Chapter 81.1

After returning home, Wen Nuan started making Lele and Grandpa’s down jackets again.

By the time Gu Qinghan returned, Wen Nuan was already in the final stages, with just the last bit of stitching left to finish.

The down jacket had taken some time since Wen Nuan wasn’t skilled at making clothes.

She would go to Sister Guihua’s place whenever she had time for guidance. However, Sister Guihua had become very sensitive to smells due to her pregnancy.

Although the feathers didn’t have any odour to Wen Nuan, they still made Sister Guihua nauseous.

She had even moved her sewing machine to Wen Nuan’s house, saying that she would take it back only after the clothes were finished.

Seeing Sister Guihua’s severe morning sickness, Wen Nuan eventually sought help from Sister Juxiang.

However, Sister Juxiang had been quite busy lately, so the progress on the down jackets had been slow.

After over half a month of cutting and sewing, Wen Nuan finally finished the jackets just before the New Year.

Once Gu Qinghan washed his hands, he picked up Lele, sitting by the Eight Immortals table eating popcorn.

Lele had popcorn in both hands. After her father picked her up, she offered him one piece and said: “Daddy, eat.”

Gu Qinghan glanced at the popcorn but still accepted it from his little girl, saying, “Thank you, it’s really sweet.”

“But you shouldn’t eat too much, or you won’t want to eat dinner later.”

Lele stuffed the remaining piece of popcorn into her mouth and nodded, “I’ll eat more tonight.”

“Such a good girl.”

Gu Qinghan poured her a spoonful of warm water and helped her wash her sticky little hands. After Lele washed her hands, she ran off to the kitchen to find her Auntie.

Seeing that the child had gone off to play by herself, Gu Qinghan walked over to Wen Nuan, who was still busy stitching.

When Wen Nuan saw Gu Qinghan return, she shot him a look and said, “Qinghan, come over here and help me try on this jacket.”

Gu Qinghan had been her “tool man” for several days now, as General Lu was about the same height as him, so Wen Nuan had used Gu Qinghan’s measurements for the jacket.

Since there wasn’t enough material left after making a smaller one for Lele, Wen Nuan decided to turn the remaining fabric into a jacket.

Gu Qinghan stretched out his arms, and Wen Nuan slipped the down jacket onto him. He adjusted the fit and then asked, “I heard you went to the cowshed?”

Wen Nuan, thinking of Old Zhao’s status as a rightist, asked suspiciously, “Yes, I went this afternoon. Could it be that someone reported me again?”

Wen Nuan explained: “We went over there because Qinglan wanted to learn more, so she asked me to take her and see if Old Zhao would be willing to teach her, but Old Zhao refused.”

After the incident with Ding Guoli, Wen Nuan became a bit on edge, afraid that her actions might affect Gu Qinghan.

She understood Old Zhao’s feelings, though.

He wasn’t the kind of person to hide his knowledge, but given his current status, he probably just didn’t want to affect Qinglan.

It would have been an incredible opportunity if Qinglan had really had the chance to learn from him.

As she watched Gu Qinghan put on the jacket, she began fastening each button for him. Seeing how good he looked in it made her feel a bit regretful.

“If only there had been more material…. “

Then, I could’ve made a full set for my husband.

Gu Qinghan then said: “Nothing to worry about, I was just asking. It’s a good thing Qinglan is so eager to learn. I assume Old Zhao refused, though?”

Wen Nuan nodded as she smoothed out the down jacket on him. “Yes, probably because of his background. He doesn’t want to be involved with Qinglan. But we didn’t have high hopes. We figured Old Zhao would refuse, so I just brought him some New Year snacks.”

If it hadn’t been for this opportunity, Wen Nuan wouldn’t have known how to give Old Zhao something in return. Fortunately, Li Yunhua had shown up at just the right time.

Gu Qinghan agreed, “We really can’t have high expectations. Whether Old Zhao wants to or not is his own decision.”

Gu Qinghan knew Wen Nuan had made a lot of snacks. After giving some to Sister Juxiang and Sister Guihua, plenty remained. He hadn’t expected her to give some to Old Zhao as well.

Wen Nuan thought for a moment, then asked, “Today at the cowshed, I also saw Doctor Li. It seems like she has known Old Zhao for many years.”

“Oh, and Doctor Li said that she was the one who delivered me when I was born. What a coincidence!”

Gu Qinghan, seeing her cute expression, laughed along with her, “That really is quite the coincidence.”

He then spoke about the relationship between Doctor Li and Old Zhao. “I heard Old Zhao and Doctor Li were classmates back in the day, but have they met recently?”

From his impression, Doctor Li was always cool, distant with people, and rarely had any close personal relationships.

Wen Nuan nodded, “Yes, I’ve seen them together twice now. At first, I wondered if Doctor Li might be one of Old Zhao’s relatives, but it turns out they were just classmates.”

Gu Qinghan added, “Old Zhao doesn’t have any family. When he returned to the country, he was already forty and, as far as I know, still single.”

Wen Nuan realized that Old Zhao and Doctor Li were close in age, felt her curiosity surge, and asked, “What about Doctor Li?”

Gu Qinghan glanced at his wife, not quite sure what thoughts were running through her mind, and replied, “Doctor Li’s husband passed away at an early age. The two of them had a son; from what I’ve heard, he’s also a doctor, but he’s been working in Shanghai.”

Wen Nuan let out a soft “Oh” before asking about Old Zhao again, “By the way, Qinghan, what exactly was Old Zhao accused of back then? Is there any way to help him clear his name?”

After all, Zhao Qinyuan was a medical doctor with a degree from abroad, and letting such talent go to waste was truly unfortunate.

Moreover, Li Yunhua had risked implicating herself by visiting him multiple times, which proved that whatever mistake he had made likely wasn’t serious and might have room for reconsideration.

“You want to help Old Zhao?” Gu Qinghan tugged at the hem of the down jacket and then looked at Wen Nuan, saying, “From what I’ve heard, it wasn’t really a grave mistake. During the civil war, Old Zhao treated a wounded man, and later, that person betrayed us and went to the other side. With his history of studying abroad, this incident became fodder for accusations during the political campaigns a few years ago, and that’s how he ended up here for ‘reform.'”

“I’ll see if there’s a way. A lot of people have been rehabilitated in recent years, and Old Zhao’s case doesn’t seem too difficult to solve.”

Ever since he performed surgery on Zhou Jianshe, Old Zhao has continued to treat comrades from the Flight Squad, although most people don’t know about it.

Hearing Gu Qinghan’s words, Wen Nuan’s smile became even brighter. “Really? That’s wonderful! Sister Guihua’s pregnancy at her age is actually quite risky. If Old Zhao could help monitor her condition, that would be amazing.”

Li Yunhua also mentioned that Old Zhao was not only proficient in Western medicine but also highly skilled in traditional Chinese medicine.

With that level of expertise, from any perspective, it would be a good thing for everyone.

Wen Nuan looked at Gu Qinghan in the down jacket. His broad shoulders and narrow waist made the jacket fit him perfectly. Even though it was just a simple black colour, he still looked incredibly handsome.

She grabbed his hand and spun him around. “Come on, let me see how it looks.”

When Gu Qinghan first put on the jacket, the material felt a bit cold, but after chatting for a while, he began to feel warm. Now, he was wearing only three layers of clothing.

Gu Qinghan said, “It’s a bit tight, but if Grandpa wears it, it should fit perfectly. It feels soft and light.”

Hearing his comment, Wen Nuan couldn’t help but smile. “Exactly, the advantage of down jackets is that they’re lightweight but extremely warm, unlike cotton-padded jackets that can be thick but still not warm enough. And when you’re working, it won’t get in the way since it’s so light.”

Gu Qinghan, hearing this, immediately thought of how winter training was often affected by the bulkiness of their uniforms, reducing efficiency. If the kind of down jackets Wen Nuan made could be used in the military, it would be a great improvement.

Looking at her tall and well-built husband, Wen Nuan couldn’t help but say, “You look so good in it. Once I collect more feathers, I’ll make one for you too. That way, it won’t be so cold even when you’re flying in winter.”

Although Gu Qinghan’s flight training was reduced in the winter, as long as it wasn’t snowing, he still had to fly. Because of the high altitude, he had mentioned before that the cold would sometimes numb his movements during winter flights. When she gathered more feathers, she was determined to make one for him, too.

Gu Qinghan touched the down jacket and said, “Next time, I’ll help gather the goose feathers. You can teach me how to make one.”

Then he asked, “By the way, wife, do you think making these jackets for all the comrades in our unit is possible?”

Seeing the hope in his eyes, Wen Nuan looked at him and regretfully said, “It might be difficult. You see, I spent an entire year collecting goose and duck feathers, and it was just enough to make two jackets. And one of them was Lele’s, which is much smaller.”

The feathers needed to make a down jacket are tiny and soft, and it would take a large number of geese and ducks to collect enough for even one jacket.

Gu Qinghan actually understood that not only was it difficult to collect materials like this, but even cotton-padded clothes were still in short supply. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of anticipation at the thought of equipping soldiers with such clothing.

Seeing the regretful expression on the man’s face, Wen Nuan couldn’t resist standing on her tiptoes and kissing him on the cheek to comfort him. She said, “Although it’s hard to make these common for now, I believe things will keep getting better for us. In the future, not only will soldiers be able to wear down jackets, but ordinary people will also have one for everyone.”

Wen Nuan held his face in her hands, gave him another kiss, and said seriously, “Our country will definitely keep getting better.”

Looking at his wife’s sparkling eyes, Gu Qinghan, for some reason, suddenly felt that the things she had just said would definitely come true someday in the future.

Gu Qinghan wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace and tightening his hold on her. He lowered his head and captured that soft red lip.

Just as Gu Qinghan was about to savour the moment, a tender voice suddenly called out from the door, “Dinner’s ready!”

Wen Nuan pushed away the strong frame of the man, then tidied her clothes and beckoned to Lele, standing with her hands on her hips, “Lele, come over here, let mommy help you try on your new clothes.”

Upon hearing that there was a new outfit to wear, Lele immediately dashed in excitedly, grinning as she looked at Wen Nuan, “Lele’s here!”

Wen Nuan first took off Lele’s heavy cotton-padded jacket, then picked up the pink silk down jacket and helped her put it on.

Wen Nuan said: “It’s a little bit big, but that’s okay. You can still wear it next year.”

“Our Lele looks really beautiful in it.”

Lele touched the new clothes she was wearing. Even though there was no mirror, she still happily said, “Beautiful!”

Wen Nuan patted her child’s head and smiled, “Very beautiful. But Lele, don’t get it dirty just yet. We’ll wear it during the New Year.”

In a couple of days, they would be heading to the capital, and Lele would wear the new clothes on New Year’s Eve.

Lele then walked up to Gu Qinghan, spun around in front of him, and asked, “Daddy, is it beautiful?”

Gu Qinghan immediately picked her up and raised his eyebrows, saying, “Of course, my daughter will always be beautiful.”

Hearing that, Lele became even happier.

She then reached out her little hand and touched Gu Qinghan’s clothes. She giggled and said: “Daddy is beautiful too.”

When Gu Qinghan heard this, he solemnly corrected her: “Daddy is handsome.”

Lele burst into laughter: “Daddy is so handsome!”

Gu Qinghan responded, “Lele is beautiful too.”

Wen Nuan listened to the father and daughter complimenting each other and felt she couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

She gathered up the loose threads on the sewing machine and tidied them up.

—o—o—o—

On the 29th of the lunar month, Wen Nuan, Gu Qinghan, and Lele set off for Beijing.

Originally, General Lu had suggested sending Xiao Zhang to pick them up. Still, Gu Qinghan mentioned that the military already had a vehicle heading to the capital. They didn’t want to trouble anyone with an extra trip. So, they departed directly from the North.

This time, however, they didn’t ride in a large truck but hitched a ride with General Xu.

He happened to be heading to the capital for a meeting. He kindly offered to take Wen Nuan and her family along.

The Jeep performed much better than a truck, and what usually would have been a seven- or eight-hour drive only took six hours this time.

However, the Air Force Compound wasn’t in the main urban area but located in the western part of the city, about a dozen kilometres from the city centre.

—o—o—o—

After General Xu arrived at his destination, he instructed his driver to drop them off at the Air Force Compound.

Wen Nuan had heard from Gu Qinghan before that the senior leadership of the navy, army, and air force all resided here, so the compound was much larger than the one in the North.

It was said that over 20,000 people lived there, and the area was equipped with residential buildings, a cafeteria, a hospital, and even a kindergarten.

The car was inspected for quite some time at the west gate of the Air Force Compound. In addition to checking their passes, their luggage was also thoroughly searched.

After the inspection, the car drove inside.

The layout of the compound was neat and orderly, with all the buildings arranged systematically. Most of the area consisted of residential quarters, and they were dropped off directly in front of General Lu’s residence.

Perhaps alerted by the sound of the car, a figure came out from the small building shortly after. The person who came out was General Lu’s personal assistant, Uncle Zhao.

Uncle Zhao quickly walked outside the yard and opened the gate, greeting Wen Nuan, “Excuse me, are you Vice-Captain Gu and Comrade Wen Nuan?”

Wen Nuan took a moment to glance around at the two-story building. It seemed like this was General Lu’s residence, and the man standing in front of them must have been Uncle Zhao, whom General Lu had mentioned to her.

Smiling at Uncle Zhao, Wen Nuan said, “Hello, Uncle Zhao. I’m Wen Nuan.”

She then turned to Lele and instructed her, “Lele, greet Grandpa Zhao.”

Standing beside them, Gu Qinghan also nodded toward Uncle Zhao, greeting him with a respectful “Uncle Zhao.”

Lele, who had slept twice during the journey, was now curious about the new environment.

She blinked her large, bright eyes a few times and looked at the person in front of her. Smiling, she called out, “Grandpa Zao~”

Though Lele’s speech wasn’t entirely clear yet, Uncle Zhao beamed when he heard her and cheerfully responded, “Hey! You must be Lele, right? You’re such a cute little one.”

Since General Lu’s wife passed away five years ago, the old General has been spending holidays alone. While most of the people in the compound were busy, families usually gathered together during festivals.

Uncle Zhao always wished he could spend time with the General every holiday. However, knowing that Uncle Zhao’s family was waiting to celebrate with him, General Lu insisted on giving him a vacation, reminding him that he had stayed with him all year round and hadn’t returned home for quite some time now.

During major holidays, General Lu would sometimes visit old comrades for a meal or spend time with the soldiers in the unit.

But more often than not, the old General didn’t take holidays off, instead filling his time with various work tasks.

Since learning that General Lu had found his granddaughter, Uncle Zhao had eagerly anticipated Wen Nuan’s visit to the capital.

Now that he finally saw them in person, Uncle Zhao couldn’t help but marvel at how pretty the little girl had grown.

She was even more beautiful than the female soldiers in the art troupe and slightly resembled Teng Jun.

Lele, in particular, was simply adorable. It was the middle of winter, and she wore a fluffy hooded cotton jacket, her soft, pale little face looking just like a tiny dumpling, incredibly cute.

Seeing Wen Nuan holding Lele in her arms, Uncle Zhao warmly said, “General Lu has a meeting today, but he told me early on to come and greet you. Come, follow me this way, and leave the luggage for me to handle.”

Gu Qinghan, who was carrying the luggage in both hands, saw Uncle Zhao offering to help and quickly said: “No need, I’ve got it.”

—o—o—o—