Chapter 48.2

After a long while, Chen Meijiao finally lifted her head, eyes red, and picked up the pastry she had only taken a couple of bites from. “This pastry is really delicious.”

At that moment, Wen Nuan had finished frying all the pastries and was getting ready to stew the goose.

Hearing her speak, Wen Nuan felt her emotions settle down as well and said, “I’ve already prepared a bag for you to take home to your family.”

Chen Meijiao looked at Wen Nuan’s profile and suddenly said, “Comrade Wen, actually my relationship with my mother-in-law isn’t good either, and… Zhang Zhibin, my husband, hit me a few days ago.”

Wen Nuan trembled slightly; finally, Chen Meijiao was willing to speak out.

But hearing her words still made her heart ache. She had just given birth not long ago, yet she was being bullied by both her mother-in-law and her husband. Was that family even human?

Suppressing the anger inside her, she looked at her and asked, “What do you plan to do about it?”

Before Chen Meijiao could respond, the sound of a baby crying came from outside, followed by Aunt Zhang’s loud voice calling, “Meijiao, Meijiao, are you in there?”

When Chen Meijiao heard her mother-in-law’s voice, her whole body trembled, and her face went pale again.

But then she heard her little daughter’s cries, the pitiful wailing instinctively drawing her outside to the yard.

Seeing that Chen Meijiao had indeed come to Wen Nuan’s side, Aunt Zhang’s expression fell instantly, and she questioned her, “Where have you been all afternoon? Do you not care about your daughter? You just look like you’re idling around. If you have so much free time, hurry back to work so I don’t have to carry the baby all over the yard looking for you.”

Chen Meijiao couldn’t bear to see her child crying so hard, so she stepped forward and took the baby from Aunt Zhang’s hands.

Noticing the bruise on Chen Meijiao’s forehead, Aunt Zhang lowered her voice and said, “You really shouldn’t run around. Hurry and take the baby home.”

Chen Meijiao shook her head, “Mom, you should go back first. I’ll play with Beier here for a bit.”

Aunt Zhang suddenly became angry. “No, what do you mean by taking a little baby to run around? And what time is it now? Still playing here? I just carried the baby, and I haven’t even cooked yet!”

Wen Nuan, Deng Juxiang, and Zhang Guihua heard Aunt Zhang’s voice and followed them outside.

They called the several children playing in the yard inside, telling them to play in the house for now.

The kids hid behind the adults, curiously watching what was happening in the yard.

Lele was too short to see anything, so she peered through the gap between Sister Juxiang and Sister Guihua, wanting to see the commotion.

Seeing this, Sister Guihua quickly picked up little Lele, who became even more fascinated by the scene.

Deng Juxiang noticed that Chen Meijiao had brought the baby back and said to her, “Meijiao, come inside and feed the baby. She’s probably hungry.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Meijiao replied to Aunt Zhang, “Mom, you should go back first. I want to chat with my sisters-in-law.”

After saying that, she turned and walked back toward Wen Nuan’s house while holding her baby.

Aunt Zhang felt anxious; she was actually worried about Chen Meijiao being out for so long. She feared that Chen Meijiao would gossip with others and tarnish her son’s reputation, thus, affecting his future.

Now that she saw Deng Juxiang and Zhang Guihua were both at Wen Nuan’s side, she worried even more that Deng Juxiang might embellish the story about her son hitting Chen Meijiao, making it worse. This thought made Aunt Zhang feel particularly flustered.

In her panic, Aunt Zhang shouted, “Stop! You have to come home with me today! What time is it now? Still wandering outside? Don’t you have any awareness as a wife?”

“No,” Chen Meijiao turned her head to look at her and threw back, “I’m not going back. If you want to go, you can go by yourself.”

Aunt Zhang was finally stunned. “What did you say?”

As she spoke, Aunt Zhang reached out to grab Chen Meijiao’s arm, trying to prevent her from entering Wen Nuan’s house.

However, before Aunt Zhang could touch Chen Meijiao, Wen Nuan stepped in front of her, sternly blocking her way. “Aunt Zhang, Meijiao said she wants to stay here with me. Can’t you understand what she said?”

Aunt Zhang was suddenly blocked by Wen Nuan, and her anger flared up. Then she thought of something and questioned, “Did you say something to my Meijiao?”

Wen Nuan frowned, looking at the unreasonable Aunt Zhang, and replied lightly, “Aunt, we talked about many things. Which ones are you referring to?”

On the other side, Chen Meijiao, seeing Wen Nuan being put in a difficult position, said, “Mom, Comrade Wen didn’t say anything to me. I just wanted to chat with them.”

Aunt Zhang felt uneasy, fearing that Chen Meijiao might talk nonsense to others. She decided to ignore that concern and intended to snatch the baby from Chen Meijiao’s arms, thinking she could stop her from saying anything else!

Wen Nuan saw Aunt Zhang approaching Chen Meijiao and quickly pulled Chen Meijiao behind her, saying, “Aunt Zhang, this is my home. Please don’t use force.”

Aunt Zhang didn’t care to listen to her nonsense. “I’m talking to my son’s wife. What does it have to do with you?”

Aunt Zhang was taller and more robust than Wen Nuan, and as she stood in front of her, she showed no hesitation. She reached out to push Wen Nuan aside to get to Chen Meijiao. However, before she could touch Wen Nuan, her wrist was grabbed by a strong hand.

Then, another tall figure stepped in front of her, and a deep voice rang out, “I advise you not to touch her.”

Wen Nuan looked at Gu Qinghan, along with Shen Bairong, who had seized Aunt Zhang’s wrist, and excitedly shouted, “Comrade Shen, Qinghan!”

She hadn’t expected Gu Qinghan to come back so early today; it was truly timely.

Shen Bairong was even taller than Aunt Zhang and had a strong grip. She tightly held Aunt Zhang’s wrist and said forcefully, “Comrade, it’s fine to talk, but using force is not a good habit.”

Aunt Zhang cried out in pain, her face turning pale.

Gu Qinghan looked down at Aunt Zhang from a height, coldly saying, “This is my home. Please leave immediately.”

Aunt Zhang knew she was in the wrong, and she was also afraid of Gu Qinghan, so she certainly didn’t dare to throw a tantrum in front of him.

She cast an angry glance at Chen Meijiao, who was hidden behind the crowd—she huffed and turned to leave.

Once she was gone, Wen Nuan quickly urged Chen Meijiao to calm the crying baby.

Chen Meijiao didn’t care about the curious onlookers anymore and walked into Wen Nuan’s small house, intending to feed the baby first.

After making sure Shen Bairong was settled, Wen Nuan went over to Gu Qinghan and asked, “Why are you back so early tonight?”

Gu Qinghan’s expression was still not great; he was currently holding Lele and comforting her, fearing that the earlier scene might have scared the child.

Lele seemed unaware of what had happened, munching on a piece of cold sweet potato with great enjoyment.

Hearing Wen Nuan’s question, Gu Qinghan replied, “We’re leaving tomorrow. Comrade Shen wanted to come over early to chat with you, and Captain Liang asked me to come back early to pack my things.”

“Did that woman hurt you anywhere?”

Wen Nuan shook her head, “No, luckily you and Comrade Shen returned in time.”

If it weren’t for Gu Qinghan and the others coming back, Aunt Zhang’s physique would probably have pushed her over easily.

Moreover, Chen Meijiao might have been taken aback by her; no one knew what would happen then.

However, later on, Chen Meijiao still had to go back home. Just thinking about her returning to that house made Wen Nuan feel nervous for Meijiao.

Gu Qinghan seemed to see her worries and said, “I’ll accompany you to send Comrade Chen back. For a short while, Zhang Zhibin wouldn’t dare to touch Comrade Chen again.”

Wen Nuan nodded, “Okay.”

Seeing that her hair was a bit messy and the darkness under her eyes was quite evident, Gu Qinghan reached out to tidy up the fallen strands of hair, then asked her, “Are you tired today?”

Wen Nuan knew he was going to set off for Factory 112 the next day, so she had gotten up early to help him pack his things and prepare some snacks for them. She figured she hadn’t slept at noon either.

Lele had already yawned several times, indicating that she hadn’t taken a nap either.

Wen Nuan smiled and shook her head, “I’m not tired.”

Gu Qinghan then placed his hand on her face, rubbing her cheek gently with his rough thumb, “I’ll cook dinner; you should rest a bit.”

Wen Nuan smiled, taking Lele in his arms, “That’s fine, then. Tonight, it’s hard work for Daddy, right, Lele?”

As soon as Lele heard this, she nodded vigorously, “Mm.”

Gu Qinghan rolled up his sleeves and ruffled the heads of both his wife and daughter, saying, “Alright, I’ll go prepare now. We’ll have dinner earlier tonight.”

He then walked toward the kitchen.

Just after finishing feeding, Chen Meijiao saw the interaction between Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan and felt even more certain about her own judgments.

Love and indifference were truly apparent. Gu Qinghan’s gaze had been fixed on Wen Nuan the entire time, never wavering. He even helped with household chores. Watching Gu Qinghan head into the kitchen, she thought of her own brother and sister-in-law.

Eyes couldn’t lie, and neither could love.

Some people truly weren’t worth it.

Chen Meijiao walked up to Wen Nuan and said sincerely, “Comrade Wen Nuan, thank you.”

Wen Nuan was slightly taken aback but soon smiled, “You’re welcome. I haven’t helped you with much.”

Looking at the little baby that Chen Meijiao was holding, now asleep, she felt warmth in her heart. The two-month-old infant was just a tiny doll, truly adorable.

Just for the sake of such a small child, Zhang Zhibin shouldn’t have laid a hand on Chen Meijiao.

Chen Meijiao offered a faint smile as met Wen Nuan’s eyes. “You’ve already helped me a lot. I know what choice I should make now.”

Zhang Zhibin was not a good man.

Wen Nuan seemed to understand the determination in her eyes and nodded, “That’s good.”

“By the way, we’re having dinner here tonight. Sister Juxiang and Sister Guihua have both agreed to eat here, so you can’t leave now.”

After thinking for a moment, Chen Meijiao nodded, “Okay, then I’ll impose on you.”

—o—o—o—

Before long, Liu Minghua also arrived, and once everyone was gathered, they began to eat.

Today was the first time Wen Nuan’s home felt so lively, with two full tables of people. Fortunately, Gu Qinghan had prepared in advance, fetching a chicken and a goose from the Air Force kitchen. Plus, Sister Guihua brought a lot of dried seafood, making for a quite lavish meal.

After dinner, everyone sat together and chatted for a while.

Liu Minghua and Shen Bairong had some matters to follow up on, so they took Liu Huaqing back to the guesthouse. Wen Nuan said, “Comrade Shen, I’ll come and see you off tomorrow.”

Shen Bairong smiled, “It’s fine. It wouldn’t be convenient for you to bring Lele along, and there’s no need to make a special trip. We’ll have another chance to come over.”

Wen Nuan waved goodbye to them with Lele in her arms and smiled, “I’ll just go to the guesthouse early tomorrow.”

Lele and Liu Huaqing had been playing together during this time, and at that moment, she seemed to sense they would be apart for a long time. Lele started crying, insisting on going with Liu Huaqing to the guesthouse.

Liu Huaqing was clever for his age and had a rather calm temperament, not as mischievous as other boys. He usually let Lele have her way.

Seeing Lele cry, he took out his favorite toy—the large glass ball, and handed it to her, saying, “Sister, here.”

Lele had long wanted the glass ball from Liu Huaqing, but he had never been willing to part with it. She didn’t expect that he would give it to her now.

As Lele took the glass ball and examined it closely, Wen Nuan taught her to say, “Lele, say thank you to your brother.”

“Thanks—Thanks.”

Lele blinked at Liu Huaqing, her little voice saying, “Thanks~”

Then she smiled at Liu Huaqing.

Liu Huaqing smiled back at her and patted Lele’s head, saying, “Bye-bye.”

With the glass ball in her possession, Lele no longer insisted on going with him. Instead, she raised her small arms and waved, saying, “Bye-bye.”

—o—o—o—

After sending Liu Huaqing and his family off, Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan personally escorted Chen Meijiao back home.

However, upon returning to the U-shaped courtyard, Chen Meijiao bit her lip and steeled herself to say to Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan, “Comrades Wen and Gu, could you accompany me to the telephone room? I want to call my family before heading back.”

Wen Nuan nodded, “Of course, no problem.”

—o—o—o—

The next morning, the sky was overcast, and it seemed like it was going to snow again.

Wen Nuan had been disturbed by Gu Qinghan half the night, and her legs felt a bit sore at the moment.

This man talked about being apart for half a month, saying he needed to eat his fill all at once. Wen Nuan wondered where he got all that energy. After several days of this, he woke up looking more energized than she did.

It was so unfair!

She touched her waist and uncertainly asked her already-dressed husband, “It wouldn’t be snowing, would it?”

Wen Nuan had gotten up early specifically to see Gu Qinghan and Shen Bairong’s family off.

But looking at the weather, it didn’t seem too promising; it looked like it was going to snow again, and the unseasonable cold still hadn’t passed.

Gu Qinghan had a better sense of the weather than Wen Nuan did. Listening to the howling wind outside, he said, “It’s best not to go out today. I’ll just inform Comrade Shen and the others; they will understand.”

Wen Nuan hesitated for a moment. “Will your trip be affected?”

“Don’t worry, it won’t.” Gu Qinghan kissed her forehead, “I’ll be back soon; it won’t be long.”

Wen Nuan sat on the bed and hugged his waist, saying softly, “Mm, be a bit gentler with me when you come back.”

She felt a little anxious thinking about it; this man was just too capable.

After being away for half a month, she was worried he would wear her out!

Gu Qinghan was both amused and helpless, recalling whether he had been too rough at any point. But all he could remember were the satisfied expressions on his wife’s face. He kissed her forehead and said, “Alright.”

Then he added, “Before I return, I might take a trip to the southern border and, while I’m at it, visit my hometown.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan remembered the child in Lin Meizhi’s belly and replied, “That sounds good. By then, your brother’s wife will probably be close to giving birth, so it’s a good idea to go home and check on her.”

Gu Qinghan was initially hesitant about letting Wen Nuan go out, but she insisted on accompanying them to the guesthouse to see Shen Bairong and his family off.

Shen Bairong was truly surprised that Wen Nuan had made the effort to come, quickly saying, “It’s quite cold. It might snow later. It wouldn’t be convenient for you to bring Lele along, so you don’t need to see us off; you’re making me feel embarrassed.”

Wen Nuan looked at her, all delicate and sweet, and, feeling touched, really didn’t want to inconvenience them.

Wen Nuan obediently nodded, her eyes softening, “Okay, I wish you a safe journey.”

The two embraced, and then Shen Bairong boarded the army’s arranged vehicle to the train station in the county.

Gu Qinghan couldn’t care less about anyone else; he pulled Wen Nuan into his arms, saying, “Let’s head back.”

Wen Nuan bit her lip and, standing on her tiptoes, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, “Okay, Lele and I will wait for you to come back.”

—o—o—o—

Just two days after Gu Qinghan left, Sister Guihua mentioned that Chen Meijiao’s family had arrived at the family compound and that they had gotten into a fight with Zhang Zhibin.