Chapter 96.1

Outside, the snow fell in soft, swirling flakes, carried by the cold wind, adding to the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

Wen Nuan watched as Lele and Gu Qinglan excitedly discussed the matter of a baby, a sense of disbelief washing over her as she placed her hand on her still-flat belly.

She hadn’t expected the second child to come so soon, especially during the Spring Festival. No wonder everyone was so happy.

Over there, Gu Qinghan spoke softly with Doctor Zhao, inquiring about the precautions during pregnancy. The man occasionally looked up at her, a noticeable smile on his lips.

Seeing them happily chatting, Wen Nuan opened the dresser and took the opportunity to tidy up some items for Doctor Zhao.

Doctor Zhao had also settled into the family compound, where the military had allocated him a two-bedroom unit, albeit with a separate courtyard, located near General Xu and Political Commissar Li’s area.

Gu Qinghan mentioned that Doctor Zhao had once held a military rank, though it was uncertain if he had regained it now. At least he could finally take off his cap, which was a good thing.

After she finished packing some rice cakes, mung bean cakes, and chestnut cakes, along with a few bags of seasoning packs and meatballs for Doctor Zhao, Doctor Zhao smiled at Gu Qinghan and said, “Captain Gu, if you have any questions in the future, feel free to come to the hospital or find me at home. You need to rest more during these first three months and not overexert yourself.”

Gu Qinghan listened intently, nodding like a diligent student. “Okay, I understand. Thank you, Doctor Zhao.”

Doctor Zhao chuckled and replied, “You’re welcome. Anyway, winter has just begun, so let Comrade Wen Nuan take a break at home and not rush back to work.”

He knew that Wen Nuan had to juggle both the kitchen unit and factory matters, and this was a good opportunity for her to rest during the harsh northern winter. Once the three months passed, things would likely stabilize. As long as it wasn’t heavy labor, she could continue working.

Regardless, he would certainly make more visits to see her, as a way to repay the kindness of the couple.

Upon hearing Doctor Zhao’s words, Wen Nuan nodded obediently and said, “I was just planning to take a good rest. Thank you, Doctor Zhao.”

During these winter months, everyone typically stayed at home more, and Wen Nuan had already arranged for Quartermaster Luo and Old Zhong to help keep an eye on the factory.

Now that she was pregnant with a second child, Wen Nuan had an excuse to rest.

However, even if she hadn’t planned on resting, Gu Qinghan would certainly ensure that she wouldn’t have to return to work for the time being.

Doctor Zhao felt relieved upon hearing her response. He began packing up the cotton he had brought and said, “I’m preparing to head back to the hospital, so I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Wen Nuan handed him back the cloth bag he had brought, which was now stuffed full of items. “Doctor Zhao, this is for you. Thank you for the meat and candy.”

Doctor Zhao looked at the cloth bag Wen Nuan handed him, noticing it was much more bulging than when he had arrived. She had undoubtedly packed a lot of things for him.

He pursed his lips and frowned. “Comrade Wen Nuan, you send me so many things every year. I feel embarrassed to accept them.”

Wen Nuan smiled at him and replied, “Doctor Zhao, it’s the New Year, so it’s customary to exchange gifts. Please accept it.”

Hearing Wen Nuan say this, Doctor Zhao could no longer refuse, so he expressed his gratitude.

Thinking about how lonely Doctor Zhao was, Wen Nuan added, “Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve. Doctor Zhao, if you’re free, please come over for a meal. It would be nice to celebrate together.”

Gu Qinghan had previously mentioned that since Doctor Zhao was unmarried and had no children, he would likely feel lonely during the New Year. Now that he had finally taken off his cap, he could be considered half a teacher to Gu Qinglan. Inviting him to join them for the New Year’s Eve dinner would surely bring some joy.

Doctor Zhao stared at Wen Nuan for a moment, then slowly replied, “Comrade Wen Nuan, thank you for your kindness. I have to be on duty tomorrow, so let’s do it another time.”

Wen Nuan nodded and said, “In that case, I’ll invite you to dinner next time.”

Doctor Zhao took the cloth bag and glanced over at Gu Qinglan. “Qinglan, I’m heading back to the hospital.”

Hearing Doctor Zhao call out to her, Gu Qinglan set Lele down and bent down to whisper to her, “Lele, remember what you promised Auntie. You can’t tell anyone about the baby, okay?”

Lele nodded seriously, her baby voice assuring, “I got it, Auntie. I won’t tell anyone.”

Gu Qinglan ruffled the child’s hair and said with a smile, “Be good. Auntie will come over to play with you tomorrow afternoon. I have to get back to work now.”

Unable to hold back, Wen Nuan reached out and tapped Gu Qinglan on the arm, scolding her, “You’re a nurse, yet you’re so superstitious. You should believe in science.”

Gu Qinglan chuckled, “Better to believe there’s something than to believe there’s nothing. Besides, when your belly gets bigger, everyone will naturally know.”

Wen Nuan grabbed a handful of pine nuts from Gu Qinglan’s hand and laughed, “Alright, alright. You’re so talkative. Hurry up and go back to work with Doctor Zhao.”

As Gu Qinglan put on her winter hat, she said to Wen Nuan, “Mm-hmm, don’t go get the pork later. Let Eldest Brother do it. I’m going with Doctor Zhao back to the hospital for a consultation.”

Gu Qinghan gave a light grunt. “Okay, I know. You go back to work.”

Lele watched as Doctor Zhao and Gu Qinglan walked out, then blew them a kiss and shouted, “Auntie bye-bye! Grandpa bye-bye!”

Gu Qinglan beamed even more, mimicking Lele and blowing her a kiss back. “Don’t come out; it’s cold outside.”

Once Gu Qinglan’s loud voice faded away, the house finally quieted down a bit.

Gu Qinghan walked over to Wen Nuan and asked, “Wife, what time did you get up? Have you eaten breakfast yet?”

“Not yet. I slept a bit late today,” Wen Nuan replied, rubbing her belly, realizing she hadn’t eaten. However, Lele had just played with Gu Qinglan and had eaten quite a few rice cakes and fried pastries, so she hadn’t made a fuss.

Gu Qinghan frowned slightly and said, “I made some porridge. Wait a moment; I’ll get you a bowl.”

The porridge was kept warm by the stove, and Gu Qinghan went to fetch a bowl and utensils, filling one with porridge for Wen Nuan.

Wen Nuan didn’t bother being polite and began to feel hungry.

Seeing her drink the porridge, Gu Qinghan brought over two scallion pancakes and sat next to her, watching her eat.

Wen Nuan felt a little awkward under his gaze and turned her head to look at him. “Did you call Doctor Zhao over?”

Wen Nuan initially thought that Gu Qinghan would accompany her to the hospital for a check-up today.

She was surprised that he had called Doctor Zhao over instead. At first, Wen Nuan had a hard time believing that she had indeed become pregnant so quickly.

However, with Doctor Zhao’s assurance, she was more convinced that she was pregnant.

Unlike in later years, where pregnancy could be confirmed through urine tests, blood tests, and ultrasounds, in this era, the determination was primarily based on pregnancy symptoms. A visit to the hospital typically involved a urine test, which required a wait of about half a day, leading many people to prefer not to waste time or money on hospital visits.

Most people waited until they experienced signs of pregnancy, and it was almost universally understood by then.

Wen Nuan had heard from Sister Juxiang and others that in the villages outside and even within the family compound, many women wouldn’t visit the hospital even once throughout their entire pregnancy.

Some even gave birth at home and still managed to raise their children well.

Gu Qinghan nodded. He had just gone to the hospital and originally planned to inquire whether a urine test could be done around one month into the pregnancy. If it couldn’t, he wouldn’t want Wen Nuan to make a wasted trip.

He had unexpectedly run into Gu Qinglan and Doctor Zhao, so he asked Doctor Zhao to come by.

However, Doctor Zhao mentioned he needed to go back home to fetch some things. So, Gu Qinghan accompanied Gu Qinglan to the hospital to pick some up, then placed his hand on Wen Nuan’s abdomen and smiled. “How are you feeling? Any nausea yet?”

Wen Nuan was amused by his question. She turned to look at him and replied, “Is it really that fast? I don’t feel anything; it’s the same as before I was pregnant.”

Then she mumbled, “Could it be a mistake? This seems too soon.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan straightened up and asked her, “Aren’t you happy if you’re pregnant? Although Doctor Zhao specializes in surgery, he studied traditional Chinese medicine with Doctor Li in college. I heard Doctor Zhao was a well-known traditional Chinese doctor as well; he definitely wouldn’t make a mistake.”

Wen Nuan had merely voiced her concerns without expecting Gu Qinghan to take her words seriously. She held back a laugh and said, “I’m not unhappy; it just feels a bit fast.”

They had started discussing having a child in early December, and soon after, Wen Nuan had her period. Now, it was just about the days of her next cycle.

“Of course it is,” Gu Qinghan said affectionately, reaching out to pinch Wen Nuan’s fair, smooth cheek. He chuckled, “Just look at how often we’ve been close; it’s only natural, isn’t it?”

Wen Nuan felt her face flush from Gu Qinghan’s shameless words. She reached out to pinch his warm palm and said through gritted teeth, “You’re so shameless!”

But then she thought for a moment, smiled, and buried her face in the man’s shoulder, laughing as she said, “Well, since I’m already pregnant, you’ll have to hold back for now.”

Even though Wen Nuan hadn’t participated in the conversation between him and Doctor Zhao, she had heard them speak in lowered voices about intimate matters. Since things were still unstable, they definitely couldn’t go back to their previous carefree married life.

Feeling his wife lean against him, Gu Qinghan’s restless heart settled instantly. He replied in a husky voice, “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Wen Nuan leaned against the man, instinctively touching her abdomen. Although she was wearing several layers of clothing and felt nothing, an inexplicable sense of happiness washed over her.

She said softly, “After the New Year, let’s go to the hospital for a check-up. Once we confirm the results, we can call Grandpa and share the good news with him.”

Gu Qinghan frowned. “Didn’t you say we should wait three months before saying anything? I heard from Captain Liang yesterday that his wife is also pregnant, but he hasn’t mentioned it at all.”

Wen Nuan thought Gu Qinghan was just joking, but he seemed determined to follow through, which made her unable to suppress a laugh. “Captain Gu, come on, you’re already a regiment-level officer; don’t be so superstitious.”

“Besides, Grandpa is not an outsider. It’s the New Year; we should share good news with him to make him happy.”

Gu Qinghan turned his head and kissed Wen Nuan on the forehead, saying with a smile, “Okay, I got it. I’ll call Grandpa then.”

Although Wen Nuan wanted to confirm with a urine test, Gu Qinghan was confident in Doctor Zhao’s diagnosis; he wouldn’t misdiagnose.

Little Lele had also been right—there really was a baby in Wen Nuan’s belly.

Thinking about this, Gu Qinghan reached out his arm and picked up Lele, who was focused on eating scallion pancakes at the Eight Immortals table, and placed her on his lap.

Lele stretched out her hand, wanting to grab the unfinished scallion pancake, whining, “Ah, my pancake!”

“Bad Dad, let go of me! I want to eat my pancake!”

Seeing Lele coming over, Wen Nuan tidied up Lele’s messy hair and said, “Wait a moment, Mom will help you tie up two pretty braids.”

As soon as Lele heard this, she instantly forgot about the scallion pancake, smiling widely as she replied, “I also want hair clips, the purple one!”

Wen Nuan pinched the child’s chubby cheek and laughed indulgently, “Got it, vain Lele!”

Lele grinned at her but protested, “I’m not vain! I’m beautiful Lele!”

Gu Qinghan wrapped one arm around Wen Nuan’s shoulder and held Lele, who was laughing like a blooming flower on his lap. He suddenly felt an unprecedented excitement and warmth inside him.

He tightened his arms, a broad smile on his lips, and leaned in to kiss both of their cheeks, saying, “So happy.”

Then he looked at Lele, whose face was covered in pancake grease, and asked, “Mom has a little baby now. Is Lele happy?”

Previously, Lele had been asking for a little sibling, though Gu Qinghan wasn’t sure if she really understood what she was saying or if she was just influenced by Sister Guihua having a baby. Either way, he was quite happy about it now.

They were about to welcome a new family member, and the laughter and joy in their home would become even louder and stronger.

Lele hugged one of Wen Nuan’s arms and looked up at her dad and mom, flashing her little white teeth, “Happy! Is Mom happy?”

Wen Nuan glanced at the child’s slightly greasy little hands but didn’t mind at the moment. She smiled and replied, “Yes, I’m happy.”

Although it felt a bit fast, it was what she had always hoped for.

Unable to resist, Wen Nuan pulled her hand away from Lele’s grasp and grabbed a cloth napkin prepared nearby to wipe her hands, saying, “Come on, let’s eat something. We’ll go to the kitchen unit to pick up the pork later.”

Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, and there were many things to do. Now that half the day had already passed, Wen Nuan originally planned to divide the pork and then return to tidy up the house a bit before making some snacks to send over to Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang.

As for now…

Gu Qinghan said, “I’ll go to the Kitchen Unit to distribute the pork. You and Lele wait for me at home.”

Although it wasn’t snowing heavily that day, the family compound still had a thick layer of snow, and there would definitely be a lot of people at the Kitchen Unit distributing pork. It would be noisy and crowded, and if one wasn’t careful, the consequences of slipping could be dire.

Wen Nuan knew it would be like this, so she didn’t argue with him and obediently nodded. “Then you should take a basket. This year, the Kitchen Unit has pork, lamb, and dried seafood. You should be able to bring back quite a few things.”

Gu Qinghan chuckled lightly. “Alright, I’ll take a basket. You eat something first; I’ll wash the dishes when I get back.”

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh.

Lele saw her dad going to get the basket, so she ran back to her room to change into her cotton boots. Then she dashed out to the living room and said to Gu Qinghan, “Dad, I want to go too!”

Gu Qinghan looked at the little girl and replied, “Go grab your hat and scarf. We’ll go together.”

Upon hearing this, Lele immediately ran back to her room to fetch her scarf and hat.

Then they all went out together.

—o—o—o—