Chapter 89

Recently, the family compound had installed telephones in every household. However, these phones could only connect with others within the military; they could not make calls outside.

Nonetheless, having the phone made everyone happy for several days.

Among those who were equally delighted was Lele. When she went to Beijing, she saw General Lu making a phone call, which made her love the idea of listening and mimicking the way General Lu spoke on the phone.

So, after the family got a telephone call, Lele enjoyed calling Gu Qinghan’s office.

Holding the receiver to her ear, she adorably said, “Hello, Daddy.”

“Daddy, it’s Lele. When are you coming home?”

However, the little one did not realize that the call needed to be transferred through the communications station. Each time the female operator at the station heard the child’s sweet voice, she couldn’t help but laugh and asked Lele, “Little comrade, this is the communications station. Who is your father? Which department is he in? I can transfer you.”

Upon hearing the stranger’s voice, Lele called for Wen Nuan, saying, “Mommy, where is Daddy?”

Wen Nuan felt both amused and helpless. “…”

In fact, Lele had already memorized her parents’ names and their birth dates. She also knew that Gu Qinghan was from the 76th Regiment of the Air Force’s 34th Division, but when it came to the practical application, she found herself unable to respond.

Wen Nuan then repeated the information to her, and fortunately, Lele had good oral skills; she could often learn it after hearing Wen Nuan say it just once or twice.

When the call was finally connected to Gu Qinghan, Lele laughed and said, “Daddy, just now, a sister talked to me on the phone.”

“Is that so? That was the sister at the communications station.” Gu Qinghan paused before realizing that the ‘sister’ the little one mentioned was the female operator at the communications station, and he asked, “What did you want to talk to Daddy about?”

Lele beamed and said, “Mommy wants you to come home for dinner.”

Wen Nuan, who was nearby preparing to cook, felt as though she hadn’t said anything.

Gu Qinghan had night training four to five days a week. During lunch when they ate the air crew meal together, he mentioned that he wouldn’t be coming home.

“Daddy might be a bit late. Do you want to wait for him?” Gu Qinghan thought about how busy he had been lately, hardly ever coming home for dinner. Since it was rare for his child to call, he also considered trying to return home early.

“Then I won’t wait. Bye-bye, Daddy.” Lele hung up the phone and told Wen Nuan, “Mommy, Daddy said he won’t come back for dinner.”

“…”

Later, when Wen Nuan and the child had finished eating and were preparing to go for a walk, Gu Qinghan unexpectedly came home.

Wen Nuan looked at him and asked, “Why are you back so early today?”

Gu Qinghan countered, “Didn’t you ask me to come home for dinner?”

Wen Nuan glanced at Lele, who was happily munching on an apple, and helplessly replied, “Your daughter said you wouldn’t be coming back.”

“…”

Gu Qinghan walked over and ruffled the little one’s hair, laughing, “Unreliable messenger.”

Lele smiled and handed Gu Qinghan the half-eaten apple, saying, “Daddy, don’t be mad. Have a bite.”

Gu Qinghan picked her up, intending to take a walk with them and eat a little when they returned home.

After a couple of days of curiosity, Lele lost interest in the telephone. When Gu Qinghan occasionally called home, the little one preferred not to listen and would rather tune into the radio.

The recruitment at the factory had progressed somewhat. Ever since Quartermaster Luo posted the notice about donating vegetables, the frantic efforts to pull strings had finally calmed down.

The cooks in the kitchen also stopped accepting those purpose-driven dinner invitations, and everyone began to slowly return to their normal lives.

During this time, Wen Nuan was not involved in recruitment. When she eventually inquired, Quartermaster Luo mentioned that they were almost done hiring, and the work at the factory had been proceeding smoothly.

On that day, Wen Nuan had the day off and planned to take Lele to the nearby village to buy some wild fruits.

Since Gu Qinghan had finished the fruit he brought back, the little one often clamoured to eat this and that. With nothing much to do, Wen Nuan decided to take her for a stroll in the village.

Before leaving, Wen Nuan walked over to Sister Guihua’s house.

Sister Guihua was now in her late pregnancy, seven months along, with a round belly. Sometimes, when Lele visited her home, she was very curious about whether Sister Guihua had a brother or a sister.

Sister Guihua liked Lele and often pulled her over to touch her belly, asking her to guess whether it was a brother or a sister inside.

However, Lele didn’t fully understand and often alternate between guessing “brother” and “sister.” It was precisely this uncertainty that made Sister Guihua even more excited.

As soon as Wen Nuan entered, she saw Sister Guihua and Aunt Liang having breakfast.

Now, Sister Guihua was sleeping well and looked quite energetic. When she went out for walks, she walked as briskly as before, nearly prompting General Zhou to want to tie her waist to keep her from straying too far.

Seeing Wen Nuan and Lele come in, Zhang Guihua waved to them, “Little Nuan, have you two had breakfast?”

Wen Nuan held Lele’s hand and walked over, saying, “We just finished eating. We’re planning to go to the nearby village to buy some wild fruits.”

Then she asked, “Sister Guihua, do you want me to bring back any medicinal herbs? I should be passing by Old Zhao’s place.”

Previously, Wen Nuan had heard General Zhou mention wanting to find some items for Sister Guihua to use during her confinement, so she thought, since General Zhou was busy with work and Sister Guihua was heavily pregnant and couldn’t move around easily, she might as well ask her.

Sister Guihua had eaten enough and put down her chopsticks. “Actually, Old Zhou said he would come by at noon to accompany me to the hospital to see the doctor about the baby. Why don’t I go with you to Old Zhao’s place?”

Sister Guihua had not gone for a check-up before. Although she was already thirty-four years old, there were indeed other military wives in their thirties in the compound still having children; it was just that this was her first pregnancy.

After Wen Nuan found out about Sister Guihua’s pregnancy, she mentioned several times that Guihua should go for prenatal check-ups. Zhou Jianshe was already quite nervous, and after hearing Wen Nuan’s advice, he began taking her to the hospital every few days.

However, some people in the family compound knew about this and came to speak to her. They smiled at her face and talked about many precautions during pregnancy, but behind her back, they whispered about her bourgeois ways.

What they want to say is that these envious gossipers would have thoroughly slandered her if it weren’t for her family being farmers for three generations.

The more Zhang Guihua heard what they said, the more cautious she became. After all, this was her own body. If something were to happen one day, those people would likely say she was too old and should have been more careful from the start.

Wen Nuan, on the other hand, genuinely cared for her and encouraged her to go for more check-ups. She always prepared extra food and drinks for her. The fact that Sister Guihua was able to maintain good health during her pregnancy was partly thanks to Wen Nuan’s efforts.

Therefore, Zhang Guihua now obediently went to see the doctor every month. Sometimes, she would also visit Old Zhao, but he lived half an hour away in the village’s cow shed, which was quite tiring for her at this stage of her pregnancy.

Hearing Sister Guihua say this, Wen Nuan thought for a moment and suggested, “How about I arrange for someone to borrow a car? Walking over there might be a bit far.”

Moreover, the summer sun in the North could be quite harsh, and it would definitely not be good for Sister Guihua to walk for half an hour under the sun with her big belly.

“It should be fine. It’s not that far to walk; we can just go,” Zhang Guihua said, planning to go back and change her shoes and grab an umbrella.

But Aunt Liang interjected, “Guihua, don’t trouble yourself. When Jian She returns, he’ll say, ” I didn’t take care of you.”

Zhang Guihua sighed and said, “Then never mind. When Old Zhou comes back, we can just go to the hospital.”

If they took a car, it would probably give the people in the family compound even more to talk about, so Zhang Guihua thought it best to avoid bothering Wen Nuan.

Wen Nuan had heard Sister Guihua mention the gossip in the family compound before and guessed that her hesitance this time was likely due to what those people had said. So, she directly said, “Anyway, it’s for a check-up. It’s even better to go to Old Zhao’s place.”

Before long, Wen Nuan had Little Zhu from the kitchen bring over a vehicle. This was the truck they used for transporting goods, and she also planned to have Little Zhu stop by the village to buy some fresh vegetables to make into dried greens.

Their military vegetable garden had only recently been cleared, and there was still nothing to harvest. It would be good to get some from the villagers to prepare adequately for winter.

This way, it would give the gossipers in the family compound less to talk about!

When Little Zhu saw Sister Guihua get into the car, he asked, “Sister-in-law, are you all settled?”

“Alright, just take it slow, Little Zhu,” Wen Nuan reminded him, as this boy was known to drive quite recklessly; even Old Zhong had scolded him several times.

Lele, smiling brightly, advised, “Brother Zhu, please drive slowly.”

Upon hearing Lele call him “Brother Zhu,” Little Zhu didn’t get angry; instead, he chuckled, “Sure! Brother Zhu will drive a bit slower with our Lele here.”

Previously, Little Zhu had been casual when transporting fruits and vegetables, but this time, he was more cautious, especially since there was a pregnant woman in the back.

Wen Nuan hadn’t been to Old Zhao’s place in two months.

When she saw Old Zhao again, she noticed that he didn’t seem as hunched over as before. Although his back wasn’t completely straight, he looked much better than the cautious manner he had displayed previously.

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Old Zhao, do you have a moment?”

Old Zhao saw Wen Nuan and Lele coming and nodded at her, saying, “Come in; there’s no one in the house right now.”

Knowing that Wen Nuan was accompanying Sister Guihua, he led Zhang Guihua to sit on a sturdy chair, checking her pulse and asking a few basic questions.

After a while, Old Zhao said, “You’re doing well. It looks like you’re eating properly.”

He then added, “But you should eat fewer sweet potatoes and fatty pork and include more eggs and fish. While you still feel good, try to walk around more.”

Zhang Guihua was once again impressed by Old Zhao’s medical skills. How did he even know that she loved sweet potatoes?

She asked, “Isn’t it said that eating sweet potatoes is good for the baby?”

Old Zhao glanced at her and replied, “In moderation. Eating too many can cause the baby to grow too large. Besides, you’ve gained weight since becoming pregnant, which will make labour more difficult.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Guihua smiled. Before she got pregnant, Old Zhao had mentioned something about polycystic ovaries; she hadn’t understood it much, but one thing he advised was that she should lose weight.

At that time, she had indeed managed to slim down, but now that she was pregnant, the weight was creeping back up, and she definitely felt heavier.

But that rascal Zhou Jianshe had been losing weight daily, looking gaunt, while insisting she should eat well. As a result, she had ended up eating too much…

Noticing Sister Guihua’s flushed face, Wen Nuan chimed in, “It might be because the broth you drank wasn’t skimmed off its fat. Sister Guihua, remember to skim the oil next time.”

Old Zhao nodded in agreement. “Indeed, you shouldn’t eat too many greasy foods. Also, be sure to pay attention to fetal movements and keep track of your weight.”

After that, Old Zhao continued to list many things to pay attention to, and Aunt Liang nearly couldn’t remember them all. Having given birth to five children, she wondered why she had never known there were so many things to consider.

Once Sister Guihua’s examination was complete, Wen Nuan chatted with Old Zhao for a while. He was clearly much more talkative than before and didn’t seem in a hurry to send them off.

Noticing how cute Lele was, he even extended his hand to check her pulse. Old Zhao cooperated and said, “I’ll write you a list of some nutritious foods. You can go to the pharmacy and get some to make porridge for the child.”

Although Lele was already well-nourished, paying attention to her digestion was still important.

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Alright, thank you, Old Zhao.”

Old Zhao pressed his lips together, looking at Wen Nuan as if he had something to say, but hesitated. Finally, he said, “If there’snothing else, I’ll return to my work. You all can head back.”

Wen Nuan nodded, “Okay, I won’t keep you.”

As they left Old Zhao’s house, Wen Nuan mentioned wanting to take Lele to the village to buy some things and to go with Little Zhu to purchase some vegetables from the villagers.

Zhang Guihua also decided to tag along, so she followed Wen Nuan into the village. By the time they returned to the family compound, it was already noon.

That evening, Gu Qinghan came home a bit late. As soon as he walked in, he saw his wife sitting in the living room at the sewing machine, surrounded by a large pile of processed down feathers.

Wen Nuan heard the noise and turned her head to glance at him. She raised her chin and said, “I made you some mixed noodles. Wash your hands before eating.”

The mixed noodles were made from the raw noodles she had dried in the cooking team, similar to instant noodles, but they hadn’t been fried. They were still very fragrant with her specially blended sauce, and she had even added a fried egg for him.

Gu Qinghan usually came home around the same time, so Wen Nuan timed her cooking accordingly.

Just as she sat down to work on the down jacket, Gu Qinghan returned home.

He glanced at his wife’s busy figure and said, “I’ll take a shower first and come out to eat later.”

After Gu Qinghan finished showering, he pulled up a chair and sat next to Wen Nuan. While enjoying the heartfelt late-night snack she had prepared, he softly asked, “Is the little one asleep?”

Now that the child was a bit older, she often waited with Wen Nuan for him to come home before going to sleep. However, before 9:30 that night, the door to the room was slightly ajar, and there was no sign of the little one stirring.

Wen Nuan did not raise her head; her hands continued to move as she chuckled lightly, “Tonight, I took her to walk with Sister Guihua. I promised to buy her an ice pop, but after coming home and taking a shower, she drank some milk and crawled up to sleep.”

“I’m not sleepy yet, so I’m going to get the down jacket ready.”

Gu Qinghan gently lifted a stray lock of hair that had fallen across her face and asked, “Why are you making the down jacket so soon?”

Although the summer in the North was not long, there was still some time before the snow would arrive. Why had Wen Nuan started making the down jacket so quickly?

Wen Nuan replied, “I’m making a sample for General Shen. This year, we have more duck and goose down than last year, so I’m making one set first and will send it over.”

During the New Year, Wen Nuan had already given Shen Chuanshan the booklet for making down jackets. A few days ago, Wen Nuan called General Lu, who said that General Shen’s side had already prepared most of the down needed for the jackets and that they would soon begin production.

Previously, Gu Qinghan had said that it would start snowing in the border areas by the end of September or the beginning of October, and by November, heavy snow would likely seal off the mountains, with very low temperatures.

Thus, the sample had to be sent over quickly. Since down jackets were prone to shedding feathers and clumping when wet, Wen Nuan had been searching for suitable fabric for the past six months, planning to use silk for the outer material. Although it wasn’t as tightly woven as in later times, it was still better than ordinary fabric.

Gu Qinghan knew that Wen Nuan had stayed up several nights to work on the down jacket and felt a pang of sympathy. “You shouldn’t stay up late. Let’s go to bed early later.”

Since Lele usually caused trouble and the down was so light that even a person passing by would raise a few feathers, not to mention the playful Lele, Wen Nuan had to work on it only at night.

Hearing this, Wen Nuan nodded, “Got it. It’s almost done anyway; staying up for just one or two more nights won’t hurt.”

Although it was still summer, the nights in the North could be a bit cool. With Gu Qinghan’s company, Wen Nuan became even more focused.

When she stretched her back, the man stood behind her and began to massage her sore shoulders. “Are you done?”

“Not yet,” Wen Nuan yawned and shook her head. “But I took Lele to the nearby village for a stroll today, and then I went to the barn to find Old Zhao. Now I’m feeling a bit tired. There’s just a little bit of edge work left; I’ll finish it tomorrow.”

Moreover, recently, the factory has been busy drying more noodles and instant noodles, and Wen Nuan has been working hard for the past few days. Now, she was genuinely a bit exhausted.

When Gu Qinghan heard his wife mention Old Zhao, he continued to massage her shoulders and said, “General Xu came to see me a few days ago and mentioned that Old Zhao should be able to be released from his duties soon.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan perked up quite a bit, her eyes brightening. “Really? I thought this matter was complicated. I was planning to ask Grandpa about it the next time I called him.”

For someone like Old Zhao, who had such an impressive reputation, it would be a pity for him to be buried in the barn. It would surely benefit the people and the army if he could be transferred back to the military hospital.

No wonder when she visited the village today, Old Zhao seemed hesitant to speak; he probably wanted to tell her about this matter but didn’t say anything, likely because he was unsure if he could be released.

Gu Qinghan smiled, surprised that his wife had been concerned about this matter all along. “The higher-ups must know about it, so don’t worry. It’s just that the procedures can be a bit cumbersome, but it’s almost settled now.”

Wen Nuan turned her head to look at him and smiled. “So where will Old Zhao go then? You mentioned he was a student at Beijing University; is there a possibility he could go back there?”

“Let’s go back to the room first,” Gu Qinghan said. Seeing that his wife seemed to have lost her sleepiness again, he simply picked her up and carried her back to their bed. At that moment, Lele was sound asleep, and the two of them lay down without disturbing her.

Once they were lying down, Gu Qinghan said, “As for where Old Zhao will go, it’s still uncertain for now. However, if Beijing hears this news, they will surely extend an olive branch to him. It will depend on how he chooses.”

Wen Nuan nodded, unable to help but say, “It would be great if he stayed at our military hospital. Qinglan has always wanted to learn from Old Zhao, and if they were in the same hospital, she would have a chance.”

Gu Qinglan had always wanted to be a doctor. She was diligent and eager to learn. In her previous life, she self-studied enough to get into medical school and became a well-known doctor.

This time, she would surely be able to do it again.

Gu Qinghan thought for a moment and replied, “That would be wonderful, but we still need to respect his wishes.”

Gu Qinghan watched his wife, noting how her eyes sparkled when she spoke. He also thought that it would be wonderful if Qinglan could learn from Old Zhao.

However, that was merely a thought. Ultimately, they still had to respect Old Zhao’s wishes. Moreover, many departments wanted to keep him, and their military unit was not necessarily the best choice.

Wen Nuan surely understood this and said, “I’m just thinking out loud. But no matter where Old Zhao goes, I will be happy for him.”

A few days later, Wen Nuan took the completed down jacket and brought Lele to the post office, planning to send a package to Shen Chuanshan, who was far away in the border region.

After sending off the package, Wen Nuan went to the hospital to find Gu Qinglan.

Seeing her sister-in-law arrive so early in the morning, Gu Qinglan curiously asked, “Sister-in-law, why are you here so early? Is something the matter?”

Wen Nuan usually visited around lunchtime or during dinner time, so Gu Qinglan was a bit curious about the early visit. However, seeing her and Lele looking energetic, she felt relieved.

Wen Nuan, after walking for half an hour, was tired from carrying Lele and did not beat around the bush. She asked directly, “Aren’t you close with Doctor Xu? Qinglan, could you write a pamphlet about prenatal check-ups to educate everyone about the importance of prenatal care?”

She thought about how difficult it had been for Sister Guihua to conceive, yet she had to endure so much gossip. If she ended up suffering from postpartum depression later, it would be truly miserable.

Wen Nuan also understood that most people were not inherently cruel; they probably did not recognize the importance of prenatal check-ups, which led to their doubts about Sister Guihua.

Regardless, promoting awareness about prenatal care was necessary.

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s suggestion, Gu Qinglan’s eyes lit up. “Sister-in-law, that’s a brilliant idea! Every time pregnant sisters-in-law come in for check-ups, they act like our hospital is trying to cheat them out of their money. They refuse to cooperate, so it’s time to do something about it.”

After sharing a few more words with Wen Nuan, Gu Qinglan immediately went to organize a meeting.

Within a few days, Gu Qinglan brought the finished pamphlet for Wen Nuan to see. Wen Nuan did not understand these things too well, but having it was better than nothing.

The next day, when Wen Nuan went to work in the kitchen, she saw Gu Qinglan’s pamphlet posted on the bulletin board, attracting a lot of attention.