Chapter 80

As the New Year approached, Gu Qinghan became busy again.

In addition to selecting pilots for the flying team, several hunting teams were organized within the military, preparing to go into the mountains to hunt for some wild game for the New Year celebrations.

During this time of ice and snow in the North, Wen Nuan no longer had to return to the Kitchen Crew frequently. Besides preparing the weekly meal plans for the aircrew, the quartermaster had not assigned her any additional tasks.

Coincidentally, Sister Guihua had become pregnant, and Wen Nuan felt it was inappropriate to ask her to take care of little Lele, considering that Sister Guihua was classified as an advanced maternal age.

Moreover, ever since Sister Guihua got pregnant, Zhou Jianshe had become extremely nervous. In addition to taking care of household chores, he made sure to set aside time each day to massage Sister Guihua. He even changed from his usual reticent demeanor, asking Gu Qinglan various questions about pregnancy whenever he saw her coming to the family quarters.

Gu Qinglan initially did not have much knowledge about obstetrics and gynecology. However, as Zhou Jianshe asked more and more questions, she realized she should learn a bit more herself.

On this particular day, when Gu Qinglan arrived at the family quarters, she saw Wen Nuan making stuffed pancakes. She approached and asked, “Sister-in-law, do you think that old man Zhao is very skilled in medicine?”

The doctors at the hospital were too busy, and Gu Qinglan’s own work kept her occupied, so even if she wanted to learn, she could never find the time.

Therefore, she thought of Old Zhao, who lived in the cow shed. According to Wen Nuan, the reason Sister Guihua and Zhou Jianshe were able to conceive this time was all thanks to the help from him and Doctor Li.

Wen Nuan lifted the stuffed pancakes from the pot, then looked at Gu Qinglan and said, “Old man Zhao is a medical doctor from a famous university abroad; his medical skills are undoubtedly exceptional.”

She thought for a moment and asked, “What’s the matter? Do you want to go find old man Zhao to learn?”

“Nothing escapes sister-in-law’s notice,” Gu Qinglan said, reaching out to pinch a piece of the freshly made stuffed pancake. She continued, “Isn’t Sister Guihua pregnant now? Although I’m not a doctor, I also want to learn more knowledge to see if there’s anything I can do to help in the future.”

“After all, Sister Guihua has taken care of Lele for such a long time; now it’s time to see how I can help her.”

Upon hearing Gu Qinglan’s words, Wen Nuan felt a deep sense of comfort and smiled, saying, “I just made a lot of snacks for the New Year, so I’ll take you to visit old man Zhao.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “But we also need to see if the old man is willing to teach you. Don’t push him too hard if he doesn’t want to.”

Hearing that Wen Nuan was willing to take her there excited Gu Qinglan. “That’s a must! If Old Zhao doesn’t want to teach, of course, I won’t force him.”

“Alright, then I’ll take some stuffed pancakes and lamb sea cucumber abalone soup over to Sister Guihua first. You help me chop the vegetables, and when I get back, I’ll stir-fry a dish so we can eat.”

Wen Nuan took off her apron and then looked at Lele in the living room, calling out, “Lele, we’re going to Aunt Guihua’s.”

Wen Nuan had originally thought about inviting Sister Guihua to her house for a meal, but Sister Guihua felt it would be troublesome for her and didn’t want to come over every day just to mooch off food and drink.

However, Wen Nuan knew that Sister Guihua had been suffering from severe morning sickness lately. Even if she was reluctant to come over, Wen Nuan would still make her some soup and snacks.

As Gu Qinglan had said, since she started working, Lele had spent most of her time being looked after by Sister Guihua. Now that Sister Guihua needed help, Wen Nuan definitely could not be ungrateful.

Moreover, all the dried seafood at home had actually been brought over by Sister Guihua, so in the end, it was still her who had benefited.

When they arrived at Sister Guihua’s house, Zhou Jianshe had already come home early to prepare dinner. Upon seeing Wen Nuan carrying soup and stuffed pancakes, he exchanged some polite remarks with her.

Sister Guihua held the bowl and sipped a little of the lamb and abalone soup. Initially, she had thought she would find the strong smell of lamb and the fishy scent of the sea cucumber and abalone unbearable. However, Wen Nuan had managed to prepare it in such a way that she couldn’t detect any unpleasant odors at all.

Sister Guihua finished nearly half the bowl in one go and, reminded that the New Year was approaching, asked her, “By the way, Xiaonuan, are you going to Jing City for the New Year?”

Earlier, when General Lu came to the army to recognize his relatives, she witnessed the event. She thought that since Wen Nuan had recognized such an impressive grandfather, she would go to Beijing with him.

After all, it would be quite easy for General Lu to transfer Gu Qinghan to Jing City.

In their the North Air Force Base, those with a bit of ambition all aimed for the Air General’s headquarters in Jing City.

However, Wen Nuan seemed to be completely unfazed by it all. She continued going to work as usual and stayed at the Northern Military Base base. Besides occasionally receiving a few packages, nothing about her had changed; she hadn’t altered her lifestyle just because she had gained the identity of a General’s granddaughter.

Wen Nuan had actually been hesitating. General Lu had already given her a heads-up, inviting her to spend the New Year in Jing City this year. He mentioned it was a chance for her to reconnect with her roots and also to meet some of his old comrades, just to say hello.

However, knowing that it had not been easy for Sister Guihua to become pregnant again, especially since she was not yet three months along and was considered an advanced maternal age case, Wen Nuan felt conflicted. She thought about how long Sister Guihua had taken care of Lele and how well she had done so, raising him to be chubby and healthy. It was clear that Sister Guihua had devoted herself to raising Lele with great care.

At this critical moment, Wen Nuan wanted to do her best to help Sister Guihua.

Sister Guihua could easily guess Wen Nuan’s thoughts and smiled, saying, “Xiao Nuan, don’t worry. I’ve already asked my mother to come over; she should arrive before the New Year. You should go to Beijing and celebrate with your grandfather this year.”

“You two have only just reunited; the New Year is a great time for family gatherings, so make sure to enjoy your time together.”

Ever since she became pregnant, Wen Nuan had been preparing various dishes for her, and Sister Guihua understood her intentions.

Zhou Jianshe came out of the kitchen, smiling, and added, “The Spring Festival in Jing City is much livelier than here. Lele will definitely have a great time.”

Wen Nuan smiled back, saying, “Since Sister Guihua, your mother, is coming to help, I feel relieved about going to Jing City.”

“Of course, you must go!” Sister Guihua pinched Lele’s cheek playfully and laughed, “Lele will have to have even more fun in Jing City.”

Lele didn’t know what Jing City was, but upon hearing the word “play,” he became excited and quickly nodded, saying, “Okay.”

While they were still preparing to head to Jing City, Wen Nuan brought the snacks she had made earlier and, along with Gu Qinglan, headed to the cow shed in the village.

Since meeting old man Zhao, she would occasionally come by to see him and bring him some food.

When Old Man Zhao saw her coming again with a bulging bag in her hand, he guessed that Wen Nuan had brought something once more.

He closed the wooden door of the house and stood at the entrance, asking, “Comrade Wen, is there something you need?”

Wen Nuan had consulted him several times about health issues before, so they had met on several occasions.

Seeing the old man hurriedly close the door, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Old Zhao, I came today to ask you for a favor.”

At that moment, Gu Qinglan stepped forward, and Wen Nuan introduced, “This is my sister-in-law; her name is Gu Qinglan. She is a nurse at the military hospital and wants to ask you some medical questions. I wonder if you have the time?”

Then Gu Qinglan introduced herself and explained her purpose, finally asking sincerely, “I would like to know if you would be willing to let me learn from you. I promise to be very dedicated.”

Zhao Qinyuan had been in the North for quite some time, and everyone treated him like a snake or scorpion. This was the first time someone had come to him asking to learn about medicine.

He looked at Gu Qinglan. The young girl was tall and vibrant, appearing quite earnest.

However…

Zhao Qinyuan pressed his lips together and said softly, “I don’t have anything to teach you. You can learn a lot at the military hospital, so don’t come over here.”

He was currently in a sensitive position and did not want to drag anyone down with him.

Moreover, Wen Nuan was a good person, and he certainly did not want her to suffer from unnecessary rumors because of him.

Seeing that the old man was unwilling, Wen Nuan tugged at Gu Qinglan’s wrist.

Remembering Wen Nuan’s words, Gu Qinglan chose not to say anything further and simply said to Old Master Zhao, “Then excuse us.”

Wen Nuan would not force Old Master Zhao either. With his current identity, he was psychologically and emotionally sensitive. Continuing to press the issue might put him in an awkward position.

However, Wen Nuan believed that Old Master Zhao would surely be vindicated; there was no need to rush things at that moment.

Wen Nuan looked at the old man and placed the items into his hands, gently saying, “Old Master Zhao, you have helped me a lot. This is a small token of appreciation from our entire catering team. Please accept it.”

Zhao Qinyuan was about to refuse when Dr. Li, who had appeared behind him at some point, said, “This is the catering team’s gesture. Just accept it.”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qinyuan had no choice but to take the cloth bag that Wen Nuan offered. As soon as he received it, he felt its heaviness, which indicated it contained many items.

Although Wen Nuan claimed it was a gesture from the catering team, he suspected it was all her doing and that she was simply providing him with an easy way out.

Wen Nuan knew that Li Yunhua and Zhao Qinyuan were old acquaintances, so she bid farewell to the old man and pulled Gu Qinglan out of the cow shed.

With a shocked expression, Gu Qinglan said to Wen Nuan, “Sister-in-law, that woman just now is the flight team’s flight doctor. I heard from our dean that Dr. Li is quite impressive!”

Wen Nuan hadn’t expected Gu Qinglan to know about Dr. Li and nodded in agreement. “Yes, your brother said that Dr. Li is the deputy director of the Beijing Military District Hospital, so of course, she’s impressive.”

Gu Qinglan then asked with confusion, “But how does it seem like she knows Old Zhao? They looked quite friendly.”

Wen Nuan responded, “They might have known each other for a long time.”

Wen Nuan thought about how their ages seemed similar, and she speculated that they might have attended the same school or worked at the same hospital. Zhao Qinyuan had been labeled as a rightist due to his experience studying abroad and some special circumstances, which led to his reassignment to the North for re-education.

Perhaps because they had chosen different paths, their outcomes had turned out quite differently.

As for the relationship between Old Zhao and Dr. Li, Wen Nuan was not very clear about it.

After they had just left for a short while, Li Yunhua caught up with them and looked at Wen Nuan, asking, “Are you General Lu’s granddaughter?”

Wen Nuan didn’t expect Li Yunhua to know about her connection to General Lu so quickly and was taken aback as she replied, “Yes.”

Li Yunhua smiled and said, “You were delivered by me back in the day.”

“You look just like your mother.”

“Really?”

As she heard those words, Wen Nuan felt a deep sense of wonder at the intricacies of fate.

Noticing her astonished expression, Li Yunhua chose not to tease her further. “I only thought you looked familiar and didn’t quite remember it at first. However, I recently heard that General Lu found his granddaughter, which made me recall our past.”

Li Yunhua didn’t linger for idle chatter; he simply said, “I have a few matters to attend to, so I won’t stay and talk with you.”