Chapter 82

The weather in Beijing was not as cold as in the North, but it had snowed recently.

On New Year’s Eve, the weather was also not very good. Early in the morning, it was gloomy and looked like it might snow any moment.

General Lu wore the down jacket made by Wen Nuan and strode proudly down the main path of the compound, his mood particularly good.

Many soldiers were already training in the compound, marching in step and shouting loud slogans.

When they saw General Lu had come out early, they stopped and saluted him in unison, saying, “Good morning, General.”

General Lu raised a hand and returned the salute. “Good morning, comrades.”

“Today is New Year’s Eve. I wish you all a happy New Year.”

The soldiers were momentarily stunned by General Lu’s words, but the leader among them quickly responded, “We wish you a Happy New Year as well, General.”

General Lu waved his hand, thinking that this New Year was indeed quite pleasant, and smiled as he said, “Alright, everyone, continue with your work.”

He then continued to walk forward.

The soldiers widened their eyes as they watched General Lu walk away slowly. Someone incredulously said, “Why do I feel like General Lu seems different today?”

“Different? I thought I was seeing things!”

“Isn’t it? When have you ever seen General Lu so amiable? It’s a relief he’s not yelling at anyone.”

“I heard that someone visited General Lu’s compound yesterday afternoon. Did some relatives come to visit?”

Just as they were about to gossip further, the leader of the group snapped, “Enough, continue training.”

Everyone straightened their backs. Even if they were curious, no one dared to speak further as they walked away in another direction from General Lu.

General Lu hummed a little tune as he leisurely strolled along the main path for over an hour.

He looked around the compound, which was usually bustling with old comrades, but today, he found no one at all.

Wasn’t his outfit going to go unappreciated?

After a moment of thought, General Lu decided to head over to the East District to find Shen Chuanshan. However, he had barely taken a few steps when someone called out to him from behind.

“I can’t be mistaken, can I? Isn’t that our General Lu? Why are you up so early?”

The person was none other than his good friend Shen Chuanshan.

Upon hearing the call, General Lu walked over and replied, “What? Is it not allowed to get up early for exercise? How about you? Why are you getting up so late today?”

Shen Chuanshan sighed. “Don’t even mention it. My great-grandson has been clamouring since early this morning to go to the department store to buy toys. I have to meet with Old Wu and the others later. Where would I find the time to take him?”

Mentioning the younger generation brightened General Lu’s mood as he said, “My great-granddaughter and her family came over yesterday.”

Shen Chuanshan chuckled. “Oh, they finally came to visit? You must have been waiting with bated breath! No wonder you look so cheerful out for a stroll this early; it is the joy of family that lifts the spirit.”

Ever since General Lu reconnected with his granddaughter, he seemed different.

In the past, no one would approach him without turning away.

He had been noticeably become livelier in the past few months—appearing younger and more energetic than before.

General Lu didn’t hide his happiness: “It’s a joyous occasion when the family gathers for the New Year! Of course, I’m happy! Last night, my granddaughter specially cooked a huge meal for me. I told her not to bother, but she insisted on cooking delicious food for me…”

Shen Chuanshan clicked his tongue, finding his old comrade somewhat annoying.

Just as he was about to tease him a little, he suddenly noticed that General Lu wasn’t wearing even a single coat, just the jacket. He frowned and said: “I say, Old Lu, do you think you’re still young? Aren’t you afraid of the cold? Why are you dressing so lightly on such a cold day?!”

Upon hearing this, General Lu knew he had some explaining to do. He adjusted his jacket and raised an eyebrow, “Hey, how come you know that this was made by my granddaughter? She told me it’s called a jacket…”

“Oh no, it should be called a down jacket, that’s right. It’s really warm; I don’t feel cold at all.” General Lu then smiled and added, “My granddaughter made this for me. Do you think it looks good?”

He was genuinely not lying.

At first, he thought this garment was light and probably suitable for the cool weather of spring and autumn.

However, after being outside for a while, he realized that the areas covered by the down jacket were very warm, and he felt no chill at all. He hadn’t expected the down jacket to be this amazing.

Shen Chuanshan looked at him in disbelief. “…”

How could he have known? Wasn’t this General Lu’s own claim?

With a resigned expression, Shen Chuanshan scoffed, “Oh, come on. That jacket looks thin; how warm could it really be?”

He couldn’t believe General Lu—he was just bragging without a shred of evidence.

Obviously, he wanted to show off the new clothes his granddaughter had made for him.

Tch, acting all smug.

General Lu was indeed showing off, but he became defensive when Shen Chuanshan questioned him. “What’s the use of lying to you? My granddaughter said this is made from duck and goose feathers, and it’s super warm!”

Shen Chuanshan looked at him, his eyes full of scepticism. “I don’t believe you.”

Under General Lu’s smug gaze, Shen Chuanshan joked, “Unless you let me try it on.”

“Not a chance!” General Lu pouted and turned to walk away.

As time passed and it grew later, more people gradually gathered in the compound.

General Lu introduced his outfit to nearly everyone he met, cheerfully stating that it was made by his granddaughter.

A small number of people in the compound already knew that General Lu had reconnected with his granddaughter. Everyone was very curious to know that she had come specifically to the capital to spend the New Year with him, and a whole bunch of them thought about going to his compound to take a look.

However, General Lu directly told the group, “Get lost! You will only scare my granddaughter and great-granddaughter! Look at your scary faces!”

Though he said that, he still returned to his small compound with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune under the curious gazes of the crowd.

—o—o—o—

Wen Nuan got up early and didn’t see General Lu. She asked Uncle Zhao, who said he didn’t know where General Lu had gone; he had never seen him leave so early before.

Around seven-thirty, General Lu came home, looking refreshed.

Wen Nuan noticed that General Lu was wearing only two or three layers of clothing. Although he had on a sweater and a down jacket, the jacket didn’t have sleeves, so his arms still felt cold.

Wen Nuan served the prepared noodles in the living room and then looked at General Lu, asking, “Grandpa, why are you dressed so lightly? Aren’t you cold?”

She had heard from the guard that General Lu had left shortly after the wake-up call, and the morning weather was still quite chilly. Wen Nuan guessed he had gone out to exercise.

Although General Lu looked energetic, he was over sixty, and with his busy schedule, it was best to be cautious.

As soon as General Lu entered, he caught the delightful aroma wafting from the kitchen and, upon seeing the large pot of noodles on the dining table, felt his stomach rumble with hunger.

He patted his down jacket and replied, “I’m fine. This outfit keeps me warm. I didn’t expect clothes made from feathers to be this cosy.”

At that moment, Gu Qinghan happened to come from the kitchen with several bowls. Upon hearing General Lu’s remark, she responded, “These clothes are both lightweight and warm. If it weren’t for the high cost, I think we could also equip the soldiers with such garments.”

Several border areas had extremely harsh climates, and every year, many soldiers stationed at outposts suffered various frostbite incidents, with their hands and feet cracking from the cold and their bodies swelling.

When General Lu heard Gu Qinghan’s words, he was sparked to think seriously. He instantly became solemn and said, “If a piece of clothing requires the down feathers of dozens of ducks and geese to fill it, it would indeed be difficult to implement.”

General Lu thought for a moment and said, “However, it’s not impossible to promote it on a small scale.”

Wen Nuan glanced at Gu Qinghan, realizing that he had intentionally brought up this matter in front of General Lu. It was indeed difficult for them to take the lead on this, but being able to prioritize supplies for some remote border areas would still count as contributing in some way.

Wen Nuan understood that Gu Qinghan genuinely wanted to provide benefits for the soldiers, and naturally, she supported him in doing so.

With this beginning, General Lu changed his usual demeanour during breakfast and began discussing the feasibility of promoting this type of clothing with Gu Qinghan.

Wen Nuan occasionally chimed in with a few comments. After discussing for quite a while, General Lu turned to his granddaughter and asked, “Xiao Nuan, if our army really decides to make down jackets, can you provide technical support? Share your methods with us.”

Wen Nuan didn’t think twice and smiled as she said, “Of course! As long as I can contribute something to the troops, not only will I share my methods, but I can also help out in person if needed.”

Although large-scale promotion was still not feasible, at least getting the soldiers on the border to wear these warm clothes was a small step forward.

General Lu looked at Wen Nuan, his lips naturally curling up into a smile. He felt a sense of pride; after all, she was one of the Lu family’s children.

General Lu said, “Alright, after the New Year, I’ll hold a meeting with everyone. This matter must be implemented as soon as possible.”

—o—o—o—

After breakfast, General Lu announced that he would take Wen Nuan and the others to the cemetery.

The cemetery was located in the western suburbs, nearly ten kilometres from the compound. However, with the car, they arrived in about ten minutes.

As they reached the cemetery, fine snowflakes began to fall from the sky, making the entire area seem even more tranquil and solemn. Although it was New Year’s Eve, a few people were still visiting.

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan held Lele on either side, following General Lu as they walked toward the cemetery.

Lele seemed unaware of where they were and curiously looked around, unable to help but ask, “Mom, where are we going?”

Wen Nuan patiently explained, “We’re going to visit Great Grandma and say a few words to her.”

It was not yet permissible to pay respects, but since this was a formal revolutionary cemetery, as long as they didn’t come during holidays like Tomb-Sweeping Day, it wouldn’t matter.

Hearing the child’s question, General Lu glanced at a distant spot and said, “There’s more to see; we’ll go visit your grandparents and, of course, your great-grandma.”

Speaking of his deceased partner, General Lu couldn’t help but sigh, “If your great-grandma knew you were coming, she would surely be overjoyed.”

Then, General Lu waved to Lele, saying, “Lele, come here to great-grandpa. I’ll carry you; your great-grandma is definitely looking forward to seeing you.”

Lele didn’t quite understand, but upon hearing that General Lu wanted to carry her, she let go of Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan’s hands and walked over to him with a smile, saying, “Great-grandpa carry.”

General Lu opened his arms and lifted Lele, smiling, “Come on, let’s go see your great-grandma.”

Lele happily followed General Lu, calling out, “Great-grandma!”

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan didn’t need to hold onto the child and slowly followed behind. However, seeing that Lele was with General Lu and they were lagging behind, Lele shouted, “Mommy, hurry up!”

General Lu walked slightly faster than they did, and in a moment, he created a small distance between them. Hearing Lele’s shout, Wen Nuan grabbed Gu Qinghan’s hand and said, “We should hurry and catch up; otherwise, carrying Lele must be tiring for Grandpa.”

Gu Qinghan looked at his wife and jokingly asked, “Do you have some misunderstanding about your grandfather? He’s not just any old man. Besides, our daughter isn’t heavy.”

Wen Nuan replied, exasperated, “So only I think Lele is heavy?”

In reality, it was because their stamina was better; Wen Nuan certainly couldn’t compare with them, so she naturally felt that Lele was quite heavy.

Gu Qinghan gave her a sidelong glance and said, “Come on, let me help you; we’ll catch up with Lele and the others.”

—o—o—o—

The cemetery was somewhat large. Looking at General Lu’s distant figure walking away, it seemed they still had quite a way to go. However, with Gu Qinghan leading the way, they managed to catch up during the last stretch.

Perhaps because time had passed, General Lu looked at the wooden grave marker in front of him without much sorrow. He softly said, “Teng Jun, Xuerou, I’ve brought your child to see you.”

“Wen Nuan is doing well; she’s grown up beautifully and is kind-hearted. She’s already started a family; her partner is one of our air force’s best pilots. You can rest assured that Daddy will take good care of her.”

The gravestone appeared to be quite old, but a few characters on the wooden board seemed to have been written not long ago, inscribing the names of Lu Tengjun and Wen Xuerou.

“Come over, child.” General Lu waved to Wen Nuan, saying, “These are your father and mother.”

Wen Nuan took a couple of steps forward and solemnly said, “Dad, Mom, I’m Wen Nuan. I’m here to see you.”

Then she also encouraged Lele to call out: “Grandpa, Grandma.”

Next, General Lu turned his gaze to an empty spot nearby, cleared his throat, and said: “Comrade Old Lin, can you see this? This is our granddaughter. Did you ever think I would bring her back? If you had held on for a few more years, you could have seen her just like I am.”

“You—you left so hastily; now you must regret it, huh?” General Lu said the last part with a smile, but Wen Nuan could tell he was becoming a bit emotional.

Wen Nuan walked over and stood beside General Lu and called out: “Grandma, I’ve come to see you.”

General Lu chuckled: “Your grandma can rest easy now.”

Holding Lele, General Lu encouraged her to call out, “Come on, Lele, call great-grandma. If your great-grandma sees you, she’ll probably be so happy that she won’t be able to sleep!”

Lele obediently echoed, “Great-grandma.”

General Lu ruffled the child’s hair, saying, “So good.”

—o—o—o—

After staying in the cemetery for a while, General Lu initially intended to visit the old compound, mentioning that Wen Nuan was born there.

However, just as they were about to set off, General Lu suddenly remembered that he had lent the compound to his nephew’s family a few years ago for temporary accommodation.

General Lu said, “That’s my younger brother, your little uncle’s youngest son. They have five daughters and one son. The oldest child is just over ten years old, and the youngest is only seven. He said the place allocated by his unit was so cramped that they couldn’t even move around. Since I’ve been in the military for so long and the compound was just sitting there, I thought I’d let them stay for a while.”

“Let’s see when you all can return to Beijing; I’ll ask for the compound back then.”

General Lu had always wanted Wen Nuan and the others to come to Beijing, but he knew it wasn’t practical to have her separated from Gu Qinghan.

However, Gu Qinghan was a promising young officer, the youngest regiment-level officer at the Northern Military Base, so it would probably just be a matter of time before he came to the main compound.

Wen Nuan quietly listened as General Lu talked about this matter without expressing her opinion. She simply said, “Then let’s head back to the compound. After lunch, we should start preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner.”

In that era, many families indeed had quite a few children. Even the military dependents often had four or five kids. Wen Nuan had heard from Sister Juxiang that the houses in the family compound often had only two rooms, with three rooms only allocated to those of higher ranks.

The houses provided by city units were likely even smaller, especially in Beijing of Beijing. Families with several children indeed had to squeeze together to sleep.

She couldn’t help but wonder whether, when General Lu finally asked for the compound back, they would be willing to move out without any complaints.

General Lu pursed his lips and then said to the driver, “Let’s head back to the compound. After Lele has a nap, we’ll make dumplings.”

Lele was far too excited to take a nap. After returning to the compound, she immediately pulled General Lu outside to build a snowman.

Since General Lu rarely had a day off, he readily obliged Lele’s request.

When she said she wanted to build a snowman, he even borrowed a snow shovel from the guards and brought back quite a bit of clean snow.

Wen Nuan originally thought about telling her grandfather not to tire himself out, but seeing General Lu so happy, she didn’t stop him.

General Lu looked at Wen Nuan and said, “Xiao Nuan, you should join us in building the snowman; just leave the kitchen to your Uncle Zhao.”

Wen Nuan considered that there was a lot to prepare for the New Year’s Eve dinner, so she replied, “Grandpa, you all have fun. I’ve already sent Uncle Zhao home to celebrate. Today’s kitchen work will be handled by Qinghan and me.”

General Lu had no kitchen experience, so when Wen Nuan said this, he chuckled, “Alright, after the dough is ready, I’ll join you to make dumplings.”

The glass windows of the kitchen allowed Wen Nuan to see General Lu playing happily with the child. She decided to prepare the New Year’s Eve dishes in advance. She started simmering the most time-consuming dishes, such as the pig trotters and the abalone chicken soup.

Perhaps Lele’s laughter was too loud, attracting several guests to the compound. They all claimed to have come to see Wen Nuan and the child, bringing along some snacks as well.

While General Lu said he didn’t want these visitors to come by, when people actually arrived, he changed his usually serious demeanour. Happily, he introduced Wen Nuan to his old comrades.

“This is my granddaughter, Wen Nuan.”

General Lu’s voice was particularly loud each time he introduced her as if he was afraid others wouldn’t hear.

The compound was not much different from the Northern Military Base; it was the main compound that gathered the army, navy, and air force.

Because General Lu had so many comrades, Wen Nuan couldn’t remember all their names.

General Lu simply instructed her on how to address them.

Wen Nuan thought about how everyone had exchanged New Year snacks, so she took out some fried oil cakes she had made earlier in the North and also steamed some red date walnut cakes at the last minute, keeping a little for the family and giving the rest to General Lu to share with the guests.

Watching his granddaughter work up a sweat in the cold weather, General Lu felt a twinge of pain: “If I had known, I wouldn’t have accepted their gifts.”

In the past, during the New Year celebrations, General Lu was either attending meetings in various locations or busy in his office.

Aside from Shen Chuanshan, who would specifically bring some food to his office, the other comrades knew he would not prepare any New Year snacks and had never sent him anything.

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “It’s the New Year; everyone should celebrate a little.”

Then she asked, “Grandpa, you’ll take Lele and deliver those snacks, right? After that, we can all make dumplings together.”

“Sure, it’s a time for celebration during the New Year,” General Lu replied as he picked up several portions of snacks that Wen Nuan had prepared and led Lele out the door.

Watching the two figures leave, Wen Nuan turned to Gu Qinghan and said, “It seems Lele won’t be taking a nap today.”

Lele had gone to bed later than usual the night before because there was a television in the area, and the program continued until ten-thirty, so she had stayed up to watch until then.

Gu Qinghan was about to wash some vegetables when he heard Wen Nuan’s comment and responded, “Then let her go to bed earlier tonight.”

“That might be harder. When Grandpa left just now, he said he would buy her firecrackers.” Wen Nuan had thought General Lu was a strict elder, not realizing that he actually had a soft spot for his grandchildren.

Gu Qinghan chuckled, leaned in, and kissed his wife on the cheek: “After all, it only happens once a year; let her have some fun. Plus, with Lele around, Grandpa will be happy.”

“That’s true.”

Seeing the man’s smile, Wen Nuan handed him the radish and said, “Can you peel this too?”

Gu Qinghan took the radish and asked, “Do you want to go rest for a bit?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m not that tired.” Wen Nuan took a piece of the freshly steamed jujube and walnut cake from the side, cut a small piece, and offered it to the man, saying, “Have a little; I see you haven’t eaten much.”

Gu Qinghan ate without reservation and then said, “You sit and rest for a bit; I’ll handle the rest.”

Wen Nuan pulled over a chair and sat down, leisurely savouring a piece of walnut cake while chattering to Gu Qinghan, “I plan to go see Meijiao; she’s over in East City.”

Gu Qinghan, aware that Wen Nuan was looking at him, finished chopping the vegetables before responding, “Sure, do you want me to accompany you?”

“No need; we women will be chatting, and you won’t have anything to add,” Wen Nuan replied. She took another small piece of cake and grabbed a jujube, asking, “You mentioned Hu Qing is also in the capital? Do you know where he is?”

Gu Qinghan lifted his gaze and said, “I was in a hurry to get back to the army, so I didn’t ask. If you want to know, I can call Comrade Liu.”

Wen Nuan replied, “I’m not sure if there’s enough time; let’s not ask for now.”

Since General Lu didn’t have much time off, he would likely be busy by the second or third day of the New Year, making it pointless for them to stay here.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, Lele followed General Lu outside for a stroll—full of energy and not once complaining about wanting to sleep.

She also behaved very politely; when General Lu asked her to call out to people, she obediently did so, and everyone who saw her remarked on how adorable she was, keeping a smile on General Lu’s face.

General Lu wished he could take the child to explore the entire compound, but it was simply too large. After delivering snacks to a few old comrades, he carried Lele back home, ready to make dumplings.

—o—o—o—

By the time they returned, Gu Qinghan had already started rolling out the dough.

Lele spotted the dumpling-making process and hurried over, saying, “Mommy, give me some dough.”

“I want to make dumplings too.”

Seeing Lele hanging on her thigh, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Sure, but first, Mommy needs to help you wash your hands; they need to be clean.”

Upon hearing this, Lele tugged at General Lu and headed toward the washroom, saying, “Great-grandpa, you need to wash your hands too.”

General Lu laughed heartily, “Okay, okay, great-grandpa will wash his hands too,” and he followed the child into the washroom.

Standing next to Wen Nuan, General Lu had intended to shape a few nice, plump dumplings, but each attempt ended in failure—either the filling was overstuffed and burst the skin, or there wasn’t enough filling, making the dumplings look flat.

He glanced at Gu Qinghan, hoping to regain some face through him.

To his dismay, the sight was infuriating; Gu Qinghan’s dumplings were well-shaped, round, and beautiful.

No wonder Wen Nuan’s dumplings looked pathetic next to his!

General Lu then looked at the dumplings Lele had made, which were somewhat comparable to his own.

Just then, he caught Wen Nuan glancing at the dumplings in his hands, and he couldn’t help but feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment. “It’s been too long since Grandpa practised; let me make a few more.”

His work had always been busy; even when his late wife was alive, he was perpetually tied up with endless meetings. By the time he returned home, it was usually just to eat a hurried meal before heading out again to visit soldiers or host the New Year’s gala for the troops.

In the past couple of years, he had spent the New Year at his cousin’s house, where there were a dozen or twenty people—enough to create a lively atmosphere.

However, he found the noise overwhelming and felt disconnected from all that excitement, leading him to stop going altogether.

Now, things were different; he had his own family again!

Being with Wen Nuan and the child, even the act of making dumplings, brought him immense joy.

Indeed, the things people pursue at different stages of life vary greatly. In his youth, filled with ambition, he had never indulged in feelings of nostalgia or melancholy, focusing solely on serving his country.

Now, at this age, he suddenly felt that even sitting at the dining table with just a few people, making dumplings together, brought immense satisfaction and happiness.

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “It’s okay, Grandpa, yours are the most unique. We’ll easily spot which ones have the coins in them.”

Lele shouted, “I want the ones with money!”

Wen Nuan replied, “Then you need to pay attention to the dumplings Grandpa makes; you’re sure to find one.”

Upon hearing them, General Lu felt his confidence return. “That’s right; great-grandpa will put coins in them. Lele, make sure to recognize the dumplings great-grandpa makes.”

This tradition of hiding coins in dumplings was taught to him by his late wife. In the past, they would occasionally find one or two coins when eating dumplings, so he had arranged for Uncle Zhao to prepare some coins for the New Year’s dumpling-making long ago.

Lele, standing on a chair because she wasn’t tall enough, heard what her mother said and looked at the dumplings in General Lu’s hands, innocently stating, “They’re ugly.”

As soon as those words escaped her lips, General Lu felt a pang of disappointment.

Clearing his throat, he replied, “They’re special; you don’t understand yet, little one.”

Lele couldn’t understand, tilting her head as she gazed at her great-grandpa and asked, “Are they especially ugly?”

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Lele, unsure of what her mother found funny, joined in with a hearty laugh, filling the once-empty house with their joyful noises.

Seeing them laugh, General Lu felt a wave of happiness wash over him.

It truly felt wonderful to spend time with family.