Chapter 42.1

Wen Nuan thought about hosting Liu Minghua’s family tonight, so she planned to get up early and take a trip to the town to buy some meat and other supplies.

After spring arrived, many people in the family compound went to the back mountain to forage for wild vegetables, spring bamboo shoots, and various mushrooms.

Wen Nuan had been working in the kitchen and hadn’t taken any time off. Usually, it was Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang who brought some wild vegetables and mushrooms over.

Wen Nuan glanced at the spring bamboo shoots Sister Juxiang had brought yesterday and remembered that she still had some dried abalone left over. Before heading out, she soaked the dried abalone in a basin of water.

After washing up, she found that Gu Qinghan had already heated a few steamed buns for her and placed them on the Eight Immortals table. He had also fed a little bun to Lele.

Lele seemed to be tired of buns; after taking only a few bites, she shook her head, covered her mouth with her small hands to prevent Gu Qinghan from feeding her more, and then wobbled over to Wen Nuan while holding onto the table for support.

Since she had learned to walk, Lele loved to run around. However, she was still a bit unsteady, so someone always had to keep an eye on her. Sometimes she would walk too quickly and crash into tables or chairs, which had happened more than once.

To prevent accidents, Wen Nuan took some old clothes that had been worn out and cut them into pieces to simply pad the sharp corners of the tables and cabinets.

As Lele walked towards her, Wen Nuan simply picked her up and carried her back to sit by the Eight Immortals table.

Gu Qinghan pushed a steamed bun in front of her and poured some hot water into her enamel cup. “Are you planning to go to the town later? Do you want me to go with you?”

Wen Nuan took the cup and drank more than half of it before responding, “No need. Qinglan knows I have a day off, so she’ll be taking the day off too. I’ll just go with her and Sister Guihua later. You should head back to the regiment.”

Since starting her job in the kitchen in March, she hadn’t had a break. Fortunately, the Quartermaster had given her two days off, and she planned to go to town to pick up the family portrait she had taken earlier.

Gu Qinglan was even busier working in the medical room, having been on duty for more than a month and having pulled two-night shifts.

If she hadn’t known Wen Nuan was on leave, she would have continued to work as well. Gu Qinglan was even more hardworking than she was, clearly dedicated to her studies.

Gu Qinghan glanced over at her, realizing he also had little time off; it was normal for him to get a break every two to three months.

“Just remember to bring our photos back,” he said.

“Got it! I was planning to pick up the photos anyway.” After speaking, Wen Nuan offered Lele a small piece of steamed bun, but Lele covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head like a rattle drum.

“No eat!”

Gu Qinghan glanced at the child and, seeing her resistant expression, chuckled, “How about we buy her some malted milk powder to mix with her milk?”

Currently, Wen Nuan was only giving Lele milk once in the morning and once at night since she was going to work.

However, many times in the evenings when Lele was supposed to be sleeping, Gu Qinghan would see Wen Nuan lying down to feed her, only to fall asleep herself after just a few minutes, sometimes while Lele was still wide awake.

Although Wen Nuan often said there wasn’t much to do in the kitchen, when he went to eat the flight crew’s meals and asked the cook, Xiao Zhu, he learned that as long as Wen Nuan didn’t take Lele to the cafeteria, she would be in charge of cooking.

Considering that Lele was about to turn one year old, it would be good for her to wean off milk and have some malted milk powder instead.

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan lifted her head and placed the squirming Lele down on the floor, asking him, “Can you get the tickets?”

Wen Nuan thought it would be nice for the child to drink some malted milk powder. Since she wasn’t taking Lele to the kitchen every day anymore, she only brought her three or four days a week, and sometimes she couldn’t pay attention to her.

However, the malted milk powder required special supply tickets, which were hard for ordinary people to obtain.

“Why are you eating so little?” Gu Qinghan noticed that Wen Nuan had only eaten one bun and had stopped. He pulled out a peach crisp and said, “I can get a few tickets since I made some contributions earlier. Do you want to buy some?”

Seeing Gu Qinghan take out the peach crisp, Lele waddled over, tugging at his pant leg and reaching toward the Eight Immortals table, wanting to grab the peach crisp that was in front of Wen Nuan.

Seeing that Lele wanted the peach crisp, Wen Nuan simply broke off a small piece for her and stuffed the other half into her own mouth, mumbling, “If you want it, then bring back the tickets, and I’ll go buy it.”

Gu Qinghan smiled, saying, “I’ll go ask the Political Commissar for a ticket first, and then you can check at the supply and marketing cooperative in the town later.”

Just as he finished speaking, a series of sorrowful wails rang out from outside.

Even Lele, who was at the door wanting to go out, was frightened by the cries and hurried back to Wen Nuan’s arms, her big, round eyes full of curiosity and fear as she looked toward the door.

Wen Nuan placed Lele on her lap and covered her small ears with her hand. The child’s delicate face squished into a little round ball. Unable to resist, Wen Nuan rubbed her thumb against the soft flesh and then bent down to kiss her.

Wen Nuan recognized the voices outside as belonging to Chen Sanmei and Li Qiuyan. They were not only crying but had started to curse as well, and the curses grew increasingly vulgar.

Gu Qinghan frowned upon hearing the commotion and said, “It seems they are being sent back to their hometown today.”

“The organization has already taken good care of their family; it’s their fault for not cherishing it. They can’t blame others.” Wen Nuan had thought a lot about this before sleeping last night. If Li Qiuyan had been able to follow the army’s regulations, live a grounded life, and properly educate her children, then perhaps in a few years, He Dazhuang would have had a better chance of being prioritized for a military position.

Such a good opportunity was something they had squandered themselves.

Gu Qinghan gave a sound of acknowledgment, “Don’t worry about them; it’s a done deal that they will leave. No matter how much she cries or makes a scene, it won’t change anything. He Dazhuang hasn’t changed in all these years, and Li Qiuyan has been a ‘good example’ for him.”

If Li Qiuyan truly cared for her children, she wouldn’t set such a poor example for them.

Thinking back to how Li Qiuyan had run headfirst into a wooden stake yesterday made Wen Nuan a bit uneasy.

However, Gu Qinghan was already standing up, looking as if he was preparing to go out.

Wen Nuan said, “Maybe we should let someone else check on them instead.”

Li Qiuyan likely held resentment towards them and might try something drastic again.

Gu Qinghan lightly grunted, his expression showing slight anger, and spoke in a cold tone, “It’s fine; I’ll also go collect the money we lent them.”

With that, he leaned down and kissed the foreheads of both Wen Nuan and the child before leaving without even putting on his coat.

Wen Nuan had thought he was just speaking out of anger yesterday, trying to scare Li Qiuyan, but now it seemed he was serious.

She had previously viewed the money Gu Qinghan had given as assistance to a struggling family, thinking he didn’t really mind it. However, seeing him like this now, it was clear that he was genuinely upset.

Not long after, the outside grew quiet, and the sound of a car leaving could be heard.

Wen Nuan guessed that they were being escorted to the train station in the county, and from now on, Li Qiuyan would no longer be able to return.

Lele had been sitting on Wen Nuan’s lap, her small hands picking up crumbs of peach pastry from the Eight Immortals table and slowly putting them into her mouth. The crumbs had already smeared around her lips.

Wen Nuan took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and then carried her on her back, preparing to head to the town.

After calling for Sister Guihua, Gu Qinghan returned home. Upon entering the house, he immediately pulled out a handful of coins and a few banknotes to give to her.

“They returned the money. Take it to the town and buy some things.” The coins were a bit messy; Gu Qinghan had not yet organized them. In the past, he had been somewhat obsessive-compulsive, always neatly stacking the money he handed to her, ensuring that not a single corner had a crease.

This time, however, the money was quite chaotic, a large handful, and there were several large banknotes that he stuffed directly into Wen Nuan’s hands.

“Also, here’s a special ticket for milk powder; take it and see if you can buy some in the town,” Gu Qinghan smiled, finally having made it back.

Wen Nuan looked at the handful of jumbled coins in her hands and smiled, saying, “So much?”

“Hmm, over a hundred. Count it later; I have to hurry back to the team for a meeting. If there’s anything you want to buy, just go ahead and buy it. You don’t have to save for me,” Gu Qinghan said, then leaned down to plant a kiss on Wen Nuan’s lips.

“Is there really a need for that much…?”

Wen Nuan felt a surge of happiness in her heart; she slightly lifted her toes and kissed him back.

Sister Guihua, who had just tidied up, turned her face away shyly, witnessing the sweet exchange between the couple.

Since today was market day, Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang were also going to the town, so Wen Nuan did not ride her bicycle. Instead, she rode with the two sisters-in-law in the family courtyard’s vehicle.

However, Gu Qinglan had been eager to ride the bicycle, and Wen Nuan thought it wasn’t too far, so she handed her the keys.

Upon arriving in the town, Wen Nuan’s first stop was to pick up the photos. Originally, she had planned to ask Sister Guihua to help her collect them, but then she thought it would be more surprising to retrieve them herself.

After all, she would be the first to see the picture of herself with Gu Qinghan.

When they had finished taking the photos, Gu Qinghan had instructed the photographer to develop three copies of each. The photos from that era were relatively small and black-and-white, just a tiny piece held in hand.

However, one could still see that the man in the photograph was handsome and dashing.

Sister Guihua and Sister Juxiang curiously leaned over to take a look, and upon seeing the pictures of Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan, they exclaimed in unison, “They are such a perfect match!”

Sister Guihua smiled as she looked at their photo and said, “Xiao Nuan, you and Vice Captain Gu really make a perfect pair. Both of you are so good-looking; no wonder Lele is so adorable!”

Sister Juxiang also chimed in, laughing, “Exactly! When you two stand together, it’s truly a match made in heaven—one handsome man and one beautiful woman. You won’t find another couple in the entire family courtyard who looks as good as you two!”

She then gently pinched Lele’s cute little face, saying, “It’s no wonder our Lele is so lovely. Whether she takes after her dad or her mom, she’ll definitely be a great beauty in the future!”

Wen Nuan felt a bit shy from the compliments from both sisters-in-law. After they finished looking at the photos, she blushed and put them away, tucking them into her clothing bag.

With the photos in hand, Wen Nuan followed the two sisters-in-law to the supply and marketing cooperative. Wen Nuan quickly went to buy some milk powder. Fortunately, it was in stock here, so it didn’t take much effort.

After purchasing the milk powder, Wen Nuan also bought some snacks suitable for children, like candies and peach pastries, planning to treat them later that evening.

Not long after, Gu Qinglan, who had ridden her bicycle to the town, arrived about ten minutes later. She had just come out of the supply and marketing cooperative and saw Gu Qinglan panting.

In her bicycle basket, there were several sticks of tanghulu.

It seemed that her first stop in the town was to buy Tanghulu, and Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh. ‘Did she love them that much?’

If one didn’t know any better, they might think she was selling tanghulu.

Gu Qinglan locked her bicycle to the iron post in front of the supply and marketing cooperative and, holding the sticks of tanghulu, smiled as she handed one to Wen Nuan and the two sisters-in-law. “Sisters-in-law, come and have some tanghulu!”

Sister Guihua took hers and chuckled, “Thank you, Qinglan! Those who have a job are really different. How did you buy so many?”

Sister Juxiang had brought along Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei today as well. Gu Qinglan also gave each of them a stick. Sister Juxiang hesitated and almost said no, but Gu Qinglan insisted on stuffing it into the kids’ hands.

Sister Juxiang then said, “Quick, thank Sister Qinglan! Honestly, just one stick to share would have been fine.”

Sister Juxiang felt a bit guilty about bringing the two kids and accepting so much from them.

Gu Qinglan chuckled lightly, slightly embarrassed as she scratched the back of her head. “I just got my paycheck a few days ago; you sisters-in-law don’t need to be so polite with me. Besides, I love to eat them too. If you finish yours, I still have more here.”

“Xiao Dong and Xiao Mei, once you finish, I still have more for you!”

Sister Juxiang laughed, saying, “That’s enough, that’s enough! Just one stick is plenty; you should save the rest for yourself.”

Wen Nuan watched as Gu Qinglan handed over a tanghulu, but since she had just finished breakfast not long ago, she didn’t feel that hungry for it at the moment.

Wen Nuan planned to take the Tanghulu home so Lele could enjoy one occasionally, and she wanted to save two for Gu Qinghan.

However, Lele on her back stretched out her arms, waving them around, trying to snatch the tanghulu from Wen Nuan’s hands, shouting, “Candy—candy!”

Wen Nuan shot a glare at Gu Qinglan, saying, “You all don’t care about cavities, do you?”

Gu Qinglan looked a bit aggrieved, giggling as she replied, “Don’t worry, Sister-in-law, I only eat one stick a day!”

“Who would believe you?” Wen Nuan laughed. “Qinglan, really, you can’t eat too much. We still have to eat later, and you need to save some money. Don’t spend it all recklessly.”

Gu Qinglan was likely being a bit frivolous now that she had a paycheck. She hadn’t been so willing to spend money before when she came to the town.

But it seemed she loved to eat them; she had polished off three or four sticks in one go before.

Gu Qinglan chuckled, “Sister-in-law, I know! Don’t worry, I still need to save money to buy pretty dresses for Lele; I won’t waste it!”

As she spoke, she patted her bag, which likely contained her money.

After hearing this, Lele became even more excited, bursting into laughter and wanting to get down to walk on her own, sweetly calling out “Auntie.”

Gu Qinglan quickly bent down to set her on the ground, saying, “Sister-in-law, let Lele down. I’ll hold her hand; it’s tiring for you to carry her!”

Wen Nuan was holding onto her things and couldn’t pull the child along, worried that she wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on her.

However, with Gu Qinglan there, she could let Lele walk on her own, making it a bit easier for herself since Lele was truly getting a bit heavy.

With someone watching the child, Wen Nuan headed to the market to buy a pig trotter, thinking about how to treat their guests tonight; it wouldn’t do to be too shabby.

However, there wasn’t much meat left at the supply and marketing cooperative, so she had only managed to buy two ribs.

There were still some bamboo shoots and wild vegetables at home, and there was no need to buy more greens. But seeing some snow pears for sale, she decided to buy a few.

The ones she had bought earlier had already been eaten, and now was just the right time to stew some snow pear soup for nourishment.

After finishing their shopping in town, none of them felt like going home to cook, so they decided to eat noodles in town before heading back.

Since starting her job in the cooking class, Wen Nuan has become less motivated to do much cooking at home.

After the group had their noodles, they returned to the family courtyard. Lele had initially wanted to ride the bicycle.

However, Gu Qinglan didn’t dare to take her, fearing that she might fall.

Gu Qinglan said, “If I fall, that’s fine, but if we let Lele fall, your father will probably never let Auntie play with you again!”

Wen Nuan listened, both amused and exasperated. “It’s not that serious, but there is a bit of sand and dust today. Just be careful riding your bicycle and don’t go too fast.”

Gu Qinglan nodded, waving goodbye to Wen Nuan and the others. “Let’s talk more when we get back to the family courtyard.”