Chapter 34.2

Wen Nuan lightly brushed Qinghan’s hair and then began to ask about what had happened to him that day.

The avalanche had occurred suddenly. At the time, Gu Qinghan was preparing to return and land, but he received a message from the tower saying someone had gone to collect wild ginseng and had been buried. Gu Qinghan had indeed seen the avalanche from the plane, and before he knew it, an accident had happened.

He then explained to Wen Nuan how urgent the situation had been. As she listened, she nestled against his chest, careful not to hug him too tightly for fear of hurting any internal injuries he might have.

By the end of his story, Wen Nuan curiously asked, “But you rescued a child; how could such a small child suddenly go into the mountains to look for wild ginseng?”

That child was Huang Yueying’s eldest son, nicknamed Daniu.

How could such a young child venture into the mountains alone in search of wild ginseng?

Gu Qinghan furrowed his brow. “I haven’t gotten the details yet, but the tower said someone specifically came to report that there were people buried in the avalanche.”

“At this time of year, aside from local villagers who know the area well, the people from our family compound wouldn’t dare go into the mountains without a good reason.”

Wen Nuan recalled how, not long ago, people from the family compound had somehow learned she was out in the mountains collecting wild ginseng. At that time, some military wives had come to her house asking about it.

Wen Nuan had shared the location without hesitation, but with the heavy snow, as Gu Qinghan said, aside from local villagers, no one from the family compound would dare go up the mountain at this time.

Daniu looked to be only about twelve or thirteen years old; children at that age, not fully understanding the world, could indeed do surprising things.

Wen Nuan sighed, “I wonder how that child is doing now.”

Gu Qinghan kissed her forehead. “Just now, Erhu came in and said he was in a state of severe oxygen deprivation and still unconscious, but his life is not in danger.”

Then Gu Qinghan asked, “What about Lele?”

Wen Nuan replied, “I had Qinglan help take care of her.”

Her voice sounded a bit guilty. “Lele usually loves playing with Qinglan, so she should be fine.”

However, this was the first time she had left the child for such a long period, and she felt a little anxious, fearing that the child would miss her.

Gu Qinghan pecked her on the lips. “You’ve worked hard.”

At that moment, Gu Qinglan rushed into the hospital room with the child in her arms and saw the two people tightly embraced on the bed. “Big brother…”

The words she originally intended to say suddenly got stuck in her throat, and she considered taking a couple of steps back. However, Sister Guihua and Li Daxiang, who were behind her, blocked the entrance, all anxious to know Gu Qinghan’s condition.

Wen Nuan saw several people suddenly come in and quickly got up from the bed, then adjusted her clothes and hair.

Gu Qinglan, holding Lele, felt embarrassed but rushed forward at the first moment, asking, “Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Comrade Li said you fainted too.”

Then Gu Qinglan walked over to the bedside, looking at Gu Qinghan’s pale face, and choked up, “Big Brother, boohoo, I’m sorry. I’m useless; I can’t help you… I couldn’t help Big Brother…”

Gu Qinglan had been worried all day, fearing that something might really happen to her Big Brother, leaving Wen Nuan and the child with no support. The thought of this made her heart ache.

Her sister-in-law was truly a wonderful person, and she could see that the relationship between her brother and sister-in-law was very strong. Whenever either side faced trouble, it would hurt her to death.

However, thankfully, thankfully Big Brother was saved in time; she just didn’t know how his condition was now.

Although his expression was not so different from his usual serious demeanor, looking at his pale face, you could see that he was sick.

Gu Qinghan found her a bit noisy and briefly said, “Qinglan, Big Brother is fine, no need to cry.”

Seeing this, Wen Nuan walked over to Gu Qinglan and Lele. Noticing Qinglan was sobbing, she said, “Don’t cry; Qinghan is fine. You saw it yourself.”

When Li Daxiang saw how hard Gu Qinglan was crying, he comforted her and said: “Vice Captain Gu is doing well; don’t be sad.”

Seeing Gu Qinghan’s expression, Gu Qinglan stopped crying and awkwardly wiped her tears.

Wen Nuan then took Lele from Gu Qinglan’s arms. Lele had clearly been crying, her big eyes were moist.

When she saw Wen Nuan, she tightly hugged her neck and called out, “Mom…Mom.”

Wen Nuan buried her head in her body, her voice choked with emotion. “Lele, be good; Daddy is fine, your Daddy is fine…”

When Gu Qinghan saw Lele, he sat up against the bed board, and said: “Come here, Daddy wants to hold you.”

Wen Nuan was worried about his injuries, so, she sat down on the hospital bed while holding Lele: “You don’t need to hold Lele; just play with her like this.”

Lele initially wanted to be held by Gu Qinghan, but Wen Nuan never allowed it.

Lele was learning to walk now, and her legs were unsteady, Wen Nuan was afraid she would kick her father accidentally.

Gu Qinghan had originally insisted on holding Lele, but just then, the doctor came in with the results of his X-ray—he had a slight fracture in the third section of his sternum. There were no other significant issues found for now, but as a pilot, he would need a full-body examination later.

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan felt relieved, but the fracture still needed to be well cared for and not ignored.

Because Gu Qinghan needed to rest, Sister Guihua and the others did not stay long.

Gu Qinglan originally wanted to take care of her big brother in the ward, but just then, Liang Guoan came in, saying he wanted to understand what happened at the time of the accident.

On the other hand, Wen Nuan headed home to make some soup for Qinghan since it was still not even three in the afternoon.

Gu Qinglan decided to follow Wen Nuan home to help her out—hoping to speed things up.

Considering that Gu Qinghan had a fracture, Wen Nuan went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some marrow bones.

These bones didn’t require a ticket, but their price was similar to that of pork. People usually weren’t willing to buy these bones because they were too heavy and had no meat on them.

The people at the cooperative simply trimmed the meat off, selling the remaining bones separately. Thus, when Wen Nuan arrived at the cooperative, she bought three pieces of marrow bones in one go. What others didn’t want now seemed like treasures to her.

She planned to add some spare ribs to the pot as well, so Gu Qinghan would have some meat to eat.

Having bought plenty of items in town, Wen Nuan peeled a carrot and a yam, then added a few red dates. She simmered it all together for over an hour, and the soup turned a milky white, looking as if it were made of milk. The marrowfat rendered out, floating on the surface of the soup, making it look even more appetizing.

Wen Nuan initially didn’t plan to take the child with her, worried that it might snow and wind when they returned. However, the little guy seemed a bit reluctant to be away from her after being separated for half a day. When he saw her with the food container, he babbled and tried to follow her.

Gu Qinglan suggested, “Sister-in-law, why don’t I take it over? I can get there quickly.”

Wen Nuan took out a baby carrier, preparing to strap the child onto her back. She smiled and replied, “No need. I just want to go see your brother.”

After saying this, she skillfully secured Lele in the carrier and strapped her onto her back.

Even Gu Qinglan, who was not the sharpest, understood Wen Nuan’s implied meaning.

After such an incident, it was likely that Sister-in-law wanted Big Brother to stay at home to recuperate—she wanted to keep an eye on him every day.

However, since Gu Qinghan was a pilot, after such an incident, he would need to undergo another physical examination by the doctors from his unit.

This matter was not to be taken lightly.

Gu Qinglan said, “Then I’ll wait for you to come back home, I will stir-fry the dish, and we can have dinner right away.”

Wen Nuan paused her steps as she headed towards the door, then walked back to her and said, “I was originally thinking of making you cumin lamb chops; I’ll make it for you after your brother is discharged.”

Gu Qinglan hadn’t expected Wen Nuan to still be thinking of her at that moment, and her eyes became warm. “Big Brother needs to be fine. As long as he’s okay, then I’m happy. It’s you who’s worked hard.”

While in the car, Li Daxiang told her about how Wen Nuan saved her big brother.

Such a delicate person managed to pull him out with her bare hands during such a critical moment.

She felt that Sister-in-law truly loved her Big Brother.

Li Daxiang was right; Big Brother and Sister-in-law were indeed the most loving couple she had ever seen.

Compared to Gu Qingsong and Lin Meizhi, they were nothing!

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “It’s not hard at all; it’s good that your brother is fine. I’ll go take this to him first; otherwise, the soup will get cold and won’t taste good. Oh, if I come back too late, you don’t have to wait for me; eat first, alright?”

Wen Nuan wrapped Lele in a blanket. Although it hadn’t started snowing yet when she stepped out, the wind was still a bit strong.

—o—o—o—

When she arrived at the hospital, Li Daxiang was still there and informed her that Gu Qinghan had been moved to a ward on the fifth floor.

Wen Nuan thought Gu Qinghan and they had something else to discuss, but Li Daxiang only mentioned that the fifth floor was quieter and more suitable for recovery, as arranged by Zhengwei.

With that, Wen Nuan felt relieved.

The patient rooms on the fifth floor were indeed much quieter, and there were only two beds in Gu Qinghan’s room, which was not very large but offered a peaceful atmosphere.

Li Daxiang had to head back to the group for a meeting. After taking Wen Nuan to the fifth floor, he hurriedly returned to the group.

Wen Nuan began to check each room, and after visiting just two, she found Gu Qinghan. He was sitting at the head of the bed, engrossed in a thick stack of documents, with a leather bag under his arm that had the word “Confidential” written on it.

Seeing him so absorbed in his reading, Wen Nuan set down the lunch box and served him a bowl of soup, saying, “I made you some pork bone soup. Drink a little first.”

Gu Qinghan tucked the documents back into the leather bag, then wrapped a string around it a few times and placed it on the bedside table.

He smiled and said, “It smells good! What kind of soup is this?”

Then, they heard a small voice behind Wen Nuan, babbling away, and he chuckled, “You should put Lele down first. I can manage on my own.”

This minor injury truly wasn’t much for Gu Qinghan—he wasn’t at a point where he needed someone to take care of him.

Wen Nuan handed him a bowl of soup and said, “This is pork bone soup; it helps with bone healing. You should drink more of it. The weather is cold anyway, so having something warm will do you good.”

Having carried the little one the whole way, Wen Nuan was quite tired. She set Lele down from her back and placed her on the other empty bed.

As soon as Lele saw Gu Qinghan, her little mouth sweetly called out, “Daddy… Daddy…”

She propped herself up on her hands, thinking about crawling over to him.

Seeing the little one about to fall off the bed, Wen Nuan quickly picked her up and let her sit on Gu Qinghan’s bed.

Gu Qinghan noticed Lele wanted him to hold her. After finishing the soup in his bowl, he placed it on the bedside table picked her up, and gave her a kiss. “Be good tonight and don’t stay up too late.”

Lele didn’t understand much, but she still giggled and reached out to touch Gu Qinghan’s face. Her cool little hands rubbed against his skin, making her extremely happy.

Wen Nuan had initially planned to stay at the hospital that night, but since Lele was still very young and needed her, Gu Qinghan didn’t want her to have to squeeze into the hospital with the child.

After playing with the little one for a while, Gu Qinghan ate the food Wen Nuan had brought. When Lele saw him eating, she made a couple of smacking sounds with her mouth, indicating that she also wanted to eat.

Gu Qinghan then used clean chopsticks to pick up a piece of tender stewed meat for her. Lele, the little meat lover, was fond of any kind of meat. After tasting a bite, she opened her mouth wide and said, “Ah,” urging Gu Qinghan to feed her more.

Seeing how happy the child was eating, Gu Qinghan felt pleased as well. He fed her a few more spoonfuls of the pork bone soup. “My wife’s cooking is the best!”

The little one thought Gu Qinghan was praising her and clapped her hands—smiling brightly at him.

Wen Nuan patted the child’s little head and then said to her, “I’ll bring you food for the next few days. Just let me know if you want to eat something specific.”

Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow. He initially didn’t want Wen Nuan to be bothered too much, but thinking that this was her way of caring for him, he said: “Whatever you make will taste good. I really can’t think of what I want to eat.”

Wen Nuan pouted, “Then I’ll just cook whatever I feel like. You can’t complain!”

Gu Qinghan frowned slightly, “How could I complain? I must be the happiest patient in this hospital.”

Wen Nuan made a sound of disapproval, disliking how he talked like that. If it were possible, she would prefer not to come to the hospital at all.

She shot him a glare and said, “You can’t say that in the future.”

Gu Qinghan didn’t mind her words; he just smiled and said nothing more.

After Gu Qinghan finished eating, Wen Nuan brought in a basin of hot water, intending to help him clean up a bit. After being buried in snow, his flight suit had already been changed, but the clothes underneath were soaked, whether from melting snow or sweat. So, she decided to wipe him down.

Wen Nuan felt a bit shy at first, but Gu Qinghan was completely unembarrassed. He took off his upper garment entirely and let her wipe him while he flipped through various documents sent by the little soldiers in the group, occasionally raising his hand.

Once Wen Nuan finished wiping him. Gu Qinghan arranged for someone to take her back to the family dormitory.

By that time, the sky was darkening quickly, and it was already dark when she headed back.

—o—o—o—

For several consecutive days, aside from breakfast, Wen Nuan prepared lunch and dinner for Gu Qinghan.

Every day, there was a soup, along with stewed pork ribs, fish, and braised pork, rotating through different dishes.

Thinking about the frozen milk she had bought at the market, Wen Nuan made Gu Qinghan a milk tea, adding just the right amount of sugar. When Gu Qinghan took his first sip, he felt a bit unaccustomed to the taste, but after a couple more sips, he surprisingly found it quite nice.

Wen Nuan also made sure to give some to Li Daxiang and Erhu, who usually came to check on Gu Qinghan. Everyone unanimously agreed that this unusual drink was delicious.

That day, Wen Nuan prepared an omelet of rice for Gu Qinghan and even used sauce to draw a heart on the egg wrap.

When Gu Qinghan saw it, he hesitated to eat it at first, but just then, Liang Guo’an came to visit. Upon seeing the omelet rice, he subtly suggested to Gu Qinghan to share some of that omelet.

However, Gu Qinghan who didn’t want to waste time, quickly finished it in three or four bites.

Liang Guo’an nearly wanted to pin him down on the hospital bed and give him a good beating.

After Wen Nuan left, Liang Guo’an said to Gu Qinghan, “The child hasn’t woken up yet. Originally, there was a plan to hold a meeting for everyone to learn a lesson, but since the child is still unconscious, we can’t pursue the matter. The child’s mother has been taking care of him these past few days and claims she wasn’t aware of his venture into the mountains to forage for wild ginseng.”

Avalanches are natural phenomena; in fact, one or two such incidents occur every year. However, the accident Gu Qinghan experienced happened to coincide with this event, complicating matters. Still, it was ultimately unfair to place the blame on a child.

Liang Guo’an continued, “The plane has already been returned to the training ground. The maintenance team hasn’t provided a report yet, but the aircraft is generally intact. The only damage is to the front windshield. So far, no other damage has been discovered, but the radar still needs testing. It’s unlikely we’ll have results any time soon.”

Gu Qinghan nodded. “Thank you for your hard work, Captain Liang.”

“Don’t mention it,” Liang Guo’an said, biting back frustration. “You know I’m working hard, but you can’t even invite me for a meal.”

Gu Qinghan didn’t give him any face, teasing, “You’re a grown man, and yet you have the nerve to snatch a sick person’s food.”

Liang Guo’an looked at Gu Qinghan, who seemed spirited and vigorous. If it weren’t for the regulations in the team, he would have definitely returned to duty by now. “You’re not really a patient anymore. It’s time to go back to the team; they’re waiting for you.”

Gu Qinghan rarely made jokes but replied, “You could just say the team can’t manage without me.”

Liang Guo’an felt a bit blocked. Ever since Gu Qinghan brought his wife along with him, he seemed to have changed a lot—he even started to throw jokes at them.

‘Ah, people truly are different after being nourished by love.’

Liang Guo’an continued, “By the way, you’ve made a contribution to protecting organizational property and saved a child. The organization is going to award you a second-class merit. You’ll receive the notification when you return to the team.”

Gu Qinghan didn’t care much about that and simply asked, “What about my wife?”

Looking at it, Wen Nuan also deserved some credit this time. Although family members accompanying troops aren’t awarded medals, they do receive recognition and will be praised at the commendation meeting.

Liang Guo’an suddenly played coy, saying, “Someone will take care of that.”

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, Wen Nuan brought dinner for Gu Qinghan again in the evening. The man was in his prime, and it was hard to tell he had any discomfort. If it weren’t for Wen Nuan stopping him, he probably would have wanted to go down to the training ground and run ten kilometers.

On the other side, Gu Qinglan had delayed her return to the village due to the unexpected incident involving Gu Qinghan.

However, Gu Qinghan would likely be discharged from the hospital and return to duty after one more day, so Gu Qinglan also packed her things and prepared to go back.

While carrying Lele, Gu Qinglan said to Wen Nuan, who was preparing dinner for Gu Qinghan, “Sister-in-law, I’ll wait for my brother to come back tomorrow, and then I’ll take a bus back to the village. I’ve been disturbing you for a while.”

Wen Nuan paused while stir-frying the vegetables. “So soon?”

Originally, Gu Qinglan had only taken a half-month leave, but due to Gu Qinghan’s situation, it had been delayed. It seemed like it was time for her to return.

Gu Qinglan smiled, ruffling the little one’s head. “It’s not too soon, sister-in-law. I’ve been staying here for quite a few days now. If I don’t go back soon, I might get criticized.”

Wen Nuan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Qinglan, be honest with sister-in-law—have you encountered any bad people in the village? You must not easily listen to others, okay?”

The ugly face of the village committee’s nephew flashed through Gu Qinglan’s mind, making her feel a bit guilty as she said, “No, they’re all very nice. Sister-in-law, don’t worry.”

Seeing her expression, Wen Nuan didn’t know what to say and could only think of ways to make her stay.

—o—o—o—

As Wen Nuan walked up to the fifth floor with the lunchbox, she encountered a middle-aged man. He was tall and had a vigorous appearance, exuding an indescribable authority that made one feel a bit awed just by looking at him.

However, he was wearing a hospital gown, and there was a certain weariness about him that matched his age.

Thinking about how this was a designated hospital ward for the military, Wen Nuan felt less nervous; she figured this man was also a comrade from the military.

Originally, she planned to nod at him and continue looking for Gu Qinghan, but the man suddenly called out to her.

“Comrade, I’ve been observing you for several days.”

Wen Nuan instinctively reached back to support the little one and looked at him warily—her eyes filled with suspicion.

She didn’t have much of an impression of this man.

The man suddenly laughed and then gestured for her not to be nervous. “Don’t worry; I meant I’ve noticed your cooking for a long time. Do you know how fragrant your food is? I can smell it even from the last bed over there.”

Wen Nuan sighed in relief, surprised that the man had called out to her just for her food.

However, she smiled and said, “It might not just be mine; it could be someone else’s cooking too.”

The man glanced at her and replied, “On this floor, it’s just me and Xiao Gu. Besides your cooking, who else could it be?”

He then looked at Lele, who was peeking out from behind Wen Nuan with her big, shiny eyes, and asked, “Is the child almost one year old?”

Wen Nuan instinctively shook her head. “She’s still a couple of months away from turning one.”

“She does look a bit like Xiao Gu, but her eyes are like yours,” the man said, standing with his hands behind his back and taking a couple of steps forward.

The little one seemed to sense someone complimenting her; she peeked out from the carrier and let out a giggle, showing no signs of being shy.

Seeing such a cute little baby, the man’s serious face softened.

Wen Nuan curiously asked, “Do you know my husband?”

The man nodded. “We’re quite familiar. Why? Didn’t he mention me to you?”

Seeing Wen Nuan’s expression, he already knew the answer and waved his hand dismissively. “Never mind. Could you show me what you cooked today?”

Wen Nuan hesitated at first, but seeing he didn’t have any ill intentions, she picked up the lunchbox and said, “Today, I made scallion oil braised chicken, a stir-fried pork dish, and oh, I also made a soup.”

Seeing him so curious, Wen Nuan thought he must be a soldier as well and asked, “Comrade, would you like to eat?”

The man lifted his gaze to examine her for a moment before shaking his head after a couple of seconds. “I can’t eat; I’ll just have a sniff.”

As he said this, he leaned in to smell the edge of the lunchbox but sighed again, looking a bit regretful.

He turned around, paused for a moment, then looked back and asked, “It seems you’re quite good at cooking. Are you interested in joining the cooking team?”

Wen Nuan was taken aback. “???”