Chapter 37.1

This was Wen Nuan’s second trip to the town, and this time, she came with Gu Qinghan.

Gu Qinghan suggested they buy a bicycle before she officially joined the cooking team so that she could ride to work.

However, before buying the bicycle, Gu Qinghan took her to a photography studio first. “Last time we talked about taking a family portrait, so let’s get one done today.”

Gu Qinghan had been thinking about taking a family photo for a long time, but they hadn’t found the time. Now that they were out in town, his first thought was to get the photo taken.

He remembered that during the avalanche, Wen Nuan had called him a liar, saying he promised they would take a family portrait together, but he had deceived her.

He couldn’t lie to her.

Since Lele was being held by Gu Qinghan, Wen Nuan found this trip to the town much easier. She smiled and said, “Alright.”

The little one seemed to sense that they were going to take pictures, so, she waved her little arms around excitedly.

—o—o—o—

When they arrived at the photo studio, they found it quite warm inside the studio.

To look better, Wen Nuan deliberately took off her padded coat, revealing a red sweater with a standing collar, which made her look less bulky.

Gu Qinghan glanced at her and frowned, asking, “Aren’t you cold?”

Wen Nuan touched her nose and raised an eyebrow: “Not at all; it’s pretty warm in here.”

Gu Qinghan withdrew his gaze, somewhat unconvinced. However, when Wen Nuan walked over to the mirror in the studio to carefully tidy her hair, he understood and couldn’t help but smile helplessly without saying anything more to her.

Seeing Wen Nuan fixing her hair, Gu Qinghan also tidied Lele’s hair a bit.

However, when they left home, Wen Nuan had already styled Lele’s hair into little pigtails and pinned on a small hair clip that Qinglan had bought for her.

At the moment, it looked neat, although a few strands were a bit frizzy.

But she still looked very cute.

Once Wen Nuan was satisfied with her appearance, she walked over to Gu Qinghan and straightened his collar.

The man was wearing a military green cotton coat issued by the army. Wen Nuan thought he looked good in anything and had insisted that he wear his uniform for the photos.

“Alright, you look so handsome; you’ll look good in any shot,” Wen Nuan smoothed out the wrinkles in his coat and smiled with satisfaction.

Gu Qinghan smiled back at Wen Nuan. In fact, she looked quite beautiful, especially with her hair down; it made her look stunning enough to make his heart skip a beat.

Fortunately, this beauty was something only he knew.

Gu Qinghan then said: “Let’s go over there.”

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan took their seats for the photo, with Lele in Gu Qinghan’s arms. The little one twisted her little head curiously, unsure of what was happening.

However, the photographer had his own tricks. He held a brightly colored toy in his hand to catch Lele’s attention.

As soon as the little one spotted the colorful toy, she broke into a wide smile.

Wen Nuan slightly tilted her head, leaning toward Gu Qinghan, and then flashed a smile.

The photographer immediately pressed the shutter, capturing the moment with a “click.”

After taking the family portrait, Gu Qinghan thought for a moment and then gently suggested, “Why don’t we take a picture of just the two of us?”

Wen Nuan looked at him and nodded: “Sure! I’ve never taken a photo with you before.”

Every time she visited Sister Guihua’s house, she saw the pictures of her with Captain Zhou hanging on the walls and felt a bit envious.

Unfortunately, Gu Qinghan had been too busy with work, and they hadn’t had the chance to take a photo together. Now that the opportunity had come, it was perfect.

Gu Qinghan set Lele down on the red velvet-covered floor and asked the photographer for the same toy from earlier, giving it to Lele to play with.

The little one had finally gotten her hands on the toy she wanted and didn’t make a fuss—happily playing by herself.

However, when she saw Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan sitting together, she lifted her little head and looked at them intently.

Perhaps she was a bit curious; as she observed them sitting so properly together, Lele burst into giggles.

Gu Qinghan felt Wen Nuan’s head lean closer to him, so he slightly tilted his head and leaned toward her as well.

He then heard Wen Nuan quietly say: “Qinghan, smile.”

The photographer, seeing such a good-looking couple sitting together, couldn’t help but notice the serious expression on Gu Qinghan’s face suddenly breaking into a smile.

He quickly pressed the shutter.

Although the photos wouldn’t be ready immediately, Wen Nuan felt that their picture together would turn out beautifully.

After taking the couple’s photo, Wen Nuan glanced over at Lele, who was playing with her toy, and said, “Why don’t we take a solo picture of Lele? Just capturing her playing with the toy will be perfect.”

Gu Qinghan looked at Lele and thought that she appeared the most natural and adorable while playing with her toys. He lowered his voice, instructing the photographer to capture the moment.

“Alright, this little girl is truly cute,” the photographer couldn’t help but praise.

Gu Qinghan walked over to the little one, picking Lele up from the ground. He turned to the photographer and said, “Thank you, comrade.”

—o—o—o—

Wen Nuan followed Gu Qinghan as they exited the photo studio. She glanced at the supply and marketing cooperative across the street and said, “Shall we go check out the bicycles now? I wonder if they have any.”

In the past, bicycles were relatively plentiful in the city, and if necessary, one could simply visit a couple of supply and marketing cooperatives.

However, a couple of days ago, Wen Nuan had inquired with Guohua, her sister-in-law. Guohua informed her that the cooperative in the family compound did not sell bicycles, and the one in town sometimes ran out of stock, requiring a wait.

Gu Qinghan held the child as he walked ahead, occasionally glancing at Wen Nuan. “Let’s go take a look first.”

Perhaps due to the recent warming weather, there were particularly many people at the town’s supply and marketing cooperative that day, especially in front of the counters selling food, where lines had formed.

Gu Qinghan initially thought about buying Wen Nuan some snacks, but seeing the crowd, he decided to lead her to the bicycle counter first.

There weren’t many people at the bicycle counter, but there were still some people looking around. The sales clerks could only let customers look but not touch the bicycles.

Wen Nuan observed the three bicycles behind the counter and leaned closer to Gu Qinghan, saying, “There are three bicycles here. I wonder how much each one costs.”

“We should go ask about it first. Everyone says that the Phoenix brand has better quality and materials, so we should buy a good one,” Wen Nuan said.

Without any hesitation, Gu Qinghan walked up to the counter and asked the sales clerk, “Comrade, may I take a look at that Phoenix bicycle?”

The sales clerk, sitting at the counter, didn’t even look up and casually replied, “To buy a bicycle, you need a ticket. Do you have one?”

“Yes, we do. Here is our ticket,” Gu Qinghan said as he pulled out the bicycle ticket he had prepared earlier. He had received this ticket during his time in the provincial military but had never used it, so he kept it in his military luggage.

Recently, since Wen Nuan was going to work in the cooking class, he finally remembered it.

The sales clerk glanced at the bicycle ticket Gu Qinghan handed over. Finally lifting her head, she sized up Gu Qinghan, who was holding the child. Then she stood up and smiled, “Comrade soldier, you’re looking for a bicycle, right? We just received three new ones a few days ago.”

She patiently began to introduce them: “One is a Forever brand bicycle, priced at one hundred sixty-five yuan; the other two are Phoenix brand but are a bit more expensive, costing one hundred eighty-five yuan each. Take a look and see which one you need.”

In fact, Wen Nuan had considered buying a second-hand bicycle, which would be cheaper—around one hundred thirty yuan—but Gu Qinghan had told her that since she would likely have to carry Lele to and from work, it was better to buy a good quality one. The difference of twenty or thirty yuan wasn’t a big deal.

Gu Qinghan didn’t hesitate; he took out one hundred eighty-five yuan and handed it to the sales clerk, asking her to issue a receipt.

The sales clerk, probably not used to such promptness, swiftly wrote out the receipt and then told Gu Qinghan, “Comrade, there are two bicycles inside. You can go take a look and see which one you want.” As she spoke, she opened the panel door of the counter, indicating that he should enter.

Gu Qinghan turned to Wen Nuan and said, “You go pick one.”

Wen Nuan glanced at the few brand-new bicycles behind the counter. In this era, there was really no need to be picky; any product that was available for sale was bound to be of good quality.

She was too lazy to walk inside and simply pointed to the bicycle behind the sales clerk, saying, “Comrade, I’ll take the one behind you.”

The sales clerk seemed momentarily taken aback and asked, “Aren’t you going to take a look before deciding?”

Meeting Gu Qinghan’s gaze, Wen Nuan smiled at the sales clerk and replied, “No need. The Phoenix brand is a state-owned big brand, and it must have gone through strict inspection standards before leaving the factory. Moreover, our cooperative would have also arranged for a thorough check before putting it on display, so why worry? Please bring it out for me.”

Hearing Wen Nuan’s words, the sales clerk felt a wave of relief, finally she encountered someone knowledgeable about bicycles.

Many people had come to buy bicycles in the past and would inspect everything, from the bell on the handlebars to the factory logo on the rear.

But it was understandable why everyone was so cautious; after all, a bicycle cost over a hundred yuan and required a ticket. Who wouldn’t want to check it thoroughly?

Even missing a single screw could cause sleepless nights for a month.

So, the sales clerk took a key, easily unlocked it, and rolled the bicycle out.

She glanced at the little girl that Gu Qinghan was holding and said, “Comrade, since you’re being so straightforward, I have a small woven seat that can be attached to the front handlebar of the bicycle. Your child can sit on it.”

“If you don’t mind, you can take it.”

Wen Nuan smiled brightly at the sales clerk, nodding her head, “Why would I mind? Thank you, comrade!”

She had been worried about where to buy a seat suitable for children, and this was just perfect.

Wen Nuan remembered sitting on the back of a bicycle as a child, her little feet getting caught in the wheels countless times. Now, with the addition of this small seat, when Lele got a bit older, she wouldn’t have to worry about her feet getting caught in the wheels, even if they put her on the rear rack.

The sales clerk then brought out a woven children’s seat and thoughtfully secured it to the front handlebar with rope. “Alright, let’s see if the child can sit in it,” she said.

The little one spotted Wen Nuan holding the handlebars. Thinking it was a big toy, she raised her arms excitedly, wanting to climb on them.

Gu Qinghan carefully placed Lele in the seat on the front handlebar. Worried that the seat might not be stable, he shook it with his hand, but it was firmly secured.

This was Lele’s first time sitting on a bicycle, and she joyfully patted the small seat’s handlebars, babbling in a series of incomprehensible “baby talk.”

Seeing her so happy, Gu Qinghan turned to Wen Nuan and said, “Let’s take Lele out for a ride.”

As they exited the supply and marketing cooperative, they found themselves on a wide road. Although it was muddy, there were no major potholes, the ground was relatively flat from all the foot traffic.

Gu Qinghan rode the bicycle with Wen Nuan sitting on the back and the little one at the very front, happily calling out into the wind.

When they left the cooperative, Wen Nuan had brought a knitted hat for Lele. The recent melting snow had made it a bit chilly, but the little one wasn’t used to wearing a hat and quickly pulled it off.

As the bicycle moved forward, Lele’s fluffy hair danced in the wind, swaying back and forth.

Wen Nuan sat on the rear seat, trying her best not to move too much, fearing that Gu Qinghan might lose control of the handlebars.

However, her worries were clearly unnecessary, as Gu Qinghan’s long legs could easily reach the ground.

Realizing it was nearly noon, Wen Nuan suggested celebrating the purchase of the new bicycle by eating at the state-run restaurant in town.

“I heard there’s a dish here called iron pot braised goose. Sister Guohua said it’s quite tasty. Let’s go give it a try.”

After that, Wen Nuan hopped off the bicycle and picked up the little one from the seat. However, Lele clearly wasn’t done sitting in the bicycle yet, her chubby little hands gripping the seat’s handlebars tightly, refusing to let go.

Despite being just a small child, when Lele held on with both hands, she had a surprisingly strong grip, making it difficult for Wen Nuan to get her to release her hold.

Lele glared at Wen Nuan with her big eyes, gave a huff, and then turned her head away disobediently.

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh at Lele’s stubbornness and then said: “This little one really loves sitting on the bicycle. You can sit here again later, but first, let’s go eat something!”

It was clear that even using the food tactic couldn’t entice Lele to let go.

Still clutching the handlebars, Lele frowned and continued to resist getting off the bicycle.

Gu Qinghan hadn’t expected Lele to enjoy riding so much either. He propped the bicycle up on its kickstand and locked it.

After putting away the bicycle key, he gently pried Lele’s fingers off the handlebars. “Be good, Daddy will take you for a ride again later, but now we need to eat.”

The little one continued to babble, her brow furrowed in determination—she was really unwilling to let go.

Worried about hurting her, Gu Qinghan decided to take out the bicycle key and handed it to her. “Here, you can play with this for now.”

When Lele heard the jingling of the two keys in Gu Qinghan’s hand, she immediately released her grip and took the keys with her little hands, beginning to examine them intently.

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan exchanged glances and shared a smile—amused by the distracted Lele.

“Let’s go in and eat first,” Gu Qinghan said as he picked up the child, allowing Wen Nuan to walk ahead.

Wen Nuan glanced at the prices and noticed that meals here were slightly cheaper than in the capital. She decided to order the iron pot braised goose and also got a dish for Lele.

Having seen the large pot of braised goose at the neighboring table, she realized that it would be more than enough for the three of them. The little one couldn’t eat much, and just the two of them would likely be satisfied with one dish.

However, Wen Nuan didn’t want Lele to have too much food with seasoning, so she ordered an additional dish of cold noodles for her. The noodles were made from buckwheat and came topped with cucumber, tomato, egg, and pickles, which would be perfect for Wen Nuan to use as vegetables.

The wait for the braised goose was a bit longer, so Wen Nuan decided to feed the little one first. By the time Lele had eaten most of her meal, the restaurant staff brought out a large pot of goose. There were several scallion oil buns around the edge, and the goose meat was tender and fragrant. When she took a bite, the rich broth splattered out, pairing perfectly with the soft and tasty potatoes—it was absolutely delicious.

Wen Nuan picked up a big piece of meat and smiled at Gu Qinghan, asking, “Is it good? I got you this big piece, so eat more!”

“It’s not as good as what you cook,” Gu Qinghan replied, looking at Wen Nuan with a smile. He then picked up a piece of goose leg from the steaming pot and handed it to her. “You should eat more too.”

Seeing that her parents were completely ignoring her, the little one tapped the table with her spoon and exclaimed, “Ah!”

The annoyed expression on her face seemed to say:’Why aren’t you paying attention to me? I’m upset!’

Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan glanced at the slightly angry Lele and playfully pinched her cheeks. They laughed at her cute action: “Greedy!”

—o—o—o—