Chapter 57

In mid-July, Northern City finally had the feeling of summer.

After Wen Nuan had dressed Lele in her skirt, she used a towel to dry the little girl’s damp hair.

Lele’s hair had grown quite a bit. Initially, Wen Nuan hadn’t wanted to cut it, but now that the weather was hot and Lele loved to play, she often ended up sweating profusely after running around.

So, a couple of days ago, Wen Nuan took her to town to get a trim. She is planning to let it grow long again for winter and is hoping that by next year, it will be long enough to tie up.

Gu Qinghan saw that Lele had already put on her dress, so she picked up the little girl’s shoes from the ground and slowly helped her put them on.

As soon as she had her shoes on, Lele crawled off the bed and walked out into the yard.

Seeing the child go off to play by herself, Gu Qinghan turned to Wen Nuan and said, “Zhao Baogang also mentioned that Qingsong doesn’t plan to pursue the matter of Lin Meizhi’s marriage fraud.”

Wen Nuan had already suspected that Gu Qingsong wouldn’t take action; after all, he had once loved her. Moreover, Lin Meizhi had a child who had just been born not long ago.

Though she did not particularly like Gu Qingsong, it could not be denied that he was someone who truly cared for his wife. Even after learning of Lin Meizhi’s unsavory side, he still retained a shred of compassion, granting her the greatest possible dignity.

In this regard, Lin Meizhi was rather lucky. If it had been any other man, he likely wouldn’t have been able to accept the situation.

Wen Nuan paused for a moment before asking, “What about the Xu family?”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s question, Gu Qinghan pressed his lips together and replied, “Lin Meizhi had a falling out with her family. The Lin family no longer wants to acknowledge her, so she took her child to the Xu family.”

Wen Nuan pursed her lips and then said, “With such a small child, Lin Meizhi has no choice but to go to the Xu family.”

For some reason, Wen Nuan felt that Lin Meizhi would have a harder time with the Xu family.

Not to mention that Xu Guoming’s Mother had never approved of Xu Guoming being with Lin Meizhi; she inherently looked down on Lin Meizhi’s background.

Moreover, Lin Meizhi was now a divorced woman, having ended her marriage over such a disgraceful matter. Even if the Xu family knew that the child was indeed Xu Guoming’s, outsiders wouldn’t be aware of that.

Even if the Xu family claimed that the child was Xu Guoming’s, people would definitely be skeptical, unable to suppress their various doubts, and would likely point fingers at the Xu family’s home.

Although Wen Nuan had never met Xu Guoming’s Mother, she could guess that she was a person with a strong sense of pride and was very concerned about her reputation. There was no way she could face the rumors surrounding her family; eventually, she would drive Lin Meizhi out.

At that point, Lin Meizhi’s situation would likely be worse than her current divorce from Gu Qingsong.

“Hmm.” Gu Qinghan glanced at his wife and saw that after she had bathed Lele, her clothes were quite damp and she was covered with sweat.

He then asked, “Do you want to take a shower too?”

Since the bathroom they built last month didn’t have electrical wiring, they had to take candles with them to shower every evening.

Last night, while Wen Nuan was bathing, some of the water accidentally extinguished the candle—which startled her.

Wen Nuan shook her head. “No, I won’t wash. It’s so hot that I’ll just sweat again. I’ll shower later and wash my hair at the same time.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan tossed Lele’s changed clothes into the bathtub, preparing to wash them.

Wen Nuan saw that he was going to wash the child’s clothes, so she stepped out into the living room and immediately spotted Lele.

Lele was munching on half a papaya that Wen Nuan had cut for her not long ago.

The little girl’s dress was already stained with papaya juice, clearly wet in several places.

The bath had been for nothing.

Wen Nuan had intended to let Lele eat the papaya after dinner, but she didn’t expect Lele to be so impatient and take matters into her own hands.

When Lele saw Wen Nuan come out, she smiled at her and held out the papaya. “Mommy, eat.”

Wen Nuan glanced at the red papaya, which had already been mangled by Lele. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Mommy isn’t hungry. You should take it to Daddy instead.”

With that, she headed outside to the vegetable garden in the backyard to pick some vegetables.

Lele, who was holding the piece of papaya, bounced into the room to find her father.

However, as soon as she stepped out of the yard, she heard Gu Qinghan call out the child’s full name. They only used her full name during moments of necessity—this only means that Lele had truly made her father angry this time.

Well, it was good for her; a little discipline wouldn’t hurt.

—o—o—o—

By the time Wen Nuan returned home with some green beans and eggplants, Lele still hadn’t changed out of her dirty clothes, but the papaya juice had been wiped off her face, making her look like the adorable little dumpling she was.

As soon as Lele saw Wen Nuan come back, she hugged her mother’s leg with a pitiful expression and said, “Daddy is bad!”

Gu Qinghan emerged from the room carrying a basin and happened to overhear Lele’s complaint. He remarked, “What did Daddy do that can be counted as bad? You’re the one who should be ashamed, you little mess.”

Wen Nuan pretended to know nothing and then asked him, “What happened? What mischief has Lele gotten into this time?”

Gu Qinghan set the basin down on the table, walked over to Wen Nuan with a smile on his face, and leaned down to look at her. “Didn’t you send her to find me?”

Wen Nuan was caught and burst into laughter. “Well, it’s the same whether you wash one item or two. Why are you arguing with her? Just hurry up and change her clothes.”

“No rush.” Gu Qinghan picked up Lele with one arm and took the bathing basin with the other, then walked out into the yard, leaving Wen Nuan wondering what he was planning to do.

Wen Nuan decided not to pay them any mind and focused on preparing dinner, hoping to eat and get to bed early.

However, when she went outside to gather eggs, she saw Lele squatting next to the bathing basin, her chubby little hands resembling lotus roots, working hard to scrub the clothes she had changed out of while showering.

Just then, Gu Qinghan came out with a washboard. Lele, giggling, picked up her wet clothes and swung them around, splashing water everywhere, completely soaking herself in the process.

Wen Nuan looked at the wet yard and the drenched little Lele. Wen Nuan couldn’t help but slap her husband’s arm in frustration. “Why are you letting her wash? Isn’t this just playing around?”

To her surprise, Gu Qinghan looked at Wen Nuan with righteous indignation and said, “Your daughter insisted on washing her clothes. If I didn’t let her, she would cry.”

Lele looked at her parents as she held the soaked skirt, then burst into laughter.

Wen Nuan shot a glance at the father-daughter duo, grabbed the eggs from the chicken coop, and headed back to the kitchen. “Keep playing, and later, you can give her another bath.”

This time, Gu Qinghan readily agreed, “No problem.”

—o—o—o—

Before long, it was August, and the loudspeaker in the compound announced a notice.

On the last day of September, there would be a Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day celebration held in the large auditorium of the compound, and each department could report one or two performances.

When Wen Nuan went to the logistics kitchen to find Sister Juxiang, she overheard several departments discussing this year’s performances—those from the Propaganda Department, Logistics Department, and Communications Department were all chattering excitedly.

Wen Nuan also heard that leaders from the capital would come to visit the soldiers, and there were whispers that there would be rewards for this event.

Wen Nuan had expected that when she returned to the kitchen, everyone would be buzzing with excitement over the upcoming celebration.

However, the kitchen staff was as quiet as chickens, as if they hadn’t received any notice at all.

Everyone was focused on their tasks, completely unaware of what the celebration was.

Even Quartermaster Luo didn’t take the announcement seriously; for two consecutive days, he had yet to call the soldiers in the kitchen for a meeting to discuss performing at the event. Was it possible that they wouldn’t be able to participate in this celebration?

The weather was hot, and that afternoon, Wen Nuan cleaned the soaked lilies and red beans, preparing to make a lotus seed, lily, and red bean soup to help everyone cool down.

As the syrup simmered to nearly readiness, the others had temporarily finished their tasks and gathered around the pot to watch the syrup.

Old Zhong stood by with an empty bowl and asked Wen Nuan, “These red beans have already opened up; how much longer do they need to cook?”

With the weather being so hot over the past two months, Wen Nuan had been making various sweet soups. Old Zhong had gone from taking a few sips of liquor daily to now drinking a bowl of the sweet soup Wen Nuan made every day.

Upon hearing Old Zhong’s question, Wen Nuan took two pieces of soaked dried tangerine peel from a basin nearby, used scissors to cut them into strips, and added them to the pot with the red beans.

“Just simmer for another ten minutes,” Wen Nuan said.

Old Zhong’s face, which had been scrunched up in a bitter expression, now resembled a deflated eggplant. “Another ten minutes? It looks like it’s already done!”

As he spoke, Old Zhong hid his bowl behind him.

Wen Nuan remembered the celebration and, since she wasn’t busy at the moment, curiously asked Old Zhong beside her, “Why haven’t we heard Quartermaster Luo arrange anyone to participate in the National Day celebration?”

As soon as Wen Nuan spoke, Old Zhong laughed heartily. “That Old Luo probably couldn’t be bothered to report any performances. Our kitchen staff is just here to fill space every year so we don’t embarrass ourselves.”

Compared to other departments, their kitchen team didn’t have many people, and on the day of the celebration, they would still have to cook. They preferred to sit in the audience and watch rather than participate.

Moreover, more importantly, half of their kitchen staff were rough and tough men, while the other half were family members from the compound, making them seriously lacking in artistic talent.

At these events, most of the spotlight usually fell on the Cultural Department and the Propaganda Department, so Quartermaster Luo would randomly select a lucky little soldier each year to sing or recite something, easing the pressure on everyone.

Wen Nuan chuckled. “So, are we planning to report a solo performance this year or something?”

“Who knows?” Old Zhong peered under the pot lid, sneaking a look at the red bean soup before adding, “Old Luo is so indecisive; he probably won’t finalize the program until the last moment.”

Just as they were talking about him, Quartermaster Luo Luo Qingjun overheard and strode in with a scowl. “What bad things are you saying about me now? As soon as I leave, you all start gossiping. Old Zhong, you’re the first to take a hit.”

Old Zhong saw people coming and said, “What can I say to you? I can only praise your wisdom and strength. Every year, you make the annual gala easier for us.”

Quartermaster Luo noticed everyone gathered around the large iron pot, which was steaming, and out of curiosity, he lifted the lid. However, he quickly recoiled his hand after receiving a light slap on the wrist from Old Zhong.

Meeting Old Zhong’s gaze, Quartermaster Luo snorted, “Do you think I don’t want to shine at the gala? Why don’t you all tell me which one of us can put on a good show? You lazy bunch! Last year, when I asked you to perform a quire, you all refused!”

Old Zhong was unhappy and retorted, “Who said we didn’t want to? Do you think we have that kind of time?”

Except for winter and spring, the dining hall of the troops had to serve late-night meals during the summer and autumn seasons, especially for the Flight Crew, as the flight team still needed to train at night, which required another meal to be prepared.

Quartermaster Luo waved his hand dismissively. “Alright, anyway, we are always under someone’s shadow. Even if you practice hard, can you outshine the women from the cultural department?”

It was well-known that the majority of the troops were male comrades, and they were tired of only seeing their fellow men. The annual gala provided a great opportunity; everyone wanted to see the women sing and dance.

Moreover, the cultural department’s artists were professionals, each one versatile and skilled, far surpassing their level. It was entirely normal for them to take the top spots.

Quartermaster Luo sighed again. In fact, he himself could play the accordion. After all, this performance was related to the honor of the Kitchen Team, and he wanted to take the lead personally. Yet, there was no one on the kitchen team who could help him.

Feeling quite troubled, he had developed blisters on his lips and wanted to drink some sugared water to cool off.

Just as he was about to lift the lid again to see what kind of sugared water there was today, he heard Wen Nuan ask, “How about we try something different this year? We could combine singing with recitation. How does that sound?”

Yang Xiaomei, who had entered the dining hall with Sister Juxiang, had a beautiful singing voice, which Wen Nuan had heard before.

Everyone turned to look at Wen Nuan, and a sudden thought struck them. How could they have forgotten their Kitchen Team’s most attractive member?

Comrade Wen Nuan was so beautiful; it would be different to have her go up and sing!

It was definitely better than sending some random big guy up there.

Feeling everyone’s gaze, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Why are you all looking at me? Didn’t they say that if you won this gala, they would give you a whole lamb as a reward? If our Kitchen Team wins this time, wouldn’t a whole roasted lamb be delicious?!”

Delicious!

So delicious!

Even though they hadn’t seen it or tasted it yet, they could already imagine the mouthwatering aroma of the roasted lamb!

In the past, they might not have craved it so much, but since Wen Nuan joined the Kitchen Team, even the most ordinary dishes turned out to be special.

If they could win a big, fat lamb, wouldn’t they tempt the whole troop?

Quartermaster Luo also imagined the scene in his mind and couldn’t help but swallow. He looked at Wen Nuan and then smiled, saying, “It doesn’t matter whether we can win a whole lamb back. What’s important is that our Kitchen Team hasn’t had any new ideas for many years. For the honor of our Kitchen Team, let’s do something different this year, just as you suggested.”

Wen Nuan laughed, “I’ll be the first to sign up for the Kitchen Team.”

The whole roasted lamb was too enticing!

As soon as Xiao Zhu saw that Wen Nuan was the first to sign up, he quickly raised his hand as well. “I’m from the border, and I can play the Erhu. I’m signing up!”

Quartermaster Luo, true to his word, raised his voice, “Come on, come on! Since we don’t have to prepare dinner yet, let’s call over the ground crew and the logistics crew. We’re having a quick meeting.”

Hearing this, Old Zhong gritted his teeth and glared at Quartermaster Luo. “Luo Qingjun, can’t you be a bit more reliable? I’m still waiting to eat sugared water; can’t we have the meeting a little later?”

Upon hearing Old Zhong’s words, everyone noticed that Wen Nuan was already stirring the steaming red bean paste with a ladle. Even though it was still piping hot, the summer heat made it feel even more stifling.

But the hint of sweetness in the air made them think it would be better to have some sugared water first…

Quartermaster Luo thought the same and grabbed a clean bowl from the side, preparing to receive some from Wen Nuan.

He hissed, “Alright then, let’s eat the sugared water first and discuss things slowly afterward.”

Wen Nuan met everyone’s gaze and smiled as she set the ladle down. “What’s the rush? The sugared water needs to cool down to taste good. Let’s go have the meeting first.”

With Wen Nuan’s words, everyone lowered their heads and followed Quartermaster Luo to the open space between a few dining halls.

When Quartermaster Luo announced that they were preparing a program for the gala, many people felt disinterested, knowing they had little to no talent to showcase.

Yang Xiaomei walked up behind Wen Nuan and whispered, “Comrade Wen Nuan, are you going to sign up?”

Seeing Yang Xiaomei approach, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “I’ve already signed up.”

Upon hearing this, without thinking twice, Yang Xiaomei raised her hand. “I want to sign up too!”

Deng Juxiang had long noticed that Yang Xiaomei always came over to Wen Nuan’s side to “compete for attention.” Feeling a bit indignant, she asked Wen Nuan, “Little Nuan, if I sign up, is there anything I could do?”

Then, with a blush, Deng Juxiang said, “I can’t sing or dance… and I don’t look as good as you two.”

Wen Nuan raised an eyebrow. “Sister Juxiang, you can do it! I’ll arrange something for you.”

In fact, Deng Juxiang wasn’t unattractive; it was just that most people from this era were simple in appearance. She simply didn’t like to wear bright colors. Plus, Sister Juxiang was only a year older than Sister Guihua.

Deng Juxiang thought that she surely wouldn’t be chosen, but unexpectedly, when Wen Nuan said this, she raised her hand to sign up as well.

Old Zhong, watching everyone eagerly sign up, felt a surge of excitement himself. Just then, he overheard Wen Nuan offering to help arrange something for Deng Juxiang, so he called out, “I can play the bamboo flute; I’ll give it a try.”

When Wen Nuan heard Old Zhong’s booming voice, she couldn’t help but look over, surprised. “Squad leader Zhao, you’re indeed full of surprises! I didn’t expect you to play the bamboo flute; that’s amazing!”

Old Zhong’s imposing figure made it hard for Wen Nuan to imagine him playing the bamboo flute.

Hearing Wen Nuan’s praise, Old Zhong scratched the back of his head, feeling a mix of embarrassment and a hint of excitement for the first time. “For the honor of the Kitchen Team, I’ll give it a shot.”

After all, ever since he joined the army, he had often feared being ridiculed and hadn’t touched such things.

Quartermaster Luo hadn’t expected the Kitchen Team to be so eager to participate this time. Why hadn’t these people spoken up before?

It turned out they had a few talents up their sleeves!

Quartermaster Luo felt a mix of anger and secret delight, realizing that the roasted lamb was already halfway to their mouths, and his mood instantly brightened.

He called Wen Nuan over and said, “Comrade Wen Nuan, you’ll be in charge of organizing this performance.”

Then he handed her the list he was holding. “Here’s the sign-up sheet. It lists the instruments everyone is good at, but some people didn’t write anything. You can decide how to arrange it.”

Wen Nuan took the list, glanced through it, and then asked, “Really? You’re letting me take charge?”

“For the sake of the roasted lamb! And I trust you!” After Quartermaster Luo’s speech, he turned around, leaving in a hurry.

Just as Quartermaster Luo walked away, he spotted Old Zhong hurriedly making his way back to the kitchen. This made him unhappy again, and he grabbed Old Zhong, huffing, “You’ve known me for six or seven years, yet you never told me you could play the bamboo flute!”

Old Zhong broke free from his grip and shot back, “Well, you didn’t tell me you could play the accordion either!”

Quartermaster Luo felt a bit guilty, but Old Zhong had already dashed toward the Flight Crew kitchen, seemingly in a hurry for something.

But in the next moment, Quartermaster Luo remembered the pot of sugared water and immediately sprinted toward the kitchen.

He just knew this group of foodies was always thinking about eating!

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, at the military district hospital, Gu Qinglan had just finished writing that day’s work report.

She was preparing to change out of her uniform to sneak into the family compound for some sugared water.

However, before she could change, Gu Qinglan heard someone in the lobby calling out, “Qinglan, First Lieutenant Li is looking for you!”

Li Daxiang had been promoted to First Lieutenant last month, and quite a few people at the nurse’s station had come to her asking about him, but Gu Qinglan had declined to share any details.

She didn’t know much about Li Daxiang herself, and she didn’t want to set anyone to him randomly. If things went wrong, it could easily lead to trouble.

While thinking this, Gu Qinglan quickly changed her clothes, grabbed her army-green messenger bag, and hurried out of the hospital lobby.

When she saw Li Daxiang, she went straight to the point. “Daxiang, I’m heading to my brother’s house. What’s up?”

Then, sensing the curious gazes of her colleagues, she added, “Let’s talk while we walk.”

Li Daxiang nodded, “Sure.”

As they walked, Gu Qinglan noticed the several skewers of candied hawthorn in Li Daxiang’s hand and chuckled. “Did you go to town? Why did you buy so many tanghulu?”

She had always thought that guys weren’t really into sweets, just like her brother, who didn’t care much for them. Sometimes, he would share a skewer with her sister-in-law, but he would rarely finish it.

She couldn’t tell if this was a show of affection or if he really didn’t like sweets…

Li Daxiang seemed a bit uncomfortable as he pressed his lips together, then smiled. “I happened to go to town for supplies and remembered you said you liked them, so I bought some for you.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinglan smiled and asked, “Oh, that’s great! I haven’t had time to go to town lately, so it’s been a while since I’ve eaten them.”

“By the way, how much did you spend on these? I’ll pay you back,” she said, rummaging through her messenger bag. Luckily, she found some spare change.

Just as Gu Qinglan was about to pull out her money, she heard Li Daxiang say, “No need. It’s just a few skewers of candied hawthorn.”

Gu Qinglan hesitated, but Li Daxiang had already handed her the tanghulu, and he said: “I often go over to your sister-in-law’s place to get free food and drinks, so I really can’t take your money for these.”

Gu Qinglan happily accepted the tanghulu but thought for a moment and still handed him a skewer. “Alright, then I’ll treat you next time.”

“By the way, what snacks do you like? I can get you some next time I go to town. Do you like peach crisps?”

Li Daxiang replied, “N-No, that’s fine.”

Gu Qinglan smiled. “I have to! I still haven’t congratulated you on your promotion to First Lieutenant. It’s only fair that I treat you.”

Li Daxiang had indeed been through a lot with her, and in a sense, it wasn’t inappropriate for Gu Qinglan to call him “brother.”

The last time they went to the countryside, he had helped her with so many things, and Gu Qinglan still hadn’t properly thanked him.

Seeing that Gu Qinglan was serious, Li Daxiang casually mentioned peach crisps.

Gu Qinglan noted it down. “Okay, if I get some next time, I’ll bring them to you.”

Li Daxiang smiled back. “Sounds good.”

Gu Qinglan immediately looked over at him and said, “Then? I can’t talk with you right now. I’m in a hurry to go to my sister-in-law’s house. I’ll see you later.”

Li Daxiang, who was still holding the two movie tickets in his hand, was about to speak up, but Gu Qinglan had already run off toward the family compound.

—o—o—o—

When Li Daxiang returned to the dormitory, Erhu had gathered around him and asked, “I heard from Monkey that you went to town. Did you bring back anything good to eat?”

“No.” Li Daxiang replied gloomily, and then he felt the movie tickets in his pocket, pulled them out, and handed them over, saying, “I just happened to find two movie tickets. You can go see it with Comrade Chen.”

Erhu looked at the movie tickets and smiled, “A good brother remembers us. I was still worried about how to find an excuse to visit my Fengjiao at home.”

Then Erhu continued, “Your luck is too good, right? You even found movie tickets! It’s true that when people encounter joyful events, their spirits brighten. You got promoted to First Lieutenant, and your luck has improved too.”

Li Daxiang thought, “……”

This luck was indeed not as good as he imagined.

—o—o—o—

That night, Wen Nuan returned home a bit late. Lele had already eaten dinner at Sister Guihua’s place and let out a big burp when she was brought home.

Sister Guihua was truly good to little Lele. Wen Nuan had thought that after Lele was weaned, she would slim down, but two or three months had passed, and it seemed like she had gained a bit more weight than before.

Wen Nuan figured that Sister Guihua must have fed Lele plenty of meat.

After returning home, Lele went over to the Eight Immortals table, grabbed a cup of water, and gulped down a few sips. Once she finished, she exaggeratedly opened her mouth wide and let out a loud “Ha!”

Wen Nuan patted her belly and said, “You little rascal, how much have you eaten? Look at your bloated belly!”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan talking about her, Lele quickly covered her ears and shook her head, saying, “I’m not listening! I’m not listening!”

Wen Nuan truly felt powerless against her.

However, Wen Nuan still made some mung bean soup to help Lele cool down.

Just as the mung bean soup was ready, Gu Qinghan and Gu Qinglan came back together.

Wen Nuan scooped a few bowls and placed them on the Eight Immortals table to cool. But little Lele seemed insatiable; seeing food on the table, she reached out to grab some.

Wen Nuan lightly slapped her hand and said, “Wait a minute; it’s still very hot!”

Lele didn’t believe her and immediately leaned over the table, trying to touch it. She barely grazed the edge of the bowl when she quickly withdrew her hand and pouted her lips.

Wen Nuan chuckled, “I told you it’s hot, but you didn’t believe me!”

Saying this, Wen Nuan took the bowls of mung bean soup back to the kitchen, fearing that she might actually burn Lele.

Lele had indeed burned her little hand and was scolded by Wen Nuan. When she saw Gu Qinghan come back, she rushed over to him, hugging his leg with a pitiful look, her head tilted back as she said, “Daddy, it hurts.”

Gu Qinghan immediately picked Lele up and asked her, “Where does it hurt?”

She held out her little hand, which was red from the burn, and said, “My hand hurts.”

Seeing that Gu Qinghan had already picked her up, Wen Nuan couldn’t help but scold, “Lele has already eaten at Sister Guihua’s place and just drank a belly full of water. I left a bowl of mung bean soup on the table, and she still wanted to eat more.”

“She really can eat a lot!”

Gu Qinghan patted Lele’s belly, which was indeed round and full, clearly indicating she had eaten quite a bit.

He said, “You really can eat. Don’t eat anymore; you still need to drink milk later.”

When Lele realized both her parents were scolding her, she immediately struggled to get down and then ran to Gu Qinglan, saying, “Auntie.”

Gu Qinglan was worried that Lele would discover the candied hawthorn in her bag. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to share; the key was that her brother and sister-in-law wouldn’t allow it!

Gu Qinglan pinched Lele’s round, chubby face and smiled, “Be good, listen to Daddy and Mommy, and don’t eat too much.”

Unexpectedly, Lele huffed and walked to the doorway, sitting on the threshold and glaring at the hens pecking around in the yard in frustration.

Wen Nuan sat down on the wooden sofa to take a break and then asked, “Qinglan, are you participating in the National Day gala?”

Gu Qinglan finally found the opportunity to eat her candied hawthorn and shook her head, saying, “I’m too busy; I don’t want to participate.”

Then she curiously looked at Wen Nuan and asked, “Sister-in-law, are you participating?”

Wen Nuan nodded, saying, “The first prize is a lamb, of course, I’m going to join!”

At that moment, Gu Qinghan had just cut an apple and poked a small piece with a toothpick, bringing it to Wen Nuan’s mouth. Hearing her words, he asked, “Are you participating?”

“Yes,” Wen Nuan replied as she ate the piece of apple, smiling as she said, “Just wait for my performance!”

Gu Qinghan frowned slightly and then asked, “Singing or dancing?”

Just thinking about the fact that the National Day gala would have even more people than the New Year’s celebration, and that so many people would be watching his wife perform, made him feel a bit uneasy.

Wen Nuan opened her mouth, signaling Gu Qinghan to give her another piece. “I haven’t decided yet; the logistics officer asked me to arrange it.”

Gu Qinglan exclaimed, “I’m looking forward to my sister-in-law’s performance! You’ll definitely win first prize!”

Oh no, a lamb—how was she going to cook that?!

“Don’t stuff yourself to death!”

Wen Nuan shot her a glance, calling her out, “You’re just thinking about eating, aren’t you?”

“Hehe.” Gu Qinglan quickly finished off a stick of candied hawthorn before replying, “Being able to eat is a blessing. Look at how lucky Lele and I are!”

Wen Nuan lightly clicked her tongue and said, “But I heard from the logistics officer that every year, the Cultural Arts Department and the Publicity Department steal the spotlight. If you want to win first place, you really have to put in some effort.”

Gu Qinglan replied, “No worries. The second place gets thirty catty of pork, and the third place gets a big fat goose. Sister-in-law is so talented; there’s no way she won’t make it into the top three.”

Wen Nuan was aiming for the lamb, muttering, “Just don’t know how they’ll judge…”

These competitions were different from sports events like running or tug-of-war, where everyone relied on their skills. These mainly depended on personal ratings, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, making it hard to please all the judges.

Gu Qinghan wrapped his arm around his wife and said, “I’m one of the judges.”

Gu Qinglan raised her eyebrows, “Isn’t that perfect? Big brother, remember to give my sister-in-law and the others high scores.”

Gu Qinghan replied, “……”

“Depends on the situation.”

Wen Nuan felt that was reasonable but also a bit bittersweet.

However, this was indeed Gu Qinghan’s style—not playing favorites.

Wen Nuan glanced at the man and thought of his clothing choices, snorting, “What I’m most afraid of is that you don’t know how to appreciate things…”

Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow in confusion, “?”

After chatting for a while, Wen Nuan noticed it was getting late, so she planned to take Lele for a bath first.

However, just as she stepped out of the yard, she saw that little Lele had kicked over the plate that held the chicken feed.

Wen Nuan placed her hands on her hips and shouted, “Gu Wanyue, you pick that plate up right now!”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s voice, Lele ran back into the house, fearing that she would be caught.

She even clung to Gu Qinghan’s leg, looking pitiful as she said, “Daddy, save me.”

“No one can save you, not even the King of Heaven!”

Seeing that his wife had come in with a not-so-happy expression, Gu Qinghan pushed Lele out and said, “Go pick up the things quickly.”

Lele looked at Gu Qinghan, then at Wen Nuan, and finally chose to walk over to Wen Nuan, whimpering, “Mommy, I’m sorry.”

“Lele was wrong…”

Wen Nuan was momentarily taken aback.

In an instant, she softened and picked Lele up, walking back into the yard.

She patiently said to her, “You knocked over the plate, and now the chickens can’t eat. If they can’t eat, they won’t lay eggs…”

On the other side, Gu Qinghan also stepped out, watching the figures of his wife and child, a slight smile curled at the corners of his mouth.