Chapter 115.3

The next day, Gu Qinghan had Aunt Chen prepare some local specialties, planning for Zhao Wuzhu to take them back to her hometown. 

Zhao Wuzhu, who cared a lot about face, had a mess to deal with back home. If she returned to her hometown empty-handed from the North, it was likely that even her house would be torn apart.

Wen Nuan was not that cold-blooded of a person. She knew that Zhao Wuzhu had come to the North unprepared, so she had Aunt Chen buy her a cotton-padded jacket.

However, there was no money left.

It wasn’t that Wen Nuan was unwilling to help; it was that she needed to save up for future preparations, and now was not the time to put on a brave front.

Of course, Zhao Wuzhu didn’t deserve that kind of help now.

Zhao Wuzhu had planned to stay until after her two grandsons’ hundred-day banquet before returning to her hometown.

Now, it was done. Gu Qinghan had bought her a train ticket without saying a word, leaving no room for refusal.

Even if she didn’t want to go, she had to go back.

While Zhao Wuzhu felt resentful, Gu Qinglan and Li Daxiang happily submitted their relationship report.

Moreover, this time, when Li Daxiang came back, he directly went to the Flight Team, and he was now a fighter pilot in the regular lineup.

However, neither Gu Qinglan nor Li Daxiang had time for romance. After submitting the report, they went back to their own busy lives.

On the day Zhao Wuzhu was leaving, Gu Qinglan did not come over to the family compound again.

Zhao Wuzhu wanted to ask, but Gu Qinghan interrupted her, saying that Gu Qinglan was busy with work.

Zhao Wuzhu understood that Gu Qinglan was upset, so she didn’t ask.

Earlier, Gu Qinghan had said that she would send Zhao Wuzhu back to her hometown, but then said she was too busy. Zhao Wuzhu was thoroughly disheartened.

After she got into the jeep, she looked out at Gu Qinghan and said, “Big Brother, if Qinglan gets married, remember to send me a telegram.”

Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow and asked, “Why? Do you have a dowry to give her?”

Zhao Wuzhu was speechless.

How had this big brother changed so much?

His tone was so sarcastic.

Zhao Wuzhu could not find a reply, so she snorted lightly, then looked back inside the house and asked, “By the way, haven’t you named my two grandsons yet? It’s already been a hundred days. Hurry up and decide, so when I get back, you can write their names into the family genealogy. Stop procrastinating, understood?”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan looked up, and after meeting Zhao Wuzhu’s gaze, she slowly said, “The children’s names have already been decided, and their household registration is completed.”

“Ah? Really?” Zhao Wuzhu showed her first genuine smile in days.

“What are the children’s names? Tell me quickly.”

Gu Qinghan thought for a moment, then replied, “Bao Bao is named Zhengyang, and Zhou Zhou is named Zhengqi. You might forget, so I’ll write them down for you.”

Zhao Wuzhu nodded happily upon hearing this. “Good, good, good. Oh, by the way, I also prepared red envelopes for the two children, but I forgot to give them.”

With that, Zhao Wuzhu rummaged through the inner layer of her cotton-padded jacket, flipping through it until she finally found two crumpled red envelopes. She handed them to Gu Qinghan, saying, “Here, these are for the children. You can hold onto them for now.”

Gu Qinghan took the envelopes without hesitation, then asked, “What about Lele? Why are there only two?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Wuzhu instinctively responded, “How old is she now? She doesn’t need red envelopes anymore.”

However, seeing Gu Qinghan’s face darken, Zhao Wuzhu quickly fumbled in her jacket’s inner pocket and pulled out a wad of money. She had originally intended to give just a dime.

But the next moment, Gu Qinghan said, “It’s better if everyone gets the same amount, or it won’t be fair.”

Zhao Wuzhu thought for a moment, gritted her teeth, and then reluctantly pulled out a one-yuan bill, saying, “I really don’t have any money left. You only send me twenty-five yuan a month—where would I have any extra?”

A few years ago, it had been twenty yuan, but Zhao Wuzhu didn’t know why Gu Qinghan had raised it by five yuan.

After coming to the family compound, Zhao Wuzhu had learned that Wen Nuan had found a job, so perhaps she had sent a little more to her.

Thinking of this, Zhao Wuzhu felt she shouldn’t have been so resentful.

But it was too late now. She had offended both Wen Nuan and Gu Qinglan, and she probably wouldn’t have the chance to visit the North again in the future.

“You could have saved some money by giving less to Gu Qingsong,” Gu Qinghan took the money with one hand and handed her the note with the children’s names with the other. “Mom, keep it carefully, don’t lose it. When you go back, let Qingsong help us write it into the family genealogy.”

Zhao Wuzhu, who could not read, saw two names on the paper. After a quick glance, she carefully put it into her clothing’s inner pocket.

Then she said, “Don’t worry. If I lose it, I’ll send you a telegram about it.”

“Okay, just stick with Comrade Li on the way. Don’t wander off.”

Gu Qinghan didn’t say much more. After giving a few instructions to her subordinate, she signaled for them to depart.

After Zhao Wuzhu left, Wen Nuan received a telegram from General Lu, saying he would be coming to the North in a few days. Besides attending a meeting about enemy spies, he also planned to hold a simple hundred-day banquet for the two children.

Wen Nuan knew about it and began making preparations.

The day before the banquet, she made a trip to the Kitchen Unit, planning to invite Quartermaster Luo, Old Zhong, and Comrade Xiao Zhu to have a drink.

It had been a long time since Wen Nuan had visited the Kitchen Unit. Since she didn’t have to bring the children, she spent some time in the kitchen making sweet potato soup to treat everyone.

Because Wen Nuan hadn’t been there for so long, everyone who had some free time wanted to chat with her.

Quartermaster Luo, remembering the rumors in the unit, curiously asked, “Wen Nuan Comrade, have you heard? Your Captain Gu is about to get promoted!”

Wen Nuan, holding a bowl of sweet potato soup, was surprised when she heard Quartermaster Luo’s words. She paused for a moment and asked, “When did this happen?”

Because Gu Qinghan had been so busy recently, and Zhao Wuzhu had been causing trouble, Wen Nuan hadn’t had time to ask him about his work.

But now, hearing Quartermaster Luo’s words, she was curious.

In fact, Gu Qinghan had mentioned that the organization was planning to promote him after the plane crash, but at that time, he had just arrived in the North and had only recently been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. It hadn’t even been a year, so the promotion had been delayed.

She hadn’t expected that it would take this long for it to finally happen.

Old Zhong walked over, smiling widely, and said, “I’ve heard it’s not just that. He’s also going to be promoted to Flight Team Captain. Starting in January, your Colonel Gu will be leading another Flight Team.”

If that were the case, it meant that Gu Qinghan had been promoted by two ranks in one go, which was quite rare in recent years.

Comrade Xiao Zhu, curious, asked, “So, Wen Nuan Comrade, will you be coming back to our Kitchen Unit next year?”

It was worth noting that now Wen Nuan didn’t need to work to make money.

The annual bonus would be distributed soon, and based on the factory’s production levels, which had been steady with almost monthly sales, Wen Nuan might receive more than five hundred yuan this year.

But even without the bonus, now that Gu Qinghan was a full Colonel and the Flight Team Captain, it was enough for her to live comfortably without working.

Wen Nuan smiled at everyone’s curious gazes, then joked, “I’ll think about it. Who knows, I might just create an empty position for you all to fill.”

“Ah, no! I still hope you come back!”

“Indeed, we haven’t had sweet soup in a long time, even just sweet potato soup—it’s making my mouth water!”

“I think it’s a bit difficult. The kids are too young; they can’t be left alone,” someone added.

Wen Nuan listened to everyone’s comments, smiling as she replied, “I’ll let you all know once I’ve decided. Make sure to come over tomorrow.”

“Hey, Wen Nuan Comrade, what about General Lu…?” Quartermaster Luo called out to Wen Nuan, asking the most important question.

Everyone knew that General Lu was Wen Nuan’s grandfather. Although Wen Nuan was very down-to-earth and had once even treated General Lu like a cook, this bloodline connection still made them feel a bit… intimidated.

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “My Grandpa is very kind-hearted. Remember to come over!”

The group fell silent. If it weren’t for the recent enemy spy incident, where they had all witnessed General Lu almost making several senior leaders cry with his scolding, they might have actually believed Wen Nuan’s words.

On the day of the hundred-day banquet, both Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan woke up especially early.

Wen Nuan remembered the news she had heard the day before at the Kitchen Unit, so she turned to Gu Qinghan, who was standing next to her brushing his teeth, and asked, “Darling, are you getting promoted?”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan call him that, Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow, feeling quite pleased.

After rinsing the foam from his mouth, he slowly replied, “I should be.”

“What do you mean ‘should be’? Didn’t we already know about this?” Wen Nuan couldn’t help but pinch the man, urging him to stop being so nonchalant.

Gu Qinghan immediately pulled her into his arms, lowered his head to look at Wen Nuan, and smiled, “I have to go back for a while around noon. By then, I should know for sure.”

Wen Nuan smiled back, “Congratulations, Colonel Gu, double joy.”

Gu Qinghan leaned down and kissed her, smiling as he said, “Thank you. I’ll keep working hard. I won’t let you and Grandpa be so far apart in the future. How about we go to Beijing then?”

When Wen Nuan heard this, her eyes suddenly felt a little teary. It turned out this man had been planning this all along.

She nodded and said, “Okay.”

The two of them embraced for a moment, and then Gu Qinghan spoke again, “By the way, General Lu arrived at the unit last night, but because of the meeting, he’s staying in the guest building.”

Wen Nuan smiled and nodded, then stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on the man’s cheek, saying, “I know, Uncle Zhao came by yesterday evening.”

Her grandpa must have known that Uncle Zhao had been apart from Aunt Chen for so long and missed her, so he had brought Uncle Zhao over too.

Last night, Uncle Zhao had brought some things, saying they were gifts Grandpa prepared for the children, along with some food.

Gu Qinghan was pleased, his smile growing more obvious as he said, “Then you stay here today. I’ll have Uncle Zhao come over to help. You don’t need to do anything.”

Taking care of the children was exhausting. The kids were always with Wen Nuan at night, only spending time with Aunt Chen during the day.

Wen Nuan often didn’t get enough sleep, so Gu Qinghan didn’t want her to wear herself out any further.

“I know. You go ahead and have your meeting,” Wen Nuan raised her hand, adjusting his clothes while smiling at him. “You’re really handsome.”

“Really?”

“Really handsome.” Wen Nuan thought for a moment, then stood on her tiptoes again and whispered in Gu Qinghan’s ear, “Your figure is great too.”

Before, Gu Qinghan had been very busy and had lost a lot of weight, but now he looked better, with toned and lean muscles. Every time, Wen Nuan wanted to turn on the light and look at him.

Unfortunately, with the kids sleeping with her, she couldn’t turn on the light. She could only feel him in the dark.

Gu Qinghan suddenly leaned down and lightly nipped her lips, then said, “Don’t tease me at this hour.”

Wen Nuan recalled the passion from last night and mischievously bit his finger, playfully moving her tongue, smiling as she said, “I’m teasing you.”

Gu Qinghan then draped his towel aside, gritting his teeth as he said, “Wen Nuan, you’re asking for it.”

With that, Gu Qinghan bent down, lifted his wife into his arms, and started walking toward the bedroom.

Wen Nuan was both startled and scared. If Aunt Chen hadn’t gone to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative early in the morning, she would’ve definitely had to give him a good scolding right now.

But when Wen Nuan saw the door to the room lock again, she regretted teasing the man so much!

Heaven only knew how wild he’d been after recently indulging himself!

Wen Nuan surrendered!

By 3 p.m., General Lu finally arrived. As soon as he entered, he picked up little Lele and looked her over before saying, “Why does my great-granddaughter seem a little thinner?”

Lele giggled and touched her own face, then innocently replied, “Really? Auntie said my face is still round.”

Then Lele reached out and touched General Lu’s face, asking, “Great-grandpa, have you lost weight?”

General Lu smiled warmly and responded, “No, no, Great-grandpa is still the same.”

“By the way, where’s Mom?”

Lele pointed toward the room, saying, “Mom, Bao Bao, and Zhuzhu are in the room. Great-grandpa, let me take you to see the babies.”

“Our Bao Bao and Zhuzhu are really cute. Great-grandpa, you’ll definitely like them.”

General Lu smiled so widely his eyes nearly disappeared, saying, “Even if I can’t see them, Great-grandpa will still love them.”

Wen Nuan heard General Lu’s voice and quickly went to greet him, smiling as she said, “Grandpa, you’re here!”

It had been a long time since they had seen each other, and now that they were reunited, Wen Nuan felt a little emotional.

When General Lu put Lele down, Wen Nuan immediately stepped forward and gave him a hug, saying, “Grandpa, you’ve worked hard.”

General Lu nearly broke into tears, smiling as he said, “I’m here, I’m here. It’s not hard at all. It’s not as hard as what our Xiao Nuan’s been through.”

Wen Nuan moved aside to make space for General Lu, smiling as she said, “Take a look at the kids first. Both brothers are pretty heavy now—over twenty pounds each.”

General Lu lowered his gaze to look at the two little ones. They were sleeping soundly, their tiny hands raised above their heads.

They looked so adorable that it melted anyone’s heart.

General Lu studied them carefully and said, “They look a bit more like Gu Qinghan, though their ears and mouths are a bit like yours.”

Lele, leaning over the edge of the bed, muttered, “I don’t see it. Do they look like Dad?”

General Lu gently patted Lele’s head and smiled, “They do. It’s just that Lele, you see them every day, so you don’t notice.”

“Yeah, everyone says that.” Wen Nuan saw General Lu sit down, and she immediately added, “Grandpa, you sit for a while. I have something I want you to see.”

Then, Wen Nuan turned to Lele and said, “Lele, go get a glass of water for Great-grandpa.”

“Okay! I’ll go now. Great-grandpa, you sit down first.” Lele said, then dashed off.

Without even lifting his head, General Lu smiled and asked, “Oh? What’s so special?”

Wen Nuan took an household registration book from the cabinet and handed it to General Lu with a smile. “Here, Grandpa, take a look.”

General Lu took the household registration book from Wen Nuan, his face full of confusion as he looked at it. In an instant, he froze.