hand.

Gu Qinghan had already noticed the astonished expressions of his subordinates but chose to ignore them. Instead, he handed the basin filled with dumplings to Li Daxiang. “This is from your sister-in-law. She said it’s an extra meal for you.”

Li Daxiang paused briefly before accepting the basin. “Well, on behalf of the brothers from the 74th Regiment, thank you to my sister-in-law.”

He then added, “And thank you, Vice Leader Gu.”

“Mm.” Gu Qinghan hesitated for a moment. “You’ve all worked hard, too.”

Li Daxiang smiled and said sincerely, “It’s no trouble at all. Vice Leader Gu, please extend my greetings to my sister-in-law and wish her a happy spring festival.”

After exchanging a few awkward pleasantries, Gu Qinghan turned slightly to look at the little one on his back and asked Li Daxiang, “Can you check if the child is asleep? ”

Li Daxiang turned his gaze toward the baby. Lele, wide-eyed, locked eyes with him and giggled and shouted, “Ah! ” 

Gu Qinghan felt speechless. 

“Alright, you guys should eat early today. There’s a performance in the big auditorium tonight. Let the brothers go together to watch.”

Li Daxiang nodded. “Okay, got it.” 

As Gu Qinghan left, the comrades in the group gathered around, all looking at the dumplings that Li Daxiang was holding. “These are from Vice Captain Gu? ” 

Li Daxiang nodded. “Vice Captain Gu and Sister-in-law gave them to us.” 

“Was that really our Vice Captain Gu just now? ” 

Li Daxiang kicked at the ground, saying, “You blind fool! ” 

Everyone burst into laughter, yet some still found it hard to believe. 

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, at home, Wen Nuan had already finished boiling the chicken and pig tripe soup and was also cooking the pig intestines for marinating. The tender pig intestines had been soaked and cooked into a rich, brown color, and the broth was thick and fragrant. With a few dried chili peppers added it became even more aromatic.

While simmering the marinated intestines, Wen Nuan took out some pickled vegetables, planning to make the remaining half into dry pot intestines later. 

After grabbing the pickled vegetables, Wen Nuan remembered that Gu Qinghan had brought back some lamb chops earlier, but it seemed like there was enough food for the night. In addition to the dumplings, there were braised spare ribs, a pot of chicken and pig tripe soup, marinated intestines, and dry pot intestines; it seemed like they wouldn’t be able to finish all that. 

She decided to save the precious meat to enjoy slowly. 

By the time Gu Qinghan returned home, Wen Nuan had already cooked the rice and would just need to stir-fry the dry pot intestines with the napa cabbage before they were ready to eat.

Gu Qinghan watched Wen Nuan busily working in the kitchen. She lifted the lid of a pot to check on its contents and added some firewood to adjust the heat. The steam rising and her busy figure added a sense of warmth and liveliness to the home. 

Observing Wen Nuan, Gu Qinghan unknowingly curled the corners of his lips, smiling softly. 

“Back home? ”Wen Nuan noticed him and looked at the child behind him, quietly asking, “Has Lele fallen asleep? ” 

After speaking, she went over to take a look. The little one had her small head tilted to the side, resting against Gu Qinghan’s back, her rosy lips slightly parted; she was already asleep. 

“Is she asleep? She wasn’t asleep when I left the single’s dormitory.” Gu Qinghan instinctively glanced back, but he couldn’t see the little one’s face. 

“She’s asleep. You should put her on the bed,” Wen Nuan continued. “Sister Guihua sent over some dumplings earlier. Afterward, you can help me take the chicken soup over to Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang.” 

“Sure, but there’s no need to put her down; we’ll be eating soon anyway. I’ll just carry Lele and let her sleep a bit longer,” Gu Qinghan guessed that the child hadn’t been asleep for long, and placing her in bed might wake her up. 

Wen Nuan didn’t mind, saying, “That’s fine with me.” 

She had initially gotten used to carrying the child on her back, thinking that it would be better for her to sleep that way in the future. However, she felt that it was okay to do it occasionally. 

“By the way, remember to pack some pig tripe and chicken, along with the abalone in that chicken soup.” 

Wen Nuan patiently reminded him of a few more things. In the end, still feeling a bit uneasy, she filled two food containers to the brim and handed them to Gu Qinghan, saying, “Go ahead, deliver them, and come back for dinner. I’ll just stir-fry a dish.” 

However, Wen Nuan’s worries seemed a bit unnecessary; Gu Qinghan was not the type to chat idly with others, so it was likely he would return promptly after delivering the food.

Gu Qinghan carried the two food containers as he stepped out. With Lele still on his back, quite a few people in the residential area turned to look at him. 

However, Gu Qinghan didn’t think much of it; he just wanted to finish delivering the food quickly so he could return home for dinner. 

—o—o—o—

After delivering the chicken and pig tripe soup to Sister Juxiang, she returned the container to him while stuffing in some sweet and sour pork and frozen pears for him to take back home. 

Gu Qinghan wasn’t sure if it was appropriate, but it was hard to refuse such hospitality. He felt that Sister Juxiang wasn’t just being polite. After expressing his gratitude, he headed back home. 

Zhao Yongfu looked at the pig tripe chicken soup Gu Qinghan had brought, and a wave of warmth washed over him as he inhaled its aroma. Noticing the pieces of chicken and pig tripe inside, he asked, “Why did you bring us so much meat? ” 

“It smells so good! Daddy, is this chicken? I want to eat! ”One of the children exclaimed. 

“I want some too! I want some too! ”The children, spotting the chicken, hurried to the table, clamoring to eat quickly so they could go watch the evening performance afterward. 

Sister Juxiang looked at the chicken and pig tripe and felt a bit regretful. “If I had known, I would have packed a few more pieces of sweet and sour pork for them.” 

—o—o—o—