Chapter 16.2

After sending Sister Zhang off, Wen Nuan was not affected by Liu Meili’s desire to switch houses. Instead, she was excitedly examining the fire stove in the living room.

The stove had a pipe connected to the wall, which should supply heat to the walls, keeping the house from getting too cold.

It was now exactly three-thirty in the afternoon, but winter in the north got dark earlier than in the south. The later it got, the colder the temperature became.

Wen Nuan thought about getting the stove burning as soon as possible to warm up the room before heating some water to wipe down the furniture. That way, she could finally settle in for the night.

Perhaps Gu Qinghan had informed the regiment in advance, as several pieces of honeycomb coal were already piled up in the kitchen corner.

Next to the honeycomb coal, there was also half a bag of coal, which was likely intended for the stove as well.

To make her tasks easier, Wen Nuan decided to carry the child on her back. The little one, perhaps feeling sleepy, soon dozed off after a while.

Just as she found some old newspapers to use as kindling for the honeycomb coal, Gu Qinghan returned, holding two large heads of cabbage.

Seeing Wen Nuan carrying the child and preparing to light the stove, he walked over to her, took the newspapers and the firesticks from her hands, and said, “Let me handle this. You can sit down for a while.”

“Can you really light the stove?” Wen Nuan asked, a bit curious. She had always lived in the South and had never used a stove before.

Gu Qinghan placed the pieces of newspaper and broken sticks into the stove, then looked up at her. Noticing her curiosity, he explained, “A few years ago, I spent an entire year training in Shenyang, so I learned how to do it.”

Wen Nuan didn’t know this before; no wonder he was so skilled—he had lived in the north before.

After thinking for a moment, Wen Nuan decided to mention Liu Meili’s visit. “Just now, the wife of the 79th regiment commander came by.”

Gu Qinghan turned his gaze toward her, and Wen Nuan quickly said everything that had happened, realizing too late that she had talked so much she was getting thirsty.

After listening to her, Gu Qinghan frowned slightly and finally said, “Don’t pay any attention to her.”

“The house arrangements are made by the organization. No one has the right to make us move.”

“I won’t pay any attention to her. Our place is so nice! Sister Zhang next door is a good person; she even brought us radishes and potatoes!” Wen Nuan said with bright eyes and a playful tone.

After a moment of thought, Wen Nuan began to mumble, “No, we should sort our luggage tonight and see what we can return to Sister Zhang tomorrow.”

Gu Qinghan chuckled softly, realizing that Wen Nuan was quite easy to please.

Seeing that Gu Qinghan had slowly lit the stove, Wen Nuan turned her attention to the large cabbage he had brought back. It was a huge head, but the outer leaves looked a bit wilted, suggesting it had been taken from the root cellar.

She asked, “Where can you buy cabbages?”

When she had been looking at the house, she noticed there was a root cellar in the yard that was about two meters deep. She planned to buy some vegetables to store, or else it wouldn’t be practical to run to the supply and marketing cooperative every day when there was snow.

Of course, there might not be any vegetables available at the cooperative either.

It wouldn’t do to be living here and eating in the cafeteria every day!

Gu Qinghan placed a few pieces of coal into the mouth of the stove and replied, “It was given by Zheng Wei’s wife. Tomorrow, I’ll go with you to buy some vegetables.”

“It might be too late to cook tonight. I still need to go out later to fetch more coal and also get some meals from the canteen,” he said.

Wen Nuan was also busy. She took out an old shirt from the suitcase, one that was ready for retirement, and planned to heat some water to wipe down the table once the stove was lit.

“Then I’ll go with you and we can buy some bowls and plates along with the vegetables,” she suggested.

Gu Qinghan glanced at the weather outside, quickly putting the honeycomb coal into the stove, before saying, “It’s a bit cold outside. I don’t know if it will snow when I come back from the market. You and the child should wait for me at home. If you need anything, just write it down for me, and I’ll get it all.”

Indeed, the child had fallen asleep, and since they had just arrived in this new place, Wen Nuan was also worried that the child might not adapt well.

Forget it; if he wanted to do it, then let him handle it all.

While Gu Qinghan was tending to the stove, Wen Nuan took the opportunity to find some paper and a pen, writing down the items they needed to buy one by one.

It was just some bowls, chopsticks, spoons, and plates, along with a spatula and other daily essentials for the kitchen.

“Oh, we also need to buy a few cups,” she noted.

Just like earlier when Sister Zhang came over, there weren’t been any cups for guests to drink water from, which felt quite rude.

“Right, and we need to get some oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar! My goodness, why are there so many things to buy?” Wen Nuan murmured, her eyes back on the paper as she listed a series of condiments.

In fact, they could have saved some money on these seasonings, but who would have thought that Gu Qingsong had sold all the condiments from their home? Wen Nuan immediately felt a pang of regret.

After that, Wen Nuan began to check every corner and realized they also needed to buy a kettle, a thermos, and a broom.

Wen Nuan felt like there were many things to buy, but at that moment, she couldn’t recall everything they needed.

She irritably tugged at her bangs, feeling a bit annoyed.

Gu Qinghan, while tending to the stove, caught sight of Wen Nuan walking around the room, muttering to herself. As he watched, the honeycomb coal slowly turned red, and he felt a gentle warmth spreading through him, warming his heart as well.

Once Gu Qinghan had the stove going, he prepared to head out, and Wen Nuan pulled twenty yuan from the hidden pocket of her cotton coat, handing it to him. “There are quite a few things to buy, so take this. You don’t always have to borrow money from others.”

Wen Nuan suspected that Gu Qinghan might not have much money left. When they had set off from home, she had overheard Gu Qingsong mentioning something about “being pregnant.”

Gu Qinghan wasn’t sure if he should borrow the money or not, and Wen Nuan didn’t ask.

Their current savings should only amount to the one hundred eighty yuan he had given earlier, but there were always things to add to the household, and that money wouldn’t stretch far.

Fortunately, he had thought of sending those two telegrams earlier; otherwise, that one hundred eighty yuan might have ended up in someone else’s pocket!

As Gu Qinghan looked at the money Wen Nuan handed him, he simply pocketed it and said, “I might come home late in the evening. If you’re hungry, warm up the buns we bought this morning on the stove before eating.”

Wen Nuan nodded, “No hurry. I’ll wait for you to come back.”

As Gu Qinghan stepped out of the row of red brick houses, he spotted Chen Jiawei, the husband of the woman Wen Nuan had mentioned.

Chen Jiawei seemed to already know that his wife had gone to Wen Nuan to discuss changing houses. Upon seeing Gu Qinghan, he quickly turned and headed back into the house, likely feeling embarrassed.

However, before Gu Qinghan could walk far, Chen Jiawei caught up with him, as if he had something to say.

Gu Qinghan had met Chen Jiawei during his training in Shenyang; they were both pilots, but later they were assigned to different military districts.

Seeing each other again, it felt inappropriate not to greet him.

Gu Qinghan initiated the exchange with a military salute, which Chen Jiawei returned.

After a moment of consideration, Chen Jiawei spoke first, “Xiao Gu, you know about my wife wanting to exchange houses with you, right?”

Chen Jiawei didn’t really want to bring this up, but as soon as Liu Meili had returned home, she had vented her frustrations at him, even locking the door to their room and refusing to cook.

He had seen Gu Qinghan leave, probably from the window, and she had cried, asking him to talk to Gu Qinghan about the house exchange.

So, Chen Jiawei had steeled himself to come out and face him.

Gu Qinghan listened to Chen Jiawei’s question, his expression remaining neutral as he nodded.

Seeing this, Chen Jiawei sighed, “About that house, I did apply for it earlier…”

Gu Qinghan slightly turned his face to look at him, his tone growing a bit cold. “Are you sure the application was for the house I’m living in?”

Gu Qinghan was unaware of their housing application situation, but since the house could be allocated to them, it was clear that it had been vacant and did not belong to anyone.

Chen Jiawei was momentarily taken aback. His position was higher than Gu Qinghan’s, so he should have felt more assertive, but for some reason, under Gu Qinghan’s gaze, he suddenly felt intimidated.

Chen Jiawei sighed again. “Xiao Gu, to be honest, my wife has been pestering me about this house exchange for quite a while now, nagging me every day…”

Gu Qinghan listened to the words calmly and glanced at him, saying, “I listen to my wife. Since she said no to the exchange, you don’t need to look for me anymore.”

Chen Zhiwei chuckled, glancing at Gu Qinghan, who was half a head taller than him. He joked, “You, a big man, actually listen to a woman. That’s something.”

Gu Qinghan gave Chen Zhiwei a strange look and lightly parted his thin lips, “Aren’t you doing the same?”

Chen Zhiwei was left speechless.

It seemed… he was, indeed.

Chen Zhiwei still wanted to say something, but Gu Qinghan’s long legs had already walked far away, showing him no mercy.

—o—o—o—

When Gu Qinghan returned home again, Wen Nuan had already wiped down all the cabinets and tables in the house. Even the glass windows were particularly clear.

The floor also looked like it had been swept, no longer the dusty gray it had been earlier; it looked much more pleasant.

After Gu Qinghan had neatly stacked the pieces of coal, Wen Nuan immediately threw down the cloth she had been holding. “I’m exhausted! Can you wipe that door over there? I can’t reach it!”

The child had already woken up, but there hadn’t been anywhere for her to sit earlier. Now, she could finally be placed down, so Wen Nuan loosened the strap and set her on a yellow leather sofa in the living room.

The back of the sofa was adorned with a white lace cloth, specially placed there.

This was the most impressive piece of furniture in the whole house. As soon as the little one was set down, her small hands reached for the lace fabric.

Wen Nuan was tired and didn’t have the energy to supervise her; as long as she didn’t put anything in her mouth, she could play as she wished.

Wen Nuan had wanted to sit on this sofa earlier, but it had just been wiped down, and the watermarks had only just dried.

Gu Qinghan picked up the cloth and placed it into the basin that Wen Nuan had prepared. He washed it and then silently started wiping the door.

The man was tall and strong, making the work appear effortless.

Many places that Wen Nuan had to stretch to reach, Gu Qinghan could simply access by extending his arm. Moreover, he exerted enough force that with a single swipe, the dust vanished completely.

It was infuriating.

However, as she watched Gu Qinghan’s back, Wen Nuan remembered the scene from the first day she had met him—when she had also seen his back first.

Having just brought back the coal, Gu Qinghan had already removed his military coat, now, he was only wearing a sweater and a base layer.

Wen Nuan’s gaze traveled down from his broad shoulders, slowly descending. Last night, in a daze, she seemed to have hugged his waist while sleeping. Did he have abs?

Recalling something she shouldn’t, Wen Nuan shook her head, letting her eyes fall on his backside.

Hmm, it was quite firm.

Why did a man have such a well-shaped rear?

Gu Qinghan sensed a scorching gaze behind him, so he turned slightly and asked, “I made steamed buns and shredded radish. Let’s just have a little tonight.”

Wen Nuan, holding the excited little one, felt too lazy to move and gently replied, “We can eat together once you’re done.”

Though she said that, after sitting on the sofa for a while, Wen Nuan soon dozed off.

The room gradually warmed up as the stove was lit, no longer feeling as cold as when she had first arrived.

If it weren’t for her daughter crying for milk, Wen Nuan might have already fallen asleep.

She didn’t know if she had already grown used to Gu Qinghan’s presence, but she no longer did what she used to — running back to her room and closing the door when it was time to feed her child. Now, she just unbuttoned her cotton coat and fed the baby directly.

The little one acted as if she hadn’t had milk for days, grabbing Wen Nuan’s clothes with both hands, tugging forcefully, and kicking the armrest of the sofa with her little feet.

Gu Qinghan carried the dirty water, which had been used to clean the furniture, to the kitchen. He placed it on the stove and scrubbed the rag again and again until the once-warm water turned icy cold. Only then did he return to the living room.

Wen Nuan had thought that the steamed buns wouldn’t be enough and that she might go hungry tonight. But when she saw the basin — which was the size of an enamel plate — holding three buns as large as her face, she realized she had been too naive.

So this was what northern steamed buns were really like!

Gu Qinghan handed her a steamed bun. “If it’s not enough, I can ask my comrades from the mess hall for some flour later and make you some noodles.”

“No, no, it’s more than enough.”

Wen Nuan thought she couldn’t even finish one—and it turned out she was already stuffed after eating half.

The little one was a bit older now and had started eating some solid foods, especially steamed buns and dumplings.

Seeing that Wen Nuan and the child had only eaten half of the bun, Gu Qinghan frowned slightly. “That’s all you’re eating?”

Just yesterday at the hotpot restaurant, they had eaten quite a bit.

“I’m about to burst!” Wen Nuan even patted her stomach. No wonder northerners are so tall and strong—they can eat so much!

Gu Qinghan didn’t believe her. “Is it because it doesn’t taste good?”

“No, no, it’s much better than sweet potato rice,” Wen Nuan replied honestly, as the rice in those days was very rough and didn’t taste that good when cooked.

“Are you really full?”

“Do you think I’d lie to you?”

Gu Qinghan glanced at her sideways and chuckled. “Last time I asked if you were cold, you said you weren’t.”

“…”

So he wasn’t going to let that go, huh?

—o—o—o—

After eating and feeling warm, Wen Nuan didn’t want to move at all. Gu Qinghan ended up making the bed, and likely due to his years of military habits, the sheets and blankets were laid out neatly and perfectly. Wen Nuan felt a bit embarrassed to mess it up by getting into bed.

After tidying up the bed, Gu Qinghan took two enamel basins out to the living room and brought back two basins of water into the room—one for the child and one for Wen Nuan.

Wen Nuan washed the child’s bottom and feet, then washed her own feet before getting ready to put the little one to bed.

The child, being in an unfamiliar place, kept looking around the new room, seemingly not tired yet.

Seeing that Gu Qinghan was still in the living room fixing the doors and windows, Wen Nuan didn’t rush to put the child to sleep.

She wasn’t sure what time it was when the lights in the house suddenly went out, and that was when Wen Nuan realized that the army’s lights were turned off at the same time for everyone.

Before the lights went out, the child had already tired herself out from playing and fallen asleep, but Wen Nuan remained awake, still waiting for Gu Qinghan.

Soon, the door to the room was pushed open. The temperature in the living room was colder than in the bedroom, and the bed, which had just started to feel warm, began to get chilly again.

Gu Qinghan entered, holding a candle in one hand and his enamel basin in the other, probably just finished washing his feet.

Seeing this, Wen Nuan shifted a little and patted the empty space she had made on the bed. She smiled warmly. “Come on over, you sleep here.”