Chapter 116.2

Wen Nuan gave General Lu some time alone to process the changes in the children’s surnames.

In fact, General Lu had never wanted her to change her surname. However, during the past year when they were celebrating the New Year in Beijing, General Lu had taken out the photo albums with pictures of him and her grandmother.

Although General Lu tried to hide his emotions, Wen Nuan could still sense how much he missed her grandmother.

So, when she registered the children’s household registration, she also added a surname for herself—taking her grandmother’s surname.

Coincidentally, her grandmother’s surname complemented her name perfectly: Zhen Wen Nuan.

Zhen Wen Nuan.

In the room, Uncle Zhao was seeing his leader in this state for the first time and couldn’t help but try to comfort him. “Leader, the children are showing you their filial piety. Xiao Nuan is truly thoughtful.”

General Lu rarely opened up to anyone, but there were two people he trusted deeply—Uncle Zhao, whom he had known for several decades, and the old man Shen Chuanshan. Since Shen Chuanshan wasn’t around, Uncle Zhao naturally became his confidant.

General Lu smiled softly and said, “I’m really happy, old Zhang. It’s been so many years, and I’ve never been as happy as I am today.”

When General Lu said this, his eyes were still wet. Perhaps because of his age, his tear ducts had become more sensitive than when he was younger, so tears came more easily now.

Uncle Zhao smiled and replied, “Well, that’s great! Xiao Nuan must know that you don’t lack anything, so she thought of giving you this surprise.”

Uncle Zhao also liked Wen Nuan. He thought she was polite, down-to-earth, and not at all pretentious. Moreover, since his wife had come to the North, she had always treated Wen Nuan like an elder, never being bossy.

“I know,” General Lu sighed and then said to Uncle Zhao, “Old Zhao, when you go back to Beijing, ask Mingde when it would be convenient to vacate the house. I’ll see when I can bring Xiao Nuan and her family over to Beijing.”

Uncle Zhao quickly responded, “Okay, I’ll make sure to give them a heads-up when the time comes.”

Lu Mingde was General Lu’s cousin, the youngest son of General Lu’s uncle.

Although he was called a cousin, Lu Mingde was actually much younger than General Lu, nearly thirty years younger.

Previously, Lu Mingde had mentioned that the house he was assigned was very small, and with six or seven people in his family, he asked General Lu for a siheyuan (traditional courtyard house), saying it would be fine for them to live there temporarily.

Since both of General Lu’s sons had passed away, General Lu and his wife rarely returned to the old courtyard house.

He knew that the General avoided going back there because the place reminded him of his two sons.

Although both of his sons had sacrificed their lives for the country, which was honorable, it was undoubtedly painful for a father to face their absence.

Later, General Lu’s wife passed away a few years ago, and General Lu never returned to the old house again. He even gave the house to a relative’s family to live in.

Old Zhao had thought that General Lu would never return to the old house in his lifetime.

Now, it seemed that if Wen Nuan and her family could move to Beijing, it would save General Lu from having to travel back and forth.

Although General Lu appeared energetic and full of vitality, he was growing older, and it would be easier if he could stay in Beijing and not have to travel so far. This way, he could see his children more often.

After thinking for a while, General Lu spoke again, “Qinghan is about to be promoted. Tell General Xu that I’ll preside over the award ceremony.”

Uncle Zhao smiled broadly. “Alright, I’ll go notify General Xu right away.”

Seeing how lively Uncle Zhao still seemed, General Lu called out to him, “Old Zhao, there’s no rush. It can wait until tomorrow. For now, go check the kitchen to see if there’s anything I can help with.”

When General Lu came out of his room, humming a Peking opera tune, Wen Nuan still noticed that his eyes were a little red.

Wen Nuan had just finished discussing the dishes with Aunt Chen and saw General Lu coming out. She smiled and said, “Grandpa, what would you like to eat tonight? I’ll make a few dishes.”

General Lu rolled up his sleeves and smiled at her. “Tonight’s cooking is up to me and Uncle Zhao. You and Aunt Chen can sit and rest for a while.”

They had been busy recently, so how could he ask his granddaughter to cook?

Uncle Zhao also rolled up his sleeves and said, “Xiao Nuan, we’ll handle the kitchen today. You go check on the kids.”

Aunt Chen tugged on Wen Nuan’s arm and smiled. “Let them do it. They’re probably so happy that they want to take charge of cooking.”

Wen Nuan then asked Aunt Chen to sit down. “Aunt Chen, you’ve worked hard recently. Please take a good rest today.”

Aunt Chen said, “I won’t sit. I’ll go check if the two children are awake. You sit down for a while.”

Wen Nuan smiled and replied, “Lele just ran out and said they’re sleeping soundly. By the time the guests arrive, they should be waking up.”

She then poured Aunt Chen a cup of tea.

Earlier, Sister Juxiang and Sister Guihua had also come by. They mentioned they would return later with some ingredients, and that the children wouldn’t need much care from them once the guests arrived.

Aunt Chen took the tea, feeling slightly restless, but since the children hadn’t woken up yet and the kitchen no longer required her help, she decided to relax for a bit.

In the kitchen, General Lu was sharpening his knives. When he saw Gu Qinghan return, he quickly called him into the kitchen and asked about Wen Nuan’s taste preferences.

It seemed he was truly preparing to show off his cooking skills.

Wen Nuan had invited a few close friends over for a casual meal. After estimating the number of people, she realized there would be quite a few guests, so she borrowed a table and chairs from Sister Guihua’s family.

The guests began arriving one by one. Quartermaster Luo, Old Zhong, and Xiao Zhu all knew General Lu would be there and felt somewhat uneasy. However, when they arrived at Wen Nuan’s house and saw General Lu in an apron, skillfully wielding a spatula and cooking up a storm, they were instantly stunned.

Quartermaster Luo whispered to Wen Nuan, “Comrade Wen Nuan, did we come too late? Is it still okay for us to go into the kitchen and help?”

Old Zhong looked flustered and said, “General Lu won’t be upset that we’re just here for a free meal, will he?”

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh and said, “No need. In the kitchen, there’s my Grandpa, Uncle Zhao, and Qinghan. That’s enough.”

The kitchen at their house wasn’t very big to begin with. Now that three big men were inside, it was already cramped. If a few more people joined, there might not even be space to turn around.

The men in the kitchen looked at Wen Nuan and said, “Well, we can’t just sit around doing nothing. Can you find something for us to do? If General Lu is busy, I won’t feel comfortable sitting idly.”

Wen Nuan was at a loss for words.

“There really isn’t much for everyone to help with,” Wen Nuan said with a smile.

Quartermaster Luo straightened up and said, “If there’s nothing else, we can always help wash the children’s diapers.”

“That’s even more unnecessary,” Wen Nuan laughed and glanced in the direction of the kitchen. “That’s Comrade Gu Qinghan’s job.”

The group of men stared, wide-eyed. “!!!”

And here they were, about to eat a meal with some “dog food” thrown in. Well, they might as well sit quietly.

After a while, General Lu brought out the small chicken and mushrooms he had just cooked. When he met Wen Nuan’s gaze, he cleared his throat and said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked. I’ll definitely do better next time.”

Wen Nuan glanced at the chicken on the plate, which seemed a bit overcooked, the chicken slightly charred from the high heat.

Still, she smiled and praised him. “Grandpa, it’s been such a long time since you’ve cooked, and it’s already very good. Next time, it’ll definitely be even better.”

Quartermaster Luo, Old Zhong, and Xiao Zhu all nodded in unison. “That’s right, next time it’ll be even better!”

General Lu, feeling quite pleased, placed the plate of small chicken and mushrooms on the Eight Immortals table.

Just as he was about to head back to the kitchen, there was a knock at the door. Three figures entered, calling out, “Colonel Gu, I brought a bottle of Maotai to congratulate you.”

“I have a bottle too, and a bottle of Wuliangye.”

“I brought some Beibingyang soda. Wow, you’ve already cooked so much?”

Wen Nuan quickly poured tea for them and invited them to sit.

General Xu glanced at the chicken and mushrooms on the table and muttered, “Who made this dish? My Maotai definitely can’t go with something like this.”

Political Commissar Li smiled and said, “I think it’s probably Gu Qinghan. Today, both of his sons are a hundred days old, and he’s been promoted, so he must want to show off a bit.”

Liang Guoan smiled and said, “Probably not. Old Gu’s cooking skills aren’t bad at all.”

None of them noticed the looks exchanged by the men in the kitchen. General Lu, visibly annoyed, snapped, “I made it!”

The leaders in the room froze.

That’ll teach you to speak carelessly!

The hundred-day banquet coincided with Gu Qinghan’s promotion, so there were more people than usual attending.

Fortunately, Uncle Zhao and Aunt Chen had prepared plenty of ingredients, and later, Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang brought more dishes, ensuring that the guests felt well taken care of.

Once everything had finished, General Lu didn’t have any free time. After giving large red envelopes to the two children and Lele, he mentioned that he needed to attend a meeting.

After the banquet, it was time for Gu Qinghan’s award ceremony.

Because the army had been implicated in a counterintelligence incident, the entire unit had been affected. Some people were implicated, while others earned recognition for their contributions, with second and third-class merits awarded.

Gu Qinghan was one of them, but he was the only one who had been given a promotion opportunity.

And he was promoted two ranks at once.

Early in the morning, the families attending the award ceremony were already gossiping. “I thought the whole unit would be on hold this year, but it turns out someone is being promoted.”

“Just look at who it is. It’s Gu Qinghan. I heard he’s the one who caught the enemy agents. He even went to Beijing and arrested a whole group. How could it not be him?”

“He even got promoted two ranks. Isn’t that frustrating?”

“Frustrating? What’s frustrating is that you didn’t get close to him earlier.”

Several families in the unit had been implicated because of Lin Guoqiang’s family, and they still hadn’t been released. It was said they were under investigation.

It had been months now, and many people speculated that they might have been locked up.

But Gu Qinghan’s family was different. Not only had he been promoted two ranks, but it was also rumored that during the children’s hundred-day banquet, both the Colonel and the Political Commissar had visited their home.

Everyone must have regretted not getting closer to Gu Qinghan.

If they had established a connection with him, even if they hadn’t earned any merits, at least they wouldn’t have been implicated.

Wen Nuan looked at the crowded audience. Initially, she hadn’t planned on attending the ceremony, but Aunt Chen had said that Grandpa would personally present the award to Gu Qinghan, so she brought Lele along.

She had asked Uncle Zhao and Aunt Chen to look after Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou for now.

As Wen Nuan listened to the discussions behind her, she didn’t turn around, but Sister Guihua smiled and said, “I told you, Xiao Nuan, maybe you’ll be praised as well.”

There had been a few commendation ceremonies before, and Wen Nuan had been publicly recognized each time, but she had never been present. This time, it seemed likely that she would be acknowledged as well.

Wen Nuan, holding Lele, smiled and replied, “Whether I’m recognized or not doesn’t matter. The main thing is that the enemy agents were caught.”

After all, she had discovered the Morse code, but the follow-up arrests had all been handled by the military officers.

Gu Qinghan had mentioned that the enemy agents had hidden some of their intelligence, and it hadn’t been found yet. It seemed like it would take some more time to track it down.

Since it was winter, many operations had slowed down.

While Wen Nuan was lost in her thoughts, the atmosphere on stage became livelier. Although there weren’t many promotions, a new group of aviators had joined the army, and there was also an award ceremony for them.

Aviators were rare these days, so they held a special ceremony for them.

After the aviator ceremony, it was time for Gu Qinghan’s award, which would be presided over by Political Commissar Li. He had changed into a sharp military uniform and was speaking fluent Mandarin.

Once the Commissar started speaking, the crowd fell silent and turned their attention to the stage.

Political Commissar Li spoke clearly, “I believe everyone knows what happened at the North Air Force Base some time ago. It was due to this enemy agent incident that we exposed some weaknesses in our unit’s management. However, there were also brave soldiers who fought valiantly in this battle, capturing the entire enemy organization. Now, let us welcome these soldiers with applause.”

A round of thunderous applause followed.

A neat row of soldiers slowly emerged from behind the red curtain.

Among the crowd, Wen Nuan immediately spotted Gu Qinghan.

Even though he was surrounded by upright figures, the man’s imposing stature, his handsome features, and most importantly, his impeccably tailored uniform made him stand out, looking especially striking.

Under the bright lights, he was dazzling, drawing the gaze of countless onlookers the moment he stepped forward.

Lele, who had been feeling a bit stuffy in Wen Nuan’s arms, suddenly pointed and said, “Mom, Dad is on the stage.”

At that moment, the venue fell somewhat quiet, and many people overheard, turning their attention to the little one.

Wen Nuan quickly covered Lele’s mouth and whispered, “Didn’t I tell you? No loud noises. This is a very formal occasion.”

Lele, upon hearing this, instinctively glanced around at the people nearby and quickly covered his mouth.

However, the ceremony wasn’t disturbed by the child’s words. Political Commissar Li continued reading out the names of the soldiers who had earned recognition for their bravery.

When Gu Qinghan’s name was called, a figure suddenly appeared from somewhere and shouted, “Colonel Gu!”

Immediately, the soldiers from the 76th Regiment began shouting in unison.

Wen Nuan stretched her neck and glanced around. She thought she had heard a female comrade’s voice, which sounded somewhat familiar.

But the atmosphere in the venue was electric, with many people standing up in excitement.

Even Lele, for no reason, joined in the shouting, calling out “Colonel Gu!” and “Dad” in a loud, chaotic voice.

Sister Guihua nudged Wen Nuan with her elbow and teased, “Why aren’t you joining in? Look at how enthusiastically everyone else is cheering.”

Wen Nuan listened to the loud cheers around her and suddenly smiled, saying, “It’s alright. There will be plenty of chances for me to shout when I want to.”

It was a simple response, but Sister Guihua gave her a knowing smile.

Wen Nuan didn’t pay her much attention. She held Lele tightly in her arms and looked up at the man on the stage.

Their eyes met across the crowd, and in that instant, they both found each other amidst the sea of people.

Wen Nuan mouthed two words, and the man on stage raised an eyebrow, seeming a little confused.

Wen Nuan wasn’t in a rush to explain; there would be plenty of chances to talk to him later that evening.

But what she didn’t expect was that when Political Commissar Li announced Gu Qinghan’s promotion, General Lu suddenly walked up to the stage from the front row.

At that moment, Sister Guihua remarked, “Could it be that your Grandpa is the one presenting the award to Colonel Gu?”

Normally, it was General Xu who conducted the award ceremonies. While there were other generals, General Lu, the commander of the general headquarters, wasn’t typically the one to present such an honor.

Such a distinction was not something given to just anyone.

As Wen Nuan was still processing this, General Lu had already reached the stage.

However, instead of immediately proceeding with the ceremony, he began to give a speech.

Many people from the family compound were aware of the close relationship between General Lu and Gu Qinghan.

But Wen Nuan, having known General Lu as her Grandpa for so long, had never heard them discuss official matters at home. Her Grandpa was also known for not showing much warmth toward Gu Qinghan.

Gu Qinghan knew about the relationship between Li Daxiang and Gu Qinglan, so he took care to avoid suspicion at the Flight Team, not to mention the dynamic between General Lu and himself.

The higher the rank, the more one needed to avoid any appearance of favoritism or conflict.

For the past two years, General Lu had been keeping a low profile, but now, here he was, personally awarding Gu Qinghan. This was unexpected.

As Wen Nuan wondered about this, Sister Guihua looked at her and smiled, “It seems like your Grandpa is in a really good mood about this trip to the North. Not only is he personally awarding Colonel Gu, but did you hear what he said earlier? He even praised you. He mentioned how you discovered the enemy’s spy activities in time and said you should be commended as well.”

General Lu’s deep, resonant voice echoed through the microphone: “When there is dereliction of duty, there must be criticism. Similarly, when there is merit, there must be praise. So today, I want to commend Comrade Gu Qinghan and Comrade Wen Nuan. Of course, there is also another key figure—our family compound’s little one, Gu Wanyue. I hope everyone will take this as a warning and prevent such things from happening again in our unit.”

With that, applause erupted throughout the hall.

Soon after, loud music played, blending with the thunderous applause.

Political Commissar Li signaled for silence before announcing, “We will now proceed with the award ceremony. Let the soldiers step forward. And now, let us invite Comrade Wen Nuan and little Gu Wanyue to the stage to receive their recognition.”

The ceremony included many honorees, with some receiving third-class merits and medals. However, the people on stage were all military personnel who had contributed sweat and effort during the operation.

Wen Nuan hadn’t fully grasped what was happening yet when Lele, excited, exclaimed, “Mom, Uncle Commissar called us to go up!”

“Mom, do we get medals like Dad?” Lele asked eagerly.

Gu Qinghan had several medals at home, and Lele had touched them countless times, knowing they were for recognition. Now, hearing that Wen Nuan might receive one too, he urged her to hurry and go up to the stage.

Sister Guihua, seeing that Wen Nuan hadn’t moved, encouraged her, “Xiao Nuan, you can take Lele up with you.”

Lele, too, had played a crucial role in this event, so the army made an exception, giving the first-ever commendation to a child.

Lele bounced with excitement, shouting, “Mom, let’s go! I want to go up and get a medal too! Mom…”

Wen Nuan took a deep breath, adjusted her emotions, wiped her face, and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone, slowly walked toward the stage with Lele in her arms.

From where he stood, Gu Qinghan endured a surge of overwhelming joy. His gaze was fixed on Wen Nuan and Lele as his heart raced in anticipation.