Chapter 65

After General Lu got into the car that Lu Wei had arranged, they set off toward the Wen family’s ancestral hall.

Wen Nuan’s hometown was not near the train station; it was in a neighboring city, and it would take two to three hours to drive there.

Seeing General Lu in the passenger seat, Lu Wei asked, “Uncle Lu, are you sure that this Comrade Wen Nuan is the person you’re looking for?”

Lu Mingfei had been quite certain before, but after seeing the photograph of Wen Nuan’s mother, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

General Lu replied, “Let’s go see for ourselves. I can’t believe it’s just a coincidence. Besides, Wen Nuan was born in the same month as my granddaughter and shares the same surname as my daughter-in-law.”

Hearing this, Lu Wei felt he shouldn’t ask too many questions. Since General Lu had come all this way, he would surely want to clarify things before giving up.

Lu Wei continued, “Uncle Lu, the Wen family has four children: three daughters and one son, with the son being the youngest. The three daughters are all married, while the youngest son isn’t married yet, but I’ve heard he’s already in a relationship.”

General Lu nodded. “I saw that in the materials just now.”

As Lu Wei drove, he added, “Before Comrade Wen Nuan married Comrade Gu Qinghan, something else happened. During the Down to the Countryside Movement, Mother Wen insisted that Comrade Wen Nuan go to the countryside, leaving her son in the city. Comrade Wen Nuan refused, and Mother Wen said she would arrange for Comrade Wen Nuan to marry a man with a facial birthmark because he could afford to pay a hundred yuan as a betrothal gift, but she later rejected him.”

General Lu’s brows knitted together, almost forming a knot. “What? Isn’t this selling daughters?”

Lu Wei nodded and continued, “The Wen family valued sons over daughters. Mother Wen carefully selected the husbands of the three daughters who married, and they received a significant bride price. However, the dowry consisted of only two enamel basins, nothing more.”

General Lu frowned again. “What about Wen Nuan?”

Lu Wei replied, “The same for her. She also received only two basins when she got married.”

However, as far as he knew, Gu Qinghan had given the Wen family a bride price of one hundred and twenty yuan, which wasn’t a small amount.

He added, “Moreover after Wen Nuan got married, Mother Wen repeatedly went to her for money. Just before she went to Northern City, Mother Wen even cornered Wen Nuan and her child at the entrance of a state-run restaurant because she wanted money. Fortunately, a neighbor helped intervene at that time, so Wen Nuan and her child were not harmed.”

General Lu’s eyes showed a cold glint as he snorted, “Such things happened?”

It seemed the Wen family valued sons over daughters and had their eyes fixed on money. However, this wasn’t entirely bad; at least it meant that money could compel this family to speak the truth.

He had originally thought about concealing his identity to recognize his relatives. Still, now it seemed that his status as a general would make it easier for him to get them to open up.

A keen light flashed in General Lu’s eyes, and he said to Lu Wei, “Lu Wei, I plan to stay here for two days. You will go to their home and inquire about them during this time. Tell them that I am looking for relatives and share the circumstances of Wen Nuan’s birth while subtly hinting at my identity. Also, mention that there are leads regarding the child, and I will offer them a reward.”

Lu Wei was taken aback for a moment. He had assumed that General Lu was traveling without an assistant to conceal his identity.

However, upon further thought, he realized that General Lu’s approach made sense. The Wen family was so greedy that if Wen Nuan’s background truly had issues, they would probably reveal everything as soon as they heard about General Lu’s identity.

Moreover, according to Mother Wen and their scheming nature, they might not tell the truth during the first visit, as it would depend on whether they deemed his identity credible.

—o—o—o—

Following General Lu’s instructions, Lu Wei disguised himself as his assistant and carried the photograph left by General Lu’s son as he went to the Wen family to inquire about the child.

During his first visit, he encountered a laid-back young man who was blowing hot air and clearly knew nothing.

It was only during his second visit that he met Mother Wen. Upon seeing the photograph, she froze in place but didn’t acknowledge it on the spot.

Lu Wei wasn’t foolish; he simply left her fifty cents as a reward for keeping an eye out for any news about the child and asked her to call him if she had any information.

That fifty cents indeed left Mother Wen feeling uneasy for most of the day.

When her husband and son returned home, she brought up Lu Wei’s visit.

“Old Wen, today I ran into someone who said they had been looking for that child for years. That family seems quite wealthy. That person even gave me fifty cents, saying it was for me to help keep an eye out. What do you think…?”

Meanwhile, Wen Wenkang squatted on a chair, gnawing on a guava, and asked, “Mom, what are you talking about? What child? What money?”

However, Father Wen understood immediately and stood up from his chair. “What?!”

Mother Wen couldn’t be bothered to deal with Wen Wenkang and said, “I’m serious! I saw that person’s photograph, and she looks exactly like that woman from back then!”

Speaking of that time, Mother Wen couldn’t help but recall her memories.

When she had given birth to her third child, a baby boy, he had unfortunately died before he was even two months old.

While burying the child, she had encountered a woman lying in the woods, on the brink of death, with a four-month-old baby in her arms.

She still remembered the woman’s extremely beautiful face, although she appeared somewhat weak. The woman had told her that she had contracted a lung infection after a flood and was in life-threatening condition.

Mother Wen couldn’t quite remember the woman’s name, but after hearing about her child’s death, the woman had asked her to help take the baby to the police station so it could be sent back to her husband’s family.

Of course, Mother Wen had refused. She wasn’t a saint, and besides, their family was struggling to make ends meet at that time. Families would abandon extra daughters without a second thought, so how could she possibly meddle in someone else’s affairs?

However, the woman had then pulled out a stack of cash, a large gold pendant, and a photograph that the flood had ruined. Although it was all stuck together, it was evident that a significant amount of money was involved.

It was the 1950s, and a small fortune had just landed in Mother Wen’s hands. It was as if she was destined to get rich, so without a second thought, she grabbed the stack of money and agreed to the deal. However, when she asked the woman to reveal her husband’s name and address, the woman repeated them several times, and only then did Mother Wen realize she could not read or write. It was pointless; she simply could not remember!

Soon after, the woman disappeared, leaving behind a crying child, some money, and a blurred photograph.

At that time, Mother Wen had also lost a son. When she saw the woman’s child, who appeared to be healthy and well-formed, she instinctively thought it was a boy. She felt it would be fine to bring a son back to raise.

Who would have guessed that upon returning home, Mother Wen discovered the child was actually a girl? How had she looked so much like an energetic boy at first glance?

Overwhelmed, Mother Wen considered abandoning the child in the woods, planning to let nature take its course.

However, when Father Wen finds out, he feels guilty. After all, the child’s mother had already passed away, and Mother Wen had taken the woman’s money. Fearing retribution, he insisted they keep the child.

That child was none other than Wen Nuan.

The name had also been given by the woman, who happened to share the same surname, Wen.

At that time, their family had just lost another child, and since no one was aware of it yet, Wen Nuan’s arrival did not attract anyone’s attention.

Thus, they raised her quietly.

Unbeknownst to them, Wen Nuan’s biological father seemed rather powerful.

Father Wen let out a hum and glanced at Mother Wen. “In that era, for a woman to be able to produce such a large sum of money and gold, she couldn’t have been an ordinary person.”

Mother Wen smiled. “No wonder you insisted on keeping the child back then!”

Father Wen pressed his lips together, not wanting to engage with her further. Instead, he said, “You need to call that man back and tell him the child is living in our home.”

Mother Wen replied, “Isn’t that just nonsense? Wen Nuan has gone to Northern City now; how could she still be here? Where are we supposed to find that child?”

Father Wen chuckled and glanced at Mother Wen. “You’re being shortsighted and stubborn. Listen carefully, my dear. If that family inquires, you should say that Wen Nuan was able to marry Gu Qinghan because we painstakingly found her a good husband. That’s all our doing!”

“This situation only works because Wen Nuan has gone to Northern City. Have you considered how many letters you’ve sent her? Has she ever sent you any money in return?”

Mother Wen pondered this and realized that since Wen Nuan had gone to Northern City, it was as if she had vanished. Not to mention money; even her replies had decreased significantly.

Mother Wen nodded. “Alright, I understand now.”

Meanwhile, Wen Wenkang finally grasped the situation. In truth, he had known since his time in the countryside that Wen Nuan was not their biological child, but he had kept silent. He always believed that it was only right for Wen Nuan to help support the family, considering they had raised her for so many years. It was time for her to contribute and repay their kindness.

Wen Wenkang asked, “Mom, do you think I should go and acknowledge that family?”

Mother Wen irritably slapped her foolish son on the head. “If you were a girl, I would have thought about sending you over ages ago!”

Otherwise, how could such a good family be associated with Wen Nuan?

However, there was no other choice. They could only hope this family would be reasonable, considering they had raised Wen Nuan to adulthood and even married her to a pilot. Surely, they would give them some money…

—o—o—o—

When Gu Qinghan arrived at Factory 112, Shenyang had already seen its first snowfall.

He instructed someone to take the meatballs Wen Nuan had prepared to the cafeteria, telling them to have the cafeteria staff arrange to handle it.

Then, he headed directly to Liu Mingfei’s office. Liu Mingfei had called him over, saying the previous vibration issue had yet to be resolved.

Gu Qinghan walked quickly to the office and knocked on the door. “Comrade Liu, it’s me, Gu Qinghan.”

A voice came from behind the door, “Come in.”

Inside the office, aside from Liu Minghua, was Vice Principal Yan from the Air Force’s 11th Flight School. When they saw Gu Qinghan enter, they quickly waved him over. “Vice Captain Gu, you finally made it.”

Liu Minghua had specifically called to ask him to come over as soon as possible. Seeing the two men looking worried, Gu Qinghan asked, “What’s the matter?”

Liu Mingfei said, “After your test flight, you mentioned that the aircraft experienced vibrations during acceleration. We added some vortex generators, but the problem hasn’t been resolved. So I plan to fly with you to observe the airflow and interference issues.”

Gu Qinghan walked in and took a seat across from the two men. He glanced at Liu Mingfei and then said, “No, your body won’t allow it.”

Liu Minghua was about 175 to 178 centimeters tall, but he was very thin. Years of high-intensity work had left him looking somewhat haggard. Despite only being in his thirties, he appeared close to forty. With such physical conditions, he would struggle to endure even a few laps of flying, let alone the acceleration during transonic flight.

Liu Minghua was momentarily taken aback but then smiled. “I can’t hide anything from you. The flight doctor examined me and said I was malnourished. However, it’s not a solution to keep the vibration problem unresolved; I have to get up there and figure out what’s going on.”

Gu Qinghan remained firm: “Not right now. However, you can eat the in-flight meals for a month to improve your health. After that, have the flight doctor check you again, and I’ll decide whether to take you up with me.”

Gu Qinghan understood the issues with the new fighter jets, but he also had to take responsibility for Liu Minghua’s health. Unlike ordinary aircraft, even if Liu Minghua appeared physically weak, anyone going up in a fighter jet had to undergo a series of medical examinations. Only if all his health metrics were up to standard would Gu Qinghan allow him to join.

Vice Principal Yan chuckled and said, “Old Liu, you should listen to Vice Captain Gu. Put the flying plans on hold for now and focus on getting your health sorted out this month.”

Liu Minghua sighed and said softly, “It can only be this way.”

After the meeting, Gu Qinghan did not rest but went to the training ground.

Vice Principal Yan had selected two students from the flight school to serve as his assistants, hoping to cultivate more pilots to lighten Gu Qinghan’s burden.

They all understood that Gu Qinghan could not stay with them for long; his other tasks were far more important than this test flight.

When Gu Qinghan had visited previously, he left behind his old flight notes. After some time spent exploring, he was finally able to select two relatively outstanding students.

Gu Qinghan had no objections. If he could indeed train two capable pilots, he wouldn’t need to come here as frequently. He took them out one by one for a flight, and by the time they landed, it was already evening.

The test flight experts were hesitant to let Gu Qinghan fly a third time, fearing not only his stamina but also the potential hazards posed by the snow and wind. They said, “Vice Captain Gu, let’s go have dinner first.”

Although it was the chilly early winter, Gu Qinghan’s flight suit was already soaked with sweat. Hearing the test Flight Crew’s suggestion, he returned to his lodging to change out of his flight suit.

When he arrived at the cafeteria, he found Liu Minghua and Shen Bairong arguing again over the data issues. The couple was unwilling to back down, their faces flushed as they argued heatedly in the cafeteria.

Gu Qinghan did not see this situation for the first time. Holding his own lunchbox, he first got his dinner.

Xiao Feng from the cafeteria recognized him. Seeing him arrive, he smiled and said, “Vice Captain Gu, I was originally going to make those meatballs for you tonight, but I’m not sure how to make them tasty. Also, those bags of dried vegetables—are they for soup?”

When someone had brought over a dozen catties of meatballs earlier, he had been shocked. He initially thought they were soup balls, but he found that they were all meatballs, along with several bags of various dried vegetable ingredients. He didn’t know whether they were for soup or something else.

He had set them aside, planning to ask Gu Qinghan how to handle them once he saw him.

Gu Qinghan pressed his lips together, then recalled that his wife had left him notes when she packed his things. He said, “Xiao Feng, could you check inside those bags? My wife should have left a note there; she probably wrote down the recipe.”

Upon hearing Gu Qinghan mention his wife, Xiao Feng’s eyes brightened. He said: “So it was my sister-in-law who made it? That’s impressive!”

He had thought that the Northern City troops were specially preparing meals for Gu Qinghan, fearing he wouldn’t adapt to their food.

He never expected it was Vice Captain Gu’s wife who had made the heartwarming meals.

Gu Qinghan raised his eyebrows and nodded appreciatively. “Yes, her cooking is quite good.”

When Xiao Feng heard this, he laughed and said, “Then Vice Captain Gu, wait for me for five minutes. I’ll check how to prepare it and add some for you.”

Gu Qinghan said, “There’s no need to go to so much trouble; just bring me something to eat.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng filled a large lunchbox with dinner for him. He then walked into the storage room, rummaging through the items Gu Qinghan had brought. Sure enough, he found a note written in beautiful handwriting by a young female comrade.

It contained cooking instructions that were very straightforward!

[Comrade, these meatballs are made from minced pork, fish, and fresh mushrooms. They can be used for soup or as hot pot ingredients; just boil until they float to the surface. The seasoning packets can be used for noodles or hot pot broth, with both spicy and non-spicy options. Boil for three to five minutes. The ingredients do not keep well, so please enjoy them together.]

In truth, Wen Nuan had intended these dishes for Liu Minghua and his wife, considering there wasn’t much food. However, Gu Qinghan mentioned that Liu Minghua and his wife hardly had time to cook, relying on cafeteria meals for all three meals a day.

Thus, it made sense to bring it to the cafeteria, allowing the Flight Crew to share the meal. They had a few cooking facilities on their side, but not many people used them.

After Xiao Feng finished reading the note, someone in the cafeteria remarked, “I didn’t expect Vice Captain Gu’s wife to make such impressive dishes. Are they convenient?”

“And they have both meat and vegetables; it looks quite plentiful,” another added.

“I’ve seen those vegetable packs; they even have summer vegetables. I just wonder how she manages to do it. Unlike us, who can only eat cabbage, potatoes, and radishes once winter arrives,” someone else chimed in.

“It seems we have to learn a thing or two from her.”

“Why don’t we make one for Vice Captain Gu to try first?”

Everyone looked at the note, which was written so simply. They thought they could quickly prepare the food, especially since they noticed the meatballs seemed to be cooked; if they were raw, they wouldn’t be so bouncy.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinghan vaguely heard people praising Wen Nuan and couldn’t help but smile. He then took his lunchbox over to where Liu Minghua and the others were.

Seeing Gu Qinghan arrive, Liu Minghua quickly rattled off some data about new fighter jets, wanting him to weigh in. “Vice Captain Gu, you’ve test-flown so many times; tell me if what I said is correct.”

Gu Qinghan pulled out a chair and sat down, placing his lunchbox on the table. “How about we eat first? Your food is getting cold.”

Liu Minghua and Shen Bairong had arrived half an hour earlier, and with the snow falling in Shenyang today, their food had indeed gone cold.

They had initially planned to just eat quickly, but Gu Qinghan insisted, “You both have weak stomachs; don’t eat cold food. Let Xiao Feng help you heat it up.”

At first, Liu Minghua didn’t want to bother, but when he met Gu Qinghan’s gaze, he thought about the upcoming flight and immediately acquiesced, obediently taking his own lunchbox to Xiao Feng’s window.

Shen Bairong saw this and called out, “Old Liu, heat mine up too!”

Though they had just had an argument, it didn’t affect Liu Minghua’s affection for his wife. He grabbed both of their lunchboxes and headed over to Xiao Feng.

Xiao Feng had just used a seasoning packet to cook a meatball and intended to deliver it to them. However, when Liu Minghua came over, he said, “Comrade Liu, these meatballs and seasoning packets were made by Vice Captain Gu’s wife. Why don’t you try them and see how they taste?”

As he spoke, he scooped a large bowl of steaming meatballs for Liu Minghua.

Liu Minghua had already been quite hungry when he came to the cafeteria, but after just arguing with his wife, he had momentarily forgotten his hunger. Now, seeing the steaming bowl of meatballs floating with fragrant chopped celery and sprinkled fried garlic bits, he couldn’t resist. He grabbed a toothpick from the side, speared a meatball, and took a bite.

The hot, juicy meatball burst with flavor in his mouth, delivering a taste unlike any he had experienced before. He nodded repeatedly, saying, “Delicious, delicious!”

These meatballs were far tastier than the stir-fried or boiled pork he was used to; they retained not only the rich meat juices but also the delightful broth’s freshness.

This moment brought back memories of his previous visit to the Northern City Air Force, where he had tasted dishes made by Wen Nuan.

The tender pork knuckle and succulent chicken dishes had left him drooling at the thought.

Then, Liu Minghua asked, “Is this for us?”

Xiao Feng nodded. “Yes, I saw Vice Captain Gu sitting with you, so you should just take it over. There’s a little left; I’ll save it for the other pilots.”

Although Wen Nuan had written that everyone should enjoy the food together, there were so many people that if they all dug in at once, it would be gone in a single meal. Therefore, Xiao Feng prepared a right amount for the test Flight Crew.

Liu Minghua directly carried a bowl over to Shen Bairong and Gu Qinghan, saying, “Here you go, Comrade Shen! This is the good stuff that Comrade Wen Nuan asked Vice Captain Gu to bring over. Give it a try; it’s really delicious!”

Shen Bairong’s eyes lit up. “Really? Ever since I had Comrade Wen Nuan’s cooking in the Northern City, I’ve been thinking about it every day. Let me have a taste!”

With that, she immediately picked up a meatball and couldn’t help but ask, “What is this? Is it a soup ball?”

Gu Qinghan smiled slightly and replied, “These are meatballs. This one should be a pork and mushroom ball; you should give it a try.”

Shen Bairong had already taken a couple of bites, almost splattering herself with the hot broth. But after eating one, she nodded contentedly, saying, “It’s definitely Comrade Wen Nuan’s cooking—delicious!”

Then she glanced at the broth, noticing it wasn’t just clear soup but had many green leaves, which were vegetables only available in the summer. She couldn’t help but ask, “Do we still have green leafy vegetables here?”

She also noticed some darker bits that seemed to be seaweed.

Liu Minghua chuckled and said, “No, this is all made by Comrade Wen Nuan.”

Shen Bairong smiled, reminiscing about her Northern City Air Force time. She said, “Old Liu if only our research institute had someone like Comrade Wen Nuan who could cook.”

Liu Minghua thought for a moment and replied, “That’s right. If only Old Liang and Old Zhao had someone like that, they could eat and drink well.”

Then, they would have the energy to work harder.

Their research institute was not located in Shenyang but over seventy kilometers away in a deep mountain forest. Since they were engaged in research work and needed to remain incognito, the environment there was quite undeveloped to prevent detection from enemy aerial reconnaissance.

Everyone focused intently on aerospace technology, and no one put much thought into food. They merely settled for a few bites each day, so most comrades in the institute appeared pale and thin, and long-term malnutrition made them look worn out. It was indeed hard to believe that they were working on aerospace projects.

Moreover, when the new fighter jets were still under development, they were isolated in the research institute. With no way to spend money or use tickets, it was challenging to improve their meals. The food and supplies had to be transported by truck.

Most of the people in the research institute were somewhat unwell from their dedication to the experiments.

Gu Qinghan paused in his eating. He had originally intended to savor one of the meatballs made by his wife, but upon glancing at Shen Bairong and Liu Minghua, he felt a twinge of pain in his heart.

They had dedicated so much to the nation’s aerospace efforts.

Although they were only in their thirties, they appeared much older than their peers.

Soon, he began to formulate a preliminary plan in his mind.