Chapter 41.1

Ever since Wen Nuan last saw Li Qiuyan appear in the chicken coop of the Flight Crew Kitchen, she had been somewhat suspicious.

Logically speaking, the tasks of the Flight Crew Kitchen should not be interfered with by people from other cafeterias.

However, Wen Nuan asked Xiao Zhu about it, and she said that the chickens and geese in the coop were being fed by Li Qiuyan—she had volunteered to help.

Moreover, the logistics kitchen, which served more people, often had a lot of rice bran and rotten vegetable leaves, so the job of feeding the chickens was handed over to Li Qiuyan.

For the past month, Wen Nuan had been secretly observing Li Qiuyan. But aside from that one time when she first came to the Flight Crew Kitchen and saw her in the chicken coop, she hadn’t seen her again. Xiao Zhu mentioned that Li Qiuyan would only come over to feed the chickens after work every day.

It seemed now that Li Qiuyan was intentionally avoiding her.

That was why she hadn’t seen her for the entire month.

As for why Li Qiuyan was avoiding her, Wen Nuan finally understood.

That time, she had most likely caught Li Qiuyan stealing something, which was why Li Qiuyan had been avoiding her ever since.

Was Li Qiuyan hiding the stolen goods in her clothes?

It made sense. Even though the cafeteria was inspected daily, who would search a female comrade’s private areas?

The sandstorm was making the roof of the chicken coop creak loudly. Wen Nuan did not hesitate and shouted, “Comrade Li, what are you doing?”

On the other side, Li Qiuyan froze when she heard Wen Nuan’s voice. She turned slightly and looked woodenly at Wen Nuan, who was not far away.

She instinctively clutched her cotton coat, then wiped the dust that had been blown onto her face by the wind. Feeling somewhat guilty, she said, “Isn’t it because the sandstorm suddenly hit? I just came over to get these chickens and geese into the cages. Otherwise, with such strong wind, they’d all be blown away.”

Li Qiuyan adjusted her emotions, meeting Wen Nuan’s gaze, trying to calm herself down. She asked, “By the way, Comrade Wen, why did you come over? This sandstorm is quite strong. I can handle things here. You’d better go back to the cafeteria.”

Wen Nuan’s eyes moved from her face downward. Indeed, such a thick cotton coat was a perfect cover.

But Wen Nuan didn’t believe her excuses. She looked at her coldly and said, “Li Qiuyan, do you think your words are convincing?”

“You know exactly what you’re doing,” Wen Nuan said as she walked toward her, then glanced at her chest and said, “The evidence is right on you. Do you still want to deny it?”

Wen Nuan observed the color drain from Li Qiuyan’s face and continued, “Li Qiuyan, both of us are mothers. I believe you understand the principle of leading by example. What you need to do next, I’m sure you don’t need anyone else to tell you.”

He Dazhuang had been reprimanded so many times, yet he still hadn’t learned his lesson. It was clear that this behavior was not picked up by other people.

As a mother, Li Qiuyan hadn’t set a good example for her child. Each time He Dazhuang stole from others, all she did was beat him half to death afterward. But what good did that do?

Li Qiuyan herself hadn’t done a good job. Even though she knew her son had bad habits, as a mother, she didn’t properly educate him. Instead, she followed suit, engaging in petty theft herself.

In doing so, she was undoubtedly sending a message to her children that such behavior was acceptable!

So how could anyone expect her child to improve?

Li Qiuyan’s palms were sweating, and the color drained from her face instantly, turning pale. She had been so careful, had managed to avoid detection for so long, yet how unlucky that she had been caught by Wen Nuan at this very moment.

“I—I don’t understand what you mean,” Li Qiuyan continued to feign ignorance, refusing to admit to anything.

Wen Nuan was blunt: “Go and confess everything to the Quartermaster.”

Li Qiuyan hadn’t expected Wen Nuan to say this. Her voice trembled slightly, “Wh-what?”

Meeting her gaze, Wen Nuan slowly asked, “Do you know why your son, He Dazhuang, never changed his ways? From the provincial unit to The Northern Military District, he keeps making the same mistakes over and over again.”

“It’s because you, as his mother, have never set a good example for him. Every time, all you do is beat and scold him—has that helped? Through your actions, you’ve been telling him that petty theft is allowed. If you truly wanted him to change, you wouldn’t be doing this kind of petty thievery yourself.”

Li Qiuyan met Wen Nuan’s gaze and felt that mocking smile cutting deep.

Wen Nuan’s words were like thunderclaps, exploding in her mind.

Instinctively, she patted her chest, immediately feeling the eggs she had hidden inside her cotton coat shatter. The sticky egg whites seeped through her inner clothes, leaving her with a sickening sensation.

The evidence was irrefutable, and there was no way out for her now.

Her head buzzed, making it impossible to think. Wen Nuan’s words filled her with shame, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into and disappear.

There was no denying it—Wen Nuan was right.

Every time He Dazhuang stole from others, she beat him—beat him nearly to death, but it was all just for show. She did that for the sake of others.

But… but it wasn’t what she wanted! Her life was already exhausting enough.

She had to take care of several children while also making money to support the family.

Was that easy for her?

Wen Nuan looked at her and, once again, slowly said, “Comrade Li Qiuyan, please go and confess everything to the Quartermaster immediately.”

It wasn’t the mistakes that mattered—what mattered was the courage to take responsibility.

If she couldn’t even manage that, how could she possibly hope to raise her children properly?

Just as Wen Nuan finished speaking, the Quartermaster’s assistant came out, noticing Wen Nuan and Li Qiuyan standing together. Though he didn’t know what had happened, he raised his voice, “Comrade Li Qiuyan, the Quartermaster wants to see you in his office.”

“What… what?” Li Qiuyan’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, startling the assistant, who quickly rushed over to help her up.

The series of events had completely overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t think straight about what was happening.

“Comrade Li, are you alright? Let me help you back,” the assistant said, supporting her, but to his surprise, Li Qiuyan shoved him away.

“Get away from me! I’m not going!”

Without warning, Li Qiuyan turned and ran, but Lao Zhong, who had appeared at the entrance of the chicken coop without anyone noticing, blocked her path.

“Comrade Li Qiuyan, the Quartermaster wants to see you in his office,” Lao Zhong repeated.

Lao Zhong was so tall and broad that standing in front of him felt like being blocked by a mountain. Li Qiuyan looked up at him, realizing there was no way to get past.

Perhaps the noise had drawn attention because, despite the fierce sandstorm, the comrades from the Flight Crew Kitchen came out to see what was going on, including the Quartermaster himself.

Seeing that Li Qiuyan was trying to flee, the Quartermaster let out a grunt. “Comrade Li Qiuyan, come to my office.”

With nowhere left to run, Li Qiuyan lowered her head, and without warning, she ran headfirst into a wooden post. She collapsed instantly, unconscious, with blood flowing from her head.

The onlookers froze, stunned by what had just happened.

No one paid any attention to the raging sandstorm anymore as they hurriedly lifted the unconscious Li Qiuyan off the ground. “Quick, take her to the infirmary!” someone shouted.

The whole group was thrown into chaos, everyone scrambling in confusion.

Wen Nuan followed along to the hospital.

The Quartermaster had originally planned for Wen Nuan to prepare lunch, but with such an unexpected incident, and since Wen Nuan had been present at the scene, he had no choice but to accompany them.

Inside Li Qiuyan’s hospital room, only Wen Nuan and the Quartermaster remained. The Quartermaster, hands behind his back, paced back and forth.

The doctor had already treated Li Qiuyan’s wounds, and she was out of immediate danger.

The Quartermaster had sent word to notify Li Qiuyan’s family. Looking at her lying on the bed, he sighed. “I didn’t even get a chance to question her, and now this happens. People who don’t know might think our kitchen crew did something to her.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Sanmei came in with three children. The moment she saw Li Qiuyan lying in the hospital bed, she rushed over and started wailing, “Oh, my dear daughter-in-law! If something happens to you, how am I supposed to survive with these children?”

She cried even louder, holding the children close. “Oh, my poor grandchildren! They lost their father so early, and now they’re about to lose their mother too. How could your lives be so cruel?”

Perhaps Chen Sanmei’s loud crying drew too much attention, as more and more people began gathering to watch. Heads peeked into the hospital room, and the growing crowd only fueled Chen Sanmei’s exaggerated sobs. She began lamenting loudly, making the situation seem even more pitiful, piquing everyone’s curiosity about what had happened.

Meanwhile, He Dazhuang, who had been held by Chen Sanmei, noticed Wen Nuan standing there. He suddenly remembered the secret conversation his mother had with his grandmother earlier. His mother had mentioned that she ran into Wen Nuan while feeding the chickens.

Seeing his mother in this state now, could it be Wen Nuan’s doing?

Why else would she be here?

Just as He Dazhuang was thinking this, Li Qiuyan suddenly woke up on the hospital bed.

The moment she saw Wen Nuan and the Quartermaster, she no longer cared about the pitiful crying of Chen Sanmei or her children beside her. Only one thought consumed her mind:

Wen Nuan must have already told the Quartermaster everything that happened in the chicken coop!

She couldn’t leave the residential compound!

She couldn’t return to her hometown. She couldn’t go back to that place to farm and toil in the fields!

So when she woke up and saw Wen Nuan, she raised her voice and pointed at her, shouting, “Quartermaster, she is slandering me!”

“I didn’t steal anything. Wen Nuan is slandering me. I didn’t steal anything. I would never take a single penny from the organization!”

“Quartermaster, I really didn’t steal anything!”

Upon hearing this, He Dazhuang thought, as expected, that this woman (Wen Nuan) was up to no good.

Last time, when they were enjoying their pork in the birch forest, it might have been her who tipped off Li Daxiang, leading him to catch them!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Li Daxiang suddenly stood up, his face twisted with rage, and rushed toward Wen Nuan, yelling, “You wicked woman! You bullied my mother. I’m going to beat you to death!”

As he said this, he raised his fist and swung it toward Wen Nuan.

The Quartermaster nearby hadn’t reacted in time to step in and stop him when, suddenly, a figure flashed in from the doorway, shielding Wen Nuan in his arms and dodging to the side.

He Dazhuang’s fist hit nothing but air. He stood there, dazed for two seconds, then prepared to lunge at Wen Nuan again, only to be confronted by the tall figure of Gu Qinghan and his cold, piercing eyes.

He Dazhuang froze on the spot.

The moment he saw Gu Qinghan, his frail body trembled slightly.

Gu Qinghan looked down at He Dazhuang, his voice cold and sinister as he said, “If you dare touch her, I won’t be so kind to you.”

The eerie and chilling tone reminded He Dazhuang of his experiences in the southern Provincial Military Camp.

It scared him so much that he took two steps back—not daring to approach again.

The Quartermaster, seeing Gu Qinghan appear just in time, let out a sigh of relief. If something had happened to Wen Nuan, he would have felt truly guilty.

He looked at the pale-faced Li Qiuyan and spoke with a deep, meaningful tone, “Comrade Li Qiuyan, no one is slandering you!”

“Comrade Wen Nuan has never said a single bad word about you!”

Li Qiuyan looked at Wen Nuan, then at the cold and grim Gu Qinghan, and she froze in place…

But did it make any difference?

Wen Nuan knew about this, and it was only a matter of time before she reported her.

She would never admit it.

Before she could speak, the Quartermaster coldly glanced her way. “As for the matter of theft, I reserve my judgment. When the others arrive, I’ll discuss it with you.”

“But as for you claiming that Comrade Wen Nuan slandered you—that’s simply ridiculous! Instead, why don’t you think carefully about whether you’ve said anything behind someone’s back!”

Li Qiuyan’s eyes widened as she listened to the Quartermaster’s words, not quite understanding what he meant.

But the next moment, Huang Yueying entered the ward, pulling her son, Daniu, along. As soon as she saw Li Qiuyan, she pointed at her and cursed, “Li Qiuyan, look at what your He Dazhuang has done! My Daniu was almost killed because of him!”

“If it weren’t for Vice Captain Gu and Comrade Wen Nuan saving Daniu, I would never have seen my son again in this lifetime!”

Huang Yueying’s sudden appearance left Li Qiuyan dumbfounded. “You—what do you mean?”

“Ask your son! He tricked my son into stealing wild ginseng. When my son refused, he deceived him into going up the mountain to dig it. And halfway through, he ran off, leaving my son there on purpose.”

The following events—being buried by the avalanche and Gu Qinghan’s plane crash—were all connected to that.

Huang Yueying cried as she recounted what had happened back then. Wen Nuan only then realized that Daniu being buried in the avalanche had been caused by He Dazhuang tricking him into going up the mountain. When the avalanche struck, He Dazhuang had abandoned Daniu, even though Daniu didn’t know the way and had secretly slipped back home.

Since the avalanche incident, Daniu had been in shock. After waking up, he had been confused, and it was only in the past few days that he had recovered enough to tell Huang Yueying about the avalanche incident.

Huang Yueying then turned toward Wen Nuan and said, “Comrade Wen Nuan, it was this woman who, when you first arrived at the North City Family Courtyard, said that you were lazy and gluttonous. She said you deliberately clung to Vice Captain Gu to marry him, calling you an indecent woman…”

Gu Qinghan furrowed his brows. When Huang Yueying mentioned that Wen Nuan was lazy and gluttonous, he had already covered Wen Nuan’s ears and shot a cold glance at her, sternly saying, “Enough! Shut your mouth!”

“Old Luo, I’ll leave this matter to you to handle.” Gu Qinghan looked at the Quartermaster, adding, “We must get to the bottom of this!”

Then he turned his icy gaze toward Li Qiuyan, who was on the hospital bed and said, “Li Qiuyan, you borrowed a total of 126 yuan and 81 cents from me while you were in the Provincial Military Camp. You need to pay me back before you leave the family compound!”

In the past, he had been lenient because of her circumstances as a widow and the fact that she was the family member of one of his close subordinates, thus, he chose not to pursue the matter.

But now, he would not let anything that harmed Wen Nuan go unpunished.

With that, Gu Qinghan took Wen Nuan in his arms and walked out of the ward, leaving the Quartermaster to deal with the aftermath.

Hearing Gu Qinghan’s words, Li Qiuyan collapsed onto the bed, covering her face as she began to cry…

She felt extreme regret.

If only…

If only she hadn’t said those slanderous things about Wen Nuan just now, would the outcome have been different?

She didn’t know why Wen Nuan hadn’t reported her.

Why had Wen Nuan chosen not to report her?

If she hadn’t gone to find Gu Qinghan to help her make that cart, would all of this have happened?

Why had things turned so terrible?

Li Qiuyan could no longer bear it and burst into tears.

Memories of Wen Nuan’s words flooded her mind.

The truth was that the fault lay with her; if she hadn’t been so greedy, she wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.

The Quartermaster had long since sent someone to call Political Commissar Li—who was probably on his way.

Every single one of the offenses committed by Li Qiuyan and He Dazhuang was enough to get them kicked out!

The family courtyard would not tolerate people who disrupted unity and caused trouble.

As expected, when Political Commissar Li arrived, he immediately displayed a stern demeanor, instructing that arrangements be made for Li Qiuyan and her family to leave the compound.

—o—o—o—