Chapter 27

Wen Nuan heard Sister Juxiang mention that they were going to have an ideological education class and the reason behind it.

It turned out to be related to the incident of the He brothers stealing pork. She was curious about who had reported this matter to Zhengwei’s office.

However, Gu Qinghan had been busy, so she decided not to disturb him.

Sister Juxiang knew that Wen Nuan was afraid of killing fish. Before returning home, she had helped her prepare the grass carp, neatly slicing the fish fillets and arranging them on a plate.

Sister Juxiang surprised her with her impressive knife skills; she cut the fish fillets to a perfect thickness and placed the fish bones on another small dish.

After giving the child a carrot as a teething stick, Wen Nuan took out rice wine and flour to marinate the fish, which would make the fish taste even smoother.

However, since Lele could not eat anything with alcohol, she prepared a small bowl of fish marinated with just oil and flour for the little one.

Many people in the family courtyard used napa cabbage to make pickled vegetables, which were not suitable for making sour fish soup. 

Therefore, Wen Nuan took out the mustard greens she had pickled herself. This type of pickled vegetable was quite refreshing and went very well with rice.

Just as she started to heat the pot, Gu Qinghan came home after shoveling snow from the yard. 

As soon as he entered, he heard the sizzling sound of the oil.

He placed the snowshoveling tools back behind the door and walked over to the stove. He asked, “Why didn’t you call me to start the fire? ”

Wen Nuan was not very good at starting fires. Sometimes, even when the fire was close to igniting, she would add hard firewood, and before long, the flames would go out.

So, whenever Gu Qinghan was home, he would usually help with the fire.

“It’s okay, I’ve already started the fire.” Wen Nuan smiled at the man and then focused on her task at hand.

Wen Nuan calmly set the pot on the stove and fried the previously prepared fish bones until they were golden brown on both sides. She then added various seasonings and vegetables, and in an instant, the entire room was filled with a rich aroma.

After adding clear water, she waited for the water to boil, and the fish soup gradually became thick and milky white. The rising steam made the originally cold kitchen feel warm.

Once the fish soup had simmered for a while, Wen Nuan poured in the fish fillets. On another smaller burner, she placed a small pot, preparing to heat oil to sauté the dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. After the fish had cooked for about ten seconds, she could lift it from the heat and pour in the oil.

Before pouring the chili oil, Wen Nuan set aside a portion for the child, ensuring it was low in salt and oil, having heard that children under one year old shouldn’t eat anything too salty.

The sizzling sound of hot oil filled the air, and the intense fragrance rose eagerly.

Lele, sitting in the small cart, caught the scent and immediately tossed aside the carrot sticks she had been tightly holding in her hand. She raised her small arms toward Wen Nuan and shouted, “Ah! ”a few times.

Since there was a lot of sour fish soup, just as Wen Nuan was about to lift the large pot, Gu Qinghan, who had been sitting in front of the stove, was quicker. He grasped the pot handle, saying, “The pot is hot; let me handle it.”

Seeing that Gu Qinghan had already poured the sour fish soup into a large basin that had been prepared in advance, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Alright, I’ll go serve the rice. You can bring the sour fish soup in later.”

“Sure, I’ll wash the pot and then bring it in,” the man replied, skillfully picking up a nearby pot brush to clean the pot.

By the time Gu Qinghan brought the sour fish soup in, the little one had already grabbed two chopsticks and was banging them on the table. 

However, in the next moment, Wen Nuan took the chopsticks away from her: “Children shouldn’t play with chopsticks; they could poke their eyes.”

The little one pouted, grabbing her tiny feet with both hands, looking extremely aggrieved.

However, when she saw Gu Qinghan placing the large pot of sour fish soup down, she excitedly bounced her body and began to shout, “Ah! ” again.

Wen Nuan, worried that she might fall off, quickly held the excited little one in place. “What are you so anxious about? You just ate a little while ago; why do you act like you’re starving? ”

“Okay, we can eat now,” Gu Qinghan said, taking the little one from Wen Nuan’s arms. “I’ll hold her; I eat a bit faster.”

Wen Nuan took a bite of the sour pickled vegetable, which was especially delicious soaked in the broth. After a moment of thought, she suggested, “Since Lele can sit up steadily now, why not make her a higher chair, one that’s about level with the table? Then she can sit by herself, and it would be best if it had armrests on both sides, so we won’t have to worry about her falling off.”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s suggestion, Gu Qinghan agreed that it was a good idea; it could free up the adults’ hands. 

Often, Wen Nuan would wait until the child was almost full before she could eat while holding the child. However, the little one was not always so well-behaved.

When Lele was fussy or throwing a tantrum, Wen Nuan would first have to soothe the child to sleep before she could continue her meal.

Gu Qinghan picked out the fish meat for the child, checking for bones before giving it to her. He replied, “Alright, I still have a few leftover wooden pieces from when I made Lele’s cart. I’ll see how to make it higher.”

Wen Nuan picked up a piece of golden-brown fried fish bone along with some pickled vegetables and placed it in Gu Qinghan’s bowl. “Eat a little while it’s hot and see how it tastes.”

Gu Qinghan had already caught the aroma while tending to the fire, and his stomach had been growling for a while. He had always loved fish, no matter how it was cooked.

He glanced at the child, who was obediently tasting the fish meat, and then picked up some meat and pickled vegetables to eat himself. The pickled vegetables were drenched in a rich broth, still steaming hot, and when mixed with the fish, created an indescribable softness and tenderness.

After trying the fish that Wen Nuan had cooked, Gu Qinghan realized that food could indeed vary greatly. He had thought that their flight crew’s in-flight meals were already the highest standard in the military. However, in comparison to Wen Nuan’s cooking, those meals were quite lacking.

He let out a soft “Hmm” and then picked up another piece of fish. The sour and fresh flavor exploded in his taste buds.

He smiled and said, “It’s delicious! Wife, the dishes you cook are really great, much better than our in-flight meals. I’ve never had fish this good before.”

Wen Nuan felt delighted by the man’s words. With a smile, she picked up several pieces of fish and some pickled vegetable leaves for him. “If it’s good, eat more. Otherwise, with such a big fish, we won’t know when we’ll finish it.”

“For the past couple of days, the team has been organizing snow removal, and everyone has been coming back for lunch,” Gu Qinghan said, as he was picking up two fish for Wen Nuan to ensure she had enough meat.

“Alright, then I’ll cook your lunch tomorrow,” Wen Nuan replied, adding more pickled vegetables to her plate, then looked up to ask him, “By the way, do you know about the ideological education class in the family courtyard? ”

Wen Nuan continued, “I heard that Zhengwei himself would be giving us family members the class. Is it because of the He Dazhuang incident? ”

Gu Qinghan answered briefly, “Yeah, that’s right.”

He then fed a piece of fish to the little one, who had been shouting for food.

Gu Qinghan continued: “Taking other people’s things can be excused the first time as a sign of immaturity, but doing it repeatedly shows a problem with their moral character. If they aren’t properly disciplined, it won’t end well for them in the future.”

Gu Qinghan’s expression turned serious as he continued, “His father is an upright and brave soldier. I don’t want his child to turn out like this.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan couldn’t help but remember the first time she met He Dazhuang. He was just a little over ten years old, yet there was a hint of hatred in his eyes when he looked at Sister Guihua. 

It was surprising, especially since Sister Guihua had helped him a lot in the past, and this was how he repaid her.

On the other hand, Sister Juxiang’s daughters, Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei, although Wen Nuan had only seen them a few times, always asked for their mother’s permission first before taking any snacks from the adults. They wouldn’t just grab things that didn’t belong to them.

Without comparison, there is no pain.

As Gu Qinghan said, the first time could be a lack of awareness, but if it happens repeatedly, there is definitely a problem with their mindset.

In both public and private matters, Gu Qinghan hoped that those two children could learn well and grow up to be upright individuals.

Wen Nuan looked at him seriously and said, “I hope he can sincerely change this time.”

When hearing this, Gu Qinghan’s expression turned grave, and his tone became slightly cold. “If he doesn’t change, this family courtyard can’t accommodate someone like him.”

—o—o—o—

The news that Zhengwei would be giving an ideological education class in the family courtyard spread quickly throughout the community within a few days.

Although Zhengwei did not mention any names during the meeting, when he spoke of the incident involving stolen pork, everyone knew it referred to He Dazhuang and He Xiaofei stealing Liu Meili’s pork.

They had originally thought that Li Qiuyan and Liu Meili had resolved the matter privately, considering it settled. 

Who would have expected that just a few days later, Zhengwei would call for an ideological education class for all the families in the compound?

Many people in the family courtyard had not received much education; aside from being able to write their names, they barely recognized any characters. Now, suddenly being told they had to attend classes, everyone felt some discontent.

Moreover, everyone was used to a laid-back lifestyle, especially during this winter season when they hardly went outside. They all wished they could glue themselves to the warm kang and had no desire to attend any ideological classes.

As a result, after the lengthy education session, many began to criticize He Dazhuang and He Xiaofei.

However, after the class ended, He Dazhuang and He Xiaofei were taken away by Zhengwei’s people, indicating that the class was definitely related to them.

When the other old residents saw the children’s mother, Li Qiuyan, and the children’s grandmother, Chen Sanmei, they began to earnestly advise them: “Comrade Li, and Grandma Chen, we’ve been in this courtyard for over ten years and haven’t lost even a needle or thread. Now your child dares to steal pork… This child really needs to be disciplined properly; let this be a lesson for the future.”

“Exactly, in all these years in our courtyard, nothing like this has ever happened. You need to talk to your child tonight and explain that if something is lost, it needs to be returned. We’re worried this will lead to misguided thoughts.”

“Your child is still young; making mistakes must be met with education and criticism. Don’t take it lightly, or else it will be us parents who will have to worry in the future.”

A large group of family members surrounded Li Qiuyan and Chen Sanmei, their voices overlapping. 

They made the two women feel utterly ashamed. If they weren’t still in the auditorium, Chen Sanmei would have wanted to shout back in anger.

Chen Sanmei had not gotten over her anger yet. She was also worried about the child that Zhengwei might take away. 

Her face turned pale, and she simply turned and left in a huff.

However, Li Qiuyan tightly clenched her teeth, listening to the family members’ suggestions. She nodded, saying, “Thank you, sisters-in-law, for your reminders. I will go back and educate my child properly.”

—o—o—o—

On the other side, Liu Meili was walking slowly with her three children. When she caught Li Qiuyan’s sorrowful gaze, she instinctively explained, “Comrade Li, please don’t look at me with such eyes. I didn’t report this matter with Zhengwei.”

Then Liu Meili continued, “Even though your Dazhuang took my pork, after that night, I erased it from my mind like chalk marks. I haven’t spoken a word of gossip about your family since then. If you don’t believe me, I can swear in front of the leader’s portrait!”

Although Liu Meili was furious that those two children had stolen her pork, she was satisfied with the attitude shown by Li Qiuyan’s family in admitting their mistake. They had also compensated her with four catty of pork and five yuan, so she didn’t take it to heart.

Who would have thought that just a few days later, Zhengwei’s office would catch wind of the matter and say they needed to organize a thought education session for everyone? It looked to her like they were settling scores after the harvest.

However, Li Qiuyan truly did not intend to do so.

After all, Li Qiuyan had privately told her that a female comrade in the cafeteria was about to give birth, which would leave a vacancy. Li Qiuyan mentioned that she would see if Liu Meili could also work in the cafeteria.

Liu Meili had long wanted to find a job. After spending several years at home taking care of her children, she felt like she was becoming a resentful woman. Thus, the opportunity Li Qiuyan offered was genuinely very appealing to her.

As for the matter of He Dazhuang and He Xiaofei stealing the pork, Liu Meili chose not to take it too seriously.

Li Qiuyan had initially felt embarrassed after the sisters-in-law in the family compound had spoken about her, and when she saw Liu Meili, she truly felt anger rising in her heart. She thought Liu Meili was hypocritical and greedy. 

On the surface, Liu Meili seemed to promise not to pursue the issue, yet she turned around and reported it to Zhengwei, showing two-faced behavior.

However, seeing Liu Meili genuinely swearing in front of the portrait of the top leader, Li Qiuyan began to believe that Liu Meili might not have been the one responsible for this incident.

Li Qiuyan forced a smile and said, “Meili, you don’t need to be so nervous. There were many people present that day, and I know it definitely wasn’t you. Besides, Zhengwei is holding this class for the unity and stability of the family compound. My child indeed made a mistake, and I will definitely talk to them about it when I get back.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Meili gently reassured her, “You can talk to them. Your Dazhuang is already so big. If you reason with him, he will understand. Just don’t hit them anymore.”

Liu Meili had personally witnessed Li Qiuyan’s harshness when disciplining her children. Although Liu Meili sometimes scolded her own mischievous children, she never beat them as severely as Li Qiuyan did.

Thus, Liu Meili’s forgiveness was partly due to seeing how badly the children had been punished; after all, they were both mothers, and deep down, they still cared for their children.

Li Qiuyan smiled and replied, “Yes, thank you. I will do that.”

Liu Meili sighed, saying, “I won’t keep you any longer. I still need to go home and fix the roof. Anyway, I swear on my life that this matter has nothing to do with me, so please don’t misunderstand me.”

Li Qiuyan nodded and said, “I naturally believe you.”

Then Liu Meili replied, “Oh, by the way, it was actually a soldier named Li Daxiang who brought your child out of the birch forest that day, or else I wouldn’t have known about the pork. Well, I won’t chat with you anymore. If I don’t head back now, I really won’t have a place to sleep tonight.”

After Liu Meili left, Li Qiuyan’s expression instantly fell, her face darkening to the point where it seemed like it could drip ink.

She then saw Wen Nuan slowly walking out of the auditorium while holding her child.

For some reason, Li Qiuyan recalled Liu Meili mentioning that the child had been taken from the birch forest by Li Daxiang. 

That birch forest was just behind the last row of red brick houses.

Li Qiuyan frowned. Wasn’t Li Daxiang the soldier who had been carried away on a stretcher to the infirmary last time?

What had he been doing in the birch forest that day?

—o—o—o—

Wen Nuan was holding Lele and had come to the meeting. The auditorium was packed with families from the compound, so she waited until most people had left before slowly walking out with Sister Guihua.

As they were heading outside, they happened to bump into Li Qiuyan and Liu Meili.

Sister Guihua quietly said to Wen Nuan, “I heard Liu Meili wants to move to that house in the third row, but the supply office rejected her request.”

“Is that so?” Wen Nuan, after finishing her class, was still thinking about He Dazhuang and He Xiaofei, wondering how Zhengwei’s people would handle them after taking them away.

However, since Zhengwei hadn’t mentioned their names directly, it seemed he intended to give the children a chance. It was up to them to see whether they would cherish this opportunity.

Sister Guihua continued, “Yes, they said Liu Meili’s current room had a wall collapsed due to the heavy snow. Luckily, when she had mentioned wanting to swap houses with you, you didn’t agree to switch! Otherwise, it would have been your home that collapsed now.”

When the two returned to the family compound, they indeed saw Liu Meili calling over a few soldiers to help repair her roof.

When Liu Meili caught sight of Wen Nuan, she instantly felt guilty and turned back inside her house.

—o—o—o—

As the New Year approached, Gu Qinghan seemed to be busier again, needing to find time after training each day to attend various meetings and also go hunting in the mountains for the New Year celebrations. Every night, he returned home after the lights had gone out.

Fortunately, the men were not on duty for the time being. Wen Nuan waited every night for her husband to come home before going to sleep, but several times she fell asleep from exhaustion before he arrived.

With only four or five days left until the New Year, Sister Guihua’s mother-in-law, Wang Xiaoxia, was coming from her hometown.

Wen Nuan then learned that Brigade Leader Zhou’s hometown was a coastal city, and Wang Xiaoxia had brought many dried seafood items, including dried fish, dried shrimp, and dried squid, among others.

However, Sister Guihua told Wen Nuan that her mother-in-law had come not just to celebrate the New Year with them but mainly to urge them to have children.

Zhang Guihua and Captain Zhou had been married for quite a long time, and they still hadn’t had any children. The elders in the family had been anxious and worried, and this time, Wang Xiaoxia had come from her hometown with many traditional remedies, claiming they would help Guihua and her husband improve their health.

Sister Guihua felt overwhelmed but dared not speak out. 

Every day, she had to drink the herbal remedies made by her mother-in-law, and she had thrown up several times because of them.

Since the two families lived close by, Wen Nuan sometimes caught whiffs of strange odors, unsure of what the remedies were, but they made her feel uncomfortable.

That day, Wen Nuan was putting the child to sleep as usual. It was still not dark when her husband returned home, bringing with him two chickens.

As Gu Qinghan stepped inside, he caught a whiff of the strange smell and curiously asked her, “What’s that odd smell? Did your medicine burn?”

He had been returning home late these past few days, and Wen Nuan had been boiling the herbal medicine herself. Many times when he arrived home, she had already fallen asleep.

Gu Qinghan thought Wen Nuan had forgotten to check the fire and had fallen asleep that night.

Wen Nuan set aside the knitting needles in her hands and made a “shh” gesture, saying, “It’s the herbal remedy that Sister Guihua’s mother-in-law brought from her hometown. You don’t need to be so loud; the child is already asleep.”

Then Wen Nuan noticed the chickens in her husband’s hands and asked, “Did you catch them while hunting? ”

With the New Year approaching and having had recent snowfall, the army had organized hunting trips up the mountains. Sometimes they would come across frozen wild chickens and hares, but the two chickens Gu Qinghan held were alive and didn’t quite look like wild chickens.

Gu Qinghan placed the chickens in a bamboo cage in the living room, one that had been left behind by someone else.

He then asked, “Do you remember that comrade Liu and the little baby we met when we took the train to Northern City? ”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan nodded, saying, “Of course I remember. That was Comrade Liu Mingfei. Why? Is he coming over? ”

After washing his hands, Gu Qinghan replied, “No, these two chickens were sent to us by the child’s biological parents through Zhengwei. They said it was to thank us for helping them.”

He paused for a moment and added, “After the New Year, the child’s parents are likely to come over as well.”