Chapter 15.1

When they arrived in Beijing, how could they not have a lamb hotpot?

Originally, Liu Mingfei had planned to treat Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan to hotpot, but with no way to take care of a baby, he ended up taking Liu Huaqing directly to the Northern Military District.

After parting ways, Gu Qinghan found a guesthouse. They settled in their luggage and then took Wen Nuan and their daughter to a well-known restaurant.

That restaurant was conveniently located at Wangfujing, quite close to the guesthouse they were staying at.

In addition, there was a department store nearby, and Wen Nuan had already planned that once they had eaten and warmed up, they would take a stroll to the department store to buy some daily necessities.

The old-established restaurant had a traditional and elegant style. Upon entering, the first thing they saw was a nearly human-sized large bronze pot. Although it didn’t have the luxury vibe of later generations, compared to the nearby state-run restaurants, it was already quite upscale.

The little one in Wen Nuan’s arms became especially excited upon seeing the colorful things around them. She stretched out her small hands, wanting to touch everything, her big, shiny black eyes darting around the store under the yellow lights, making her look incredibly adorable.

Fortunately, Wen Nuan had prepared two cotton-padded jackets for the child in advance. She had just felt his back and found that he was still warm enough.

Because they arrived early, and it wasn’t yet mealtime, they didn’t have to wait for a table.

But the charm of an old-established restaurant was unmistakable. Even though it was only four or five in the afternoon, more than half of the seats were already occupied. The restaurant was warm and lively, filled with the sounds of various Beijing accents, creating a bustling atmosphere.

Inside, the lamb slices were cut fresh on-site by the chefs, purely by hand. The slices were thin and tender, with an enticing red and white marbling.

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but comment: “It’s so lively!”

Ever since she transmigrated to the 1970s, Wen Nuan hadn’t seen such a lively scene.

Well, this is the capital city, after all.

However, being as poor as she was, Wen Nuan’s primary concern was still the price.

When she saw that a *catty* of lamb only cost one yuan and eighty-eight cents, her eyes couldn’t help but widen. It wasn’t just a plate, but a whole *catty*!

A *catty* of lamb for just over 1 yuan?

Wen Nuan, who had been thrifty and saving all this time, suddenly felt that it was incredibly cheap!

But her expression caught Gu Qinghan’s attention, and he misunderstood her reaction, thinking Wen Nuan found the price too high and was reluctant to spend the money—which is why she looked so surprised.

He then pressed his lips together and softly said, “I have money. It’s okay to eat a meal every now and then.”

Gu Qinghan had been to the capital before for missions, but since his accommodations and meals were always arranged by the military, he had never had the chance to try lamb hotpot.

When Wen Nuan was chatting with Liu Mingfei on the train, they mentioned the lamb hotpot in Jing City a few times. It seemed like they were both quite looking forward to it, so Gu Qinghan also wanted to give it a try.

After hearing his words, Wen Nuan paused her steps, looked at him, and asked, “You still have money?”

She couldn’t help but be curious. After all, just half a month ago, Gu Qinghan had sent her 180 yuan. She had assumed that was all of his savings.

Moreover, from what she remembered, his allowance wasn’t supposed to be issued at this time. Yet, he still had money?

No wonder when Zhao Wuzhu and Gu Qingsong needed money, the first person they thought of was him. It seemed he really had quite a bit of cash.

Gu Qinghan followed her, and when they reached a dining table, he pulled out a chair for her.

In a low voice, he explained, “Last month’s allowance.”

Wen Nuan sat down in the chair he pulled out for her and also grabbed another chair so the little one could have a seat.

Then she asked, “So what was the 180 yuan you gave me before?”

Gu Qinghan sent most of his monthly allowance back home. Even if he kept a little for himself, he usually gave it to comrades in need.

After sitting down, he patiently explained to Wen Nuan about his meritorious service and recent promotion.

Wen Nuan listened attentively, her ears perked up, paying close attention to every word.

In the past, the original Wen Nuan had only known that Gu Qinghan was a soldier, but she didn’t even know which unit he served in, let alone what branch of the military. She had known that his allowance was generous, but she hadn’t understood the dangers of being a flight officer.

As she listened, a sense of unease began to creep into her heart. Lowering her voice, she finally said, “I won’t waste that money.”

She was determined to make sure every penny was spent wisely because it was money Gu Qinghan had earned by risking his life.

Gu Qinghan glanced at her and said, “The money is yours now; you can use it however you like.”

Wen Nuan smiled, thinking about the new life they were about to begin as a family. Shaking her head, she replied, “That won’t do. Our daughter is still young, and I don’t have any income. We’re relying solely on your allowance—it is already quite a burden for you.”

Gu Qinghan instinctively glanced at her cotton-padded jacket. Although it was a woman’s style, a few places had already started to lose their stuffing. He then said, “The things that need to be bought should still be bought. My allowance should be enough; there’s no need to save too much.”

Wen Nuan felt like Gu Qinghan was speaking a bit more than usual. She wondered if it was because she herself had spoken more openly.

That wasn’t a bad thing, though. Wen Nuan was naturally chatty and loved gossiping with her close friends. If Gu Qinghan were too much of a silent type, life might be a little hard to bear.

Before long, the hotpot ingredients arrived. The broth base was a traditional mix of dried shrimp and mushroom soup, with a bit of scallion added. The flavor was mild, which would help preserve the freshness and natural taste of the lamb when it was cooked.

The ancient bronze pot released thin wisps of white steam, adding a sense of warmth to the cold winter and bringing a bit of comfort to Wen Nuan.

The most important part of enjoying lamb hotpot was the dipping sauces.

They had seven types of condiments available, and Wen Nuan chose sesame paste, fermented tofu sauce, and leek flower sauce. She also added some chopped scallions, cilantro, and chili oil to her mix.

“Try mine!” Wen Nuan pushed her dipping sauce toward Gu Qinghan with a smile. “It’s really good!”

“Alright,” he responded.

The little one watched as Wen Nuan pushed the dish toward Gu Qinghan, seemingly displeased. She stretched out her small arms, trying to grab it back.

She babbled a few unintelligible words, her short legs wriggling as she struggled to stand up. The little one was clearly upset!

Fearing she might accidentally touch the hotpot stove, Gu Qinghan quickly picked her up and soothed her, saying, “Let Mommy eat first.”

Since the little one couldn’t handle large pieces of meat, and Wen Nuan didn’t want her to have too much dipping sauce, she gave her some of the side vegetables and slowly tore off small bits of meat for her to eat.

In the past, it had always been Wen Nuan holding the little one and feeding her, but today, with Gu Qinghan taking care of the child, Wen Nuan finally had the rare opportunity to eat freely. She didn’t have to hold the baby, and she felt delighted. Piece after piece, she happily dipped the lamb slices, managing to finish off half a *catty* of lamb with satisfied slurps.

As Gu Qinghan took care of the child, he occasionally glanced at Wen Nuan while she was enjoying her meal. Unintentionally, a tenderness he had never shown before softened his gaze, and the corners of his lips slowly curved into a relaxed smile.

This was the first time the three of them had gone out to eat as a family, and they had managed to enjoy such an authentic lamb hotpot.

Wen Nuan felt that the start of their new life together as a family was truly blissful.

After finishing the hotpot, they headed next door to the department store. It had three floors, filled with an array of products, and nearly everything they needed could be found there.

Gu Qinghan kept an eye on Wen Nuan the entire way, checking if she was cold. But having eaten the hotpot, Wen Nuan didn’t feel cold at all—in fact, she was brimming with energy.

Still, with winter just beginning, it seemed wise to buy a couple more pieces of warm clothing for the coming days.

Gu Qinghan originally intended for Wen Nuan to buy two coats, but as soon as Wen Nuan saw the prices, she backed off.

A single coat cost almost as much as a meal of mutton hotpot for them, and besides, the coats these days were just too ugly!

Neither the style nor the color appealed to Wen Nuan at all, making her feel utterly disheartened. She refused right away.

After all, with the northern winters spent hunkering down indoors, there probably wouldn’t be much to do until spring came next year. She could just make one herself.

Wen Nuan pushed Gu Qinghan, who was holding a baby, over to the fabric counter. “I’ll just make one myself.”

“By the way, how do you still have fabric tickets?”

Logically, Gu Qinghan, being in the military, had his clothes, shoes, and socks all provided. Wen Nuan had never seen him wear ordinary clothes, even his casual outfits were issued by the military.

Gu Qinghan, who was holding the seven-month-old baby, seemed completely at ease, showing no sign of strain.

He calmly said, “Zheng Wei, a comrade from the provincial office lent me some.”

Wen Nuan had suddenly brought up the idea of joining the military, and in truth, Gu Qinghan hadn’t been prepared for it at all.

He didn’t have much money on him, nor did he have many tickets, but Zheng Wei had arranged for someone at the guesthouse to give him a bit of money and some tickets.

“Whatever you need, just go ahead and buy it. Later, we’ll slowly repay him. Once we get to the base, even if you want to buy things, it’ll be difficult.”

Wen Nuan frowned slightly but then gradually relaxed. “Alright.”

They still needed to buy the essentials. Clothes were definitely a necessity—better to spend a little more for something warmer than to risk catching a cold or fever, which would cost even more in the long run.

However, when Wen Nuan actually started picking out fabric, she found herself a bit unsure. She liked floral patterns and pink fabrics, but as she looked around the entire department store, she realized that hardly anyone used such fabrics. They were not very practical since they got dirty easily, and they were particularly feminine—definitely not something a man would wear.

“Comrade, please give me that blue plaid fabric,” Wen Nuan pointed to the popular fabric nearby, which was suitable for both men and women.

Before the shop assistant could act, Gu Qinghan stepped forward, pointing at the floral fabric that Wen Nuan had been eyeing earlier. “Comrade, my wife misspoke, we actually want that white floral one.”

Wen Nuan tugged on his sleeve, “The white floral one gets dirty easily. The blue one will be better.”

If there was enough fabric left over, she could make him a shirt too.

The moment the shop assistant saw Gu Qinghan’s handsome face, she completely forgot whatever Wen Nuan had said earlier. She quickly responded, “The floral pattern is beautiful! Comrade, you’ve got a great eye. All the women here love buying this fabric. You’re in luck today—it just arrived. If you had come a day later, you probably would’ve had to wait.”

While Wen Nuan was still hesitating, Gu Qinghan spoke up, “Please, comrade, cut twelve feet of the floral fabric and twelve feet of the pink one.”

“That’s way too much!” Wen Nuan quickly tried to stop him.

Gu Qinghan took the little one’s hand in his arms and, for once, smiled slightly. “The rest will be for our daughter. We can make her a couple of outfits too.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan’s lips curled into a smile. She gently pinched the little one in Gu Qinghan’s arms, deliberately saying, “Look how good your father is to you!”

The little one, upon seeing Wen Nuan, kicked her legs twice in excitement, smiling happily.

After buying the fabric, they went on to purchase some cotton. Since the northern winters were cold and cotton supplies were a bit tight, they only managed to get a little over two catties, but it should be enough.

Once they finished with that, Wen Nuan went to buy soap and soapberries for washing clothes. By the time she was done, Gu Qinghan had come back holding four bottles of clam oil and some Shanghai Snow Cream.

Gu Qinghan’s expression looked a little awkward. When he met Wen Nuan’s gaze, he said softly, “The winters in the north are dry. You and the baby will need these.”

Wen Nuan smiled, “But you didn’t need to buy so much.”

After thinking for a moment, she added, “Though, with the three of us, we’ll probably use it all up quickly anyway.”

Gu Qinghan turned his face away and didn’t say anything further.

After finishing at the department store, Wen Nuan followed Gu Qinghan to a trust store, which was essentially a second-hand shop, much like those in later generations.

There wasn’t much choice, though—just earlier, they had seen that a wooden trunk at the department store cost over 40 yuan each.

So, Wen Nuan decided to check out the second-hand ones. As long as they were usable, they would do. Plus, they didn’t require any ration tickets, and in this era, you might even stumble upon something valuable.

The purpose of buying the trunks was purely practical, so they didn’t fuss much over the selection and quickly bought two—one for storing blankets and the other for off-season clothing, which worked out perfectly.

Since it would be inconvenient to carry them, Gu Qinghan made arrangements with the shop assistant to have the trunks delivered to their boarding location at nine o’clock the next morning, so they could load them directly onto the train.

After they bought the wooden trunks, Wen Nuan spotted a Huanghuali jewelry box. She hadn’t intended to buy it, but while she hesitated, Gu Qinghan had already paid for it. He asked the staff to place the jewelry box inside one of the trunks to be delivered together the next day.

Wen Nuan whispered to him, “You should’ve bargained for a better price!”

Since they had bought several boxes, they probably could have gotten a discount of one or two yuan.

Gu Qinghan paused for a moment, then turned, intending to go back and find the shop assistant. But Wen Nuan quickly grabbed his arm, laughing, “You silly! Who’s going to bother with you now?”

Gu Qinghan touched his nose sheepishly. “Next time, I’ll remember.”

Wen Nuan wasn’t so sure he’d really bargain next time!

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T/N: Since I wasn’t able to unlock the chapter on time, to make it up to my readers, I’ll be unlocking three chapters (from Chapter 15.1 to Chapter 16.1) today. Thank you for patiently waiting! (✿◡‿◡)

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