Chapter 117

Wen Nuan held Lele’s small hand and, under the gaze of the crowd, slowly walked toward the stage.

On the stage, there was a row of neatly arranged soldiers waiting to be awarded medals, along with tonight’s host, Political Commissar Li, and the generals who would be presenting the medals—General Lu and General Xu.

Political Commissar Li looked at Wen Nuan and Lele, who were slowly walking up, and whispered to General Xu beside him, “This is the first time in our army that a child is being awarded a medal. That kid, Gu Qinghan, really stole the spotlight.”

General Xu chuckled lightly, “If it weren’t for Gu Qinghan and his family, do you think our army would have escaped criticism this year? We should thank the heavens that the higher-ups aren’t pursuing this any further.”

Political Commissar Li nodded, “You’re right. If I had known, I would’ve asked him to bring two more bottles of Moutai last night to treat us.”

General Xu replied, “We’ll ask him again during the New Year.”

General Lu glanced at the two of them. Did they really think he was deaf?

While the two were whispering, Wen Nuan and Lele had already reached the stage. Political Commissar Li smiled kindly and gestured for them to move toward Gu Qinghan. “Comrade Wen Nuan, you and the child can stand over here.”

Wen Nuan glanced at Gu Qinghan, then properly led Lele to stand beside him. Lele stood in the middle, with Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan on either side.

Lele was extremely happy. She looked at the dense crowd below the stage and, without hesitation, took Gu Qinghan’s hand and smiled. “Dad, we are being praised together! This is amazing!”

In such a formal occasion, Gu Qinghan was usually serious and solemn, but when he heard Lele’s words, he couldn’t help but glance at her.

At the same time, he looked at Wen Nuan. Their eyes met, and Gu Qinghan felt an overwhelming sense of joy rush over him.

He had once imagined his own medal ceremony, thinking that Wen Nuan and the child would definitely come to watch.

But he hadn’t expected that he would actually stand there with them, receiving the commendation together.

The feeling was so wonderful that he couldn’t find the words to describe it, especially when he saw the envious gazes of countless people from the crowd. He even felt a slight sense of pride stirring within him.

When Political Commissar Li saw that everyone had gathered, he officially announced, “Now, please welcome General Lu and General Xu to present medals to all the brave soldiers on the stage.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the two authoritative leaders stepped forward and stood in front of the soldiers receiving medals, placing the shining medals on them.

General Lu, with a slight smile, encouraged the other heroes on stage, “Comrades, thank you for your hard work. I hope you will continue to strive forward and keep serving the people.”

Soon, it was Gu Qinghan’s turn. General Lu took the order and the colonel’s shoulder epaulet handed to him by General Xu.

His sharp gaze landed on the upright Gu Qinghan, and he replaced his old shoulder epaulet with a new one, speaking earnestly, “From today onwards, you are a regimental officer. The shoulder epaulet carries the mission of defending the country. I hope you will continue to work hard, avoid complacency, and keep forging ahead.”

“Of course, cherish your family as well.”

The first part was General Lu’s words, and the latter part was Grandpa’s.

Gu Qinghan naturally understood General Lu’s thoughtful intention, and he solemnly saluted, “Yes, sir.”

Next, General Xu placed the first-class merit medal on him and smiled with satisfaction, saying, “Continue to bring glory to the army and strive for even greater achievements.”

Then, General Xu followed General Lu to where Lele and Wen Nuan were standing. Since neither of them were soldiers, there would be no medal ceremony for them, but they would receive a commendation certificate and a metal medal.

Lele, who had been eagerly waiting, saw General Lu approach and stepped forward, saying, “Grandpa, I want the same medal Dad has. I want to wear it on my clothes, here.”

She pointed to her arm, signaling General Lu to pin the medal there.

General Lu, understanding her request, handed the certificate to General Xu and took the medal, pinning it where Lele had indicated. “This time, we are recognizing Lele. Think about what you want, and tell Grandpa later.”

As long as it wasn’t the stars or the moon, he would give her whatever she wanted!

Lele was thrilled and grinned, “I’ll think carefully about it.”

General Lu patted her head, smiling, “No hurry, take your time.”

Then, only Wen Nuan was left. In fact, she had received a commendation certificate from the Border Defense Unit when she had prepared fast dishes for them. She hadn’t expected to receive another one this time, especially one personally given to her by Grandpa.

It was very meaningful.

General Lu looked at his beloved granddaughter with a mixture of pride and affection, saying, “Comrade Wen Nuan, on behalf of the Air Force, I thank you.” With that, he pinned a medal on her.

Wen Nuan met her Grandpa’s gaze and smiled brightly, “This is what I should do. Thank you, sir.”

General Xu looked at Wen Nuan and, with genuine warmth, smiled as well. “Comrade Wen Nuan, you have done so much for the army. In addition to the commendation, we have decided to give you a reward.”

With that, General Xu handed her a light yellow envelope.

Wen Nuan paused for a moment, then took the envelope from him. If nothing unexpected happened, it was likely a cash reward.

It seemed like it would be time to treat everyone to a nice meal.

The people in the crowd all looked at Wen Nuan and the two generals, quietly speculating about what was being said.

A small number of people in the army knew about the relationship between General Lu and Wen Nuan, and they couldn’t help but whisper to each other, “I think General Lu specially awarded the medal to Colonel Gu’s family. He really dotes on his granddaughter.”

“I’ve heard that Wen Nuan is General Lu’s granddaughter. I’ve also heard that General Lu has visited the family compound many times. No wonder this time, even though the army faced such a big issue, we didn’t get criticized. It seems like General Lu must have pleaded for us.”

“Come on, didn’t you see Colonel Gu directly promoted to Colonel? This operation to capture the enemy agents—he played a huge part in it, and even captured that batch of enemy agents from Beijing.”

“Colonel Gu’s family is not only good-looking, but both of them are capable, and their child is lucky, smart, and handsome. Who wouldn’t like them? If I had such a capable descendant, I’d want to announce it to the whole world.”

“I wonder how much bonus Wen Nuan got. If I had known, I would have dug three feet into the ground to find one like her.”

Everyone couldn’t help but feel envious. It seemed like all the good things were going to their family.

After the award ceremony, Gu Qinghan, holding Wen Nuan and Lele’s hands, walked off the stage, surrounded by congratulatory words from the crowd.

Gu Qinghan noticed that Wen Nuan and Lele were almost being squeezed by the crowd and laughed, saying, “Thank you, everyone, but please don’t crowd my wife and child.”

Many of the young female comrades in the crowd couldn’t help but feel envious when they heard Gu Qinghan’s words.

How come they couldn’t meet such a capable and loving man for their wives?

As the crowd dispersed, Liang Guoan, Quartermaster Luo, and several of the subordinates from the 76th Regiment walked up to Gu Qinghan, teasing him, “Colonel Gu, you’ve just been promoted by two ranks. You’re probably going to treat everyone to a meal and drinks now, right?”

Gu Qinghan, not yet thirty years old, had just been promoted to regimental officer and Flight Team captain, skipping a rank to become a full colonel. There was no one else in the entire corps who had achieved such a feat.

Gu Qinghan glanced at his old comrades and let out a hum, saying, “Didn’t you guys just eat together yesterday?”

Liang Guoan raised an eyebrow. “This is not the same! That was your son’s hundred-day banquet, this is your personal victory celebration!”

Gu Qinghan curved his lips into a smile and looked at them. “You know I have two other sons. I still need to go home and change their diapers.”

He then turned to Wen Nuan and said, “Wife, let’s go home.”

Although Zhao Shu and Aunt Chen were at home looking after the children, they had been out for several hours already, and it seemed like they would need to get someone else to help.

Wen Nuan noticed that everyone was in high spirits, so she took out her bonus envelope and smiled. “It’s not every day we have such a happy occasion. You guys go out and have a meal together.”

“That’s not right,” everyone quickly shook their heads. “This is your bonus, how can we accept it?”

“It’s fine. After all, it’s New Year’s Day today. You should enjoy yourselves.” As she spoke, Wen Nuan tucked the envelope into Gu Qinghan’s pocket.

She smiled at him and said, “I’ll go check on Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou.”

Gu Qinghan frowned slightly as he watched his wife’s actions, feeling even more reluctant to leave. He would rather stay home with her and spend time with the children.

He then said to the group, “If you want to eat, each of you can bring a dish to my place. I’ll gladly join you anytime.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Commissar Li walked over and asked, “Are you planning to treat again? General Lu said that a batch of sheep is being delivered from Beijing. We can roast a whole sheep. What do you think? Would you like to continue gathering?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan felt a craving. Since having Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou, she hadn’t had a chance to enjoy fragrant roasted meat.

She was suddenly reminded of the roast whole sheep from that year’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

General Lu and General Xu had probably gone to a small meeting and, after finishing, were likely looking forward to something hot to eat as well.

Gu Qinghan immediately noticed the look on Wen Nuan’s face and then said to the group, “Alright, let’s continue gathering. But we won’t go to my house.”

Everyone spoke in unison, “Why?!”

Gu Qinghan rolled his eyes at them. “I’m too lazy to clean up and do the dishes.”

Everyone’s jaws almost dropped. It seemed that Colonel Gu wasn’t as enviable as they thought. Who would have expected that such a high-ranking officer would still have to wash dishes and change diapers when he got home?

After some discussion, they decided to head to the air crew canteen. It was well-equipped and spacious, so they could invite more people.

Wen Nuan thought for a moment and then said to Gu Qinghan, “I’ll go back and bring the kids and Zhao Shu and Aunt Chen along. We can all join in the fun.”

It was also a way to celebrate New Year’s Day.

Gu Qinghan saw that the group was already heading towards the Kitchen Unit, so he said, “I’ll go; you take Lele and head over there first.”

Although the hall wasn’t far from the family compound, the weather outside was cold. Gu Qinghan didn’t feel comfortable letting Wen Nuan walk back and forth with Lele in such conditions.

Wen Nuan smiled and murmured softly, “I’m too lazy to move, you go ahead.”

Since she was pregnant with Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou, Wen Nuan hadn’t been doing much housework, and with winter here, she had become even lazier.

Plus, if she were to take Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou outside, she’d have to feed them first, or they’d start crying again.

Gu Qinghan chuckled, pleased that Wen Nuan wasn’t taking on any work this time. He couldn’t help but pinch her cheek. “That’s why I didn’t want them to come to our house. Alright, I’ll go help out first, and you take Zhao Shu over.”

He then handed the bonus envelope back to Wen Nuan and said, “This is your and Lele’s bonus. Take it with you.”

Wen Nuan asked, “Do you have money?”

Gu Qinghan nodded. “I’ll get a bonus too, but it’ll be deposited into my salary account later.”

Wen Nuan put the envelope away and said, “Then I’ll take it back.”

Lele, noticing her parents whispering, tugged on Gu Qinghan’s military uniform. “Dad, I’m so hungry!”

“We’ll hurry back and check on Bao Bao and Zhou Zhou; they must be hungry too.”

Wen Nuan pinched the little one’s cheek and smiled. “Then go with Dad to the Kitchen Unit. Uncle Zhong will definitely have something delicious for you.”

Lele jumped up excitedly. “Great! I love the Kitchen Unit!”

Gu Qinghan took Lele towards the Kitchen Unit, while Wen Nuan walked toward the family compound.

Not long after leaving the hall, Wen Nuan was startled by a figure suddenly appearing in front of her. She quickly stepped back, nearly losing her balance.

It was Liu Chunyan, the wife of Lin Guoqiang, standing in front of her with a distressed expression.

Her face was pale, her hair messy, and her clothes were wrinkled. She looked much thinner and drained of life, her whole demeanor appearing lifeless.

She looked at Wen Nuan, then choked back her sobs. “Wen Nuan Comrade, please help me. I never wanted any of this, but I really have no way out. Guoqiang and my mother-in-law are being sent for labor reform, but we have never colluded with the enemy. We’ve never betrayed the organization.”

“Can you help them? They are innocent. My husband was careless, but it wasn’t intentional, and my mother-in-law, she’s sixty years old! How can she endure such harsh punishment?”

“Wen Nuan Comrade, please help us…”

Liu Chunyan had been waiting there for a long time. She had just seen Gu Qinghan receive his award, which seemed to indicate he had achieved something significant. She had initially wanted to approach him, but was stopped by others.

However, when Liu Chunyan saw Wen Nuan on stage, she felt it might be better to approach Wen Nuan, as she appeared easier to talk to. Moreover, Hua Hua had often praised Wen Nuan in front of her, saying she was kind and gentle, and would often give her snacks.

So, Liu Chunyan decided to try asking Wen Nuan for help.

Wen Nuan knew that Liu Guoqiang and Aunt Lin had been detained for a while, but she didn’t know they were about to be sent for labor reform. Still, this wasn’t something she could help with. It was the organization’s decision.

Wen Nuan didn’t beat around the bush and spoke frankly, “Sister-in-law, there’s nothing I can do about this. I’m just a military wife. This is the organization’s decision.”

Even if she went to General Xu for help, it probably wouldn’t make a difference.

Because of Liu Guoqiang’s negligence, the army had been shamed, and many officers had been implicated. It wasn’t just Liu Guoqiang; several military officers were under investigation. Who could they turn to for help?

Liu Chunyan looked at Wen Nuan, thought for a moment, and then boldly said, “Wen Nuan Comrade, I know you’re a good person. You must have a way.”

“You…” Liu Chunyan swallowed and then cautiously asked, “Isn’t General Lu your grandfather? Do you think he could help me plead with him…?”

“That’s not possible.”

Wen Nuan looked sternly into Liu Chunyan’s eyes and said, “General Lu is indeed my grandfather, but in this matter, I have no say. You’ve come to the wrong person.”

In this situation, Liu Guoqiang couldn’t avoid responsibility. Even if he hadn’t colluded with the enemy, his dereliction of duty was enough to warrant labor reform.

Liu Chunyan’s eyes filled with tears, and she spoke more urgently, “It’s useful! Your grandfather is a general, with one word, he could bring Guoqiang back!”

Wen Nuan sighed and shook her head, “I’m sorry, I’m powerless in this matter.”

Liu Chunyan’s shoulders immediately drooped, and she looked like a deflated balloon, her energy drained away.

Seeing Liu Chunyan in such a disheartened state, Wen Nuan’s voice softened with a hint of empathy, “Sister-in-law, you can’t keep tormenting yourself over this. You still have children to care for. Hua Hua and the others are waiting for you at home.”

She knew that this situation was a huge blow to the Lin family, but once the organization had made a decision, no one could change it.

Liu Chunyan still had three children at home, with Hua Hua being the youngest at just a little over four years old.

If Liu Chunyan collapsed under the weight of this, the family would fall apart.

Wen Nuan understood Liu Chunyan’s pain, but in this matter, there was nothing she could do. This was already the lightest punishment for Liu Guoqiang.

Wen Nuan reached out and gently patted the snowflakes on Liu Chunyan’s shoulder, saying, “Hua Hua is a very lovely and sensible child. I hope you can pull yourself together and take care of the kids. They have a long road ahead of them. And for you, your life is still long. You shouldn’t let it end here.”

It was hard for any woman to accept the loss of the pillar of the family. Wen Nuan didn’t know how to comfort her, but she hoped to give Liu Chunyan a little hope. At just 30 years old, Liu Chunyan still had a long life ahead of her.

Though Wen Nuan’s words might not be of much help, she still wanted to say something, hoping it would stop Liu Chunyan from spiraling further into despair.

Liu Chunyan forced a bitter smile and looked at Wen Nuan. “My husband is gone. How am I supposed to live the second half of my life? My kids don’t have a father. What are they going to do?”

“If you don’t want to help, then forget it. Thank you, I shouldn’t have come to trouble you,” Liu Chunyan said, her voice cracking, and she turned to leave.

Wen Nuan called her name several times, but Liu Chunyan didn’t stop walking.

Wen Nuan stood there, watching as Liu Chunyan walked toward her home. She sighed quietly, hoping Liu Chunyan would find a way to come to terms with everything and start moving forward.