Chapter 36.2

After Gu Qinghan left, Wen Nuan found herself bored again, spending her days taking the child to Sister Guihua’s place to learn how to sew soles for shoes.

Lele had already started learning to walk, and in about a month, she would probably be able to walk on her own without help.

Shoes still had to be prepared, so while she had the time, Wen Nuan hurried to make a pair for the child. Once spring arrived and the weather warmed up, the child would likely be walking on her own and venturing out of the courtyard to play.

In just a couple of days, Wen Nuan finished making the shoes, but there was still no news from Gu Qinglan’s side.

The place Gu Qinglan had gone to for work was just in the neighboring city, and since General Xu had arranged a vehicle for them, they should have reached their destination fairly quickly. However, Gu Qinghan mentioned that it might take a few more days before they could return.

A few days later, Secretary Song came over, bringing some apples, leeks, eggplants, and pea shoots. She said she wanted to ask General Xu for some advice about his dietary needs.

Although General Xu was assigned an attendant and a nanny, Secretary Song had retired and didn’t have much to do, so she mostly took charge of the kitchen herself.

Since General Xu had recently undergone a minor surgery, she was putting extra care into his meals, hoping to make something nourishing for him. Knowing that Wen Nuan was quite skilled in cooking, she decided to come and ask for some help.

Wen Nuan felt a bit flattered and quickly invited Secretary Song into her home. Secretary Song glanced around the small living room and smiled, “Your home is so tidy and clean, it feels very cozy.”

Wen Nuan poured her a cup of tea, handed it to her with both hands and smiled, “With a child to care for and not much else to do, I just spend my time tidying up.”

Sitting on the sofa, Secretary Song accepted the cup and, with a smile, asked, “Have you adjusted well to life in Beicheng, coming all the way from the south?”

Wen Nuan felt that Secretary Song spoke quite gently and was surprised that she cared about her situation. She nodded, “I’m used to it, and there’s no snow where we’re from. It’s a delightful experience to be able to play in the snow here.”

“That’s good to hear. There have been many comrades from the south in the unit before, but they often find it hard to adapt to the climate and food here. If you encounter any difficulties in your daily life, feel free to report it to the organization. They will definitely help you,” Secretary Song said, glancing at the little one in Wen Nuan’s arms. She noted how Lele’s small face remained fair and tender after a winter, clearly well cared for.

Wen Nuan nodded. “Thank you for your concern, Secretary Song. The organization has already been very kind to us.”

Looking at the chubby little girl, Secretary Song couldn’t help but think of her grandson, whom she hadn’t seen for nearly a year. Her heart softened at the sight. “May I hold her?”

“Of course!” Wen Nuan smiled and passed Lele over to her. “She’s not shy, but she’s learning to walk now and might be a bit mischievous, so please be careful, Secretary Song.”

Secretary Song took the child and smiled. “She’s so adorable! Those big eyes look just like yours.”

The little one seemed to understand that Secretary Song was praising her, giggling happily and clapping her tiny hands.

Secretary Song nodded. “She really is well-behaved and not shy at all. How can there be such a cute little girl?”

Seeing this made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She also thought that Wen Nuan could manage just fine even if she brought the child to the kitchen to work.

So she said, “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider the position of nutritionist in the cooking class?”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan felt a twinge of regret, but she believed that it was worth trading a job to change Gu Qinglan’s fate.

Seeing her shake her head, Secretary Song stopped teasing her. “General Xu is just playing with you; the position of a nutritionist at the cooking class is meant for you alone.”

Wen Nuan looked at Secretary Song, somewhat incredulous. “Really?”

Secretary Song smiled and nodded, playfully poking Lele’s chubby, adorable face. “Comrade Xu knows I’m coming over and specifically asked me to tell you that you can report to the flight team’s cooking class in March.”

Wen Nuan could hardly hide her joy and repeatedly thanked Secretary Song.

Although Secretary Song had primarily come to discuss General Xu’s dietary needs, Wen Nuan knew about General Xu’s stomach issues. She explained to Secretary Song the dietary precautions following his surgery, mentioning that the foods that cause bloating should be avoided, and that thin porridge wasn’t particularly friendly for stomach problems. Instead, it was better to eat some noodles and to have smaller, more frequent meals.

Later, Wen Nuan also wrote down some ingredients for traditional soup recipes.

As a Southerner, she enjoyed making nourishing soups, and during Gu Qinghan’s hospital stay, she had been making various bone broths to provide nourishment.

—o—o—o—

As soon as Secretary Song left, Gu Qinglan and Li Daxiang returned.

Wen Nuan was just about to close the door to soothe Lele to sleep when she saw Gu Qinglan bouncing joyfully toward the courtyard.

She was still wearing her crisp green military uniform, which made her tall figure stand out even more.

It seemed that everything had been handled smoothly!

Seeing Gu Qinglan in her military uniform made Wen Nuan’s heart finally relax.

“Sister-in-law!”

Gu Qinglan had spotted Wen Nuan long before, but it wasn’t appropriate to shout loudly in the family courtyard. Her elder brother had mentioned that her voice was particularly loud; he could hear her even at the entrance of the compound.

However, she was so excited at this moment that she wished she could sprout wings and fly home, just to let her sister-in-law see how outstanding she looked in her military uniform.

But when she saw her sister-in-law, her nose itched with emotion. She wanted to share everything she had experienced over the past few days, as she had no one else to confide in—Wen Nuan was her only outlet.

“Qinglan, you’re back!” Wen Nuan called out.

Hearing Gu Qinglan’s familiar voice, she stepped out of the courtyard while holding Lele.

It felt like Qinglan looked a bit more haggard after just a few days apart, but that military uniform added a lot to her presence.

Lele was still a little fussy from her nap, but upon hearing Gu Qinglan’s voice, she seemed to recall their time together and reached her tiny arms toward her, letting out a few sounds.

Wen Nuan took the luggage bag from Gu Qinglan’s hands, allowing her to hold the child instead. She smiled at her, and said: “You look so good! Qinglan, you really look great in that uniform!”

Gu Qinglan was already tall and had a delicate appearance; all three siblings in the Gu family were quite good-looking, and wearing the military uniform enhanced her aura even more.

At Wen Nuan’s words, Gu Qinglan’s eyes brightened. “Really? The first thing I did after putting on the uniform was to come back and look for you, sister-in-law!”

“Of course, it’s true! You really do look good.” Wen Nuan glanced at Li Daxiang, then suggested, “Let’s go inside; come in for some tea.”

The weather had warmed up a bit these days, and the snow in the courtyard was slowly melting. It felt even colder when the snow melted than during the snowfall, so it was still much warmer indoors.

Wen Nuan poured a cup of water for each of them. Li Daxiang had initially intended to leave, but Gu Qinghan returned home shortly after and invited him to stay for dinner that night.

Everyone sat down, and after seeing that they had all finished their hot tea, Wen Nuan asked, “When did you guys come back?”

“We went to change my household registration as soon as we arrived. After that, Daxiang and a female colleague from the propaganda department took me to the Political Commissar’s office. At that moment, my older brother was also there, so he reported to me.” Gu Qinglan spoke rapidly, and her voice was quite loud. She then inadvertently shared some details about changing her household registration.

Wen Nuan listened with a smile as Gu Qinglan talked about what had happened after returning to the unit. When she finally paused, Wen Nuan asked, “So, what kind of soldier are you now?”

Gu Qinglan smiled shyly and replied, “The Political Commissar said I could choose for myself. There’s the propaganda department, the Ministry of Works, and several other departments that I didn’t remember. But I haven’t chosen yet. I told the Political Commissar that I needed to go back and ask my sister-in-law’s opinion. I really want to hear your opinion. I asked for this military uniform from the comrades in the logistics department; I wanted my sister-in-law to take a look at it.”

Wen Nuan laughed at her, thinking that if Gu Qinghan hadn’t been there, the Political Commissar wouldn’t have bothered with her at all. This girl was far too impulsive.

Seeing Wen Nuan laugh, Gu Qinglan felt embarrassed and scratched her head. “Sister-in-law, which department do you think would be better for me?”

Wen Nuan hadn’t expected Gu Qinglan to really seek her advice. She glanced over at Gu Qinghan, who merely nodded, indicating that she should make the decision.

Wen Nuan recalled that in her past life, Gu Qinglan had chosen to go into medicine without much hesitation. So, she said, “Then go to the medical department and start as a medical soldier.”

“Medical… Medical soldier?”

Wen Nuan nodded. “Yes, saving lives. What? Are you unwilling?”

“Of course, I’m willing! I was just afraid you’d send me to the Ministry of Works or something. I’m too carefree to handle that sort of stuff. Saving people is great; I’ll study hard and won’t let my sister-in-law down!”

Gu Qinglan remembered how Wen Nuan had saved her brother from the snow in a critical moment. Back then, she had also wanted to be a medical worker.

She didn’t expect Wen Nuan to share her thoughts, and that made her very happy.

Wen Nuan patted her head, expressing her high hopes: “Qinglan, you can do well. Once you get to the medical department, learn from the veterans, work hard, and talk less. Make sure to study medical knowledge seriously. You’re preparing to enter high school when you go to the countryside, and your education level isn’t low. Maybe one day, you can even become a doctor.”

Wen Nuan knew that Gu Qinglan wasn’t the type of person who lacked intelligence. As long as she was willing to put in some effort, she would definitely do better in the future.

If she could become a doctor, that would be the best outcome.

Gu Qinglan nodded firmly. “Sister-in-law, I will give it my all and won’t let your expectations down!”

She had just learned that her opportunity to join the army was something Wen Nuan gave up just to find her a job within the Northern Military District.

When she found out, Gu Qinglan had thought about backing out, but her brother told her that the chance to be a worker in the cooking unit still belonged to her sister-in-law—with this, she could finally be relieved.

So, she absolutely could not let her sister-in-law’s goodwill go to waste. Even if it meant risking her life, she wanted to achieve something to show her sister-in-law, Wen Nuan.

Not only did she want to be a good medical soldier, but she also wanted to become a doctor in the future.

Wen Nuan nodded. “That’s necessary. Sister-in-law believes in you; you can do better.”

If it weren’t for her desire to help Gu Qinglan become a better person, Wen Nuan wouldn’t have given up her job to secure a military position for her. While simply rescuing her and letting her get married was an option, Wen Nuan was not inclined to do so.

She hoped that Gu Qinglan’s future would involve acquiring more knowledge and enriching herself. She wanted her to rely on herself as her strongest support, rather than depending on anyone else.

To celebrate Gu Qinglan’s escape from that bastard, Wen Nuan specifically took out the lamb chops that had been untouched until now and made a cumin lamb chop dish to celebrate.

She cut the lamb chops into pieces and placed them in a pot with cold water, adding bay leaves, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, ginger slices, and some radish to remove the gamey smell.

After simmering for half an hour, the lamb chops became tender enough to eat without difficulty.

Gu Qinglan was in charge of the fire, and as the dish began to simmer, the rich aroma filled the air. “Sister-in-law, I’m already salivating! This smells amazing!”

No wonder it had even caught General Xu’s attention; the dish was truly fragrant. Even if one didn’t eat meat, just mixing a bit of sauce could make two bowls of rice enjoyable!

While Wen Nuan skillfully chopped the vegetables, she heard Gu Qinglan’s words and curiously asked about their situation in the countryside. “Has that person who bullied you been caught?”

Gu Qinglan paused in her movements, then slowly nodded. “Don’t worry, sister-in-law; that bastard has been sent to a labor camp.”

Then Gu Qinglan added, “Daxiang even broke one of his legs.”

Wen Nuan raised an eyebrow, then asked: “Which leg?”

When Gu Qinglan heard this, she was a bit confused but thought about it and surprisingly understood what Wen Nuan meant. She couldn’t help but express her frustration: “I’m not quite sure either.”

Maybe it was both legs?

Wen Nuan pouted and sighed, “What a pity.”

That kind of bastard should have had his third leg broken!

Gu Qinglan slowly began to recount what had happened during the past few days.

It turned out that the bastard was the nephew of the village secretary and also a staff member of the village committee.

He took advantage of his uncle’s position and deceived the educated youth who came from the city. He claimed that he could help them obtain agricultural and military qualifications.

However, the prerequisite was that they had to become his girlfriend. Apart from Gu Qinglan, other female educated youth in the dormitory had also been harassed by this bastard.

But such bastards generally wouldn’t easily admit their wrongdoing. At first, he was very arrogant and firmly insisted that Gu Qinglan was slandering him, claiming she was trying to escape from rural labor and that he was holding up her household registration transfer application, preventing her from leaving.

Gu Qinglan mentioned that many female educated youths were worried about their reputations, so they were reluctant to come forward to testify against the bastard at first.

However, Li Daxiang had secretly investigated for two days and discovered that the bastard had not only harassed the female educated youth but had also been secretly involved with two female comrades from the village.

The two women had no idea and were foolishly waiting for him to marry them.

Li Daxiang then contacted the parents of those two female comrades and exposed the situation.

Only then did the bastard start to panic.

Although the two women were heartbroken, they still managed to beat him up to vent their frustrations.

When the village secretary learned that his own nephew had bullied female comrades, he couldn’t maintain his composure and refused to help him.

Instead, he pressured him to go to the commune for criticism. After that, more and more female educated youth were willing to come forward to testify against the bastard.

Eventually, he admitted to having exploited his position to deceive the educated youth.

What shocked Wen Nuan the most was when Gu Qinglan mentioned that a female comrade had secretly approached her, crying that she had fallen for the bastard’s tricks and was pregnant with his child.

However, she had already gone for an abortion after returning home for the New Year.

Gu Qinglan had not told anyone else about this, fearing that the comrade wouldn’t be able to handle the judgment of others, but she did share it with Li Daxiang—which was why Li Daxiang had broken the bastard’s leg.

In the end, they successfully sent that bastard to a labor camp, where he received a seven-year sentence.

Wen Nuan’s hand trembled with anger as she held the cleaver—wishing she could stab that bastard a few times. “At least he was finally sent to prison. Otherwise, who knows how many more female comrades he would have harmed!”

“Thank you, sister-in-law. If it weren’t for you, I might have been the next victim.” After Gu Qinglan said this, her gaze slightly lowered. Just thinking about it made her feel suffocated.

Wen Nuan patted her head. “You’re safe now, so don’t dwell on it. Remember, if you encounter such things in the future, you must speak up loudly. It’s those bastards who should feel ashamed, and the blame should be on them, not on you who were bullied. Do you understand?”

Gu Qinglan nodded emphatically, realizing that Wen Nuan was right. Previously, she had felt embarrassed about speaking up regarding such matters, fearing that others would not believe her or would think she was an immoral person.

In truth, it was the bastards who should be ashamed and condemned.

Wen Nuan didn’t want to dwell on such serious topics on this joyful day.

She picked up the lamb chops that had finished simmering and placed them in a hot, oiled pan, where they sizzled with a delightful sound.

After frying the lamb chops until they turned a crispy golden brown, she added some yellow wine, soy sauce, white sugar, and salt.

She also threw in a bit of the lamb broth they had just made, raising the heat to reduce the sauce. Finally, she added cumin and stir-fried everything together.

The fragrance of cumin wafted through the air, filling the entire house with a delicious aroma, drawing both Gu Qinghan and Li Daxiang over.

Gu Qinghan looked at the plated cumin lamb chops and then patted Li Daxiang on the shoulder. “Daxiang, you’ve worked hard this time. Make sure to eat a lot later.”

Wen Nuan handed the lamb chops to Gu Qinghan so he could take them to the living room. “That’s right, Daxiang; this time your contribution is the greatest. You should eat more. Without you, Qinglan might not have returned so quickly.”

Li Daxiang glanced at Gu Qinglan and, feeling somewhat shy, scratched his jaw. “Anyone would have done the same. I was just doing what I could.”

Gu Qinglan looked over and added, “Yes, Comrade Li, we really need to thank you this time.”

Li Daxiang became even more embarrassed, his face reddening as he muttered, “You’re welcome,” before heading off to get some bowls and chopsticks.

—o—o—o—

After finishing dinner, Li Daxiang sat for a while before returning to the dormitory.

Qinglan had not yet been assigned a dormitory, so she decided to stay here for the night. She would officially report tomorrow and would then live in the dormitory allocated by the unit.

Gu Qinghan cleaned the dining table, and Gu Qinglan boiled a large pot of water. After washing herself, she went to bed early, saying she was afraid she wouldn’t wake up on time tomorrow.

Wen Nuan used the remaining hot water to wash the child’s bottom and wiped her down a bit. The little one felt much fresher and more spirited, propping herself up against the headboard while pulling at the mosquito net.

In the northern winter, there were no mosquitoes, but Wen Nuan was too lazy to take it down, so it remained up. Now that the little one could stand, she loved to cause mischief everywhere.

Tonight, they had boiled a bit too much water. Wen Nuan also washed herself because she hadn’t taken an afternoon nap and didn’t soak her feet either. After a quick scrub, she went straight to bed.

When Gu Qinghan returned, Lele was still tugging at the mosquito net while Wen Nuan had her hair down, flipping through a novel.

Previously, Gu Qinghan had noticed her love for reading. However, apart from a few training manuals of his, there were no other books at home. So, he borrowed two novels from Political Commissar for her to read.

Upon seeing Gu Qinghan return, Wen Nuan stopped reading. Noticing that the little one was still standing against the headboard, she pulled her closer and said, “Alright, you didn’t take a nap this afternoon, so hurry up and go to sleep.”

The little one, whether she understood or was simply tired of standing, plopped down onto the bed and crawled toward Wen Nuan.

Now, Lele probably weighed around twenty to thirty catty. When she jumped onto Wen Nuan, it caused her a bit of discomfort from the weight.

Wen Nuan felt too lazy to move, so she hugged the little one and placed her on the bed. Then she unbuttoned her shirt and began to breastfeed her.

The little one was now eating a good amount of solid food and did not drink as much milk as before. She only nursed about three times a day, and during this evening’s session, she was mostly falling asleep while eating.

However, for some reason tonight, she bit Wen Nuan a few times.

Wen Nuan slapped her bottom and said, “No biting! That hurts!”

This wasn’t the first time Lele had bitten her; she had loved to bite ever since her first baby teeth came in.

Each time, Wen Nuan would sternly tell her that she couldn’t bite, and the little one would stop after her mother scolded her.

But whenever she was teething again, she couldn’t help but bite. Now, seeing Wen Nuan genuinely upset, with her big, shiny eyes, she realized she had made a mistake and didn’t dare to bite again.

Instead, she clutched Wen Nuan’s shirt and slyly closed her eyes.

After a moment, she opened her eyes again to look at Wen Nuan.

Wen Nuan, not amused, said, “Hurry up and sleep. What time is it? Are you a night owl?”

Clearly, she hadn’t taken a nap in the afternoon, so why was she able to stay up so late?

Gu Qinghan lay on his side, propping up his head with one arm, and peeked over from behind Wen Nuan. He then caught the little one’s kicking feet that had been flailing about.

The little one thought Gu Qinghan was playing with her; she stopped drinking her milk, giggling and wriggling her body as she tried to hide under the blanket.

Wen Nuan shot Gu Qinghan an annoyed glare, then looked at the little one who was crawling all over the place. She said, “It’s all your fault! She was almost asleep and now look at this. You go and coax her to sleep.”

Gu Qinghan found it both funny and amusing, so he picked up the child and played the airplane game with her.

—o—o—o—

Time passed, and eventually, he managed to rock the little one to sleep. Wen Nuan lay on the bed and yawned.

After carefully placing the child in the innermost part of the bed, Gu Qinghan wrapped his arms around Wen Nuan from behind and leaned close to her ear, whispering, “General Xu said you need to report to the cooking team in March.”

Wen Nuan hadn’t told Gu Qinghan that she already knew, but she still feigned surprise and exclaimed, “Really?”

Gu Qinghan held her tightly, considering his words before adding, “Yes, General said you saved two lives. It’s not unreasonable to get a job and a military position in return. However, the work in the cooking team might not be that easy. If you can’t adapt, don’t push yourself; you need to let me know.”

Wen Nuan slightly turned to adjust her position comfortably and smiled, saying, “I know; you don’t have to worry.”

Hearing her slightly happy tone, Gu Qinghan felt a surge of joy for her and said: “Let’s find some time to buy a bicycle. It’ll make it more convenient for you to get to and come home from work.”

Wen Nuan knew that Gu Qinghan had received a second-class merit award this time, and this came with a bonus.

It was just enough to buy a bicycle.

She took Gu Qinghan’s hand, which was resting on her belly, and gave it a gentle squeeze, smiling brightly as she said, “Okay.”