Chapter 33.1

For several days, the weather in Northern City wasn’t very pleasant—it was either windy or snowing.

As a result, Wen Nuan didn’t take Gu Qinglan around the family quarters. However, Gu Qinglan didn’t mind at all. Her facial scar hadn’t healed yet, and she didn’t want to go out and be seen, saying she didn’t want to be stared at like a monkey.

Still, Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang visited a few times.

When they saw the scar on Gu Qinglan’s face, their hearts ached, but Gu Qinglan didn’t care at all. She even chatted and laughed with the two sisters-in-law.

Gu Qinglan had a great personality—cheerful and lively. She also took the initiative to help with Family chores. Since she loved eating Wen Nuan’s cooking, she always insisted on washing and chopping the vegetables. When Wen Nuan was cooking, she’d help tend the fire.

Wen Nuan noticed that Gu Qinglan could even chop wood!

She was quite strong.

One day, when Wen Nuan told Gu Qinglan that Lin Meizhi’s child had been saved, Qinglan’s first reaction was a sigh of relief.

But soon after, her expression turned cold. She no longer wanted to talk about Lin Meizhi or Gu Qingsong.

Wen Nuan guessed that after Gu Qinglan’s experience of being sent to the countryside and having her name changed, followed by being falsely accused of deliberately pushing Lin Meizhi upon returning home, she had completely lost faith in her hometown and in both Zhao Wuzhu and Gu Qingsong.

Since Gu Qinglan didn’t want to mention it anymore, so, Wen Nuan stopped bringing up matters about her family.

During these days, Gu Qinglan spent her time dragging little Lele, who had just started learning to walk, around the house. She tirelessly helped her practice walking, and the small living room had probably been walked over countless times by the two of them.

Occasionally, when the snow had just fallen, Gu Qinglan would take the little one outside to build snowmen in the yard.

The little one especially loved playing with Gu Qinglan. While other children were somewhat scared or cautious when they saw the scar on Gu Qinglan’s head, Lele had no such fears. Every morning, after waking up and drinking her milk, the first thing she would do was look for Gu Qinglan.

Lele would stretch out her arms and point towards the small room, signaling to Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan to take her to Gu Qinglan. If they didn’t, she would throw a tantrum—yelling and shouting, hoping to attract Gu Qinglan’s attention.

Aside from when she needed to eat or sleep, Lele preferred to follow the carefree Gu Qinglan around. Lele could now pull herself up while holding onto a chair, but she hadn’t yet learned how to walk alone.

Every time she stood up, she wanted to go to Gu Qinglan but was afraid to take that first step.

Whenever Gu Qinglan played with Lele, she would say, “I feel such a special bond with this little one. Look at her, she really likes me, her Auntie. Do you think we might have met in a past life? Hahaha…”

Every time Gu Qinglan laughed, Lele would laugh along with her. The house was suddenly filled with more joy and laughter.

Wen Nuan found herself with a bit more free time. So, while Gu Qinglan helped look after the child, Wen Nuan took the opportunity to learn how to knit sweaters with Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang.

She also planned to knit a sweater for Gu Qinglan. Over the past few days, she had noticed that Gu Qinglan only had two sets of clothes, and her sweater was already fraying, patched up with fabric she had sewn herself.

When Wen Nuan asked why she didn’t just knit a new one, Gu Qinglan laughed and said, “I’m too lazy to do it myself. As long as I’ve got something to wear, I’m fine.”

Wen Nuan gently patted her head, feeling a deep sense of pity for her. She knew that Gu Qinglan’s years spent in the countryside must have been tiring, busy, and incredibly difficult.

Wen Nuan thought back to when Gu Qinglan was sent to the countryside—she was barely in her early teens. It must have been incredibly hard for her to adapt to the heavy farm labor. There was always so much work to do in the rural areas, and she likely collapsed into bed at the end of each tiring day.

Wen Nuan guessed that it wasn’t that Gu Qinglan was too lazy to knit, but rather that she simply didn’t have the money to buy yarn.

Many educated youths had the support of their families in the city, but once Gu Qinglan went to the countryside, she never contacted her family. She probably had to rely entirely on her own earnings—but how much could a young girl like her possibly earn?

Thinking about it, Wen Nuan decided to borrow some yarn from Sister Guihua to knit Gu Qinglan a sweater.

Even though the Spring Festival had already passed, it wouldn’t be too late for her to wear new clothes for the Lantern Festival.

A few peaceful days went by, and soon the Lantern Festival was approaching.

Gu Qinglan’s leave was only for half a month, and after the festival, she would have to return to the village where she had been sent for re-education.

Wen Nuan felt reluctant to part with her sister-in-law and didn’t want her to go back to that distant place in the countryside.

The day before the Lantern Festival, Gu Qinghan returned home after having an in-flight meal with his unit. Wen Nuan took his military coat and brushed off the snowflakes on it.

She asked, “Is it still snowing outside?”

Gu Qinghan had just finished washing his hands, intending to pick up the child and play with her, but then he heard Lele and Gu Qinglan laughing in the small room. He wasn’t sure what the two were playing, but their laughter echoed through the house.

Gu Qinghan pulled Wen Nuan to sit with him on the sofa next to the coffee table and said, “It’s only a light snow. I think it’ll clear up soon. The weather should start getting better.”

As a pilot, Gu Qinghan always checked weather maps and routine aviation weather reports before every flight and training session, so he could usually predict the weather for the next day or two pretty accurately.

Wen Nuan nodded and handed Gu Qinghan a cup of water. “That’s good to hear. Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, and in a few days, Qinglan will have to prepare to return to the countryside. I was thinking of taking her to the town to buy some food and supplies for her to take back.”

“Qinglan mentioned once that it’s quite inconvenient to buy things in the village where she was sent. She has to take a donkey cart to get to town, and she can’t always go.”

Taking advantage of the Lantern Festival, when many people in the family quarters would be out shopping, Wen Nuan planned to bring Gu Qinglan to town. She could stock up on things to take back to her youth hostel. Since the whole winter had been snowy, Gu Qinglan hadn’t had the chance to visit the town yet. Wen Nuan also wanted to buy a couple of boxes of snowflake cream.

The winters in Northern City were quite dry. If it weren’t for the few boxes of snowflake cream and clam oil Gu Qinghan had brought back from Beijing, Lele’s little face would have already cracked from the cold.

Gu Qinghan took the enamel cup from Wen Nuan and sipped the tea. He then clasped her hand. “Alright, whatever you think is best. Buy whatever you need.”

During the New Year, Gu Qinghan had been given some ration coupons, which he passed on to Wen Nuan. She hadn’t been to the town yet, and with Qinglan’s company, it would be a good chance for her to enjoy the outing too.

Wen Nuan looked at him with anticipation and asked, “Are you coming with us? Didn’t you say before that you wanted to take a family portrait together? Qinglan is here now, so after we take one with Lele, we can take another with her.”

Wen Nuan had noticed that Gu Qinghan didn’t have any family photos. There used to be a few photos in the old house, but they were all of Gu Qingsong and Zhao Wuzhu.

Gu Qinghan had one photo, but it was taken when he first joined the army, and it had already begun to fade. His youthful features were no longer clear.

After coming to Northern City, Wen Nuan had hoped to see more of the photos taken of Gu Qinghan after he joined the army. But to her surprise, there were no solo pictures of him. All the photos he had were group shots with his comrades.

Wen Nuan suddenly realized how precious photos were.

She had never been particularly fond of taking photos or posting on social media, but now, when she compared her past to the present, she understood how beautiful it was to have the chance to record life’s moments.

She often wanted to document everything about Lele’s growth, but during these times, cameras were considered a luxury. To take a picture, one had to go to the town’s photography studio, which wasn’t always convenient.

Gu Qinghan noticed Wen Nuan’s bright, eager eyes and gently squeezed her palm with his long fingers. “Tomorrow, I have an important meeting to attend. But the next time I have a break, we’ll go together to take the picture with Lele.”

Wen Nuan knew that Gu Qinghan had been especially busy after the New Year. He often had to eat meals at his unit before coming home. Hearing his explanation, she nodded in understanding and smiled. “Alright, we’ll wait until you have some time off, and then we’ll go take the photos.”

From the small room, Lele, possibly recognizing Gu Qinghan’s voice, started making noise, babbling “ah ah ah” as if she wanted to come out.

Gu Qinglan came out holding the little one and smiled at Gu Qinghan. “Big brother, Lele’s looking for you. As soon as she heard your voice, she’s been calling for you. This little one sure has a loud voice.”

Lele stretched out her arms toward Gu Qinghan, babbling “Dad! Dad!” a few times. As soon as Gu Qinghan took her, she straightened her little legs and began bouncing excitedly on his lap.

With his hands supporting her under her armpits, Gu Qinghan watched her joyfully bounce, letting her enjoy the moment to her heart’s content.

Wen Nuan watched the little one playing happily and said with a smile, “It looks like Lele is about to start walking soon. Those little feet seem pretty strong.”

Gu Qinglan also sat down beside her and exhaled a long breath, “I think in another month, she’ll be walking. This little one has too much energy. Oh, my, I need to drink some water before I say anything else.”

After speaking, she took a big gulp of tea, but only after drinking did she realize the water in the enamel cup had gone cold, freezing her teeth and making her wince in pain.

Wen Nuan then took the aluminum teapot that was warming on the stove and added some hot water for her. “Drink slower, why are you in such a rush? How long has that water been sitting there? Of course, it’s cold.”

Gu Qinglan touched the now warm cup. She smiled, and said, “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

She then glanced at Gu Qinghan and said, “Big brother, you’re so lucky to have married such a wonderful woman.”

Gu Qinghan curved his lips in satisfaction but said nothing, continuing to hold the little one who was bouncing up and down.

Wen Nuan lightly pinched Gu Qinglan’s arm, pretending to be angry. “You’re such a smooth talker!”

“I’m not lying! Sister-in-law, you’re the most thoughtful person I’ve ever met.” Gu Qinglan wrapped her arms around Wen Nuan’s and, with her hair a mess from Lele’s tugging, rubbed her head against Wen Nuan’s shoulder. “If I were a man, I’d want to steal you away!”

Only then did Gu Qinghan lift his head and, in a serious tone, say, “Then you’d be sabotaging a military marriage.”

Gu Qinglan stuck out her tongue, grabbed Wen Nuan’s hand, and said to Gu Qinghan, “It’s just a joke.”

Gu Qinghan snorted, “It’s not funny.”

Gu Qinglan leaned close to Wen Nuan’s ear and whispered, “Sister-in-law, how do you put up with my big brother? He’s so boring!”

Gu Qinghan clearly overheard Gu Qinglan’s whisper and turned his head to look at the two of them, with his eyebrow raised.

Wen Nuan smiled and lowered her voice as well, defending her husband, “Not really, your big brother is actually pretty good.”

After speaking, she glanced at Gu Qinghan’s expression. Their eyes met, and finally, the man’s stern face softened as he smiled and started playing with Lele again.

Gu Qinglan was speechless.

Alright, she couldn’t take it anymore. Just looking at them made it seem like honey was about to overflow from their sweetness.

The group chatted in the living room for a while longer. When Wen Nuan saw Lele yawn twice, she prepared to take her back to the room to sleep.

But when Lele, saw Gu Qinglan head to the smaller room, she started to make trouble again—she wanted to follow her Auntie.

Gu Qinglan couldn’t resist the child’s pleading and teased, “Alright then, tonight you’ll sleep with your aunt. You’ve never slept with me before!”

After saying that, she really did carry the little one to the small room and even closed the door.

Lele didn’t cry or fuss and, in no time, the two—one big, one small—started playing again. Wen Nuan couldn’t do much about them.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinghan had already brought a basin of hot water into the bedroom. Seeing Wen Nuan come back alone, he asked, “Where’s Lele? It’s so late, and she’s still playing with Qinglan?”

Wen Nuan sat down on the edge of the bed, took off her socks, and put her feet into the enamel basin. “Yes, yes, she’ll probably start crying to come back soon. Let her play for a bit.”

As the child grew, her sleep duration had shortened compared to before. In the past, she could nap for two hours in the afternoon, but now she would wake up after just over an hour.

During this period, because Gu Qinglan was staying with them, the little one wasn’t going to bed as early as she used to. She would only sleep after playing until she was exhausted.

Gu Qinghan sat down on the bed as well and put his feet into the basin, causing the water to nearly spill over. Wen Nuan immediately lifted her feet and pressed them under his.

“Can’t you prepare two basins? It’s so cramped!” Wen Nuan nudged the man beside her with her shoulder, but Gu Qinghan was as steady as a mountain. He extended his arm and pulled her into an embrace.

Gu Qinghan’s long arm slid under her shirt, and the calloused pads of his fingers brushed against her smooth skin. “Don’t move, finish soaking and then go to sleep.”

Wen Nuan felt the warmth of his touch and turned her face away slightly. She then remembered Gu Qinglan’s upcoming return to the countryside and asked, “Qinghan, is there really no way for Qinglan to stay here?”

Gu Qinghan lowered his gaze to her, a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “Do you want her to stay here?”

Wen Nuan nodded, not hiding her thoughts anymore. “I think Qinglan isn’t doing well in the countryside. You’ve seen her clothes—she’s probably been wearing them for many years. The cotton was so worn out, and her sweater is patched with old fabric, not even new yarn.”

Although, in those days, everyone patched their clothes for three years and wore them for another three, in the cold northern region, skimping on clothing wasn’t ideal.

Wen Nuan sighed. “You know, Qinglan hasn’t kept much contact with you for years. This time, after she got injured—if she had any good friends or companions in the countryside—someone as proud as her probably wouldn’t have come to find you. She must have had no other choice.”

After hearing this, Gu Qinghan didn’t respond immediately. He leaned closer to Wen Nuan and pulled her into his embrace. “What do you want me to do?”

Wen Nuan looked at him and said, “Just see if you can help Qinglan stay here, so we can look out for each other in the future.”

Thinking about the countryside, along with the scumbag lurking around Gu Qinglan, Wen Nuan truly felt uneasy about letting her go back.

If Gu Qinglan didn’t have the identity of a sent-down youth, it would be much easier to bring her over as a military family member. The difficulty lay in her being a sent-down youth, as there would be layers of approvals to navigate before she could transfer her Family registration.

Wen Nuan noticed Gu Qinghan’s expression was somewhat troubled, so she reached out and held his hand, smiling. “Qinghan, I’m not asking you to use your authority to help her; I’m just wondering if you have any other options.”

Wen Nuan understood what kind of person Gu Qinghan was. If it meant compromising his principles, it might be better for him to be killed than to go down that path.

Gu Qinghan’s expression softened as he looked at Wen Nuan and said, “It’s not that there aren’t options, but they’re not ideal.”

Wen Nuan asked, “What kind of option?”

Gu Qinghan’s face turned serious, and after a moment’s pause, he said, “Let her marry a soldier from the unit.”

Transitioning from being a sent-down youth to becoming a military family member was just as difficult as competing for a position in the workforce, and it was clear that Gu Qinglan hadn’t secured a spot all these years.

So, the only way to bring her over would be for her to marry someone from the military, which would allow her to come over as a military family member.

Wen Nuan frowned slightly. “Let’s forget about that. Qinglan is still young; there’s no rush. It’s better for her to make her own choice.”

Moreover, Wen Nuan knew too few people to help Gu Qinglan find a “perfect husband.” In her view, twenty really was quite young.

Gu Qinghan met her gaze and smiled. “I think so too; she’s still young. It’s not too late to wait a couple of years.”

Wen Nuan pouted and suddenly said, “I think I was around twenty when I married you.”

Gu Qinghan lifted his feet, took a prepared towel, and wiped the water from his feet. “That’s different.”

He then added, “The water is cold now. Lift your feet; I’ll help you dry them.”

“What’s different?”

Wen Nuan instinctively raised her feet, and Gu Qinghan took her towel, crouching down gently to hold her foot and wipe it. He didn’t say anything.

Gu Qinglan who was holding Lele, walked to the door and saw her big brother drying Wen Nuan’s feet with a towel.

She retreated, but after a moment, she thought it wasn’t so strange anymore, and knocked on the door. “Sister-in-law, Lele is being stubborn again; she probably doesn’t want to sleep.”

Wen Nuan saw Gu Qinglan return with the child, so she slipped on her slippers and walked over to take the little one in her arms, giving her a gentle pat on the bottom. “I knew it; this little one just loves to play.”

She then turned to Gu Qinglan and said, “Make sure to sleep early tonight. Tomorrow is the Lantern Festival, and we’ll go into town to buy some things. We should also get some cumin and chili powder to use with the lamb chops your brother brought back. I’ll make you cumin lamb chops.”

Gu Qinglan’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh my gosh, then I really need to sleep early!”

After saying that, Gu Qinglan turned around and ran back to her small room, and soon they heard her jumping onto the bed.

This time, the little one didn’t want to be with Gu Qinglan anymore. Instead, she clung to Wen Nuan’s neck, resting her chin on her shoulder and nuzzling in.

Wen Nuan carried the child back to the bed and said to Gu Qinghan, “She’s probably tired; I’ll take her to sleep first.”

With that, she unbuttoned her cotton coat and the shirt beneath, preparing to nurse the child to sleep.

Lele had played so hard that after getting enough to eat, she turned her head and fell asleep immediately.

The light in the room was already off. Just as Wen Nuan was about to fasten her clothes again, she felt a man’s palm cover her—his long fingers tugging at her collar slightly.

In the dark, Wen Nuan’s sense of hearing and touch heightened immensely. She felt the warmth of his breath on her neck and couldn’t help but shrink away a little.

Wen Nuan grabbed his slowly moving hand and lowered her voice to scold, “You’ll wake the child up!”

Besides, the child was secondary; Gu Qinglan was in the next room. Who knew if she was asleep or not?

Gu Qinghan rolled over, leaning down to kiss the corner of her lips. “I’ll be careful.”

Wen Nuan still wanted to push him away, but her hands were already pinned above her head. The man was too strong, and she could only give up struggling. She bit her lower lip, trying to suppress any sound.

—o—o—o—