Chapter 118.1

After the meal, Wen Nuan still mentioned to General Lu and Gu Qinghan that Liu Chunyan had come looking for her.

General Lu quietly listened to what Wen Nuan had to say, then sighed. “The more she meddles, the more complicated the situation will become.”

“Xiao Nuan, if she comes to find you again, just ignore her. It won’t be long before Lin Guoqiang is sent to labor reform, and his family will be sent back to their hometown.”

Lin Guoqiang’s case had caused too much of an impact; it couldn’t be brushed aside with just an “oversight.” He had to pay the price for his dereliction of duty.

If it weren’t for the fact that he still had several young children, the consequences would be much more severe than just labor reform.

Gu Qinghan saw that Wen Nuan didn’t speak, and agreed, “No matter what Liu Chunyan does, there’s no turning back for Lin Guoqiang. I’ll report this to General Xu tomorrow, and in a couple of days, I’ll send someone to return Liu Chunyan and her children to their hometown.”

Before the organization sent Lin Guoqiang to labor reform, they would surely hold a criticism meeting in front of the entire unit to set an example.

If Liu Chunyan saw that, she would probably be unable to bear the blow, so they needed to send them away as soon as possible.

This was to prevent her from doing something extreme.

Wen Nuan nodded slightly, then softly said, “I understand. I don’t want to plead for Lin Guoqiang, I just felt that Liu Chunyan seemed so downcast when she left. I’m just worried she might not be able to cope with it.”

Wen Nuan knew that Lin Guoqiang going to labor reform was a done deal, but the way Liu Chunyan had looked when she left made her feel a bit uneasy. She appeared completely drained, in a very bad state.

It wasn’t just her grandfather, even ordinary citizens hated traitors to the country, so whatever Liu Chunyan did would be in vain.

It was better to focus on taking care of the children.

Gu Qinghan listened to Wen Nuan’s words and pressed her lips together. “This is indeed hard to say. If Liu Chunyan could think clearly, she wouldn’t have come looking for you.”

Not just Liu Chunyan; according to General Xu, even Lin Guoqiang had changed completely after being in the detention room.

If even a military officer couldn’t handle such a blow, it was even more difficult for Liu Chunyan, a small woman.

Wen Nuan thought for a moment, then said to Gu Qinghan, “Why don’t we bring them some things? We can also check on how Hua Hua and her third sister-in-law are doing.”

She then looked at General Lu and asked, “Grandpa, it won’t be a problem if I go check on the children, right?”

This matter involved too many people and had such a severe impact. Since Gu Qinghan and General Lu were both leaders of the unit, she had to be careful.

But with the way Liu Chunyan had seemed earlier, she wasn’t sure if she would even have the energy to care for the children.

A couple of days ago, Sister Juxiang mentioned that her children had to go to the canteen for every meal, but Liu Chunyan hadn’t even given the children things like food coupons or grain books, and there wasn’t a single cent to their name.

Quartermaster Luo saw how pitiful the children were and allowed Sister Juxiang to secretly give them some steamed buns and dumplings. Otherwise, in such cold weather, they wouldn’t have lasted much longer.

It had snowed again this evening, and the weather had become even colder. If Liu Chunyan didn’t even light the stove, the children would freeze.

General Lu had heard that Lele had been playing quite well with the youngest daughter of Lin Guoqiang’s family, and he assumed his granddaughter was probably worried about the children. It wouldn’t be a problem for her to go and check on them.

He then said, “Alright, go check on the children.”

After all, the children were innocent.

Now, it seemed that the entire family compound had probably stopped interacting with Liu Chunyan’s family. If Liu Chunyan truly couldn’t cope, the unit would have some responsibility.

Gu Qinghan glanced at the dark night outside, furrowing his brows. “How about I go instead? The roads are not easy to walk on at night.”

Wen Nuan had already grabbed her hat from the wall when General Lu had said it was fine and put it on. Then she took the lamb meat she had brought back from the kitchen unit and smiled. “Let’s go together. Anyway, Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou are already asleep, so they probably won’t wake up that soon.”

Besides, it wasn’t too late yet; it was just that the days in winter were so short, which made it feel like night had fallen so quickly.

Gu Qinghan saw his wife had already put on her gloves, so he said, “Then let’s go check on the children together.”

He knew Wen Nuan wouldn’t just ignore it, but she was only concerned about the children. As for the adults, even if the top leaders came, the result would still be the same.

General Lu walked towards the room with his hands behind his back, then casually said, “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on the children. You go ahead.”

Just as General Lu was about to find Lele to teach her how to play chess, Lele suddenly ran out with her fluffy hat in hand.

She hugged Wen Nuan and said, “Mom, are you going to Hua Hua’s house? I want to go see her too!”

Wen Nuan instinctively glanced at Gu Qinghan, who frowned slightly. But he quickly picked up the little one and said, “You can’t run off by yourself, alright?”

Lele obediently nodded, smiling. “I haven’t seen Hua Hua in a long time, I miss her!”

Wen Nuan helped her put on her mittens and changed her into a pair of fur boots, then said, “We can’t stay long. You can play with Hua Hua for a while, but then you have to come back.”

“Got it!” Lele adjusted her hat and seriously said, “I’ll come back to take care of Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou, I won’t play for too long.”

Wen Nuan pinched Lele’s little nose and said, “You walk by yourself for a bit first, or else when we come back, your dad will definitely have to carry you.”

The little one was getting lazier as she grew older. Just now, when she had returned from the Kitchen Unit, she had acted all spoiled, asking General Lu to carry her back.

Wen Nuan hadn’t wanted General Lu to carry her; it was already slippery with the snow, and Lele was four now, so she was getting heavier.

When Lele climbed down from Gu Qinghan’s arms, she went to the wardrobe and grabbed a small bag of peach crisps. She asked, “Mom, can I take some peach crisps to Hua Hua?”

Wen Nuan hesitated for a moment but still nodded. “If you want to take them, then go ahead.”

Although Aunt Lin had previously wrongly accused her food of not being clean, Wen Nuan later learned that Aunt Lin had been manipulated by two enemy spies in her family, which led to the misunderstanding.

Lele’s intentions were simple—she missed her little friend and wanted to share her snacks with her.

Wen Nuan didn’t want to discourage her child’s innocence. Their world was pure and clean.

Hearing Wen Nuan’s approval, Lele happily hugged the peach crisps to her chest and grabbed Wen Nuan’s hand, eager to head outside.

Gu Qinghan, holding a flashlight, followed behind, reminding her, “Slow down, there’s no rush.”

Lele didn’t turn around, pushing open the big door and saying, “No, we need to go quickly and come back fast. When Bao Bao wakes up, he’ll definitely cry and come looking for me.”

She then turned back and urged her dad, “Dad, hurry up!”

Gu Qinghan couldn’t help but laugh, quickening his pace to catch up.

Perhaps because it was New Year’s Day, the family compound was a bit livelier tonight. Many people had gone visiting each other to drink.

Even though every household had their doors and windows tightly shut, Wen Nuan could still hear laughter as she passed by.

The family compound was actually quite large, divided into several areas. The northern district was where senior leaders lived, with independent houses and yards.

Their row of red brick townhouses housed mostly officers at the battalion level or above.

Some regimental-level officers also had their own courtyards, but they were relatively few.

Lin Guoqiang’s family was one of those households. According to Gu Qinghan, Lin Guoqiang was about to be promoted in two or three years, but no one had expected something like this to happen.

This area was at the northwest corner, quieter compared to the large courtyard in the shape of a “凹” (concave), but there were still many soldiers patrolling the family compound.

Wen Nuan looked at the neatly arranged red brick houses and then asked the man beside her, “Qinghan, you know which one it is, right?”

If it weren’t for Hua Hua, Wen Nuan wouldn’t have heard of Lin Guoqiang, and Gu Qinghan didn’t really have much interaction with him either.

Gu Qinghan had sharp eyesight, and after they turned a corner, he spotted Lin Guoqiang’s house. The gate of the yard was littered with trash, which was especially glaring on the glistening snow.

Wen Nuan followed Gu Qinghan’s gaze and quickly saw the house. She immediately felt a shock as she looked at it.

The military had zero tolerance for traitors, and although Lin Guoqiang hadn’t colluded with the enemy, in the eyes of most military families in the compound, he was considered an accomplice.

It was likely that some military families, filled with anger, had thrown things at his house to vent their frustration.

No wonder Liu Chunyan was so depressed; anyone would probably have a hard time dealing with such psychological pressure.

Wen Nuan tugged at Gu Qinghan’s sleeve and said, “Let’s go over there. You pick up Lele, be careful not to slip.”

Gu Qinghan quickly picked up Lele and followed Wen Nuan’s steps as they approached.

Their yard was not only littered with trash, but the snow seemed to have been left uncleared for a long time. Both the roof and the yard had a thick layer of snow, almost half a person deep.

Compared to the other family houses they had passed, this one seemed especially quiet—so quiet that it almost felt like no one was home.

However, there was a faint light coming through their windows. It didn’t seem like the lights were on; it was more like candles were lit, or a flashlight was being used.

Wen Nuan knocked on the door. “Sister-in-law, are you home?”

There was no response.

Wen Nuan knocked again, a bit harder this time, raising her voice slightly. “Sister-in-law, Hua Hua, are you there? Please open the door.”

Lele curiously looked around their yard and raised her voice, “Huahua, it’s me, Lele…”

But there was still no sound inside.

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan exchanged a glance, silently understanding each other. “Maybe something happened,” they thought.

Gu Qinghan didn’t care about anything else; her first reaction was to lift her foot and directly break open the door.

When the door opened, a strong, pungent smell of smoke and carbon rushed out of the house. Wen Nuan and Lele instinctively covered their noses. “What is that smell?”

Gu Qinghan didn’t have time to explain. She quickly rushed in, immediately opening all the doors and windows while loudly instructing, “Wen Nuan, go into the room and check.”

“Lele, go to the neighbors and ask a few uncles and aunts to come over and help. There’s been an accident here.”

Although Lele was young, due to Gu Qinghan’s influence, she understood when something was urgent. Without hesitation, she ran to the door and shouted loudly, “Help, help!”

“Come quickly, save them!”

Meanwhile, Wen Nuan rushed into the room and immediately saw Liu Chunyan, whom she had just met, lying next to several children. All of them seemed unconscious.

Wen Nuan opened the only window in the room. A fierce cold wind rushed in, instantly making her shiver.

At the same time, it blew away the strong, unpleasant odor in the room.

However, she didn’t lose her composure. Instead, she quickly jumped onto the bed, checking the unconscious individuals.

Gu Qinghan opened their eyelids, pressing her index and middle fingers together to check their pulses. In a calm voice, she said to Wen Nuan, “They’re still alive, just unconscious. Let’s move them to the living room. Wife, go get some blankets to keep them warm.”

As she spoke, Gu Qinghan picked up two of the children in her arms and walked toward the living room.

It took three trips back and forth to move all the unconscious individuals.

Fortunately, Wen Nuan had noticed early, or Liu Chunyan’s family would certainly have died tonight.