Chapter 70.2

Outside, it began to snow again, and Wen Nuan lay on the kang, not wanting to move at all.

Wen Nuan held onto Gu Qinghan’s slightly sweaty back and muttered, “It’s so warm on the kang; I don’t want to get up.”

Every winter, she didn’t want to work, preferring to curl up at home rather than go outside…

Gu Qinghan was covered in sweat, but he appeared refreshed with a look of deep satisfaction on his face.

He affectionately kissed her flushed cheek and said, “If you don’t want to get up, then don’t. Let’s rest for a while.”

When winter arrived, North City would be blanketed in ice and snow. He really didn’t want Wen Nuan to work in the cooking class, but the cooking class was different from other units. The soldiers in the army had to be fed every day, even if it snowed or thundered.

Although Quartermaster Luo had told Wen Nuan that she could opt out of kitchen duties when she joined, once she got familiar with everyone, she sometimes joined in when things were slow, and occasionally, she would cook some delicious food for them. Overall, she still stayed quite busy.

Wen Nuan smiled and nodded, saying, “Let’s lie down for a bit.”

However, just as Wen Nuan was about to doze off again, Lele, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly sat up and yawned, pulling his little blanket with him.

Seeing that his parents had not yet gotten up, he crawled over using both hands and feet and shouted loudly, “Mommy, get up!”

Wen Nuan, nearly falling asleep, was startled awake. Amused and exasperated, she naturally reached out and pulled the child into her embrace, laughing, “You scared Mommy! How did you wake up so quickly?”

Lele patted his diaper and mumbled, “I need to go potty; I want to go potty.”

Upon hearing Lele’s words, Wen Nuan could no longer lie down. She decided to get up, get dressed, and take her daughter outside to use the toilet.

“I’ll handle it; you can keep lying down for a bit,” Gu Qinghan had already gotten up from the kang before her, casually putting on a sweater. He effortlessly picked Lele up and carried her out.

Once Lele was up, she refused to go back to the kang. After Gu Qinghan helped her put on her shoes and clothes, she sat at the edge of the coffee table, fiddling with the radio and starting to listen to the broadcast on her own.

Gu Qinghan had no intention of returning to bed. Instead, he went to the kitchen to make breakfast for Lele.

Wen Nuan lay on the kang, listening to the sounds of her husband and child. Eventually, she couldn’t stay still any longer. She put on her sweater and cotton jacket, intending to help Lele brush her teeth and wash her face.

When Gu Qinghan brought a bowl of water from the kitchen into the living room, he saw that Wen Nuan was up and said, “Why didn’t you lie down a bit longer? I haven’t made breakfast yet.”

Wen Nuan stood in front of the mirror, combing her hair as she replied, “I can’t sleep anyway, so I might as well get up in the morning.”

Gu Qinghan didn’t say much else. Instead, he filled a small enamel basin with warm water and started coaxing Lele to brush her teeth and wash her face.

After they finished those tasks and Wen Nuan washed up, they headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast together.

Because General Lu had bought a lot of meat, which was piled up in the yard, Wen Nuan, feeling sorry for how much weight her husband had lost, directly chopped a rib and planned to make him rib noodle soup. She also added a packet of seasoning, which included various dehydrated vegetables.

Seeing Wen Nuan add the meat and seasoning packet, Gu Qinghan recalled the various meatballs Wen Nuan had made for them when they visited Factory 112. “The meatballs you asked me to bring to Shenyang before were very popular with everyone.”

Wen Nuan smiled and asked, “Really? Did Comrade Liu and Comrade Shen get any?”

Originally, she had planned to prepare some for Shen Bairong and his wife, but they hadn’t had time to cook for themselves. Gu Qinghan had said he would take the food directly to the cafeteria.

But it didn’t matter; good food was meant to be shared. They had all made significant contributions to the country’s space program, and if she could have gone, she would have wanted to accompany Gu Qinghan.

Even though Gu Qinghan didn’t say anything, his emaciated figure was evidence enough that the work was truly exhausting and challenging. He probably couldn’t eat well, either.

“They all got some, and they liked it, but it was a pity there wasn’t enough,” Gu Qinghan said as he noticed Wen Nuan had nearly finished preparing the noodles and pulled out the firewood.

Wen Nuan poured the cooked noodles into a small pot and nodded, saying, “There was indeed a bit too little, but we could only buy that much meat at the time.”

Seeing that the noodles were ready, Gu Qinghan picked up the pot of noodles and walked out to the living room, saying, “Comrades Liu and Shen came back to North City with me this time. They’ve already returned to the research institute. I heard them mention before that the conditions there are quite poor.”

The research institute was established deep in the mountains, surrounded by continuous hills for several kilometers. The original directive for its establishment was “mountains, scattered, caves.”

Although there were wild resources in the mountains, most researchers didn’t step foot outside the institute to maintain the secrecy and safety of the research. The nearby villages were also quite dispersed, and it took walking over ten miles to find a few households.

All supplies, including food and necessities for the institute, were transported by truck. However, to avoid detection, the trucks only made trips every one to two months.

During the heavy snow that sealed off the mountains, supplies would only be transported once every three months. As a result, the food situation at the research institute was quite poor; vegetables and meat were often in short supply, so everyone had to ration their food. Consequently, most experts at the institute suffered from malnutrition.

Wen Nuan was completely stunned by what Gu Qinghan had said.

Even in Northern City, where it snowed in winter, people could still find various wild resources in the mountains. While they couldn’t eat evergreens in the winter, there would definitely be no shortage of cabbage.

She understood the difficulties at the beginning of the research, but she hadn’t expected it to be worse than she had imagined. The thought that Shen Bairong and his wife had even sent them two chickens when their own conditions were so difficult made her feel both grateful and concerned.

Wen Nuan furrowed her brow slightly and instinctively looked at Gu Qinghan before asking, “Is the research institute far from here?”

Gu Qinghan looked up at her and then served Wen Nuan a bowl of noodles, instinctively asking, “What’s wrong? Are you thinking of going over there, wife?”

From her expression, he could easily tell what she was thinking. Liu Minghua and the Shen Bairong couple were not only experts who contributed to the country but also good friends of theirs. She definitely wanted to help them in any way she could.

Wen Nuan nodded. “If possible, I’d like to go over there and see them.”

Gu Qinghan pressed his lips together for a moment before saying, “Going to the research institute might be quite difficult. Without a pass, even I can’t get in.”

Wen Nuan slightly opened her mouth and then asked, “If we want to send them some supplies, what do we need to do to apply for them?”

Since it hadn’t started snowing heavily in North City yet and there wasn’t much snow on the roads, they could at least ensure a better winter for them if they could send something before the heavy snow sealed off the mountains.

Wen Nuan explained, “Our unit isn’t far from the research institute. I want to send some supplies before the heavy snow hits.”

Gu Qinghan had actually thought of this before, and since his wife shared the same idea, he said, “We’ll need to apply through the main headquarters for that. The supplies for the research institute are also transported from the capital.”

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Then can I ask Grandpa for help?”

Gu Qinghan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “No one is more suitable than Grandpa.”

Wen Nuan quickly finished all the noodles in her bowl and said, “Then I’ll contact Grandpa on my end. You helped me reach out to Comrade Liu and the others to see what they need and get an idea of how many people are over there. This way, I can gather more supplies for them.”

“We probably won’t have enough on our own. It would be better if it’s unit-to-unit communication. We need to send the supplies before the heavy snow hits.”

If they relied solely on their own capabilities, they could only manage to send a few chickens or geese. However, if it was unit-to-unit, they might even be able to help the military earn some revenue.

Gu Qinghan nodded in agreement with Wen Nuan’s plan. “Okay, I’ll also contact them and strive to deliver the supplies before the heavy snow seals off the mountains.”

After thinking for a moment, Gu Qinghan reminded her, “Wife, the comrades at the research institute are focused on their research, and they’re not as picky about food as those at the cooking unit. It would be even better if you could prepare some semi-finished products if possible.”

Just like the meatballs and various seasoning packets Wen Nuan had brought him last time, which were excellent semi-finished products.

During several nights of meetings to adjust plans, they had relied on her seasoning packets and meatballs for quick meals that were both nutritious and convenient.

Wen Nuan smiled and nodded. “Got it!”

Just as the two of them were getting into a lively conversation, Lele, who had neither chopsticks nor a spoon, directly pinched up a strand of noodles with her fingers and put it into her mouth, slurping loudly.

By the time Wen Nuan noticed, the little girl had already made a mess, with her mouth full of oil and her clothes dirty.

She laughed and said, “It’s delicious, it’s delicious!”

Then she grabbed another bowl of noodles, held it out to Wen Nuan, and said, “Mommy, you eat noodles too.”

Wen Nuan looked at the noodles in Lele’s hand and frowned, “Mommy is full; let Daddy eat it.”

The little bun obediently passed the noodles over to Gu Qinghan: “Daddy, here you go.”

“Thank you, Lele.” Gu Qinghan had eaten plenty of leftover food from Lele in the past, and a single strand of hand-held noodles did not deter him. He directly took the noodles and ate them.

Lele thought his father liked eating and grabbed two more strands to give him.

Seeing this, Wen Nuan couldn’t stand it anymore. She hurried to the kitchen to find a spoon for the child and then washed a clean towel to help wipe his face and hands.

—o—o—o—

In the capital city.

After General Lu returned to the capital city, he briefly mentioned the matter of finding his granddaughter to Lieutenant General Shen Chuanshan from the Army Academy, who was beside him.

Shen Chuanshan said, “I didn’t expect Tengjun’s daughter was still alive. She really looks like her mother in the photos.”

If General Lu hadn’t made a trip to Northern City, this matter might not have been resolved so quickly.

Feeling cheerful due to the happy news, General Lu smiled and said, “Who would have thought? I never imagined she was still around.”

Not only was she alive and well, but she had also started a family and had a very cute little bun.

Shen Chuanshan chuckled, “I didn’t expect your granddaughter to marry one of your Air Force’s most outstanding pilots. This can be considered fate.”

When Gu Qinghan was mentioned, the expression on General Lu’s face was no longer the sour look from when he was in Northern City. Instead, it was filled with pride and approval. However, he still couldn’t resist teasing, saying, “Well, he’s not bad. Just getting by, I suppose.”

Shen Chuanshan chuckled lightly, “Then why don’t you bring her back? With Gu Qinghan being so outstanding, it wouldn’t be impossible to transfer her to the Air Force Main Headquarters.”

General Lu didn’t mention that Wen Nuan disagreed but instead said, “I can’t interfere in her matters. However, I plan to have my granddaughter come back for the New Year to recognize her roots. I need to arrange this well; it’s not time yet.”

Shen Chuanshan didn’t expect his comrade to prepare for such a gathering just for his granddaughter and said, in surprise, “Does that mean I’ll be invited to the banquet then?”

General Lu glanced at him and said, “Just don’t scare my granddaughter.”

Shen Chuanshan chuckled and replied, “Don’t worry, I look friendly enough. I definitely won’t scare her.”

Nearby, Xiao Zhang nearly threw the cup in his hand. These two could terrify their subordinates with just a sigh. Where was the friendliness?

After placing the tea in front of Shen Chuanshan, Xiao Zhang whispered to General Lu, “General Comrade Wen Nuan called you. The call will come through soon.”

As soon as General Lu heard this, his face lit up with a smile. He began to shoo people away, “Old Shen, don’t you have a meeting to attend? Hurry up and get out. I have things to do!”

Shen Chuanshan, who had just picked up the cup and hadn’t even taken a sip, was left speechless: “?????”

Then the phone on the desk rang. General Lu, who usually looked stern, answered with a smile, “Xiao Nuan? Why are you calling Grandpa so early? Is there something going on?”

Shen Chuanshan took a sip of tea. ‘Damn, why is it sour?’.

—o—o—o—

Snowflakes swirled in Northern City’s winter, but Wen Nuan seemed energized today, paying no mind to the cold weather.

However, when she was about to head out, Gu Qinghan worried that the roads were slippery and that she wouldn’t be able to ride her bicycle.

Wen Nuan walked to the phone room. Xiao Zhang had left her the numbers for General Lu’s home and office. Northern City was seven to eight hours’ drive from the capital, so her grandpa should have returned to Beijing by now.

She glanced at the watch on her wrist. It was nearly nine o’clock, so Wen Nuan dialed her grandpa’s office telephone.

Before making this call, she felt a bit nervous. After all, she had only recently reunited with her grandfather and was already asking him for help. She wasn’t sure how her grandpa would feel about it.

However, once the call connected, Wen Nuan pushed through her nerves and explained the situation.

On the other end, General Lu didn’t hesitate at all and even said, “Actually, there’s already been talk of having the Northern City troops take over the task of transporting supplies. Since the Northern City troops are closer to the research institute, it would save time, and the Air Force has close ties with the 634 Institute. No matter how you look at it, it would be more convenient.”

“What you mentioned, I’ll have General Xu hold a meeting with your higher-ups to finalize a suitable plan.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan felt her palm sweat with nervousness as she said, “Grandpa, thank you.”

General Lu smiled slightly. “It should be Grandpa thanking you. The comrades at the research institute are forging ahead for the sake of our country. It was my oversight that led to their suffering.”

Wen Nuan immediately replied, “That’s not true, Grandpa. You have so many responsibilities. This has nothing to do with you.”

Indeed, General Lu couldn’t be expected to handle such detailed matters. After all, he was the general of the Northern Air Force. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say his days were packed with tasks.

Listening to his granddaughter’s comforting words, General Lu said, “Don’t worry, Grandpa will have General Xu arrange everything before the heavy snow blocks the mountain paths. You should make good use of your time on your end, too.”

Knowing about Wen Nuan’s intention to support the research institute, General Lu was fully supportive. Having a granddaughter who cared about the bigger picture filled him with unprecedented pride.

If he could keep his granddaughter busy while ensuring the comrades at the research institute had good food, Wen Nuan would have helped him solve a significant problem.

“I understand, Grandpa. I’ll get to work now,” Wen Nuan said after hearing Xiao Zhang in the background urging her grandpa to attend a meeting. Not wanting to take up more of his time, she figured she could handle the rest by coordinating with Xiao Zhang later.

After hanging up, Wen Nuan returned to the administrative office and immediately went to find Quartermaster Luo.

However, General Xu had called Quartermaster Luo into a meeting, which meant General Xu had likely been informed of the matter as well.

While waiting for Quartermaster Luo to be available, Wen Nuan took the opportunity to inspect the backyard of the hall. Aside from the Air Force raising chickens, ducks, and geese, there was also a pigpen with several pigs inside.

These animals were for the pilots’ meat supply. They couldn’t touch these resources even if they were to provide supplies to the research institute.

It seemed they would have to source additional supplies from the surrounding villages. Ideally, she could acquire more meat to make meatballs, dried meat, or dried fish, all of which would keep longer.

She also needed to stock up on dried vegetables and seasoning packets, which were not only convenient and quick to prepare but would allow them to eat summer vegetables and fruits even in winter.

For now, though, she had to solve the meat and vegetable issue first. Preserving meat in winter was easier, but by summer, it could become more challenging.

Just as Wen Nuan was racking her brain over these concerns, Old Zhong shouted loudly, “Wen Nuan, General Xu wants you to come to the meeting!”