Chapter 91.2

The next day, Wen Nuan took her child to town, and accompanying them was Gu Qinghan. Coincidentally, Gu Qinghan had business in town and had borrowed a military jeep.

Perhaps because Lele hadn’t gone out with Gu Qinghan in a long time, she was extremely excited in the car, constantly chattering to the point that Wen Nuan’s ears were almost ringing.

The daytime temperature wasn’t too cold, and any activity could bring up a bit of a sweat. Gu Qinghan drove with just a single layer on. Wen Nuan felt the wind streaming in from the window and noticed Lele facing the window, her hair lifting in the breeze. Her hair had grown longer, and the wind blew it around playfully.

Seeing how much fun the child was having, Wen Nuan asked Gu Qinghan up front, “Are you really not cold?”

Sometimes Wen Nuan wondered if this man was made of firewood, since he’d never once mentioned feeling cold, even in the depths of winter with heavy snow. Now, sitting in the back seat with Lele in her arms, Wen Nuan could feel the chill from the wind, while Gu Qinghan seemed unfazed, just wearing a single layer and showing no signs of discomfort.

Hearing her question, Gu Qinghan rolled up the window and said, “You’re cold in the back? I’ll close the window.”

The moment the window was shut, Lele, who had been enjoying the breeze, protested, “Dad, open the window.”

“I want to feel the wind,” she insisted.

Gu Qinghan glanced at Lele through the rearview mirror and smiled. “Mom’s cold. We’ll be there soon, so sit tight.”

Not long after, they arrived in town. Lele, knowing that Wen Nuan was taking her to buy new boots today, eagerly pulled her toward the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, exclaiming, “Mom, over there!”

Gu Qinghan followed close behind, unable to resist commenting, “Looks like your Auntie has taken you out quite a few times.”

Wen Nuan laughed and explained, “Now Qinglan gets three days off each month, plus an extra day for holidays. She usually spends her days off coming out here with Lele, so yes, they’re quite familiar with this place.”

Lele led Wen Nuan straight to the children’s shoe counter, clearly she’s very familiar of this route.

Lele had clearly been here several times before, as she pointed directly at a pair of red leather boots in the display case and said, “Mom, I want that pair.”

That pair was made of leather, a rare sight even among the children in the family compound. Few kids had them, and even fewer adults did.

Most people still wore cloth shoes, and in the freezing Northern winters, cotton shoes were the go-to. Leather shoes, while stylish, weren’t practical—they might look impressive, but they didn’t stand up to the cold.

However, they were perfect for the current weather. And since Lele had come in asking for them immediately, she must have wanted them for a while.

Buying shoes required industrial tickets, though, so perhaps her Auntie had brought her before, but Gu Qinglan hadn’t had enough tickets to buy them.

After some thought, Wen Nuan asked the shop clerk to help her retrieve them. “Comrade, could you please get those little red boots? I’d like the child to try them on.”

The shop clerk glanced at them and recognized Lele—she remember that she had come here and bought shoes.

Lele was hard to miss, with her chubby, rosy cheeks and white, soft skin, looking almost like a porcelain doll—a child raised in unusual comfort, not a typical background for most.

Although the clerk didn’t seem entirely enthusiastic, she brought the shoes out, reminding them, “Be careful not to dirty them. I’ll put some newspaper down for you.”

Wen Nuan had encountered plenty of rude shop clerks, so this was actually good service. Previously, many hadn’t even allowed a try-on.

Taking the clerk’s advice, Wen Nuan had Lele stand on the newspaper while trying on the shoes.

Once she’d slipped them on Lele’s feet, she pressed the toe area and found about a thumb’s width of room, so they definitely weren’t too small, though she wasn’t sure if they might be a bit too large.

After putting on both shoes, Wen Nuan had her take a few steps and asked, “Are they too tight? Or too loose?”

Lele took a few steps, grinning happily, and replied, “They look so nice!”

Seeing her joy, Wen Nuan patiently asked, “Do they fit?”

“They fit!” Lele twirled in her new shoes, and, bursting with excitement as she said: “Mom, I want these shoes!”

Then she dashed over to Gu Qinghan, hugging his leg and looking up with an eager expression, saying in her soft voice, “Dad, I want these shoes.”

Gu Qinghan looked down at the new shoes on her feet, then glanced over at Wen Nuan, asking, “Did you choose these for her?”

Wen Nuan replied helplessly, “She chose them herself. She asked for this pair as soon as we arrived.”

Then Wen Nuan added, “Lele really likes them, and they look nice on her too.”

Most importantly, it was something Lele had picked out on her own.

Since her daughter started talking, Wen Nuan had been giving her the chance to make her own choices, believing it helped cultivate her independence.

Gu Qinghan looked down again, examining the shoes on Lele’s feet, and commented: “They just might not be the best when it snows in winter.”

Wen Nuan was about to remind him how much Lele liked them, but then she saw Gu Qinghan pick Lele up, smiling as he said, “These boots will be a gift from Mom, and Dad will buy you a pair of warm snow boots for when we build snowmen later.”

Lele was overjoyed and wrapped her little arms around Gu Qinghan’s neck. Her fluffy little head, tousled by the wind in the car, nuzzled against his shoulder as she said, “Dad, you’re the best!”

Gu Qinghan ruffled her hair and said, “Go on, pick out the pair you like.”

His shoes were a special issue for the Flight Team, so he had some spare industrial tickets and could easily get a pair for her.

Originally, he’d thought of buying a pair for his wife too, but Wen Nuan had mentioned that Chen Meijiao would pick out something in Beijing and send it to her.

Figuring that a female comrade might have a better eye for style, Gu Qinghan hadn’t insisted.

Lele sorted through a pile of snow boots and finally picked out a pair with red floral patterns. The shop clerk, smiling, handed her the boots, barely paying attention to Lele running around in the little leather shoes she was already wearing.

“Here, little one, try these on and see if they fit.”

This time, Lele sat on a small stool by herself, took off the leather shoes, and with great effort, managed to slip on the warm snow boots, albeit a bit clumsily.

Looking at her feet, Lele beamed, “These look nice too! Dad, look!”

“Look at my new shoes!”

Gu Qinghan didn’t hold back on his praise and smiled, “They look great.”

He then looked over at his wife and asked, “Shall we just get both pairs for her?”

“I’ll check the fit.” Wen Nuan walked over, gently pressing the toe of the boot to ensure there was a bit of room, estimating they would still fit well when the winter snow arrived.

Lele who was happy that both her Dad and Mom were getting her new shoes, insisted on carrying them herself.

However, the fickle little Lele immediately took off her old cloth shoes that Gu Qinglan had bought her previously, handing them to Wen Nuan to carry. Then, proudly, she slipped into the red leather boots and strutted out of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, not even fussing to buy anything else.

On any other day, Lele wouldn’t leave without at least a quick stroll through the snacks section.

And another person was just as delighted—the shop clerk who had sold them the shoes. She hadn’t expected Wen Nuan and her family to buy two pairs at once, and in her happiness, she gifted Lele two pairs of cotton socks.

Wen Nuan took the socks from the clerk with a smile. “Thank you, Comrade. The child was in need of some socks, so it’s perfect timing.”

The clerk was so pleased that her eyes nearly disappeared into her smile. “You’re welcome, please come back again soon!”

As they left the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, Wen Nuan glanced at Gu Qinghan beside her, unable to resist asking, “You really don’t want anything?”

Lele’s two pairs of shoes weren’t particularly expensive, three yuan for one pair and ten for the other, but Major General Shen had sent a few hundred yuan in his last letter.

Gu Qinghan looked at his wife with a smile. “I’m not a kid anymore; what would I need?”

“Let’s go. Lele’s already wandered off,” he said, tugging her gently by the wrist as they left the Cooperative together before letting go.

But they had barely stepped outside when they saw Lele, who’d been so cheerful moments before, now standing by a popsicle vendor.

Her big, round eyes stared at the frozen treats, unblinking, without saying any word.

When Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan caught up to her, she looked up at Wen Nuan and said, “Mom, I want a popsicle.”

Every time Lele visited the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, it was the same routine. She’d stand silently by the vendor’s stall, hoping Wen Nuan would get her one.

And if Wen Nuan refused, Lele would plant herself right there and refuse to budge until her wish was granted.

Most of the time, Wen Nuan was willing to indulge her.

But before she could say anything, Gu Qinghan spoke up to the vendor. “Comrade, could we have three, please?”

And so, they each received a popsicle, strolling down the town’s main street at a leisurely pace, enjoying the treat.

Lele was over the moon, holding her new shoes in one hand, a popsicle in the other, and sporting her new leather boots.

She walked along the road with her chin lifted proudly.

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but remind her: “Watch where you’re going!”

Lele happily licked her popsicle and said, “Got it, nagging Mom.”

Wen Nuan: “…..”

Gu Qinghan laughed on the side.

Wen Nuan took a bite of her ice and then turned to Gu Qinghan, asking, “Why are you so willing to buy things for her? First, it was shoes, and now it’s popsicles!”

Sometimes, Gu Qinghan was quite strict with Lele, yet at other times, he seemed to lack any principles.

Hearing her question, the man merely smiled and said, “We only come to town three or four times a year, and the comrade selling popsicles isn’t here every day. Even in the family compound, Lele only goes out three or four times a week. If she gets to have popsicles twice a week, that’s not too much.”

“And Lele doesn’t demand everything. I see many kids love eating this, and when winter comes and it snows, we can make her some more.”

Wen Nuan wanted to tell him that while he visited the Supply and Marketing Cooperative three or four times a week, his daughter did not have the same luxury.

That little girl, Lele, went with them once in the morning, and when Gu Qinglan came to the family compound in the evening, she would drag her aunt out again for another visit.

Given Gu Qinglan’s fondness for Lele, it was not just popsicles he would buy for her; even if she wanted meat every day, she would probably ride his bike to the black market to get it for her.

Still, it was commendable that Gu Qinghan could think this way.

Wen Nuan remembered a friend who had once said she desperately wanted a big rainbow lollipop when she was young.

But her parents had divorced early on, and she lived with her mother, who remarried and had more children. In that household, she felt like an outsider.

On one birthday, her friend had told her mom that she wanted a lollipop, but her mother completely forgot about her birthday.

Later, it was her younger brother and sister who clamored for a treat that led their mother, albeit reluctantly, to buy her one.

However, before she could even unwrap it, her mother smashed the large lollipop into pieces and shared it with her little brother and sister.

After she started working, one year, she spotted that kind of big lollipop in a store, and she bought the candy she had longed for in her childhood.

Yet her friend remarked that the lollipop she had wanted so much as a child tasted bad as an adult.

That candy was just too sweet.

Therefore, Wen Nuan sometimes fulfilled Lele’s needs within reason.

As long as Lele wasn’t being unreasonable or demanding everything, and the price wasn’t too high, Wen Nuan would buy things for her.

She didn’t want her child to grow up regretting she hadn’t eaten that popsicles from that summer in her childhood.

Fortunately, Gu Qinghan felt the same way.

—o—o—o—

After buying their things, Gu Qinghan took them back to the family compound.

Wen Nuan had planned to give Gu Qinghan the pen she had bought for him, but just as they got out of the car, she heard a cry from Sister Guihua’s yard.

Wen Nuan quickly reacted and anxiously told Gu Qinghan, “Qinghan, Sister Guihua might be in labor.”

Last week, Sister Guihua had reached her due date, but there had been no signs of labor. That week, she had been taking walks every morning, noon, and evening, hoping to induce it.

Noticing how flustered his wife was, Gu Qinghan said: “Don’t panic; we have a car.”

He held her back and said, “You take Lele; let’s go see.”

Lele was still happily holding her new shoes, planning to try them on again when they got back, but she was suddenly caught by Wen Nuan, who said, “Lele, we’re going to see Aunt Guihua first. Stick with Mom and don’t run off.”

“Aunt Guihua might be having a baby soon, so be good, and we need to take her to the hospital, okay?”

Over the past few months, Lele had watched Aunt Guihua’s belly grow bigger and often asked her when the baby would come out to play with her.

Upon hearing Wen Nuan say that Sister Guihua was finally going to give birth, Lele nodded obediently, saying, “Okay, Mom, I won’t run around.”

Just then, Sister Guihua cried out again, and Wen Nuan and Gu Qinghan quickened their pace.

Once they entered, they saw Sister Guihua sitting on a wooden stool in the living room, a clear puddle of water on the floor beneath her.

When Zhang Guihua saw Wen Nuan, she reached out a hand to her as if she had grabbed onto a lifeline, saying, “Xiao Nuan, I… I think I’m about to give birth.”

“My… my mother went out to buy something…”

Wen Nuan walked over to Sister Guihua’s side and reassured her, “Don’t panic; we’re going to the hospital right now. Don’t move for now; your water broke.”

Sister Guihua clutched Wen Nuan’s hand tightly and weakly nodded, saying, “Okay… I’ll listen to you.”

Wen Nuan didn’t have time to worry about anything else and looked over at Gu Qinghan, saying, “Qinghan, lift Sister Guihua into the car; we need to get to the hospital right away.”

“Quickly, her water has already broken. You need to lay her flat in the back seat.”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s words, Gu Qinghan immediately walked over, saying, “Sister-in-law, excuse my actions, but you’ll need to hold onto me.”

He lifted Sister Guihua effortlessly, while Wen Nuan supported her from the side.

Although Gu Qinghan was strong, they still had to be cautious as she might struggle during contractions.

Fortunately, the back seat was tidy, and Gu Qinghan laid Sister Guihua down flat in the back.

Gu Qinghan turned to Wen Nuan and said, “Wife, I’ll take Sister Guihua to the hospital first. You stay here and bring Aunt Liang along later to see what needs to be packed.”

Wen Nuan looked anxiously at Sister Guihua in the back seat. It seemed that the contractions had begun; Sister Guihua’s body curled up, and she started to moan in pain.

Wen Nuan’s lips turned pale as she got into the car, sitting beside Sister Guihua. She said to Gu Qinghan, “I’m afraid she’ll fall; there’s no hurry with Aunt Liang. I’ll go with you.”

Lele raised her arm and said, “Dad, I’ll be good! I want to go too!”

Just as Gu Qinghan was helping the kids into the car, Huang Yueying, who lived next door to Sister Guihua, came over with her son Da Niu and asked, “Is Guihua going into labor?”

Seeing her, Wen Nuan quickly replied, “Yes, we’re taking her to the hospital now.”

Huang Yueying responded, “I just saw Aunt Liang. I’ll bring her along later.”

Wen Nuan didn’t have time to worry about anything else and urged Gu Qinghan to drive faster.

Fortunately, Sister Guihua’s contractions came in waves, and during the intervals, she felt a bit better. “It doesn’t hurt right now, but I haven’t informed Old Zhou yet.”

Wen Nuan hugged her from behind and said, “Once we get to the hospital, I’ll have Qinglan notify him.”

In just a few minutes, they arrived at the hospital.

Since everyone at the hospital knew Wen Nuan, as soon as she got out of the car, someone came to greet her.

Recognizing that Zhang Guihua was about to give birth, they quickly brought a wheelchair to assist her.

In that short time, Sister Guihua seemed to be in increasing pain.

Wen Nuan didn’t dare to leave her side and asked Gu Qinghan to take Lele to make a phone call to have Colonel Zhou come over.

Seeing the tension in both of them, Gu Qinglan reassured, “Sister Guihua, don’t worry. Doctor Xu is already on her way to the delivery room. Just relax and take deep breaths.”

Wen Nuan looked at Sister Guihua, who was already sweating profusely, and added, “Sister Guihua, Colonel Zhou is on his way, so you don’t have to worry about him and focus on giving birth.”

Sister Guihua gripped Wen Nuan’s hand tightly, crying out in pain, “I’m not worried; it’s useless if that bastard Old Zhou comes. He’s not a painkiller; I’ll still be in pain, ah…”

“That’s not quite true. Having Colonel Zhou here should make you feel a bit more at ease.”

Hearing Sister Guihua’s attempt at humor, Wen Nuan felt relieved, knowing her friend’s spirits were still relatively high. However, it was essential for Colonel Zhou to be present, as that provided psychological comfort.

Sister Guihua groaned a couple of times, then furrowed her brow and cried out in pain again.

Soon, Doctor Xu arrived, examined Sister Guihua, and then wheeled her straight into the delivery room.

Wen Nuan initially thought about following her inside, but the staff wouldn’t allow it. Gu Qinglan came over and said, “Sister-in-law, I’ll keep an eye on Sister Guihua. If anything happens, I’ll let you know immediately.”

Wen Nuan patted Qinglan on the shoulder. “Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”

She had expected Colonel Zhou to take a while to arrive, but surprisingly, he came shortly after they did.