Chapter 78

After Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan finished breakfast, they headed out.

The news of Ding Guoli being arrested quickly spread through the family compound. By noon, Gu Qinglan intentionally ran back to the compound to find out what was happening.

As soon as Gu Qinglan entered, she asked, “Sister-in-law, I heard Ding Guoli was arrested. Is it related to Daxiang’s incident?”

Wen Nuan didn’t have to return to the kitchen today. After Gu Qinghan left, she planned to make some nougat with Sister Guihua, as the New Year was approaching, and it would be good to prepare it in advance.

Sister Guihua had heard about this incident a little earlier than Qinglan. Seeing Gu Qinglan so anxious, she smiled and said, “Why don’t you sit down and tell me slowly? Look at you. You’re all sweaty.”

Gu Qinglan had originally planned to ask Li Daxiang for details, but he had checked out early in the morning.

Later, she heard from Erhu that Li Daxiang had gone straight to the General’s office after leaving the hospital and hadn’t come out that morning.

After hearing about Ding Guoli’s arrest, Gu Qinglan didn’t think twice and ran home. She knew her sister-in-law would definitely know some things.

Wen Nuan handed her a small piece of freshly made nougat and then recounted what Gu Qinghan had said earlier that morning.

Gu Qinglan’s eyes widened in shock as she exclaimed, “Ding Guoli is so vicious! He almost got Daxiang killed just because of the pilot incident?!”

“Worse than an animal!”

Gu Qinglan was so angry that her chest heaved with emotion. “Thank goodness my brother found out; otherwise, Daxiang would really be in trouble, and my brother would blame him too. Is Ding Guoli really that extreme? They should just execute him!”

Hearing Gu Qinglan say this, Wen Nuan looked up at her and sighed. “The scariest part is that Ding Guoli almost harmed two people over such a trivial matter.”

And both of them were active-duty soldiers; it was simply insane!

If it hadn’t been for Gu Qinghan and Old Zhong returning to the kitchen early that morning, Li Daxiang might have truly faced a life-threatening situation.

So, no matter how Ding Guoli was dealt with, Wen Nuan felt he deserved it. No one would sympathize with someone like him!

Sister Guihua took some of the nougat sugar crumbs to give to little Lele and then said, “This Ding Guoli might even drag his older brother down with him. I heard from my husband, Old Zhou, that Ding Guocheng is a key maintenance team member and would have been promoted soon. Who would have thought something like this would happen? It’s just harmful to everyone!”

Wen Nuan arranged the pieces of nougat neatly. “I heard that General Xu will personally handle this matter; it has a huge impact.”

Wen Nuan couldn’t wait for General Xu to deal with Ding Guoli quickly, hoping he would be sent to a remote farm for reformation and never allowed to come near the military again in his lifetime.

Sister Guihua said, “How could it not be serious? I’ve been in this family compound for so long and have never seen anyone as malicious as this. How dare he plot against soldiers of the country!”

Gu Qinglan’s face turned red with anger as she gritted her teeth and said, “He definitely cannot be let off lightly.”

Seeing Gu Qinglan so upset, Lele walked over with a piece of peach cake and offered it to her, saying, “Auntie, eat.”

Looking at Lele’s adorable little face, Gu Qinglan finally relaxed. She took the peach cake from her and said, “Thank you, Lele.”

After working hard all morning, Gu Qinglan hadn’t focused well and hadn’t eaten much. Now that Lele had given her a piece of peach cake, she suddenly felt extremely hungry.

After eating two pieces of peach cake, Lele pulled her towards the kitchen, where a large pot of soup dumplings was steaming.

Lele held up a finger and shushed, saying, “Auntie, get me some.”

Gu Qinglan noticed the top layer of Lele’s coat, showing evidence that she had already eaten soup dumplings. It was clear that Sister-in-law had told her not to eat too many.

However, Gu Qinglan couldn’t resist either. She took a bowl, picked up five dumplings with chopsticks, and sat Lele on a small stool before the stove, happily eating dumplings together.

The soup dumplings were rich in flavor, with thin skins as white as jade. The savory broth was all locked inside the skin; with a gentle bite, the broth burst into her mouth, indescribably delightful.

The two of them continued to eat one after another until Wen Nuan came in to cook noodles, prompting them to finally put down their bowls.

—o—o—o—

By the afternoon, the results of Ding Guoli’s punishment were announced.

Because Ding Guocheng had knocked him unconscious last night, Ding Guoli only woke up around noon. However, General Xu showed no sympathy for such a cruel-hearted person and issued a notice to send him immediately to a remote farm in the west for a fifteen-year reformation.

He would not be allowed to enter military territory for the rest of his life.

When this news spread, the entire family compound erupted in discussion. Everyone was curious about what crime Ding Guoli had committed to deserve such a severe punishment.

Once everyone learned about Ding Guoli’s actions, they all wished they could give him a beating themselves. It turned out that because he hadn’t been selected as a pilot, he had resorted to such brutal measures against Gu Qinghan, and he had even caused Li Daxiang to fall into a coma from poisoning!

Most people felt the punishment was still too lenient; he should have been executed outright!

No one in the family compound felt sorry for him; they all wanted this rat to leave immediately.

In addition to cursing Ding Guoli, many people ran to the Ding family’s home to throw garbage and even splash it with excrement.

It seemed that because of Ding Guoli, Ding Guocheng would also have a hard time living in the compound.

Ding Guoli’s punishment was indeed a show of leniency from General Xu.

This outcome was something that Ding Guocheng had exchanged for the latter part of his military career.

When Gu Qinghan returned home that evening, he told Wen Nuan about the situation.

Gu Qinghan said, “Originally, the General was considering that Ding Guocheng had served the organization for so many years, and now the base was in need of personnel. They intended to demote and reduce his salary.”

Although Ding Guocheng was demoted, this essentially meant that his military career had hit the pause button; he would no longer have any chance for promotion in the future.

Wen Nuan looked at Gu Qinghan and asked, “Did Ding Guocheng plead for Ding Guoli?”

Although Ding Guoli hadn’t caused any actual injuries, his crimes had led to extremely serious consequences, especially in the military. It certainly wouldn’t just be a light labor reform.

It must have been Ding Guocheng who pleaded with the General.

Gu Qinglan, who was eating nearby, exclaimed in anger, “People like him shouldn’t be given any leniency!”

Gu Qinghan picked up a piece of braised pork and placed it in Wen Nuan’s bowl before continuing, “Ding Guocheng said that with something like this happening, he couldn’t bear to stay in the military, so he directly applied to retire from General Xu. It’s likely that his family also pleaded on his behalf, crying and fainting. After discussing it with the colleagues at the inspection office, General Xu decided to send him for reformation in the west.”

A fifteen-year reform period was quite long.

Therefore, Gu Qinghan had no objections.

Just as he finished speaking, shouts and the roar of cars could be heard from outside the compound.

Wen Nuan guessed it was likely related to Ding Guoli being sent off to the farm, prompting many people to go outside to throw garbage.

Sure enough, various shouts cursing Ding Guoli echoed from outside.

Gu Qinglan heard the shouts of insults and could no longer sit still. She quickly took a few bites of her meal and ran out after them.

Lele watched her aunt dash outside and raise her hand, exclaiming, “Mommy, I want to go too!”

Wen Nuan placed a piece of meat in Lele’s mouth and said, “Auntie isn’t going out to play; don’t go adding to the chaos!”

Gu Qinglan was likely extremely angry this time about the incident where Li Daxiang had almost died. Today, she certainly just wanted to vent her feelings, and Wen Nuan had no intention of holding her back.

The little one felt a bit upset, but Gu Qinglan had already disappeared from sight.

She could only sit in her place obediently and eat.

Then she turned to Gu Qinghan and asked, “Did you notice how concerned Qinglan is about the matter with Daxiang?”

Gu Qinghan replied with an “Mm” and then looked at Wen Nuan, saying, “Let her be; she’s grown up and knows what she wants.”

Wen Nuan smiled and asked, “Are you satisfied with Daxiang?”

As an older brother, Gu Qinghan would surely have some opinions if Gu Qinglan were really looking for a partner.

Li Daxiang was his subordinate, so Gu Qinghan likely had some understanding of him.

Who would have known that Gu Qinghan chuckled softly and replied, “What do you want me to say about that?”

“For a superior and subordinate relationship, Daxiang is definitely not someone to be criticized,” Gu Qinghan remarked. “As for being a revolutionary partner, it’s not like I’m the one living with him, so I can’t offer any opinions. Qinglan is old enough; she has her own judgment.”

Wen Nuan chuckled and said, “That’s true.”

Since Gu Qinghan, as the older brother, had no objections, she certainly wouldn’t voice any either.

Gu Qinghan continued, “It’s just that I wonder what my mom thinks about it.”

Wen Nuan realized she had indeed forgotten about Zhao Wuzhu. Given Gu Qinglan’s personality, she would unlikely make a lifelong commitment without discussing it with her family first.

For Zhao Wuzhu, it seemed that Li Daxiang might not be the ideal son-in-law.

The situation between Qinglan and Li Daxiang appeared to be far from resolved.

Gu Qinghan thought for a moment and added, “During the investigation, Ding Guoli mentioned that I favored Daxiang because of Qinglan and helped him pass the pilot assessment. I suspect Daxiang might want to avoid any appearance of favoritism for a while.”

Wen Nuan looked at Gu Qinghan in surprise. “But Daxiang and Qinglan clearly have nothing going on.”

Gu Qinghan pressed his lips together and said, “People can be quite fearful. Daxiang must have his own considerations.”

After a while, they finished their meal.

Once Gu Qinghan wiped Lele’s mouth clean, he gathered the bowls and chopsticks and went into the kitchen to wash them.

On the other side, Gu Qinglan returned, her face finally showing some joy.

Wen Nuan was sitting on the sofa with Lele in her arms, listening to the radio. When she saw Gu Qinglan finish her drink, she teased, “So, how did it go? Did you help Daxiang get his revenge?”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinglan met Wen Nuan’s gaze, and her entire face turned red. She stammered, “No, no! I wasn’t helping him get revenge!”

Then, with a serious expression, Qinglan explained, “I was avenging my brother. Sister-in-law, don’t think too much about it.”

Wen Nuan laughed and said, “I’m not overthinking it. Daxiang has helped you so much; it’s not unreasonable for you to help him out in return.”

Wen Nuan looked at her and asked, “What? Where did your mind go?”

Gu Qinglan was taken aback. “???”

It felt as if her sister-in-law was trying to mess with her.

As Gu Qinghan had mentioned, after Ding Guoli was sent for reform, he didn’t go to the hospital to see Gu Qinglan again.

Gu Qinglan had tried to find him several times, but Er Hu always said he had gone to the flight team for training and had no time.

After Wen Nuan learned about this, she thought for a moment and decided to share what Ding Guoli had said with Qinglan.

After listening, Qinglan’s eyes widened in surprise. “I have nothing with Daxiang!”

Wen Nuan comforted her, saying, “Sister-in-law certainly knows that, but right now, Daxiang doesn’t want to involve you. Anyway, he has to go through various assessments, so let him get through the pilot selection first.”

Gu Qinglan nodded. “I guess that’s the only way.”

Fortunately, Qinglan did not dwell on the matter, and with the hospital being busy, she chose not to think about it anymore.

—o—o—o—

As the New Year approached, Wen Nuan had recently taken to preparing some snacks, such as twisted doughnuts and beef ears, planning to enjoy them during the holiday.

It had been snowing in the North lately, which meant that Wen Nuan did not need to go to the kitchen as frequently.

It was snowing heavily, and the yard was covered with a thick layer of white snow. When Lele woke up, she quickly put on a pair of shoes and ran outside to play in the snow.

Wen Nuan decided to make a pot of sweet taro sago, using the cassava flour sago she had made during the summer, hoping to warm herself up with something hot on this cold day.

After cooking it, Wen Nuan took Lele to visit Sister Guihua, wanting to share some of the dessert with her as well.

Familiar with the way, Lele eagerly pulled Wen Nuan toward Sister Guihua’s yard; she even knew how to open the short gate.

When they reached the gate, Lele cheerfully looked back at Wen Nuan and said, “Mommy, Auntie is inside!”

As Wen Nuan followed behind Lele, she had not even had a chance to knock on the door when Lele called out loudly, “Auntie!”

“Auntie, open the door!”

Wen Nuan held the dessert and noticed that there was no response from inside after Lele shouted for a while. She raised her hand and knocked on the door, saying, “Sister Guihua, are you home?”

Since winter began, Sister Guihua had been helping take care of Lele, and she was almost always at home, usually getting up quite early.

The big one and the little one stood at the door, waiting for a while without hearing any response. Wen Nuan turned to Lele and said, “Maybe Auntie has gone out?”

Sister Guihua often went to the post office or the supply and marketing cooperative.

She said she considered going out for a walk as a form of daily exercise. However, the weather had been gloomy lately, with frequent snowfalls, and the yard was now covered in a thick layer of snow, looking as though it had snowed earlier that morning.

It seemed that Sister Guihua hadn’t visited the post office in quite a while. Was it possible she had gone out today?

But would anyone really walk around in such weather?

Just as Wen Nuan was about to head back, Sister Guihua’s voice suddenly came from inside, saying, “I’m coming! I’m coming!”

As she opened the door, she explained, “I just lay on the kang for a bit after breakfast. I was planning to knit a sweater for my husband, but I ended up dozing off while I was at it.”

When Lele saw Sister Guihua open the door, she sweetly called out, “Auntie!”

Sister Guihua smiled and replied, “Oh, look who’s here! Our Lele!”

Seeing that Sister Guihua had opened the door and seemed to be fine, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Oh, I just happened not to have to return to the supply and marketing cooperative today, so I brought you some sweet taro sago.”

Sister Guihua gently patted Lele’s little head and then said to Wen Nuan, “What’s this sago you’re talking about? I haven’t tried it yet. Come on in!”

With the heavy snow starting to fall these past couple of days, many people in the family compound had begun to hibernate indoors, as it was chilly outside.

Worried that they might catch a chill, Sister Guihua invited them inside.

Sister Guihua saw Lele walk over and intended to reach out to pick her up, but Wen Nuan held her back, saying, “Slow down! Don’t bump into Auntie.”

The little one was quite clumsy now, and a bump could really hurt her.

Sister Guihua responded, “It’s okay, I’ll hold her.”

After saying that, she picked up the child, and Lele smiled, saying, “Thank you, Auntie Guihua.”

Wen Nuan followed them inside. For some reason, she felt that Sister Guihua’s house seemed colder than hers.

Just as she was thinking this, Sister Guihua exclaimed, “Oh no! I forgot to change the honeycomb coal! You two wait a moment; I’ll go change it out for a couple of pieces.”

With that, she walked over to the corner of the kitchen and brought back two pieces of honeycomb coal.

Wen Nuan placed the sweet taro sago on the dining table in the living room and then asked, “Sister Guihua, did you sleep well last night?”

Sister Guihua picked up a pair of fire tongs, preparing to open the stove’s lid. Hearing Wen Nuan’s question, she replied, “Not too bad, but I feel a bit tired lately; it seems like I can’t get enough sleep.”

Wen Nuan looked at her and then asked, “Are you feeling any discomfort?”

Sister Guihua opened the stove’s lid and answered, “No, I’m doing well. I can eat and sleep just fine.”

Just after she said that a wave of hot air from the stove rushed out, and Sister Guihua caught a strange smell. She quickly covered her mouth and turned away, gagging slightly.

Wen Nuan hurried over and supported Sister Guihua’s arm. “Auntie, what’s wrong?!”

Sister Guihua held her nose and mouth, turning her face away in discomfort. “Oh my, I suddenly found the smell of that honeycomb coal unbearable. It almost made me throw up.”

As she spoke, she gagged again a couple of times.

Seeing this, Lele picked up a cup of water from the table and walked over, handing it to Sister Guihua, saying, “Auntie, drink some water.”

Sister Guihua took the enamel cup that the little one offered and smiled, saying, “Thank you.”

Wen Nuan thought for a moment and looked at Sister Guihua, asking, “Sister, could it be that you’re pregnant?”