Chapter 83

After the snow had fallen, the entire compound was covered with a layer of silver-white snow.

The cold weather did not dampen everyone’s enthusiasm for celebrating the New Year. Because winter nights arrived early, everyone began preparing for the New Year’s Eve dinner well in advance.

After Wen Nuan finished making dumplings with her family, she called over Gu Qinghan and her grandfather to help her prepare. “Grandpa, Qinghan, come help me gut this fish. We need to make a fish tonight, so we’ll have yearly surpluses.”

“Coming right away.” General Lu had been eagerly waiting for his granddaughter to arrive, so he naturally did whatever she asked. He rolled up his sleeves and picked up the knife.

Seeing General Lu with the knife, Gu Qinghan quickly caught a fish from the basin and placed it on the cutting board.

General Lu swiftly stunned the fish with the knife and skillfully scaled it. In no time, he had cleaned the fish and placed it on the counter.

With the fish cleaned, General Lu turned to Wen Nuan and said, “Grandpa has already cleaned the fish. Is there anything else you need my help with?”

Wen Nuan noticed that the fish was already arranged on a plate, so she replied, “I can handle the rest. Grandpa, you should go take a break.”

“Grandpa isn’t tired. If there’s anything I can do in the kitchen, just let me know,” General Lu said, feeling a sense of accomplishment from gutting the fish.

Wen Nuan glanced at the dishes in the kitchen, most of which were already prepared. The only thing left was to prepare the hot pot ingredients for later.

Since it was quite cold, the guards had brought back two catties of sliced lamb in the afternoon. Wen Nuan planned to prepare lamb for the hot pot that night to keep everyone warm and to avoid worrying about the food getting cold.

Wen Nuan then said, “There’s nothing much left to do. The rice is almost ready; I’ll just steam the fish, and we can eat.”

With nothing else to do, General Lu noticed Wen Nuan was making some meatballs and asked, “Xiao Nuan, did you make all of these yourself?”

Hearing General Lu’s question, Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Yes, these are all meatballs. There are fish, pork, beef, and vegetable balls. These meatballs are great for hot pot, Grandpa. You can try some later.”

Lele, that little one, loved these meatballs the most. She could eat several at a time and sometimes added a few to her noodle soup.

General Lu chuckled, “Then I’ll have to taste them well tonight.”

Wen Nuan was just about to suggest that General Lu took a break when the phone in the living room rang. General Lu said, “It should be for New Year’s greetings; I’ll go answer the call.”

Wen Nuan replied with a smile, “Go ahead, Grandpa. We’ll manage here.”

Before long, Wen Nuan heard General Lu speaking on the phone. “Yes, yes, my granddaughter and her family have come here; I won’t be coming over tonight…”

Not long after hanging up, the phone rang again, and General Lu repeated the same words he had just said.

Wen Nuan peeked through the kitchen door into the living room and saw General Lu still on the phone. She turned to Gu Qinghan and said, “Grandpa is quite busy.”

Gu Qinghan did not intend to hide it from his wife and replied, “Yes, he must be busy. In the past, during the New Year, Grandpa had meetings with his superiors or visited the soldiers in the troops. He must have made these arrangements long ago.”

At General Lu’s level, all holidays had to be sacrificed for work. If it weren’t for just having reunited with his family, he would have been scheduled to celebrate the New Year at various Air Force bases with other soldiers.

Wen Nuan paused in her actions and softly said, “Then I need to prepare a good New Year’s Eve dinner for Grandpa to show my gratitude.”

Gu Qinghan looked at the several dishes in the kitchen, pinched his wife’s fair cheek, and laughed, “It’s already great. Grandpa just wants to see you; don’t think too much about it.”

Wen Nuan felt a cool sensation on her face. Seeing the cleaned fish, she suddenly thought of something and frowned at him, “Did you not wash your hands?”

Gu Qinghan playfully tapped her nose with his finger and smiled, “I washed them.”

Wen Nuan rubbed her face with her arm and muttered, “Why do I feel like there’s a bit of a smell?”

“It’s just psychological,” Gu Qinghan said, lowering his head to give her a quick kiss.

Wen Nuan instinctively glanced toward the living room and elbowed the mischievous man, “Vice-Captain Gu, mind your image!”

Lele, who was squatting nearby picking vegetables, saw her parents kissing and exclaimed, “Ah!” Then she covered her eyes with her little hands and said, “So embarrassing.”

Gu Qinghan raised an eyebrow, “Where’s the embarrassment? We’re a legally recognized couple in this country.”

He then walked over to see what Lele was up to, and upon closer inspection, he noticed that Lele had torn a large cabbage into shreds with her hands.

Wen Nuan saw this, too, and smacked Gu Qinghan’s arm. “How could you even think of giving her a whole cabbage?”

Earlier, Lele had been begging for help, and since Gu Qinghan was busy, he handed her a large cabbage to keep her occupied.

Gu Qinghan squatted beside Lele and grabbed a basket. “You know your mother is going to scold you. Hurry up and pick up the cabbage to wash it.”

Lele giggled as she started to gather the cabbage leaves. Although they were a bit torn apart by the child, they were just fine for the hot pot.

While washing the vegetables, Lele also came over to “help.” However, Wen Nuan soon noticed that the child had gotten her clothes wet in no time, and she scolded them both.

This year’s New Year’s Eve dinner was being prepared with great abundance.

In addition to preparing hot pot, they had also made braised pig trotters, abalone chicken soup with pig stomach, steamed fish, stir-fried squid tentacles, celery stir-fried with clams, and dumplings. Each dish was plentiful enough that even if they didn’t eat the main course, they could fill up on meat and vegetables alone.

Once the hot pot broth began to boil, General Lu specially retrieved a bottle of Maotai from the cabinet and brought out three cups to share with Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan.

Wen Nuan wasn’t really accustomed to drinking alcohol, and Gu Qinghan drank even less; with the heavy flight missions, he only had a drink once in a while.

However, tonight was a rare occasion for celebration, and even though Wen Nuan wasn’t much of a drinker, she planned to have a couple of cups with her grandfather.

Thinking there was nothing for her, Lele protested, “Great-grandpa, I don’t have any!”

“This is white liquor; Lele can’t drink this.”

Just as Lele was about to get upset, General Lu pulled out a bottle of soda that had been prepared earlier from under the table and placed it in front of her bowl, saying, “This is what little kids can drink.”

Lele clapped her hands in delight and exclaimed, “Soda! Thank you, Great-grandpa!”

Before they started eating, General Lu raised his glass first. “We’re all one family, so I won’t say anything formal; otherwise, you’d all be starving.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh.

General Lu continued, “Today, Grandpa is especially happy to be able to celebrate the New Year with you all. Let’s raise our glasses and wish everyone a happy New Year, good health, and all the best.”

Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan also stood up, holding their glasses, and said, “Then we wish you good health, Grandpa, and may your blessings be as vast as the East Sea.”

Lele mimicked them, seeing the adults raise their glasses. She chimed in, “Wishing Great-grandpa good health!”

“Good, good, good! Thank you all,” General Lu said as he lifted his glass and downed the liquor in one go.

Lele seemed to find toasting amusing and insisted on toasting with Wen Nuan. “Mommy, mommy, let’s toast!”

Wen Nuan, feeling the warmth of the liquor flush her cheeks, smiled and replied, “Then what should we say when we toast, huh?”

Lele thought for a moment and cheerfully said, “Wishing you wealth!”

Earlier, Wen Nuan had taught her some phrases for the New Year, and she was surprised that Lele remembered. Smiling, Wen Nuan clinked her glass with Lele’s and said, “Then Mommy wishes Lele health and happiness, too.”

Eager to drink the soda in her glass, Lele quickly gulped down a big mouthful after the toast.

“We’ll toast again later; let’s eat first,” Wen Nuan said as she moved Lele’s glass aside and helped her scoot her chair in a bit.

After they had eaten most of the meal, General Lu looked at the bits of shredded vegetable leaves nearby and asked who had picked them.

Lele immediately stood up to take credit. “Great-grandpa, I picked these!”

Hearing her claim, General Lu was delighted. He lifted her onto a nearby chair and praised her, “Lele is amazing! Grandpa will have some more of this cabbage later!”

Lele, feeling proud, turned to Wen Nuan, who had scolded her earlier, and said, “Mommy, look! Grandpa praised me.”

Lele was quite pleased with herself, knowing that no matter what she did, her great-grandpa would always have her back.

Wen Nuan picked up some vegetable leaves from the clear broth pot and handed them to her, smiling warmly, “Then Lele should eat more vegetables, okay? Eating more veggies will help you grow tall.”

“Right, right! Lele picked them herself, so I must eat more,” General Lu added, giving her two more pieces of vegetable leaves.

Lele looked at the vegetable leaves in her bowl and, for the first time, didn’t fuss. Instead, she turned to Wen Nuan and asked, “Mommy, spoon?”

Wen Nuan smiled and handed her a spoon, then whispered beside Gu Qinghan, “Why is your daughter so well-behaved today? Could it be she’s waiting for her red envelope?”

Gu Qinghan cooked two pieces of lamb and dipped them in sauce before placing them in Wen Nuan’s bowl. He laughed and replied, “I doubt it; I think she’s just eager to go out and set off firecrackers.”

Since each family had different times for their New Year’s Eve dinner, many children were already playing in the compound, and the sound of firecrackers could be heard in the background. It seemed that Lele was indeed drawn to the crackling noises.

Gu Qinghan’s guess was spot on. Lele quickly finished her meal and insisted on getting down from her chair.

She then ran to the washroom and washed her hands. When she returned, she proudly asked Wen Nuan, “Mommy, look! Are my hands clean?”

Wen Nuan checked her hands. Although they weren’t very clean, she appreciated the child’s initiative and said, “Very good! Next time, just rub your hands a bit more, and they’ll be cleaner.”

Wen Nuan then dampened a cloth and wiped her hands for her.

Lele seemed to be quite full. Even with half a bottle of soda left, she didn’t ask for more to drink. Instead, she ran to a cabinet and retrieved some firecrackers that General Lu had bought for her.

She approached General Lu with the items and said excitedly, “Great-grandpa, let’s set off firecrackers!”

Having eaten quite a bit himself, General Lu was in a good mood and put down his chopsticks. “Alright, wait for Great-grandpa to wash his hands, and then we’ll go out to set off the firecrackers.”

Wen Nuan pulled the child closer and said, “Lele, great-grandpa hasn’t finished his meal yet. You can’t do this; you have to wait until great-grandpa has finished eating before he can play with you.”

General Lu smiled and said, “I’ve already eaten a lot. It’s fine; having a full meal is a good excuse to play with Lele. Let’s consider it a walk.”

Seeing that General Lu had washed his hands clean, Wen Nuan said, “Then I’ll come find you after I finish my meal.”

Next, Wen Nuan looked at Gu Qinghan, who was standing nearby, and said, “You’ll have to do the dishes tonight.”

Gu Qinghan replied in a hoarse voice, “No problem, I’ll wash them. You go and play.”

Gu Qinghan had drunk several cups of wine with General Lu, but he didn’t seem to be affected at that moment. However, Wen Nuan could sense from his speaking speed that Gu Qinghan might be a little drunk.

Hearing Gu Qinghan’s response eased General Lu’s worries. Previously, he had been assessing whether Gu Qinghan was the kind of super macho man. Once or twice, a person could pretend, but after observing him a few times, General Lu found Gu Qinghan to be quite decent and not the type to let his granddaughter take on all the household chores.

Although Wen Nuan had married into the family, if Gu Qinghan dared to act domineeringly, General Lu wouldn’t allow Wen Nuan to be with him, no matter what methods he had to employ.

However, it was still too early to draw any conclusions; he needed to keep observing for a while longer.

As long as he was around, no one could bully his granddaughter.

Wen Nuan followed General Lu and Lele outside to set off firecrackers. There was also a movie playing in the compound, but Lele was so excited to play that she didn’t want to watch it.

Moreover, General Lu’s family had a television, and Lele learned to turn it on herself.

When Wen Nuan went outside to set off firecrackers, she encountered several of General Lu’s old comrades, one of whom was Shen Chuanshan. When they met, he took the time to chat with her for a while.

After catching up, Shen Chuanshan asked her, “I heard you can make down jackets?”

Shen Chuanshan was the deputy general of the army base in the northwestern frontier. Earlier that afternoon, General Lu had mentioned to him that they needed to make some down jackets and asked if it was feasible.

Shen Chuanshan had also tried on the down jacket that Wen Nuan made, and it was indeed very lightweight. Most importantly, it provided good insulation, which was essential for those stationed at the border. Such military uniforms would be particularly useful.

Although the cost was a bit high, preparing dozens of pieces for a unit wasn’t out of the question. It was especially a good choice for the soldiers on duty, particularly at night.

Hearing Shen Chuanshan’s question, Wen Nuan promptly replied, “I can make them. If General Shen needs any, I can write down the process in the next couple of days and compile it into a booklet for you.”

After thinking for a moment, Wen Nuan added, “If needed, I can also make a trip to the garment factory and teach everyone how to make them.”

Upon hearing this, Shen Chuanshan smiled and said, “It’s not set in stone yet. If there’s a need, I might have to trouble you later.”

Wen Nuan responded, “It’s no trouble at all. I would be happy to contribute to the unit.”

“That’s good to hear,” Shen Chuanshan said after a moment’s thought. “But why don’t you write that booklet first? I can have someone follow the instructions to try making it. If they run into any issues, we can consult you then.”

Shen Chuanshan knew that Wen Nuan would soon return to the North, and travelling alone with a child would certainly be inconvenient for her.

Given Lu Mingfei’s nature, he likely wouldn’t allow Wen Nuan to help with this in the northwestern region, even if it were convenient.

However, having the methods to make the jackets would be sufficient since it wasn’t a highly technical task.

Wen Nuan smiled at his words and said, “Alright, I understand. I will write the booklet for you as soon as possible.”

Shen Chuanshan replied, “No rush. It’s the New Year, so just enjoy your time with your grandfather.”

Lu Mingfei had sent off his grey-haired friends for many years. When his two sons passed away, they were just over forty years old.

For the past twenty years, he had lived with his wife, and since she passed away a few years ago, he had been all alone.

After finally bringing the family together, Shen Chuanshan hoped his good comrade could enjoy the joys of family life.

General Lu approached at some point and grunted, “You old man, how can you just directly ask for someone else’s stuff? Shen Chuanshan, are you trying to bully my granddaughter, a little girl?”

Shen Chuanshan snorted lightly and replied, “What are you talking about? How could our unit possibly take things for free?”

“Don’t worry. Once those down jackets are made, our unit won’t hesitate to give Comrade Wen Nuan her fee. It will definitely be given to her!”

Wen Nuan was genuinely surprised that there would even be money involved.

This was truly wonderful!

The little phrase “Wishing you prosperity” from Lele actually had an effect!

General Lu tilted his head slightly to look at Shen Chuanshan and said distrustfully, “That’s good, but you better keep your word!”

Shen Chuanshan rolled his eyes at him and replied, “Of course, I will keep my word. I’m not like you, someone who lacks credibility.”

“You’re talking nonsense! How am I like you? I’ve always kept my word; don’t slander me!”

“Last time you lost to me in a game of Five Grain Liquor, who didn’t pay up?”

“Wasn’t that because you lost to me in chess last time? You owe me a bottle…”

The two of them together were over a hundred years old, yet when they bickered, they acted like children, arguing until their faces turned red and their necks thickened.

The people in the compound seemed unfazed by the sight of General Lu and Shen Chuanshan arguing like elementary school students. They joked, “It’s New Year’s Eve, and you’re not calling a truce?”

However, despite their bickering, General Lu and Shen Chuanshan didn’t let it affect their drinking together.

When they returned to General Lu’s yard, where Gu Qinghan had already washed the dishes. However, since they hadn’t eaten much, the leftovers were still on the table, not yet put away.

Shen Chuanshan looked at the large spread of food, nearly drooling, and said, “If I had known you were having dinner here, why didn’t you call me?”

He was certain that Lu Mingfei had deliberately not invited him!

General Lu shot him a glance and retorted, “Coming over for dinner on New Year’s Eve, does that count?”

Seeing that they were about to start arguing again, Wen Nuan asked Gu Qinghan to help her get two bowls from the kitchen. She planned to reheat the hotpot for them and asked, “Grandpa, do you want me to bring a bottle of wine for you and General Shen?”

Her grandfather seemed to enjoy his drinks. He had been wanting to drink with her earlier, but she had poor tolerance and needed to keep an eye on little Lele so she couldn’t drink too much.

Now that there was an old comrade to keep him company, having a drink occasionally wouldn’t be a problem. Uncle Zhao had said that her grandfather’s health was generally fine, but it was good to drink in moderation.

As soon as Shen Chuanshan heard Wen Nuan’s offer, he immediately smiled and said, “Old Lu, your granddaughter knows how to treat people far better than you do. I appreciate this kind of young person.”

“Come on, Comrade Wen Nuan, bring me your grandfather’s Maotai. Let’s see where he’s hiding it this time!”

Although General Lu loved to spar with his old war buddy, he was unusually happy this time. He gestured for Wen Nuan to get the wine but still huffed, “Old Shen, I’m just doing this to give a face to my granddaughter tonight. It won’t happen again.”

“Fine, fine, fine. I’m just riding on Comrade Wen Nuan’s coattails here.”

“Otherwise, what do you think?”

Just as Wen Nuan brought the wine over, Gu Qinghan emerged with two bowls. He placed the bowls in front of the two elders and said, “Grandpa, General Lu, why don’t you see if you’d like some side dishes to go with the wine?”

Shen Chuanshan glanced at Gu Qinghan, his sharp eyes quickly assessing him, and remarked, “The best pilot in the Air Force, quite the handsome figure.”

Gu Qinghan nodded respectfully, “General Shen.”

“Please, have a seat,” Shen Chuanshan gestured for him to sit down. Although he was from the Army Operations Department, he was familiar with some news from the Air Force. He then asked, “I heard you’ve started test-flying the latest fighter jet model?”

Gu Qinghan pulled out a chair and sat down, pouring a glass of wine for each of the generals before saying, “Yes, we’ve begun test flights, but the situation isn’t very optimistic.”

General Lu tapped the edge of his wine glass with his finger and said, “After all, this is our first independently developed fighter jet. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Shen Chuanshan nodded in agreement. “That’s right. I have confidence in our organization’s researchers; we should take our time.”

Shen Chuanshan poured a glass of wine for Gu Qinghan and asked, “Come on, tell me what happened during your last crash?”

Seeing that they were discussing serious matters, Wen Nuan took Lele back to the second floor to wash up and get ready for bed.

The child had played all day and hadn’t even taken a nap. While brushing her teeth, she became so drowsy that she almost fell to the floor.

Noticing how tired Lele was, Wen Nuan knew she couldn’t hold on much longer. She took out a red envelope and said, “Lele, this is your New Year’s money from Mommy. You can put it under your little pillow, but don’t open it yet, okay?”

Lele accepted the envelope, completely out of energy. She grabbed it and fell onto the bed, mumbling, “Sleepy.”

“Mommy, stay with me.”

Wen Nuan could still vaguely hear voices coming from downstairs, indicating that the gathering wasn’t ending anytime soon. She hugged Lele and lay down on the bed with her.

Wen Nuan reached out and gently ran her fingers through the child’s hair, saying, “Lele must be tired, right? Happy New Year!”

Lele, clearly exhausted, slurred, “Mommy, happy too…”

She fell asleep almost immediately, still clutching the red envelope in her hand. Wen Nuan tucked the envelope under the pillow and snuggled up next to her.

Perhaps she was too tired and had a bit to drink; before she knew it, Wen Nuan had fallen asleep.

When she woke up, Gu Qinghan was quietly turning the doorknob. Seeing that she was awake, he asked, “Did I wake you?”

Wen Nuan rubbed her eyes and asked the man, “Hmm, what time is it?”

“It’s a little past eleven-thirty. Grandpa came up just now, but he said you were asleep and asked me to give you the red envelope.” Gu Qinghan walked over to her as he spoke, taking off his coat and draping it over a nearby chair.

He climbed onto the bed beside Wen Nuan and handed her the red envelope, saying, “This is from Grandpa.”

Wen Nuan took it from him and asked, “What about yours?”

Gu Qinghan lay on his side, wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist, his voice hoarse as he said, “Mine’s in my coat pocket.”

Wen Nuan wasn’t completely awake yet, but she could smell the strong scent of alcohol on him when he spoke.

She frowned and murmured, “Did you drink a lot?”

“Not too much,” Gu Qinghan replied, resting his chin on Wen Nuan’s shoulder, enjoying the sweet scent of her hair.

Wen Nuan paused for a moment, then slowly tucked the red envelope under her pillow. After that, she took out another envelope and handed it to Gu Qinghan, saying, “This is for you.”

“I have one, too?” Gu Qinghan accepted the envelope from his wife, a broader smile spreading across his face.

Wen Nuan rested her head on his strong arm and yawned, slowly saying, “Hmm, Happy New Year.”

Gu Qinghan looked at the red envelope in his hand, taking a moment before placing it under the pillow. He then pulled his wife closer, whispering in her ear, “Wife, Happy New Year to you too.”

Gu Qinghan’s body was warm, and Wen Nuan felt quite comfortable nestled in his embrace. She began to feel drowsy again, mumbling a sleepy “mm” in response.

However, just as she was about to drift off again, Gu Qinghan leaned over her. The scent of alcohol was even stronger, making Wen Nuan almost believe she was the one who had drunk too much.

“Wife, I’m really happy to be with you,” he said.

Wen Nuan met his deep, dark eyes but didn’t quite process what was happening before she felt a shadow looming over her.