Chapter 87

In May, the North was full of life, with green everywhere one looked.

The weather had warmed up, and both of them were covered in sweat afterwards.

Wen Nuan lay on the kang, feeling a bit reluctant to move. Initially, she had thought about preparing a meal for Gu Qinghan, but now she felt more like she had become his meal.

She tugged the quilt to cover her body and kicked the refreshed man beside her with her foot, huffing, “You go cook. I’m not cooking anymore.”

Exhausted and a little drowsy, all she wanted to do was sleep.

Gu Qinghan had just showered, and his hair was still slightly damp. He glanced sideways at Wen Nuan on the kang and noticed a layer of rosy warmth covering her face, a certain softness that was hard to describe.

He had intended to suggest that she take a shower, too, but it seemed that Wen Nuan preferred to rest instead.

Gu Qinghan bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, softly saying, “Alright, you rest a bit. I’ll finish cooking soon, and then we can eat before you sleep a little more.”

Just as he finished speaking, Gu Qinglan’s loud voice came from outside, “Sister-in-law, we’re back!”

Then there was Lele’s cute, bubbly voice, “Mommy, look what I bought!”

Upon hearing their voices, Wen Nuan instantly sprang up from the kang and began frantically searching for her clothes. Anxious, she couldn’t find anything, so Gu Qinghan helped her retrieve her clothes from a nearby chair, speaking in a deep voice, “What’s the rush? Take your time.”

Wen Nuan hurriedly slipped on her clothes and then pinched the man’s arm, saying, “It’s all your fault!”

At the door, there was another round of knocking, with Lele’s impatient voice calling out, “Mommy, Mommy, Lele is back!”

Outside, Gu Qinglan pushed the door and murmured, “That’s strange; didn’t Old Zhong say sister-in-law was back at the family quarters? Why is the door locked in the middle of the day?”

Because the weather was warm, Wen Nuan liked to keep the doors and windows open for ventilation whenever she was home, rarely closing them unless it was nighttime.

Moreover, as long as it wasn’t winter, the neighbors in the family quarters enjoyed visiting each other to chat, and her sister-in-law often visited Guo Huai’s sister-in-law so they wouldn’t have the door shut.

Gu Qinglan lowered his head and said to Lele, “Lele, your mom might not be home; why don’t you go check with Aunt Guo Huai?”

Wen Nuan heard the voices outside, her face turning beet red, and she immediately raised her voice to respond, “I’m coming. I’m here at home!”

However, Gu Qinghan had already stepped out of the room, and Wen Nuan responded and opened the door for them.

As soon as Lele saw the door open, he excitedly rushed toward Gu Qinghan, saying, “Dad, Dad, guess what I bought!”

Lele was completely unaware of the situation; the first thing he wanted to do upon seeing his father was to show off his new purchase.

Gu Qinglan, having ridden his bicycle for a long while and now dripping with sweat, frowned when he saw his older brother open the door and asked, “Big brother, you were home all along? Why was the door locked…?”

“Mm.” Gu Qinghan had no intention of explaining. He directly picked up the excited Lele and placed her on the sofa.

Gu Qinglan had bought a lot of things during his trip to the town and didn’t bother with his older brother locking the door. He dumped a large pile of items on the dining table and asked, “Where’s sister-in-law? Has she already taken a nap?”

Wen Nuan often returned home for a midday nap, and given the timing, it was indeed possible she had already fallen asleep.

Gu Qinghan simply replied, “Mm, she’s in the room.”

He glanced at the items in Lele’s hands and feigned curiosity, saying, “Let me see what Lele bought.”

Lele proudly pulled out a glass ball from her hand, showing it off, “Auntie bought me a ball, Daddy. Look, it sparkles!”

The sofa was positioned next to the bed, and the sunlight streaming into the yard made the room very bright. The brand-new glass ball indeed glimmered with dazzling light.

Lele had bought several, and one hand couldn’t hold them all. One nearly fell to the ground, but thankfully, Gu Qinghan caught it just in time.

He placed the crystal-clear glass ball back in Lele’s small hand, gently saying, “You have to take good care of your glass ball this time; otherwise, it might get lost again.”

Last year, Liu Minghua’s son came to the family quarters and gifted Lele a glass ball, but she secretly took it out to play, and it fell into a snow pile. She hadn’t told anyone until she got home and said the ball was missing.

It was already gone by the time Gu Qinghan had gone back to look for it.

With the recent warm weather, Wen Nuan was busy with factory construction, and Gu Qinghan also had many tasks in his flight crew, so he hadn’t had the chance to take her to town.

It was no wonder Wen Nuan had said when she heard Gu Qinglan was going to town, she immediately took out a small chair, clearly wanting that glass ball for quite some time.

Lele tightly gripped her glass ball in her hand and then slid off Gu Qinghan’s lap, saying as she ran toward the room, “I want to show Mommy!”

Just then, Wen Nuan, with her neatly arranged hair, opened the door and smiled, blocking the little one’s path, asking, “What does Lele want to show Mommy?”

She had just finished putting on her clothes and had tidied her hair, so she looked much the same as usual, though there was still a hint of pink on her cheeks.

Lele stood on her tiptoes and opened her hand covering the glass ball, revealing it to Wen Nuan, grinning, “Mommy, look at my ball!”

Wen Nuan looked at the several glass balls in Lele’s hand and smiled, “They’re so pretty.”

Lele extended her other hand, pinching one of the balls, and handed it to Wen Nuan, saying, “Mommy, you can have one.”

Wen Nuan initially wanted to refuse, but the little one often misplaced her belongings, so she thought it best to help her keep them safe. “Okay, thank you, Lele.”

Gu Qinghan, who had walked over at some point, asked playfully, a hint of jealousy in his voice, “Why does Mommy get one, but Daddy doesn’t?”

Lele smiled at Gu Qinghan, then tightened her grip on her glass ball, hiding behind Wen Nuan, saying, “Daddy is an adult; Daddy doesn’t play.”

Gu Qinghan was momentarily left speechless.

Lele clearly favored her mother, but Gu Qinghan didn’t mind; instead, he went to the kitchen to prepare the meal.

When Gu Qinghan finally brought out the dishes, Gu Qinglan, who had just caught his breath, suddenly exclaimed, “Big brother, sister-in-law, you two haven’t eaten yet? What were you doing with the door locked?”

Wen Nuan: “…”

With the weather warming up, Wen Nuan had to return to her cooking class on time every day.

Since Guo Huai’s sister-in-law’s parents had come to visit, they had been preparing a variety of hometown delicacies for the past few days and had also sent a lot of delicious food to Wen Nuan.

Wen Nuan hadn’t eaten those dishes before, but she had shamelessly accepted them. When she had some spare time, she would also return some food and drinks to them.

Uncle Zhang had stayed in the family quarters for a week before he said he needed to return to his hometown.

After Wen Nuan learned this, she thought Uncle Zhang was eager to prepare the next batch of dried seafood, so she encouraged him to stay in the family quarters for a few more days to spend time with Guo Huai’s sister-in-law.

Uncle Zhang told Wen Nuan, “Since the baby hasn’t been born yet, having one more person around just means one more mouth to feed. I might as well head back to my hometown. When Guo Huai is about to give birth, I’ll bring the next batch of dried seafood over, and I’ll have a chance to see my grandson.”

Wen Nuan’s colleague had previously mentioned that they intended to order another batch of dried seafood. Uncle Zhang needed to return to the village early to oversee things, as he couldn’t afford to make any mistakes in this business.

Having heard that the North had over ten thousand troops, he thought that he could regularly supply them in the future, giving the villagers something to look forward to and ensuring that the seafood wouldn’t go bad on the beach.

Naturally, Zhang Guohua and Aunt Liang had no objections. The village had been poor for so long, and now they finally found a way to engage in trade. As the village chief, Uncle Zhang had to go back and supervise everyone’s work to generate income for the village.

Wen Nuan felt grateful upon hearing Uncle Zhang’s words. She glanced at him and said, “Uncle Zhang, although the army needs a lot of supplies, you don’t need to rush. It’s fine if you send them over a bit later. We should make sure the villagers don’t overwork themselves; their health comes first.”

Although Uncle Zhang’s hometown was also in the North, it was hot everywhere during the summer. It wouldn’t be good if the villagers suffered heatstroke just for their goods.

Uncle Zhang hadn’t expected Wen Nuan to consider this aspect, and it reassured him even more that he hadn’t made the wrong choice this time. He chuckled, “Alright, alright, I got it. The people in our village are all experienced, so you can rest assured. I’ll send you a telegram once the next batch of dried seafood is ready.”

Wen Nuan nodded, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Uncle Zhang had come over in a truck that the army used to transport dried seafood, but he had to take the train back since the supply sergeant had given him cash for the transaction. Guo Huai’s sister-in-law mentioned that Uncle Zhang was worried about being robbed on the train, so she suggested that Zhou Jianshe accompany him back.

Zhou Jianshe was more than willing to escort his father-in-law home but was also concerned about Guo Huai’s sister-in-law, fearing she might encounter some unexpected situation.

In response, Zhang Guohua directly yelled at him, “Stop talking nonsense! We still have Mommy at home. You can just go for a few days!”

Since becoming pregnant, Zhang Guohua has been pampered by Zhou Jianshe to the point where she feels it is a bit excessive. Sometimes, she felt more like a fragile person than a pregnant woman.

Although she was in her thirties, she felt that being pregnant didn’t make her any less capable than younger mothers. Still, she had to be careful. Zhou Jianshe would often pour her a glass of water as if she might fall and hurt herself, which made her feel a bit frustrated.

Now that her mother had come over from her hometown, she had someone to help her, and she didn’t need Zhou Jianshe to keep such a close watch on her.

Zhou Jianshe awkwardly scratched the back of his head and smiled, “Then I’ll pack a couple of outfits. Tomorrow, I’ll take Daddy back to the hometown.”

Uncle Zhang replied, “I can manage on my own. Worst case, I won’t sleep; there’s no need to make such a fuss about sending Jianshe for a trip!”

Zhou Jianshe was, after all, a regiment leader with a busy schedule. The North wasn’t too far from Shandong Province; it only took a day and a night by train to get there.

He had already decided that he wouldn’t sleep on the train since all that money was the villagers’ hard-earned results over the past six months. Everyone was counting on him to bring the money home.

Zhou Jianshe thought it wouldn’t hurt to make the trip, so he said, “I just happen to have a task to complete over there. Finishing it a month early would be good. Don’t argue, Dad; I’m going back with you this time.”

Wen Nuan listened to their conversation and then suggested to Uncle Zhang, “Uncle Zhang, why don’t you bring a savings book next time? We could directly transfer the money; it might be safer.”

Now that their processing factory was up and running and they were in the process of getting it registered, they would be using banks for payments when dealing with the research institute and the state-run Ba Bao restaurant.

Although theft was a serious crime in this era, it didn’t stop some people from taking risks. This money represented the villagers’ hard work; if it were stolen, it would truly be a heart-wrenching loss.

After hearing Wen Nuan’s suggestion, Uncle Zhang felt it made sense and replied, “Then I’ll discuss it with our production team after I get back.”

Wen Nuan needed a lot of goods, and relying solely on one village to complete everything in just a few months might be challenging. They might need several production teams to cooperate.

Wen Nuan smiled and said, “Alright, then you can go back and discuss it.”

—o—o—o—

After Uncle Zhang returned to his hometown, Wen Nuan got busy again.

Gu Qinghan told her that he would go to Factory 112 next month for more test flights. Before departing, he mentioned that he would first finalize the list of the first batch of trainee pilots.

Although Wen Nuan had asked Gu Qinghan about the selection of pilots, she learned that the criteria were quite complex, involving multiple assessments.

The first aspect was basic physical fitness, which included good eyesight, no major injuries, psychological resilience tests, and a solid foundation in foreign languages.

After hearing this, Wen Nuan felt that out of the more than a thousand candidates, they would likely only be able to select a handful—maybe not even ten.

A few days later, Gu Qinghan came home around nine in the evening. Wen Nuan had intentionally made him some noodles. Lele had taken a long nap during the day and was waiting for her dad to come home.

Gu Qinghan held the child and fed her a few bites of noodles. Seeing this, Wen Nuan frowned and said to them, “Your daughter already ate half a bowl of rice, half a bowl of meat, and just had some fruit. Don’t give her any more food.”

Gu Qinghan responded with an “oh” and then placed Lele on the ground, saying, “You still need to drink milk later, so don’t eat anymore.”

Lele looked quite aggrieved, tugging at her dad’s arm and leaning in to whisper, “Just give me a little egg. I want to eat the white one!”

Noticing Gu Qinghan hesitating, she shook his arm again and pleaded, “Just one bite, Daddy.”

Now that she was speaking more clearly and could form longer sentences, Gu Qinghan couldn’t resist her and secretly gave her a small piece of egg.

Lele was triumphant and covered her mouth, sneaking away from Wen Nuan.

Little did they know, Wen Nuan had seen everything and walked over to pinch Gu Qinghan’s arm, teasing, “You said not to spoil her, but I see you’re secretly indulging her!”

However, Gu Qinghan only spoiled her with little things; he was still firm when it came to bad habits.

Seeing that his wife was upset, Gu Qinghan took her hand and pulled her to sit next to him, saying, “I can’t finish this; do you want a bite?”

Wen Nuan shook her head, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him and smiled, “No thanks, I just had some fruit.”

People in the North had the luxury of eating fruit for a few months. Lately, Wen Nuan had been eating some fruit an hour before bed because the nearby villagers grew various fruits that didn’t require ration tickets.

She had bought a variety of fruits, and Gu Qinghan could eat a lot at the Air Force canteen, so he rarely had any when he got home. Most of it was finished off by Wen Nuan and Lele.

Gu Qinghan took a couple more bites of the noodles and then asked her, “Do you want me to go buy some more fruits?”

He discovered that Wen Nuan really liked eating fruit. Previously, he had taken a trip to Qiongzhou Island, and she and the children had eaten most of the fruit he brought back.

In two days, he would set off for Factory 112. This time, he estimated that he would be away for quite a while, thinking that he should prepare some things for her before he left.

Wen Nuan shook her head. “Forget it. It won’t keep. I can just go buy it myself when I want to eat some.”

“And besides, Qing Lan is close with Xiao Mei now. The two girls love to wander around after work and often go to the village. I’ve had her help me buy things, too.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghan nodded and didn’t say anything further. He planned to go to the hospital tomorrow to give Qing Lan some money so she could help buy more delicious food for Wen Nuan.

After finishing the noodles, Gu Qinghan said, “By the way, the first batch of pilot candidate names has been released.”

“Ah? Is it finally out? How many people are there?” Wen Nuan asked curiously. “Is Daxiang on the list?”

This selection process had taken over six months, so it seemed that the candidates had been filtered through multiple rounds before being finalized.

Gu Qinghan replied softly, “There are twelve people, and Daxiang is one of them.”

Upon hearing this, Wen Nuan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Although Li Daxiang and Gu Qinglan might not end up together, Li Daxiang had helped her so much in the past. He was a good young man, and Wen Nuan had always hoped he would be selected.

Hearing Gu Qinghan say this, she felt genuinely happy for Li Daxiang.

Gu Qinghan’s eyes showed a hint of approval as he smiled and said, “Daxiang works hard, and his qualifications match the requirements well. I heard from Er Hu that he only sleeps four hours a night to study foreign languages, staying up late every day to learn.”

Gu Qinghan had a preference for diligent subordinates, and other factors were not within his consideration.

Wen Nuan raised an eyebrow slightly. “Now he can finally achieve his wish and be selected.”

Gu Qinghan smiled again at his wife, adding, “But don’t be too happy too soon. He has only been selected for now; there’s still a series of studies and exams to come. These twelve people will have to study at the aviation school in Shenyang for a year before they can officially become pilots.”

It would be in vain if they failed various exams during that year. However, gaining that experience means that even if they can’t become aircrew, becoming ground crew would still be fine.

Wen Nuan had confidence in Li Daxiang and smiled, saying, “I believe Daxiang will definitely pass. He will be a pilot in the future!”

Gu Qinghan looked at Wen Nuan with a hint of jealousy, raising an eyebrow. “You have so much confidence in him?”

Wen Nuan immediately noticed her husband’s odd expression and playfully pinched his face. “You stingy man! Daxiang is working hard to become a pilot for Qing Lan. He must be trying his best.”

Gu Qinghan shut his wife’s mouth, feeling that even if it was Li Daxiang, that was still unacceptable.

Standing behind the two and watching their affectionate interaction, Lele crossed her little arms and suddenly said, “Mom, I want some milk.”

Wen Nuan was startled and pushed Gu Qinghan away, who was lost in a loving moment.

She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, then stood up and said, “I’m coming! I’ll make it for you now. Don’t speak so loudly; what time is it?”

Gu Qinghan also reached out to pinch the child’s cheek and grumbled, “You’re being naughty again!”

Lele huffed and swatted Gu Qinghan’s hand away, then ran back to her room to prepare for her milk and nap.

The next morning, Li Daxiang went to the military hospital.

Tomorrow, he would set off with Gu Qinghan for Shenyang, where he would undergo a year-long training at the aviation school. This meant that he would likely have only one or two opportunities to return to the army during that year.

Thinking about this, Li Daxiang felt restless. Before he left, he wanted to say a few words to Gu Qinglan.

As he contemplated this, he saw Gu Qinglan walking toward the hospital, chatting and laughing with her colleagues. It seemed she hadn’t noticed his arrival.

However, one of the female colleagues beside Gu Qinglan had noticed Li Daxiang long before.

In the past few days, the first batch of pilot candidate names had been announced within the army, and everyone had been buzzing about it. They were also looking to see which eligible bachelors among the unmarried young men might make suitable revolutionary partners, and many single female colleagues were planning to take the initiative.

However, the most discussed was Li Daxiang, who was closest to Gu Qinglan. He had become one of the hot topics, with everyone curious about what had happened between Qing Lan and Li Daxiang lately, as it seemed they hadn’t been in contact at all.

Now that they suddenly saw Li Daxiang appear at their hospital, they couldn’t help but become curious and gossip about him.

A colleague reminded Gu Qinglan with a smile, “Qing Lan, isn’t that Platoon Leader Li over there? He’s here so early; he must be looking for you.”

Gu Qinglan paused for a moment. Ever since she had been falsely accused and slandered by Ding Guoli, she hadn’t sought out Li Daxiang.

Li Daxiang had also been cautious, afraid that his presence would affect Gu Qinghan’s reputation, especially since he was one of the main candidates in this selection process.

Even though Gu Qinghan wouldn’t cheat on anyone because of Gu Qinglan, rumours could still lead to unnecessary misunderstandings. Moreover, he and Gu Qinglan were indeed innocent.

Meanwhile, Gu Qinglan looked at the familiar figure in the distance for several seconds before exclaiming, “Oh, it seems to be him. I wonder what he’s come for.”

Just as she was saying this, Li Daxiang walked directly toward her, a faint smile on his face.

Li Daxiang paid no mind to the whispers of Gu Qinglan’s female colleagues and focused solely on her. “Qing Lan, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you about something.”

When Gu Qinglan heard Li Daxiang call her name, her heart raced for a moment, feeling slightly off balance.

It was only when her colleagues reminded her that she responded, “Oh, I’ll be going back at seven-thirty; I have about fifteen minutes left.”

Li Daxiang took a couple of steps closer, gesturing for her to walk with him. It was currently a busy time at the hospital, with many soldiers finishing their morning exercises, so the area was bustling with people.

However, with so many people around, their interaction didn’t feel too awkward. Considering that Gu Qinglan would be heading to work soon, Li Daxiang didn’t dare stray too far, sticking to a small path near the hospital entrance.

Gu Qinglan followed behind him, watching his back. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Li Daxiang seemed taller and more robust than the last time she had seen him; his shoulders looked noticeably broader, and his posture was much straighter.

She was already considered tall among northern girls, and her sister-in-law often commented on her height. But now, standing in front of Li Daxiang, she felt a bit delicate and dependent.

Gu Qinglan was just about to ask him about the pilot selection process when Li Daxiang spoke first. “I’m going to Shenyang with Vice-Captain Gu tomorrow. There’s an aviation school there where we’ll undergo a year of intensive training.”

Gu Qinglan smiled sincerely and said, “Congratulations! You finally made it into the flight team.”

Last night, she had heard them talking in the dormitory. This time, only twelve candidates were chosen for the pilot selection, but that wasn’t the end. She heard that they still had to go to the aviation school for further study, exams, and training, and there would likely be another assessment afterwards.

Li Daxiang looked at Gu Qinglan, suddenly blushing, and said, “I’m not really a pilot yet, but I will work hard.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinglan burst into laughter. “In my eyes, you already are! My brother said there were many applicants this time, but they only selected twelve people. Daxiang, that’s really impressive!”

This was the truth in Gu Qinglan’s heart. She was genuinely happy that Li Daxiang had been selected; no matter what happened next, he was already the best.

Li Daxiang felt his face and ears turn completely red at Gu Qinglan’s words. For the first time, he felt a bit flustered, unsure of how to respond, simply smiling foolishly at her.

Seeing his silly grin, Gu Qinglan suddenly wondered how Li Daxiang had passed the selection; he seemed slightly different from her brother, appearing somewhat clueless.

For some reason, she suddenly recalled the time when Li Daxiang had been poisoned and had fainted; the way he had looked at her then had been so bright and sparkling.

From that moment, Gu Qinglan had started to truly recognize her feelings for him, so…

They both almost spoke simultaneously, “Will you wait for me?”

“I will wait for you.”

After saying this, they exchanged glances, both blushing and quickly turning away.

Li Daxiang took a deep breath. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He turned to look at Gu Qinglan’s back and said, “I said I would tell you something after the pilot list came out—”

“Qing Lan, I, I like you.”

“I have liked you since the first time I saw you.”

To be honest, the scene of their first meeting was not beautiful; in fact, Gu Qinglan looked quite tragic. Her face was swollen, there were wounds on her head that bled, and her face was emaciated from malnutrition.

However, when Li Daxiang kept vigil by her bedside, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. At that moment, he wished he could protect her, thinking she would not have to endure such suffering if he could.

Later, they went to the village where Gu Qinglan had been assigned. There, Li Daxiang witnessed her vibrant spirit, intelligence, and fearlessness in the face of authority. From that moment on, he knew he had developed feelings for this girl.

He admired her carefree nature yet sensitive thoughts, along with her kind heart.

This realization drove him to work even harder, as he did not want to miss the opportunity to be with her.

After a long wait, Gu Qinglan still had not looked back. Li Daxiang suddenly felt anxious, fearing he might have frightened her.

Just as he raised his foot, intending to gauge her reaction, he caught sight of Gu Qinglan, who was smiling like a blooming flower, looking exceptionally beautiful.

Gu Qinglan nodded vigorously and quickly said, “I know, I feel the same way.”

Li Daxiang froze on the spot, momentarily unable to believe what he had just heard as he stared at her in disbelief.

Then Gu Qinglan added, “Everyone has noticed. I was just afraid…”

Previously, in the countryside, she had been harassed by a scoundrel, which had led Gu Qinglan to distrust men for a while. However, each time she visited her sister-in-law and elder brother’s home, she saw their harmonious family life and felt that not all men were like that.

Li Daxiang was not like that either, as she had interacted with him.

Gu Qinglan’s heart was somewhat chaotic. It wasn’t until the incident with Ding Guoli that she had confirmed her feelings.

So now, upon hearing Li Daxiang confess his feelings, Gu Qinglan wanted to follow her heart.

Li Daxiang waved his hands in a flustered manner and said, “Don’t be afraid. I won’t force you. If you don’t want to be with me, we can just part ways…”

“Ah?” Gu Qinglan laughed and teased, “I say, Li Daxiang, we haven’t even started dating yet, and you’re already thinking about breaking up?”

Li Daxiang felt an urge to smack himself for his words and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant! I was just saying… saying…”

“I just wanted to say that I will respect your opinion.”

Gu Qinglan couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Alright, I was just teasing you. I understand what you mean.”

Li Daxiang sighed in relief as he looked at the playful Gu Qinglan. “That’s good. I… I’m not very good with words.”

“Well, that’s okay. At least I can understand you,” Gu Qinglan smiled and added, “You’re leaving for Shenyang tomorrow. Make sure to bring some winter clothes; I’ve heard it’s pretty cold there.”

Li Daxiang nodded. “Alright.”

“Once you get to Shenyang, write me a letter. If that’s not allowed, have my brother send me news,” she instructed.

“Got it.”

“Focus on your studies when you’re there. Don’t think too much. I’ll always be here,” she reassured him.

“I will.”

Just as Gu Qinglan was about to say more, someone poked their head out from the hospital’s second floor and called for her to return to help.

Li Daxiang looked at her and said, “Then you should go back to work. I’ll head back to the dorm to pack my things. We have a meeting tonight, and will you come to see me off tomorrow?”

Gu Qinglan nodded readily. “Sure! You go back to your work, too.”

Their conversation came to an end. Although Gu Qinglan didn’t know when they would meet again, she felt they had discussed enough for now.

More words had to be saved for when Li Daxiang returned.

When Gu Qinglan and Li Daxiang set off, both Wen Nuan and Gu Qinglan went to see them off. However, there were too many people, and they didn’t say much.

After the flight crew left, Wen Nuan planned to ask Gu Qinglan about her relationship with Li Daxiang.

Before she could, Gu Qinglan, feeling guilty, blurted out, “Sister-in-law, I… I’m in a relationship.”

Wen Nuan chuckled lightly, poking Gu Qinglan on the forehead. “You really know how to choose your timing. You waited until your brother was about to leave to tell me. Are you afraid he’ll oppose it?”

Then, pretending to be clueless, Wen Nuan asked, “So, who is it?”

Gu Qinglan met Wen Nuan’s probing gaze and felt a bit like she was being toyed with. She said, “Sister-in-law, you… you already know.”

Wen Nuan frowned. “I don’t watch you every day. How could I possibly know?”

Then she bent down and asked Lele, who was licking an ice pop in her arms, “Lele, do you know who Auntie’s boyfriend is?”

Lele was enjoying the ice pop and had no interest in the adults’ gossip, so she replied, “It’s an ice pop!”

Gu Qinglan: “…”

Wen Nuan burst out laughing, and Gu Qinglan found it even more annoying. Unable to help herself, she pinched Lele’s chubby cheek and said, “You’d better not expect Auntie to buy you ice pops tomorrow!”

Lele immediately furrowed his little brows and looked at Gu Qinglan with big, pleading eyes. “Auntie, can you buy Lele an ice pop?”

Gu Qinglan turned her head and huffed, “No!”

Lele mimicked her, turning his head and huffing back, “I have money; I’ll buy it myself!”

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh at the child’s adorable words.

Indeed, this was the confidence that came with wealth!

On the way back to the family compound, Gu Qinglan told Wen Nuan about what had happened yesterday.

Wen Nuan was not in a hurry; after all, Li Daxiang still had a year of study ahead of him. They could discuss things further when he returned to the army.

Gu Qinghan had just left for a test flight when Wen Nuan began to busy herself with factory matters.

The frozen dumplings and noodles that had been suitable for transportation during the winter were no longer appropriate for sending to the research institute as supplies.

So, during this time, she started focusing on making instant noodles, dried noodles, and fresh noodles, as these were all easy to preserve.

The main priorities were convenience and easy storage.

In addition to staple foods, she also planned to prepare various dried vegetables as the North had now entered spring. The family compound and the surrounding hills were filled with wild vegetables and spring bamboo shoots.

Moreover, the cooking team intended to clear a plot of land to grow more vegetables for making various dried vegetable products.

After the logistics officer received the approval results, he called Wen Nuan to his office.

Wen Nuan was preparing to make some sweet soup when the logistics officer called for her, so she asked Xiao Zhu to help keep an eye on the heat.

She knocked on the logistics officer’s office door and politely asked, “Logistics Officer, you were looking for me?”

“Come in, have a seat,” the logistics officer replied, placing the approval documents in front of Wen Nuan. “Our factory has officially been established now, and I plan to bring some people back to help.”

Previously, the factory had not yet been expanded, and aside from a few helpers from the cooking team, there were no official employees. Everyone had been busy during the day and came back at night to help. Now that the processes were complete, they had to operate according to regulations and bring more people in.

The logistics officer added with a smile, “Your Vice-Captain Gu has also secured us a large order. The flight school and 112 Factory plan to place orders for winter supplies with us.”

While the flight school didn’t have many people, 112 Factory was a large facility known for building fighter jets. It had many technical personnel and frequently hosted aviation experts and leaders from the Air Force. They planned to order some dried seafood and various dried vegetables from them.

Wen Nuan felt a surge of excitement and smiled brightly. “That’s wonderful! With Uncle Zhang bringing over the dried seafood, we won’t have to worry about sales anymore.”

Initially, Wen Nuan was concerned about producing too much, as the research institute only had a few dozen people, and their demand was clearly limited. But now, with these two orders, they could proceed without hesitation.

Gu Qinghan had been gone for quite a while, but one day, he suddenly called to ask her what fruits she wanted.

Wen Nuan casually mentioned a few, thinking Gu Qinghan was asking his subordinates to buy them for the family compound.

Little did she know that a few days later, Gu Qinghan returned with several snake-skin bags filled with fruit.

Wen Nuan exclaimed, “!!!”