Chapter 101.3

Meanwhile, Quartermaster Luo took the freshly made compressed biscuits to General Xu’s office.

General Xu, seeing that Quartermaster Luo was still holding a paper bag, asked with a smile, “What’s this? Has the Kitchen Unit made some new dishes for everyone to try?”

Quartermaster Luo smiled and placed the compressed biscuits on General Xu’s desk. “General Xu, there’s something here more exciting than a new dish!”

General Xu raised his eyebrows as he looked at the paper bag. “What’s so precious about this?”

Then, General Xu took it, looked inside, and said in a flat tone, “Isn’t this just some pastries? What’s so special about them?”

Quartermaster Luo quickly replied, “Of course, it’s not. This is called a compressed biscuit.”

Quartermaster Luo then proceeded to explain at length, eventually saying that they would be thirsty by the end of the explanation.

He added, “If Comrade Wen Nuan weren’t pregnant, she would have come here to explain it to you. But in short, this is a type of biscuit that can fill you up for half a day by just eating one small piece. It’s suitable for field training and emergency situations.”

General Xu furrowed his brow, seeming a bit skeptical, and said, “This tiny thing?”

Quartermaster Luo replied, “Don’t underestimate it, General Xu. If you can get some people to test it, it’s just about time for a meal, so it’s perfect for a try.”

“Alright, I’ll try it too,” General Xu said as he picked up a biscuit and was about to put it in his mouth.

Quartermaster Luo quickly stopped him. “Comrade Wen Nuan said you have a weak stomach, General Xu. It’s better to let someone else try it.”

General Xu smiled and waved his hand. “Come, Xiao Yu, try this and see if it can really replace a meal. The rest of it, give it to the comrades outside, and make sure to report your true feelings honestly.”

“Yes, sir!”

A week later, Quartermaster Luo visited General Xu’s office again.

He saw the leader holding the small biscuit, a slight smile on his face. “Xiao Luo, the higher-ups say this thing is very useful. You Kitchen Unit has really done a great job this time!”

Quartermaster Luo did not dare take credit, hurriedly saying, “This was Comrade Wen Nuan’s idea. We just followed her instructions.”

General Xu had already guessed this and said, “Go back and tell everyone that the higher-ups have approved the ingredients for you. You’re going to be busy for a while.”

Quartermaster Luo nearly jumped up and said, “Thank you, sir!”

After Quartermaster Luo left, General Xu picked up the phone and smiled as he said, “Sir, I have more good news for you.”

“Your granddaughter has made a great contribution this time; she definitely deserves a third-class merit!”

The person on the other end of the line paused for a moment before breaking into a hearty laugh without caring about his image. “My granddaughter, Lu Mingfei’s granddaughter, is certainly no ordinary person!”

Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, it was the end of August.

Wen Nuan’s due date was just a couple of months away. She had already applied for maternity leave from Quartermaster Luo, and the compressed biscuits were a great success.

Now, the production of compressed biscuits had entered the manufacturing stage, and Quartermaster Luo said that once she returned from maternity leave, they would send her a third-class merit award for National Day.

For Wen Nuan, the specific level of the merit wasn’t that important. What mattered most was that the compressed biscuits were successful, and she could now relax and focus on her pregnancy.

Gu Qinghan had applied to stay in the military since the previous month. Even if there were tasks, she wouldn’t be away for more than three days.

This was because Doctor Zhao and Doctor Li had said that twins often led to early births.

However, Wen Nuan was nearly full term, so giving birth two or three weeks early shouldn’t be a problem.

But carrying twins was indeed harder than a single pregnancy. After making sure everything at the factory was in order, Wen Nuan no longer tried to push herself. She stayed home to rest and prepare for the birth.

One day, Gu Qinghan woke up early, planning to take Lele to kindergarten.

Wen Nuan couldn’t sleep either, so she got up as well. Seeing this, Gu Qinghan went over to help her out of bed and said, “You should rest a little longer. I’ll take Lele to school.”

The kindergarten here didn’t have winter or summer breaks; it was established to accommodate military families. If no one was available to take care of a child, they could be sent from three months old.

Wen Nuan worried that Lele might start to dislike school, so in August, she had given her a ten-day break, letting Gu Qinghan take her out to play.

“Since I can’t sleep anyway, I might as well get up. It’s better to have breakfast earlier,” Wen Nuan said. She was getting hungry more easily now, and sometimes she would have a late-night snack with Gu Qinghan. These days, she felt heavier.

Gu Qinghan gently placed her hand on Wen Nuan’s round belly, feeling a little sorry. “Baby, be good, don’t make Mommy too tired.”

The little one, having just changed her clothes, saw her dad talking to Wen Nuan’s big belly again. She rushed over and called out, “Mom, I want to talk to the baby too!”

Gu Qinghan saw the child rushing over and quickly caught her, reminding her, “Gu Wanyue, there’s no need to hurry at home, just walk slowly.”

The caught Lele stuck out her tongue. “I understand, I won’t bump into Mom and the little baby.”

She then gently pressed her head against Wen Nuan’s belly, her big round eyes twinkling as she smiled and said, “The little baby says it wants to keep sleeping, so we shouldn’t talk to them.”

The little one said it so convincingly, even raising a finger and making a “shh” sound.

Wen Nuan asked, “So does that mean Mom won’t take you to school?”

Lele had been a little upset before, but suddenly seemed to think of something. She then picked up the doll that General Lu had given her and said, “Hua Hua says she wants to play with the doll. Mom, you stay home and play with Auntie, and I’ll let Dad take me to kindergarten.”

She said this while stuffing the doll into her own backpack.

Wen Nuan looked at the little one’s adorable expression and smiled. “Then go to kindergarten and play with Hua Hua, but in the afternoon, Auntie will come to pick you up. Don’t run out of the kindergarten, okay?”

Previously, Hua Hua had given Lele a small picture book, so Lele had promised to bring the doll for her to play with.

The two little girls had grown closer and closer.

Gu Qinghan had already set out breakfast for Wen Nuan and said, “Wife, you eat your breakfast first. I’m taking Lele to kindergarten now.”

As soon as Gu Qinghan left, Gu Qinglan came over with some fruit and asked, “Sister-in-law, why are you up so early? Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I got up for breakfast,” Wen Nuan looked at Gu Qinglan and asked, “Why are you here so early? Have you had breakfast? If not, go to the kitchen and get some noodles.”

Wen Nuan, with her large belly, couldn’t sleep comfortably no matter how she tried, so she decided to just get up.

Gu Qinglan went to the kitchen to serve herself some noodles and said, “Oh, I’m going to assist Doctor Zhao with a surgery later, so I might be busy today. I brought the fruit over first. Has Lele already gone to school? How about Aunt Chen?”

Gu Qinglan had been learning under Master Zi for over half a year. She would usually follow Master Zi on consultations and assist with surgeries, and had become quite skilled.

As for the previous incident with Director Xu’s mother introducing her to a potential match, which had led to a reprimand from the political commissar, though there were some opinions about her, they couldn’t deny Gu Qinglan’s diligence and competence.

Now, everyone in the hospital knew that Gu Qinglan was Master Zi’s close disciple, and they still showed her some respect.

So Gu Qinglan’s work was going smoothly.

Wen Nuan took a sip of water and said, “Aunt Chen and Aunt Liang just left for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. They’ll probably be back soon.”

Aunt Liang and Aunt Chen were around the same age and got along very well, often going to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative together every day.

In the hot summer, many things didn’t last long and had to be bought fresh every day from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Gu Qinglan quickly finished her noodles and then patiently waited for Wen Nuan to finish her meal before checking her pulse.

In addition to learning from Doctor Zhao, Gu Qinglan also insisted on learning some traditional Chinese medicine from Doctor Li Yunhua whenever he visited.

It was unclear whether Doctor Zhao had taken off his hat, but now Doctor Li Yunhua came to the North more frequently than before. Sometimes, he even made house calls at the military hospital. Gu Qinglan, being sweet-tongued, managed to make both elders happy, and they were more willing to guide her.

Under the guidance of these two experienced masters, Gu Qinglan had become quite proficient and was now able to check Wen Nuan’s pulse herself.

After finishing, Gu Qinglan withdrew her hand and said, “Everything looks good. When Doctor Zhao is free the day after tomorrow, I’ll have him come over to take a look as well.”

Wen Nuan smiled. “Alright, thank Doctor Zhao for me.”

Then, Wen Nuan asked, “Have you sent a letter to Da Xiang?”

Ever since that time when Gu Qinghan mentioned that he knew about Gu Qinglan and Li Daxiang’s relationship, Wen Nuan had asked Qinglan to write a letter and let Gu Qinghan take it to him.

However, she wasn’t sure if Qinglan had written it.

Gu Qinglan put away the cotton ball and said, “No, it’s not urgent. It’s only been a few months. Didn’t you say he’ll be back by the end of the year?”

Gu Qinglan had been quite busy and didn’t have the time to think much about it. Moreover, from what Gu Qinghan had told her, Li Daxiang and his team were undergoing intensive training, so even if she had written the letter, Li Daxiang might not be able to reply.

It might be better not to write at all.

Wen Nuan raised an eyebrow and laughed. “That’s true. It’s not like a few months matter. Right now, what’s most important is both of your careers.”

In fact, the two of them had already made up their minds, and the time didn’t matter that much. Besides, Gu Qinglan had just started learning under Doctor Zhao, and medicine was a field that couldn’t be mastered in a short period. Even learning a little was just the beginning.

Wen Nuan said, “You should head back to the hospital now. Come visit when you have time.”

That evening, after Aunt Chen picked Lele up from kindergarten, the little one hugged her doll and said, “Mom, today lots of kids liked my doll! They said they’ll bring their toys to play with me tomorrow.”

Wen Nuan saw how sweaty Lele was from running around, with Aunt Chen chasing after her. She smiled and said, “You don’t have to run so fast. Look at you, all sweaty.”

But she was still happy for her, saying, “So, does that mean you’ll bring your doll to school tomorrow?”

Lele nodded eagerly. “Of course! I’m going to put a pretty hairpin on it, so my friends can see it!”

“By the way, Mom, could you make a beautiful dress for my doll? Hua Hua said the doll’s dress is a bit dirty.”

Wen Nuan thought there was nothing much to do, so she asked Lele to go to the cupboard and pick out a piece of fabric she liked.

A few months ago, Aunt Chen had made several baby clothes for the child in her belly, and there were some leftover fabrics that were just enough to make clothes for Lele’s doll.

As soon as the little one heard this, he immediately ran towards the room where the fabrics were kept, then opened the cabinet and pushed aside a few brightly colored pieces of fabric. He then happily ran back to Wen Nuan.

Smiling, the little one said, “Mom, you should make a skirt for the doll, she’s a girl.”

“The clothes Aunt Chen made are for boys, they don’t look good!”

Just then, Aunt Chen came back and, hearing the little one’s words, she caught her breath and smiled, “Lele, is there something wrong with boys? Wouldn’t it be great if your mom had two little brothers?”

In this era, most people wanted boys, and Aunt Chen herself was no exception.

Aunt Chen knew that Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan both cherished Lele and they usually didn’t discuss the gender of the child.

Moreover, the baby clothes everyone made were all the same. Whatever fabric Wen Nuan prepared for her, she made it into the corresponding design.

Of course, she couldn’t make a little skirt, even if the baby turned out to be a girl. A tiny baby couldn’t wear a skirt.

So, in Lele’s eyes, any clothes that weren’t skirts were considered boy’s clothes.

Hearing Aunt Chen’s words, Lele frowned and said, “I don’t want a brother, I want a sister!”

Sister Guihua’s child, Zhuzi, was still small, chubby and adorable.

Although Lele knew it was a brother, she still liked him and would often go play with him during holidays.

However, sometimes, when they were listening to Wen Nuan’s baby’s movements at night with his dad, Lele would say, “Our little baby must be a sister, a sister who’s so cute. Later, I’ll give all my little skirts to her!”

Sometimes, Gu Qinghan would join in with Lele and laugh, saying, “A sister is good, as long as she’s as obedient and sensible as Lele.”

But sometimes, when Gu Qinghan thought about having to marry off a daughter in the future, she would look melancholic and change her tone, saying, “Actually, we should have a son. I’m worried they won’t have a good marriage.”

Wen Nuan would always feel speechless when she heard them talk.

After hearing Lele’s words, Aunt Chen smiled and said, “The little baby will be born soon, let’s see if Lele is right.”

“Whether it’s a brother or sister, your mom and dad will be just as happy.”

After saying this, Aunt Chen went into the kitchen to get busy.

Wen Nuan took the fabric that Lele brought and said, “Sisters and brothers are all part of our family. Lele, don’t be biased.”

“Haha, I just want a sister,” Lele thought for a moment and then said, “I don’t want a brother, boys are all smelly.”

Wen Nuan looked at Lele, “???”

Lele seemed to be recalling something, furrowing his brows as he said, “The boys in my class, they don’t wash their feet, and they’re all smelly.”

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Oh? Lele might be mistaken. It’s hot right now, so they might just have a little sweat smell.”

Not only children, but when she used to work at the Kitchen Unit, it was so hot in the back kitchen that most people had a slight sweat smell.

Wen Nuan didn’t want the child to go back to school and start talking about others, causing unnecessary conflicts.

“That’s not it.” Lele looked at Wen Nuan and said, “They said it themselves. They said they don’t wash their feet and just go to bed on the kang.”

Wen Nuan: “…”

Well, there was no way around it.

In order to make a skirt for Lele’s doll, Wen Nuan worked through most of the night, continuing until Gu Qinghan came back.

When Gu Qinghan saw that his wife was still awake so late, sitting at the sewing machine, he walked over and asked, “Why are you up so late?”

“Aunt Chen already made the baby’s clothes. Why are you still making them?”

Wen Nuan was in her later stages of pregnancy and wasn’t sleeping well. When she felt tired, she would go to sleep, but if she woke up, it was hard for her to fall back asleep.

Since August, Wen Nuan hadn’t slept past ten o’clock.

Now that it was so late, Gu Qinghan was feeling sorry for her.

However, Wen Nuan just smiled and said, “It’s not that. This is a little skirt I’m making for Lele’s doll. I made it too big earlier, so I had to take it apart and redo it.”

Then, Wen Nuan hugged Gu Qinghan, who was standing next to her, and smiled, “And it’s just in time for you to come back. How about it? Are you hungry? Do you want me to cook something for you?”

“No need.” Gu Qinghan pulled up a chair and sat next to Wen Nuan. He gently placed his hand on her belly and said, “I ate at the canteen.”

Since Aunt Chen arrived, she knew that Gu Qinghan needed to train at night. There were a few times when she had stayed up to make him noodles after he had already gone to bed. Later, he just started eating something in the canteen before returning home.

Wen Nuan nodded, “Oh, then you should go take a shower first. I’ll wait for you to sleep together.”

“I’ve already taken out your clothes, they’re over there on the sofa.” Wen Nuan pointed to the clothes on the sofa.

Hearing this, Gu Qinghan kissed Wen Nuan on the forehead and said, “Alright, I’ll go now. You rest, and if you’re not done, I’ll finish it slowly when I’m back.”

Wen Nuan pushed the man lightly and smiled, “It’s already done. Go quickly, or I’ll get sleepy later.”

Once Gu Qinghan went to take a shower, Wen Nuan checked the doll’s skirt. Seeing that there was no problem, she walked over to the sofa to grab Lele’s backpack, intending to put the doll inside to avoid Lele forgetting it tomorrow.

Lele’s backpack contained a clean set of clothes to change into, along with a pile of drawings and picture books.

These things were probably from kindergarten. Wen Nuan had bought her some picture books, but the little one didn’t like reading them. However, if a classmate shared one with her, she would eagerly read it several times by herself.

Noticing that Lele’s backpack was a bit messy, Wen Nuan decided to tidy it up.

When she emptied everything out, Wen Nuan realized it was really messy—there were all sorts of things inside.

Just as she was about to neatly stack the drawings, a small piece of paper suddenly fluttered out from among the items.

The paper was strange—it was covered in dots. Although it was a child’s handwriting, when she looked closely, it seemed to have some hidden meaning.

An idea flashed through Wen Nuan’s mind, and her hand holding the paper trembled slightly.

As soon as Gu Qinghan entered the room, she composed herself and waved at him, saying, “Qinghan, come over and take a look.”

Seeing that Wen Nuan’s face looked off, Gu Qinghan didn’t hesitate for a moment. He walked over to her and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wen Nuan handed him the paper, her voice trembling, “Take a look—” Gu Qinghan dropped the towel he was holding and, when he saw the string of dots on the paper, which were written in the special Morse code used by intelligence unit, his expression changed.