Chapter 50

In early May in the Northern City, the temperature slowly began to rise. During the day, a sweater was enough when the sun was out, but it got a bit chilly at night, requiring a cotton coat.

Over the past few days, Wen Nuan had been planting some cucumbers, green beans, eggplants, and small radishes in the empty space behind the house, guided by Sister Guihua.

The growing season for vegetables in the Northern City was quite short, so Wen Nuan made the most of her time to get the crops planted.

Just as she finished planting the fruits and vegetables, Li Daxiang notified her that Gu Qinghan had called.

Wen Nuan carried Lele on her back and rode her bicycle to the phone booth.

Wen Nuan had never spoken to Gu Qinghan on the phone before. He had sent her a telegram when he first went to Factory 112, but there had been no news since then. Wen Nuan guessed he must have been very busy.

Once she arrived at the phone booth, Wen Nuan hurried to answer the call. Li Daxiang had planned to help her with Lele, but Wen Nuan explained that it was a call from her father. Lele also wanted to say a few words to Gu Qinghan, even though she still couldn’t speak fully.

On the other end of the line, upon hearing Wen Nuan’s voice, Gu Qinghan immediately spoke up, “Wife!”

The deep, magnetic voice came through the receiver, sending a shiver down Wen Nuan’s spine. Having not seen him for over half a month, she had missed this man dearly.

Wen Nuan placed Lele on a chair, and with one hand, she fiddled with the phone cord, softly responding, “Qinghan.”

When he left, Gu Qinghan had mentioned he would be back in about half a month. However, it had been nearly twenty days, and it seemed he wouldn’t be returning to the Northern City that quickly.

Lele seemed to recognize the familiar name and reached out to grab the microphone from Wen Nuan’s hand.

Seeing this, Wen Nuan decided to hold the microphone close to Lele’s ear, saying, “Here, it’s Daddy. Call for Daddy.”

On the other end, Gu Qinghan heard Wen Nuan’s voice but didn’t realize that the microphone had been handed over. He asked, “How have you both been lately?”

It was Lele’s first time on the phone, and hearing Gu Qinghan’s voice coming from the receiver caught her off guard.

She looked at Wen Nuan with a hint of confusion before curiously reaching out to try to take the microphone away from her ear to examine it closely.

Noticing that Lele was silent and worried she might break the microphone, Wen Nuan took it back and said to Gu Qinghan, “I just let Lele listen, but she doesn’t want to talk.”

Hearing his wife’s voice warmed Gu Qinghan’s heart. “Then let her speak with me when we’re back.”

He asked again, “How are you and Lele doing in the family compound lately?”

Wen Nuan’s voice softened as she replied, “We’re doing well. How about you? Still at Factory 112? Is the test flight work going smoothly?”

Gu Qinghan glanced at the familiar streets outside, smiling slightly. “The work over there is temporarily completed. I’ve conducted over ten test flights, and they were fairly successful. I just returned to my hometown and stopped by the post office to call you first.”

Before Wen Nuan could ask him anything, Gu Qinghan said, “Wife, I’ve been missing you a bit.”

Wen Nuan smiled gently, glancing at Lele sitting beside her. She replied softly, “I miss you too, Qinghan. I really want to see you. When do you think you’ll be back?”

During this time, Wen Nuan had intentionally refrained from inquiring about Gu Qinghan’s test flight work, but it seemed that this matter was no longer a secret in the family compound. Even if she didn’t actively seek information, she often overheard others discussing it.

Many people said that the work was dangerous, so sometimes Wen Nuan preferred not to hear anything from Gu Qinghan, as at least that meant he was safe.

However, upon hearing his voice, Wen Nuan felt like she was going crazy with how much she missed him.

At that moment, Lele suddenly shouted loudly, “Daddy—”

Gu Qinghan heard her and smiled wider. “I’ll be back in a couple of days, wife. Wait for me.”

Wen Nuan fidgeted with the phone cord in her hands, saying, “Okay, I’ll wait for you. Remember to eat on time.”

“Mm.”

Wen Nuan had initially wanted to tell Gu Qinghan about Chen Meijiao and Zhang Zhibin, but realizing that the call quality wasn’t great, she decided against it.

Instead, they chatted about Lele’s recent situation. Lele was eating and drinking well, so there was no need for concern. Gu Qinghan was more worried about Wen Nuan managing everything at home by herself.

Wen Nuan reassured him, “Qinglan has been staying at our place for the past half month, so don’t worry.”

After a moment of thought, Wen Nuan asked, “By the way, do you want to tell your mom about Qinglan joining the army with us?”

Gu Qinghan didn’t hesitate at all as he replied, “If they don’t ask, I don’t plan to say anything.”

“Mm, I think so too,” Wen Nuan agreed.

Although Zhao Wuzhu was her mother, Wen Nuan felt that she didn’t have much affection for Gu Qinglan. In the past, she had forced Qinglan to take Gu Qingsong’s place in going to the countryside. If Zhao Wuzhu found out that Qinglan was now serving in the army, she might come up with all sorts of schemes to benefit financially from her.

Gu Qinglan was carefree, and if Zhao Wuzhu and Gu Qingsong flattered her a bit, she might end up listening to them again.

Gu Qinglan had only just begun her new life and hadn’t really settled down yet. Wen Nuan didn’t want Zhao Wuzhu and Gu Qingsong to disrupt her.

Before Wen Nuan could say anything further, Lele, growing impatient sitting beside her, reached out and hung up the phone.

Wen Nuan wanted to call back but remembered how difficult it was to make calls in this era, so she could only helplessly hang up the receiver.

Lele smiled innocently, then reached out her hand to ask Wen Nuan for a hug, calling out in a truly innocent voice, “Mommy, hug—”

Wen Nuan smiled with a hint of annoyance, picked up Lele, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. With a sigh, she said, “Sweetheart, do you know how hard it is to make long-distance calls?”

Then, she carried Lele out of the telephone room.

On the other end, Li Daxiang was still waiting. When he saw Wen Nuan come out, he asked, “How is Vice Captain Gu? Is the test flight going smoothly?”

Originally, Li Daxiang had planned to follow Gu Qinghan to Factory 112. However, Gu Qinghan had assigned most of the tasks to him, so he stayed in the Northern City.

Wen Nuan looked at Li Daxiang and said, “It should be going quite well; he’s already returned to our hometown.”

Li Daxiang nodded. “That’s good. Sister-in-law, are you going back to the crew canteen or to the family compound? Do you want me to take you back?”

Li Daxiang glanced at Lele, who showed a few bright white teeth, and smiled at him.

Wen Nuan then instructed Lele, saying, “Lele, call him Uncle.”

“I need to head back to the canteen first; no need for you to escort us.” Wen Nuan said, pulling a notebook from her bag and handing it to Li Daxiang. “Oh, Daxiang, when you head back to the unit, you’ll be passing by the military hospital anyway. Could you please help me deliver this notebook to Qinglan? That scatterbrain overslept today and was in such a rush when she left that she forgot her things.”

This notebook was something Gu Qinglan carried every day—it was filled with dense handwriting. Wen Nuan was worried that without it, her work would be affected.

However, she didn’t have the time right now; she had to return to the canteen first. If she made a trip to the hospital and then back, it would probably be quite late.

Li Daxiang raised his eyebrows, revealing a bright smile as he took the notebook from Wen Nuan’s hand and said, “No problem, sister-in-law. I’ll deliver it right now.”

Wen Nuan watched as Li Daxiang rushed out like a gust of wind, his figure disappearing at the entrance of the phone room.

Does he really need to rush?

Lele watched Li Daxiang leave and then called out, “Uncle—”

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but smile and pinched Lele’s cheek. “Where were you earlier? Now you’re calling him.”

After returning to the crew canteen, Wen Nuan let Lele play in the backyard with the quartermaster’s daughter, where they helped collect eggs.

As soon as she entered the kitchen, she heard the quartermaster holding a small meeting with the squad leader from the logistics canteen.

The quartermaster said, “Now that you’ve lost two employees in the logistics canteen, it’s time to recruit two more from outside. As before, we’ll prioritize the families from the compound. We must ensure fairness and justice. At the very least, we should set up three examination hurdles; otherwise, it will be hard to gain everyone’s approval.”

The work in the family compound was already scarce, and with it being a canteen job, now that two spots had finally opened up, there would surely be fierce competition.

After listening to this, the squad leader of the logistics canteen said, “Understood, quartermaster. I will arrange it.”

Wen Nuan realized after the fact that Li Qiuyan and Chen Meijiao had left the family compound one after another, and now there were indeed two vacancies in the logistics canteen that needed to be filled.

When she was finishing work, before she even got off her bicycle, she heard Sister Guihua’s voice coming from her house, along with Sister Juxiang’s.

Not thinking much, Wen Nuan locked her bicycle and knocked on Sister Guihua’s door while holding Lele. “Sister Guihua, it’s me.”

“Oh, Xiao Nuan, you’re off work?” Sister Guihua opened the door with a smile and said, “We were just planning to wait for you to come back to talk about this; we didn’t expect you to arrive right on time.”

Seeing Sister Guihua reaching out to hold Lele, Wen Nuan released the child from her arms and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Could it be that they had already heard about the canteen hiring people from outside?

However, Sister Juxiang said, “Zhang Zhibin is back in the army after his leave. Meijiao just sent me a telegram saying they’ve already started the divorce process, and Meijiao wants to take their daughter with her.”

Sister Guihua added, “Of course, she’ll want to take her daughter. With someone like Aunt Zhang, who would trust her with the child?”

Wen Nuan fell silent for a few seconds before nodding. “That’s good…”

Then she asked, “What about Zhang Zhibin?”

Sister Juxiang sighed, expressing her dissatisfaction, “Ultimately, this is a family matter. Secretary Song actually turned a blind eye that day, allowing Chen Jia’s eldest son to give Zhang Zhibin a good beating.”

Sister Juxiang sighed again, “And getting a divorce in a military marriage isn’t that simple; it’ll probably drag on for a while.”

“With how Zhang Zhibin acted previously, who knows what else might happen? After all, his attitude when admitting fault was pretty convincing. After returning to the army, he even took the initiative to write a self-criticism letter to his superior. They must think he’s someone who knows his mistakes and can change, so he might still be considered a good comrade.”

Wen Nuan peeled a walnut for Lele and said, “It’s fine; Meijiao’s siblings aren’t pushovers. With them around, Zhang Zhibin won’t be able to pull any tricks. At most, he’ll just cause a bit more fuss.”

“Besides, Meijiao is dead set on getting a divorce this time. If Zhang Zhibin keeps making a scene, he’ll just make everyone dislike him even more.”

Hearing this, the two women thought Wen Nuan made a good point. Chen Meijiao’s siblings were also in the military; although they weren’t in the same unit since they dared to take action back then, they would definitely make arrangements going forward.

After discussing Chen Meijiao’s situation, Wen Nuan asked, “I heard the logistics canteen is hiring from outside. Do you two want to give it a try?”

Sister Guihua who was holding Lele, offered her a piece of candy and said, “I’m not going. I’m still in the process of recovering my health.”

This time, Sister Guihua was seriously following the advice of Doctor Zhao and Doctor Li. She took her medicine daily and had started a weight-loss regimen.

Zhou Jianshe had also been discharged from the hospital. Although he had returned to the unit now, the two of them still couldn’t share a room for the time being; they would have to wait a month before they could. If, by that time, they ended up conceiving, all her hard work would be worth it.

Wen Nuan smiled, “That’s true. Sister Guihua, your task now is to focus on your health; work isn’t urgent for the time being.”

Then, Wen Nuan turned her attention to Sister Juxiang.

Sister Juxiang smiled awkwardly, rubbing her hands on her thighs. “I’m not really suited for it; I can’t cook.”

To be honest, anyone who heard about a job in the canteen would be tempted.

However, Deng Juxiang was aware of her limitations; she didn’t have Wen Nuan’s cooking skills, and getting a job in the canteen would indeed be difficult.

Besides, there were so many people in the family compound. Who knew how many had been there for ten or eight years without landing any work?

She didn’t dare to have such high hopes.

Wen Nuan looked at Sister Juxiang and smiled. “I heard there are three hurdles for this recruitment. You can take your time to sign up, Sister Juxiang. I believe you can do it. Remember when I made that sauerkraut fish? You helped me slice the fish into thin, even pieces; your knife skills are excellent.”

“Moreover, most of the cooking work in the canteen is done by the soldiers from the unit. Other people mainly do the cleaning, washing vegetables, cutting, and serving food. Sister Juxiang, you should definitely give it a try.”

When Sister Guihua heard this, she felt hopeful and said with a smile, “I think Xiao Nuan is right. It doesn’t hurt to give it a try. Besides, with Xiao Nuan as your strategist, what is there to be afraid of?”

Deng Juxiang felt a surge of excitement as well, thinking that trying wouldn’t hurt. She said, “Then I’ll sign up to give it a shot too.”

Wen Nuan smiled, “If you have any questions, just ask me. If you end up working in the canteen, we’ll have each other for company.”

Sister Juxiang had been wanting to work for a long time but had never had the opportunity. Now that the canteen was hiring, Wen Nuan hoped she would get the job.

Hearing this, Deng Juxiang suddenly felt it was a great idea and felt a wave of confidence wash over her.

—o—o—o—

In Province G,

After Gu Qinghan hung up the phone, he tried to call back but got no answer.

So, he started walking home.

Lin Meizhi hadn’t gone to work during this time. Gu Qingsong said she had almost miscarried previously, and he was worried she might go into premature labor.

Lin Meizhi, with her big belly, looked at the wall where a calendar was hanging. On it, Gu Qingsong had circled certain dates, noting the number of days into her pregnancy.

After looking at the calendar for a while, Lin Meizhi supported her aching waist and sat down in a large armchair in the living room. She then peeled an orange.

Just then, Gu Qingsong came back inside. Seeing Lin Meizhi eating another orange, he walked over and said with concern, “Wife, eating too many oranges will give you acidity; don’t eat so many.”

Gu Qingsong noticed that Lin Meizhi didn’t look too comfortable sitting, so he called toward Zhao Wuzhu’s room, “Mom, where’s the small quilt you made before? Where did you put it?”

Zhao Wuzhu didn’t want to engage with him. During Lin Meizhi’s pregnancy, Gu Qingsong acted like a devoted dog; whatever Lin Meizhi said went. Not only did he stop her from cooking and doing laundry, but he also prepared foot baths for her every day.

Zhao Wuzhu was quite displeased with this, but every time she mentioned it, Gu Qingsong would always respond that Lin Meizhi was pregnant and it wasn’t convenient for her.

Zhao Wuzhu thought that being pregnant didn’t mean she couldn’t move. When she was a young wife, she had done housework and even farm work with a big belly!

With irritation, Zhao Wuzhu said, “There isn’t one; I haven’t finished it yet.”

To her surprise, Gu Qingsong had already walked into the room, opened the rice bin, and pulled out a small quilt.

Zhao Wuzhu wanted to scold him for rummaging through her things, but Gu Qingsong obediently carried the quilt out to the living room and said to Lin Meizhi, “Here, Meizhi, I’ll prop it behind your back to make sitting more comfortable.”

He gently supported Lin Meizhi’s arm, saying, “Be careful; sit down slowly. How is it? Is it much more comfortable now?”

Lin Meizhi smiled, “It’s quite soft and comfortable.”

Although Gu Qingsong had broken promises a few times when they got married, during the pregnancy, he had indeed taken care of her meticulously. No matter how upset she was, as time went on, her anger gradually faded.

In southern May, the weather had already warmed up. Lin Meizhi wore only a long-sleeved shirt. Gu Qingsong cherished his wife and, looking at her pregnant belly, placed his hand on it and said happily, “Wife, your belly is already this big at just over seven months. At first, I thought you were having twins.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Meizhi was taken aback and did not respond.

Gu Qingsong continued, “But maybe you’re just having a big boy. He will definitely take after me and be tall.”

Lin Meizhi pushed Gu Qingsong’s hand away from her belly and said lightly, “Stop talking. Go cook instead. Your mom will surely be unhappy again when she comes back.”

As she spoke, Lin Meizhi added, “I wonder if it’s because I fell down the stairs before, but I’ve been feeling a bit bloated lately as if I might go into labor early…”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qingsong immediately panicked. “No way? Wife, don’t scare me.”

Lin Meizhi curled her lips, “It’s nothing, just a premonition I have.”

Gu Qingsong chuckled and patted her head. “Wife, don’t think too much. I just bought some chicken. I’ll make you some chicken soup to nourish you. The baby will be fine. Just wait!”

After saying that, Gu Qingsong rubbed her belly again and said, “Little one, don’t be too anxious. Stay comfortably in your mommy’s belly until it’s time to come out. Otherwise, I won’t be nice to you.”

Lin Meizhi pushed his hand away again, saying, “Alright, go cook.”

Gu Qingsong replied, “Okay, I’ll go make you some chicken soup. You can rest for a while.”

At that moment, Zhao Wuzhu came out of her room and immediately heard Gu Qingsong talking about making chicken soup. She became furious.

Seeing Gu Qingsong carrying chicken into the kitchen, she twisted his ear and scolded, “Good job, Gu Qingsong. Are you making special food for your wife again? Do you still see me, the mother, in your eyes?”

Suddenly caught by his mother twisting his ear, Gu Qingsong cried out in pain, “Mom, let go!”

“What do you mean you’re arguing with a pregnant woman? Isn’t Meizhi’s health not good? What’s wrong with letting her eat a bit more?”

Zhao Wuzhu glared at him. “What’s wrong? I worked hard to raise you, and now you’re making chicken soup without leaving any for me. You ungrateful brat!” As she spoke, she hit his back again.

Gu Qingsong felt speechless and could only respond perfunctorily, “Alright, alright, I’ll set aside a bowl for you later.”

Zhao Wuzhu replied, “At least you know what’s good for you.”

Gu Qingsong smiled and tried to please her, “Mom, while I’m making soup, can you cook the rice? Otherwise, I won’t know when I can get it done!”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuzhu’s blood pressure rose again, and she gritted her teeth, “I owe you for the rest of my life!”

Reluctantly, Zhao Wuzhu walked towards the stove.

Suddenly, Gu Qingsong heard Lin Meizhi let out a cry of “Oh!” from the living room.

Without caring about the soup any longer, Gu Qingsong hurriedly ran outside.

He saw Lin Meizhi sitting in the armchair, her expression pained as she held her belly and let out another “Oh!”

“What’s wrong, Meizhi? You…” Gu Qingsong asked with concern.

Just as he was about to pull her up, Lin Meizhi cried out in pain, “Don’t pull me! It hurts! I… I…”

Could it be that she was going into labor?

Seeing her like this, Gu Qingsong shouted loudly, “Mom, come quickly! Look at what’s wrong with Meizhi!”

While he spoke, a warm stream suddenly dripped from the armchair onto the floor…

Gu Qingsong was in a panic, shouting, “Mom, Meizhi is about to give birth! Hurry up!”

Instead of Zhao Wuzhu rushing over, a new figure appeared at the doorway. Gu Qinghan stood there, looking weary from travel, and stared at him.

Gu Qingsong, unable to think clearly, habitually sought help from Gu Qinghan. “Big Brother, you came back just in time! Meizhi is about to give birth! Come help me!”