Chapter 73

When Li Daxiang arrived at the military hospital, Gu Qinglan was still busy. It was early winter, and many people had caught colds and fevers. She hadn’t even had time to go to the cafeteria for a meal.

Gu Qinglan was so busy that she was feeling dizzy and lightheaded.

Just after taking a patient’s temperature, Gu Qinglan saw Li Daxiang walking towards her, holding a lunchbox in his hand.

When she saw Li Daxiang approaching, she thought he might be ill, so she asked: “Daxiang, are you not feeling well?”

During the summer, Li Daxiang frequently came to the military hospital, but recently, she heard that he was preparing to become a pilot, so she hadn’t seen him in a while.

Li Daxiang glanced at the emergency room.

Apart from Gu Qinglan, only one doctor was left in the office, on standby. The nurses’ station was empty, probably because everyone had gone for their meals.

Seeing Gu Qinglan’s obviously in a sleep-deprived state, Li Daxiang asked, “I’m okay. Sister-in-law asked me to bring you some soup.”

He then lifted the lunchbox, shook it in front of Gu Qinglan, and asked: “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

“Sister-in-law sent me soup?” Gu Qinglan’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. “That’s perfect! I haven’t had time to eat yet. What kind of soup is it?”

Gu Qinglan hadn’t gone to the cafeteria for the past few days. Her colleagues at the nurses’ station had been helping her by bringing back some steamed buns, which she ate with rice porridge.

If Li Daxiang hadn’t come, she would have forgotten that she hadn’t eaten. Since she was the only one working at the moment, she had to wait for her colleagues to return before she could get something to eat.

Hearing what Gu Qinglan said, Li Daxiang tightened his grip on the lunchbox slightly, then responded, “It’s lamb soup. You should drink it while it’s hot, or it’ll get cold soon.”

The temperature had been quite low these past few days. Li Daxiang had run over with the soup, worried that it would get cold, just so Gu Qinglan could drink it while it was still steaming hot.

Gu Qinglan glanced at the few patients still waiting in line and whispered, “I might have to wait a bit longer. I’ll eat once my colleagues come back to take over.”

Just as Gu Qinglan was about to administer an IV drip, she turned to Li Daxiang and said, “Daxiang, you can just leave the food with me. You probably haven’t eaten either, right? You should go back and have your meal quickly.”

She had already noticed that Li Daxiang was holding three lunchboxes, guessing that one of them was for him. Knowing how busy he had been lately, she thought it would be better for him to eat and then go back to the dormitory to rest.

However, Li Daxiang just smiled and said directly, “No rush. I’ll wait for you in the office over there. Once you’re done, you can come and eat.”

Gu Qinglan was about to tell him there was no need, but Li Daxiang, familiar with the place, took the lunchboxes and walked straight to the office where they usually ate.

Not thinking much of it, Gu Qinglan continued taking temperatures for the remaining patients. Once her colleagues came back to cover her shift, she washed her hands and got ready to eat.

One of her coworkers glanced toward the break room and then asked Gu Qinglan with a teasing smile, “Qinglan, did Platoon Leader Li come to see you again?”

Gu Qinglan nodded, “Mm-hmm, my sister-in-law sent him to bring me some food.”

Her colleague smiled suggestively, “So, is he waiting to eat with you?”

Gu Qinglan answered quickly: “What’s wrong with that? Enough of that. I’m starving!”

As Gu Qinglan walked away, her coworkers exchanged glances and laughed. “The way I see it, it seems like Qinglan and Platoon Leader Li are definitely dating!”

“Yeah, the aura when they are around each other is different.”

“Not necessarily. If Qinglan was dating someone, she wouldn’t have been harassed by that Ding Guoli-guy earlier.”

“Does that mean I still have a chance? Platoon Leader Li’s not bad, you know!”

“Give it a rest! Even if they aren’t officially together yet, it’s obvious that Platoon Leader Li likes our Qinglan…”

As everyone watched Gu Qinglan walk into the break room, their conversation became even more lively.

No one noticed the thin figure that briefly appeared at the emergency room entrance.

—o—o—o—

On the other side, Li Daxiang held the lunchboxes inside his coat, waiting until Gu Qinglan finally arrived before taking them out and placing them on the nearby table.

“You must be hungry, right?” Li Daxiang opened the mesh bag and took out each lunchbox one by one, then said, “Come over quickly and eat. The soup is still hot, have some first.”

Gu Qinglan took off her nurse’s uniform and hat, hanging them on the hooks on the wall, then walked over and said, “Daxiang, did you really wait for me this whole time without eating?”

“I’m not hungry. I waited to eat with you,” Li Daxiang said as he opened the lid of the lunchbox. Instantly, the rich aroma of lamb soup filled the air, so fragrant that it made one’s stomach growl involuntarily.

Gu Qinglan took the chopsticks Li Daxiang handed her, smiling, “Oh my, it’s gotta be from my sister-in-law. It smells amazing!”

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qinglan stood up, walked over to the chest of drawers by the wall, and took out her usual enamel cup. Then, she divided the lamb soup in the lunchbox into two halves.

She handed the lunchbox to Li Daxiang, saying, “Let’s drink it together.”

Li Daxiang glanced at the lunchbox, which was full of lamb offal and meat. Since Gu Qinglan had poured directly, the other half was mostly soup without much meat.

Without hesitation, he took the enamel cup from Gu Qinglan’s hand and poured half of the soup back into the lunchbox, saying, “You take this. I’m fine with just drinking a bit.”

Gu Qinglan looked at the lunchbox full of meat and said cheerfully, “Let’s just eat together. No need to keep splitting it.”

Li Daxiang smiled, and they divided the remaining two lunchboxes—one had a lamb sandwich, and the other had rice and side dishes—each taking half.

Worried that Gu Qinglan might not have enough to eat, Li Daxiang gave her more of the rice.

“No need to give me so much. I can’t finish all this! Let me give you some back.” After Gu Qinglan spoke, she looked at the extra rice in her lunchbox and tried to pour some back into his.

The two locked eyes for a moment, and Li Daxiang, flustered, hurriedly pulled the lunchbox back in front of himself and nodded, “You must be hungry too. Eat first.”

After taking a sip of the hot soup, Gu Qinglan felt rejuvenated. Even the plain rice seemed delicious.

After eating most of her meal and feeling full, Gu Qinglan asked, “Daxiang, how’s the pilot assessment going? Is it going smoothly?”

Li Daxiang had kept his head down, avoiding eye contact throughout the meal. When he heard her question, he looked up and met her gaze, instinctively nodding, “It’s, uh, going pretty smoothly.”

Gu Qinglan lit up with excitement, “That’s great! I hope you pass. It’ll be amazing to see you flying fighter jets someday!”

Hearing her words, Li Daxiang, feeling encouraged, nodded confidently, “Yeah, I’ll do my best.”

“I’ll be waiting for the good news then,” Gu Qinglan smiled as she leisurely sipped the remaining lamb soup.

She suddenly remembered that Ding Guoli had also applied for the pilot program, so she asked, “Did that Ding Guoli guy not pass the first round of assessments?”

Li Daxiang replied, “No, he got eliminated.”

Gu Qinglan let out a sigh of relief, “Good! That’s a relief!”

If that scumbag had passed the assessment, she would have been furious!

As Li Daxiang watched her, relaxed, content, and with a hint of satisfaction in her expression, he suddenly found her more adorable than ever at that moment.

Clearing his throat, Li Daxiang, almost without thinking, blurted out, “Qinglan, after the pilot list is announced, there’s something I want to tell you.”

Gu Qinglan put the lunchbox down and picked up her chopsticks to take a piece of lamb before glancing at Li Daxiang.

She smiled and then asked, “Can’t you tell me now?”

When Li Daxiang met Gu Qinglan’s clear gaze, he immediately blushed. He quickly turned his head to look at the clock on the wall, changing the subject, “No, no rush. I should go take a nap; there’s a physical fitness test this afternoon.”

Seeing how flustered he was while packing up the lunchbox, Gu Qinglan smiled and said, “Suit yourself but leave these here. I can clean them up and take them to my sister-in-law when I finish work this afternoon.”

Li Daxiang stopped what he was doing. “Oh, okay. Then… I’ll head back now?”

“Mm, go and rest.”

As Li Daxiang was leaving the military hospital, he ran into Ding Guoli at the entrance to the emergency room.

However, the moment Ding Guoli saw him, he turned around and quickly ran away.

Li Daxiang frowned slightly, remembering that Ding Guoli had previously caused trouble at the hospital. Before returning to the dormitory, he stopped by the administrative building.

Ding Guoli noticed that when Li Daxiang came out of the hospital, he was holding a net bag and a lunchbox, clearly not there for medical reasons.

It seemed the person eating with Gu Qinglan just now was him.

Ever since Gu Qinghan eliminated Ding Guoli, things haven’t been going well for him. He had originally been a temporary worker at the post office, but due to his bad mood after being eliminated, he made mistakes delivering two letters. His superior had fired him directly as a result.

Now, he was an unemployed drifter. His brother was extremely disappointed in him and wanted to send him back to their hometown.

But Ding Guoli had worked hard to persuade his brother and sister-in-law to follow him to the army camp, so he certainly didn’t want to return home now. What would people back in his hometown think of him?

He had previously thought that He Manqing was some General’s granddaughter, but it turned out she was a fraud. Worse still, because he accompanied her to the hospital, he got beaten up by Yang Xiaomei and Gu Qinglan. Although he wasn’t seriously hurt, his reputation was ruined.

Forget about finding a wife within the military; even getting with a military dependent was now nearly impossible.

When Ding Guoli thought about the humiliation he had endured in the flight squad, he grew angry. Why did Gu Qinghan have the power to eliminate him with just a single word?

He was just a deputy regiment General, so how could he have the authority to eliminate him?

Now that he thought about it, wasn’t Gu Qinghan abusing his power for personal gain?

Gu Qinghan must have known that his sister was dating Li Daxiang, and in the end, he would surely ensure that Li Daxiang stayed on the flight squad!

No wonder she hadn’t even bothered to acknowledge him when he had tried to show his interest in her before. It turned out she had already been secretly involved with Li Daxiang. They were probably keeping it quiet because Li Daxiang was preparing for the pilot exam, and they didn’t want anyone to know they were dating.

Ding Guoli clenched his teeth, glancing at the distant military hospital. Now, all he could do was wait for the list of new pilots to be announced to see if Gu Qinghan had indeed abused his power.

If Li Daxiang were really selected as a pilot, then it would definitely be because of Gu Qinghan’s favoritism.

Ding Guoli thought for a moment. If he wanted to get into the pilot program, he first had to get rid of this thorn in his side, Gu Qinghan. Otherwise, there was no way he could ever pass the selection!

With this thought in mind, Ding Guoli returned home excited. His brother, Ding Guocheng, saw him come back, his expression far from pleasant. “Guoli, if you’ve got nothing to do, I think you should just go back home.”

When Ding Guoli heard his brother say this, he gritted his teeth and said, “Brother, I want to be a soldier. Even if I can’t become a pilot, I can still enlist as a logistics soldier.”

When Ding Guocheng heard his brother’s words, he felt a bit relieved and said, “I’ve told you before, don’t aim too high. Becoming a pilot isn’t easy. Look at you—you were eliminated in the first round. You’re never going to make it. If you really want to join the military, then apply for the spring recruitment next year. But hurry up. You’ll be over the age limit if you keep dragging it.”

Ding Guoli responded, “Got it.”

Although he agreed, deep down, Ding Guoli felt extremely resentful as he listened to his brother’s words.

Since his brother had studied a few more years than him, he was now a mechanic. While not as prestigious as being a pilot, it was still a very important ground crew position, and their parents had constantly compared the two of them.

His brother was the outstanding ground crew member, while he was the good-for-nothing failure.

Thinking of this made Ding Guoli even more determined to become a pilot.

After some thought, he turned and walked out of the house.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, Wen Nuan, having prepared the lunchbox ahead of time, handed it to Li Daxiang before returning to the canteen at the Flight Crew Kitchen.

She had to go back and finish the remaining tasks, aiming to deliver the supplies to the research institute within the next couple of days. Otherwise, the incoming cold air would make transportation more difficult.

The comrades at the Flight Crew Kitchen were still enjoying the lamb offal soup that Wen Nuan had made, each holding a bowl and gathering in a circle, savoring the rare treat.

Wen Nuan herself didn’t eat much, and her mind was preoccupied with the supply issues for the research institute. She didn’t want to waste any more time, so she began slicing the remaining lamb.

Seeing that Wen Nuan had just put down her bowl and was already busy again, the comrades in the canteen couldn’t sit still either. They quickly finished their last mouthfuls of lamb soup and rushed over to help.

By the time they had finished processing all the lamb, the sky had already grown dark.

Everyone in the kitchen unit has been working overtime for the past few days. Wen Nuan checked Old Zhong’s progress and saw they had already sorted out the lamb ribs. She then went to find Quartermaster Luo.

Quartermaster Luo had just finished counting the cabbages, radishes, and potatoes. When he saw Wen Nuan approaching, he said, “The vegetables are all ready. Has Old Zhong’s team finished preparing the lamb?”

Wen Nuan approached Quartermaster Luo to discuss the matter, saying, “We’ve almost finished our preparations over there. We can load the truck tonight and transport the supplies first thing tomorrow morning.”

Quartermaster Luo nodded in agreement. “Alright, I’ll call Vice-Captain Gu and have him arrange for a few people to help with loading. We can set off early tomorrow to deliver this batch of supplies.”

After nearly two weeks of hard work, they were finally able to send out the supplies. The research institute was surely waiting eagerly.

As Quartermaster Luo arranged for people to come and load the truck, Wen Nuan didn’t rush home. She planned to wait for Gu Qinghan to arrive so they could go back together.

While everyone was busy loading, Wen Nuan went to the back kitchen to work on some semi-finished products. She intended to make some pickled fish dumplings, preparing the ingredients so that once they were sealed, they could be cooked directly.

However, Wen Nuan encountered a problem: although she could create the semi-finished products, they lacked packaging equipment.

In this era, plastic packaging wasn’t widespread. If she wanted to freeze the semi-finished products, she would need to find a sealing machine. The military had had one before, but it had already been decommissioned and was no longer usable.

Wen Nuan temporarily abandoned the idea of making pickled fish dumplings and decided instead to send over the jars of sauerkraut she had pickled earlier that winter to the research institute.

Although sauerkraut wasn’t the healthiest dish, it was appetizing and convenient. It went well with congee for breakfast.

When Old Zhong saw that Wen Nuan was sending the jars of her secret sauerkraut onto the military truck, he sighed, “I love that sauerkraut the most. If I had known, I would have had you make a few more jars.”

Since they often ate fish, Old Zhong’s favorite dishes were Wen Nuan’s pickled fish and boiled fish. A few slices of sauerkraut always enhanced the flavor, and now that even the sauerkraut was being sent away, he felt a bit reluctant.

Quartermaster Luo snorted, “Old Zhong, you can’t say that. Sending supplies to our comrades at the research institute is a matter of great honor. When can we ever say we can’t eat sauerkraut? I can easily make a few more jars for you.”

Old Zhong gave him a disdainful glance and replied: “Oh. Then you can pickle two jars for me tomorrow. I want them with mustard greens.”

Quartermaster Luo slapped him lightly on the arm. “Where am I supposed to find mustard greens for you in this cold weather? Don’t make it hard for me!”

Old Zhong insisted, “If it’s not mustard greens, I won’t eat it!”

Quartermaster Luo retorted, “Hey, you’re being ridiculous. It’s a privilege to get pickled goods from me, and here you are being picky!”

Old Zhong sighed, “Do you even have any standards for food? Are you still part of the Kitchen Unit?”

Quartermaster Luo fell silent, pondering how he had been kicked out of the Kitchen Unit.

Just as the two were bickering, Gu Qinghan arrived with Li Daxiang and Erhu. These were all subordinates whom Gu Qinghan trusted.

Gu Qinghan explained to Wen Nuan that he planned to take someone along and take turns driving. Although the distance to the research institute was not too far, it would take some time.

It was about a hundred kilometers, but General Xu believed that traveling alone wasn’t safe, so they needed to bring another person along.

Luckily, Li Daxiang could drive, so Wen Nuan figured Gu Qinghan was probably bringing him along for the trip.

Seeing them approach, Wen Nuan greeted them and asked, “You all made it here? Have you had dinner yet?”

Since they had a lot of supplies to handle, they might be busy for a while, and she wasn’t sure if everyone had eaten.

Erhu and Li Daxiang both smiled and said, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, we’ve all eaten.”

Noticing that Wen Nuan seemed tired from a long day of work, Gu Qinghan said to her, “You can leave the rest to us. Why don’t you take a break for a while?”

After thinking for a moment and seeing that everyone had already gone over to help Old Zhong, he added, “Why don’t you just act as a supervisor? If there’s anything you need us to do, just give the orders directly.”

Wen Nuan took out a chestnut and handed it to Gu Qinghan, saying, “Aren’t you tired? Don’t worry; once this batch of supplies is sorted out, the quartermaster said I could take a break.”

Moreover, she had not done any heavy labor; her colleagues in the Kitchen Crew did not require her to lift a finger. Wen Nuan just organized the dumplings and seasoning packets she had wrapped up earlier.

She did not prepare too many seasoning packets because the weather was not good and time was tight. However, it should be enough to last until the New Year. She thought that when the New Year arrived, she would see if the weather would improve a bit, and if so, she could transport another batch over then.

Gu Qinghan pulled two candies from her pocket and handed them to her. “Lele asked me to bring these to you. She said that since Mom must be very tired from working, you should eat candy to replenish your energy.”

Before coming to the Kitchen Crew, Gu Qinghan had returned home. Lele wanted to come and see her, but he was worried that it might snow again later, so he did not bring her along and asked Gu Qinglan to keep an eye on her instead.

Wen Nuan took the candies Lele had given her and immediately tore open the wrapper. The sweet taste filled her mouth instantly as she popped one into her mouth.

“Did Lele throw a tantrum?” Wen Nuan was busy at the time. Although her colleagues in the Kitchen Crew had taken good care of her, there were nights when she returned home around eight or nine. Lele would cling to her each time she came back, asking why she had come home so late.

Gu Qinghan understood Wen Nuan’s concerns about her child and reassured her, “Don’t worry; Qinglan is with her. They were listening to the radio when they left, so she’ll unlikely be looking for you anytime soon.”

Wen Nuan smiled. “Fortunately, Grandpa sent us a radio, so Lele won’t be too bored.”

Since the family got a radio, Lele usually entertained herself whenever she had free time, finding her favorite programs to listen to. Sometimes, if she didn’t like the central news, she would look for singing shows and dance along to the music.

Gu Qinghan reached out to help her tidy up her bangs, saying, “Alright, I’ll head over to help first. We can head home early once we get these things packed up.”

Wen Nuan smiled at him and replied, “When I get back later, I’ll help you sort out a change of clothes. I can see Comrade Liu is definitely going to want you to stay overnight this time.”

Even if it wasn’t an overnight stay, with the weather being so cold, bringing more clothes when going out was still necessary.

Once everyone had loaded everything onto the vehicle, they sat in the empty cafeteria to take a break.

The quartermaster glanced at the time; it was already ten o’clock at night. He said, “Everyone, go back and rest. Vice-Captain Gu will be responsible for transporting the supplies early tomorrow morning so you can all get some rest.”

Gu Qinghan checked the locks on the vehicle with Erhu and the others. Once he confirmed everything was secured, he exchanged a few words with Li Daxiang.

Li Daxiang nodded as he listened, saying, “Got it, Vice-Captain Gu.”

Gu Qinghan patted Li Daxiang’s shoulder and then said, “Alright, you’ve worked hard.”

He then grabbed a military coat from the side and draped it over Wen Nuan’s shoulders, saying, “Wife, let’s head home.”

Gu Qinghan ignored the gazes of others and directly took Wen Nuan’s hand as they walked out of the cafeteria, his steps slightly hurried.

Wen Nuan pulled her military coat closer around her shoulders, using the collar to shield her slightly reddened face. She bid everyone a “Good night” before following Gu Qinghan out of the cafeteria.

The winter night in the North was biting cold. Even with a coat wrapped around her, Wen Nuan felt a bit chilly.

Then she remembered the goose feathers she had collected during her time in the Kitchen Crew; it seemed they would come in handy after all.

Gu Qinghan squeezed her hand and asked, “Wife, I’m talking to you. What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing much. You just asked me if we’re going to Grandpa’s for the New Year this year?” Wen Nuan had heard his question but had momentarily failed to respond.

“I’m not sure yet; it depends on how convenient it is for Grandpa.” Wen Nuan knew that General Lu was quite busy during the New Year, not only having to meet various leaders in the capital but also visiting different divisions to offer encouragement to his subordinates.

“Alright, I’ll follow your lead,” Gu Qinghan said, looking up at the stars. Suddenly, he remarked, “Wife, haven’t we ever looked at the stars together?”

He recalled that he had a period of night training during the summer, frequently flying at night. Wen Nuan had once asked him if the stars looked brighter from the plane.

At that time, Gu Qinghan seemed to recall that he had answered he didn’t know, as he had never really paid attention to the stars above him.

Remembering this tonight, he suddenly felt an impulse to take her for a flight to see the stars.

Wen Nuan glanced up at the shining stars peeking through the clouds and laughed, saying, “We can see them now.”

“But there are usually more in the summer. Next time, take me to a higher place to look at the stars,” she added.

Gu Qinghan nodded in agreement, silently committing her words to memory.

Gu Qinglan and Lele were already asleep on the kang when they returned home. They twisted and turned, making the two-meter-long bed seem too small for the two of them.

Wen Nuan was considering discussing with Gu Qinghan the possibility of him sleeping in the small room tonight. However, Gu Qinghan said, “You’re sleeping with me.”

Wen Nuan shot him a look. “You can sleep by yourself. That little bed doesn’t have enough space!”

Gu Qinghan smiled, taking her hand. “I’m afraid it’ll be cold.”

Seeing the playful expression on his face and remembering how cold the winters in the North could be, her heart began to soften.

After all, last winter, he had kept her bed warm for such a long time. Wen Nuan chuckled and finally agreed, “Alright, fine then.”

The next moment, Gu Qinghan scooped her into his arms and walked toward the small room.