Chapter 92.2

After Wen Nuan left the hospital room, she quickly headed toward the nurses’ station.

She was also concerned about the baby. Although she had just checked on Lele, she still didn’t feel completely at ease leaving the baby in someone else’s care.

But before she could walk very far, Huang Yueying caught up to her, calling out, “Comrade Wen Nuan! Comrade Wen Nuan…”

“Why are you walking so fast? I was thinking of going back to the family compound with you!”

Wen Nuan turned around, glanced at Huang Yueying, then looked away and replied, “Comrade Huang, you should head back first. I still have some things to do.”

Although Huang Yueying had been busy helping them today, Wen Nuan had no fondness for her due to the previous incident with the gifts.

Moreover, she really needed to go pick up Lele since Gu Qinghan had already returned to the unit. She had to take Lele back by herself.

The child walked slowly, and she didn’t want to waste anyone else’s time by going back with them.

However, Huang Yueying stubbornly moved closer and smiled, “It’s fine; I have time anyway. Are you going to pick up Lele? She’s at the nurses’ station, right?”

Wen Nuan instinctively shot her a look but outright refused: “No need for that. You go back first; I can manage on my own.”

After saying this, Wen Nuan quickened her pace. Huang Yueying, seeing this, didn’t rush to catch up but decided to wait for them at the hospital entrance.

Wen Nuan was truly difficult to deal with. After the avalanche incident with Daniu, she initially wanted to find a chance to get closer to Wen Nuan, but no matter what she said, Wen Nuan wouldn’t accept her gifts.

Later, Wen Nuan’s standing in the Kitchen Unit improved significantly, and even more astonishingly, she heard that Wen Nuan was General Lu’s granddaughter!

At first, Huang Yueying thought it was just gossip from people in the family compound, but later, when she actually saw General Lu’s car and him personally at Wen Nuan’s doorstep, she realized just how solid Wen Nuan’s connections were!

No wonder she could live in the family compound so smoothly—it turned out she had the support of a big tree to provide shade.

She had always wanted to find an opportunity to get closer to Wen Nuan, but even though they lived so close to each other, she still couldn’t find any connection.

Previously, when Wen Nuan asked Zhang Guihua to help look after her daughter, she had tried to let Daniu play with the child, but that little rascal Lele had never taken a liking to Daniu.

Every time Lele saw Daniu coming out, the little brat would hide back at home.

Zhang Guihua had warned Daniu that if he frightened Lele again, she would hit him.

Later, Huang Yueying had planned to give up until recently when the Kitchen Unit announced it was opening a factory that needed to hire dozens of people.

Huang Yueying thought that with so many positions available, she would surely have a chance, but she still couldn’t get in.

Just then, Zhang Guihua had given birth, and given the good relationship between Wen Nuan and Zhang Guihua, Huang Yueying was sure she could find an opportunity to get close to Wen Nuan.

So, this opportunity had just come along, hadn’t it?

According to her husband, although Wen Nuan held no official position in the Kitchen Unit or the factory, everyone knew that Wen Nuan was the one in charge of the factory.

Many decisions had to be consulted with Wen Nuan before Quartermaster Luo would finalize the plans.

Huang Yueying was now looking for a job—so seeking out Wen Nuan could only be the right move.

This time, she was determined to latch onto Wen Nuan, such a strong backing!

—o—o—o—

On Wen Nuan’s side, she had no intention of dealing with Huang Yueying and soon arrived at the nurse’s station.

However, when Wen Nuan got there, she didn’t see Qinglan but instead encountered Doctor Li Yunhua, who was chatting and laughing with Lele.

Gu Qinglan had mentioned that the chances of Doctor Li coming to their military district hospital were extremely rare, as she was originally a contracted traditional Chinese medicine doctor for the Flight Team and one of the consulting doctors for the Beijing Air Force Medical Group.

This information had come from General Lu.

During the New Year, Wen Nuan had shared with General Lu that Doctor Li had helped deliver her baby.

General Lu had said that he was quite familiar with Doctor Li; they had previously been in the same military camp, making them half comrades.

Initially, Wen Nuan thought Doctor Li seemed a bit distant and didn’t like socializing, so she had not wanted to disturb her.

But with so many coincidental events happening, Wen Nuan inexplicably developed a good impression of her and walked over.

“Doctor Li,” Wen Nuan walked over to her and the child, smiling as she looked at her. “What brings you here?”

Lele, who had been waiting for Wen Nuan, immediately rushed to her and hugged her. “Mom!”

Wen Nuan patted the child’s back and told her to go play for a while before bringing her back home.

Lele obediently walked off to play on her own.

Doctor Li watched Lele walk away obediently and then spoke directly to Wen Nuan. “I came to find Zhao Qinyuan.”

Wen Nuan was taken aback for a moment before recalling that Gu Qinghan had mentioned Doctor Zhao had successfully shed his former stigma and accepted the olive branch from the military district hospital to come here for to be a doctor.

Doctor Zhao specialized in surgery—while he was also skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, the hospital already had several experienced traditional doctors, so he chose to go into surgery.

However, during this era, the hospital was not so divided; whenever patients needed help, all the doctors would assist.

Gu Qinglan had also mentioned that since Doctor Zhao had come to the military district hospital, many people had sought him out for treatment.

Previously, due to his background, people had been somewhat wary of him, but after shedding his stigma, they remembered Doctor Zhao’s capabilities.

There were even various stories circulating in the surrounding villages about how Doctor Zhao had brought people back from the brink of death and saved many lives, with everyone singing his praises.

Yet, Wen Nuan felt that the pragmatic Doctor Zhao probably wouldn’t care much for such flattery.

Wen Nuan looked at Doctor Li. Although she knew she and Doctor Zhao were old classmates, she could only pretend she didn’t know anything at this moment. She smiled and asked, “It seems like you’re quite familiar with Doctor Zhao?”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s question, Li Yunhua paused slightly. She was not one to gossip.

Regarding Zhao Qinyuan, she never mentioned it to anyone.

But for some unknown reason, looking at Wen Nuan made her feel an inexplicable sense of trust.

She smiled and said, “We used to be classmates. I came to persuade him to return to Beijing Hospital, but Zhao Qinyuan said he wanted to stay here.”

Outsiders might not know, but Li Yunhua understood that Zhao Qinyuan’s strength lay not in traditional Chinese medicine but in surgery.

Though he was also very skilled in traditional medicine and had inherited his father’s teachings, if he could go to Beijing, he would have a broader space to work.

Without waiting for Wen Nuan to ask, Li Yunhua added, “Actually, I can consider myself a senior to Zhao Qinyuan. I learned from his father. We once discussed studying traditional Chinese medicine together, but then he unexpectedly went abroad.”

If it hadn’t been for studying overseas, Zhao Qinyuan wouldn’t have been labeled a rightist; fortunately, he had shed that stigma now.

Wen Nuan displayed a surprised expression, not expecting Doctor Zhao to be so close to Doctor Li.

It seemed there must be some deeper connection, but since that was someone else’s private matter, she felt it wasn’t appropriate to gossip.

Wen Nuan looked at Doctor Li and asked, “Has Doctor Zhao not considered it at all?”

Since Li Yunhua had personally come to persuade him, it was clear that the people in Beijing were interested in having the old man transferred there.

Going to Beijing would certainly be the best option, but she wondered why he was unwilling.

“Well…” Li Yunhua chuckled softly, then said helplessly, “He’s just too sentimental.”

Li Yunhua looked at Wen Nuan and added lightly, “It’s fine; he’s not a child. He has his reasons for doing this, and I won’t pressure him.”

Li Yunhua guessed that Zhao Qinyuan wouldn’t be going back to Beijing, especially since his ability to shed the stigma was likely thanks to Gu Qinghan’s connections.

Moreover, for the leaders in Beijing to approve, General Lu must have played a part, who was also the grandfather of the girl before her.

Since Zhao Qinyuan wanted to stay, she didn’t feel the need to persuade him any further.

Just as Wen Nuan still felt a bit confused, Doctor Li picked up a cloth bag from the side and said, “By the way, please thank Captain Gu and your grandpa for me. If it weren’t for them, that Doctor Zhao would probably spend his whole life in a cow shed.”

Wen Nuan looked at Li Yunhua in shock and said, “Doctor Li, you…?”

How did someone know about this?

Initially, Wen Nuan had worried that this matter might affect Gu Qinghan, so she had asked him to keep it a secret.

Besides a few higher-ups, basically no one knew it was Gu Qinghan who had helped him.

Even General Lu hadn’t mentioned it to her.

Li Yunhua smiled, “I still have to go to the Flight Team. I’ll see you again when I have the chance.”

Then Li Yunhua walked over to Lele and handed her a chocolate, saying, “Lele, Grandma has to go back to work now. I’ll play with you next time.”

Lele waved at Doctor Li and obediently said, “Goodbye, Grandma.”

“Good girl.” Then, Doctor Li said to Wen Nuan, “The child has a bit of a weak spleen. I’ll have Captain Gu bring back some herbs to help strengthen her spleen and stomach. You can brew it for her three times a week.”

Hearing this, Wen Nuan smiled brightly at her and said, “Thank you, Doctor Li.”

After taking a few steps, Doctor Li turned back to assess Wen Nuan’s complexion and smiled, “You look good now. If you’re considering a second child, you can start preparing.”

Wen Nuan’s eyes widened in surprise; she hadn’t thought of that!

—o—o—o—

As soon as Doctor Li left, Lele came over and asked, “Mom, where’s Aunt Guihua’s little baby?”

“I want to see the baby!”

Wen Nuan ruffled the child’s hair and smiled, “She’s upstairs, but Mom needs to go back and make some soup for Auntie first. Then I’ll take you to see the baby.”

“Wah, I want to play with the baby!” Lele waved the chocolate in her hand and added, “I want to give the baby chocolate!”

Wen Nuan raised her eyebrows and gently said, “The baby can’t eat chocolate; he can only drink milk. You can’t feed him anything, okay?”

Since the two families were so close, Lele would definitely find an opportunity to run over there. Wen Nuan needed to be cautious to prevent Lele from feeding the little infant something inappropriate.

Moreover, Lele had a big appetite and often had snacks on her, so if the adults weren’t paying attention for a moment, it would be troublesome if she fed the baby something.

Lele pouted, looking dejected as she asked, “When can the baby eat chocolate? I want to save some for him!”

Wen Nuan couldn’t help but laugh. “That might take a while—maybe until next year.”

Lele looked confused and asked, “How long is next year?”

Lele didn’t have a clear understanding of time yet. Hearing Wen Nuan say that, she thought it was just a matter of a few days.

As they walked toward the hospital entrance, Wen Nuan explained, “It’s probably going to be more than three hundred days.”

“Wow, that’s a long time,” Lele said, frowning at the chocolate in her hand. “What if the chocolate goes bad?”

Wen Nuan glanced at her and said, “Lele can buy a new one for the baby when the time comes; this one you can eat yourself.”

Upon hearing this, the little girl’s eyes lit up as she handed the chocolate to Wen Nuan and said, “Mom, help me open it!”

“I want to eat chocolate!”

Wen Nuan: “……”

If she had known, she would have saved it for later!

Wen Nuan took the chocolate from the child’s hand and then picked her up, saying, “Be good; you haven’t washed your hands yet. We’ll eat it when we get home. Mom still needs to go back and make soup for Auntie.”

Before making the soup, she had to stop by the Supply and Marketing Cooperative; she had plenty to do.

As Lele grumbled, they stepped out of the hospital.

Wen Nuan was about to carry the child to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative when she saw Gu Qinghan driving up in the same car he had used earlier in the morning. He rolled down the window and called out, “Wife, get in.”

Seeing him approach, Wen Nuan smiled brightly, then walked over with the child in her arms. “What brings you back?”

She had thought Gu Qinghan would be busy until later that evening, so it was a bit of a surprise.

Wen Nuan opened the car door and climbed into the back seat.

Gu Qinghan turned to look at his wife and the child, smiling, “Qinglan called me just now. She said you were going back to make soup and worried it might be inconvenient for you to bring Lele, so I came to pick you up.”

Wen Nuan gazed at her husband’s handsome profile and replied, “Let’s stop by the Supply and Marketing Cooperative first; I want to see if they have crucian carp and papaya.”

“Sure thing; hold on tight.” Gu Qinghan started the car and slowly pulled away.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared by the roadside behind the car, running after them while shouting, “Comrade Wen Nuan… Comrade Wen Nuan, stop for a moment…”

Wen Nuan turned her head and, through the car window, saw Huang Yueying’s figure. She was about to tell Gu Qinghan not to stop and to keep going, but in the next moment, the car sped up.

Huang Yueying couldn’t catch up with the vehicle and ended up tripping and falling to the ground because she had been running too fast and too urgently.

Suddenly, she ended up with a mouthful of dirt, looking extremely awkward.

Gu Qinghan glanced at his wife through the rearview mirror and smiled, “I’m sorry, I’m not very skilled at driving.”

Wen Nuan chuckled and said, “I just wanted you to keep going. Huang Yueying is probably waiting to discuss something with me.”

Knowing Huang Yueying’s personality, it was certain she only acted so warmly when she had business to discuss. She had just sent Wen Nuan home earlier, yet here she was, deliberately waiting outside.

It was hard not to let her thoughts wander elsewhere.

Then, Gu Qinghan snorted and said, “What else could it be? It’s about hiring workers for the factory. I heard Quartermaster Luo mention that Feng Weiguo directly approached him about it, but Quartermaster Luo refused.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?” Wen Nuan asked, hugging the child and looking at the man in front.

Feng Weiguo was Huang Yueying’s husband, but according to Gu Qinghan, he was quite proper and must have been driven to annoyance by Huang Yueying, which was why he had the audacity to seek out Quartermaster Luo.

However, in the past few weeks, not only Feng Weiguo, but many people from the family compound had approached Quartermaster Luo and Old Zhong.

In any case, nearly everyone working in the Kitchen Unit had someone come to them for help.

Even Sister Juxiang had seen many military wives visiting her during that time, chatting about daily life, which ultimately was still about the worker quotas.

Wen Nuan had thought she would never encounter such matters, only to find that they would arise later!

Clearly, the hiring work for the factory was nearly complete, yet Huang Yueying still insisted on her own opinions.

Gu Qinghan pursed his lips, saying, “You’ve been too tired lately. Every night when I come home, you’re basically already asleep.”

Speaking of this, Gu Qinghan felt heartbroken for his wife being so busy. He didn’t dare to wake her up at night, and he also refrained from bothering her with other small matters to avoid stressing her out.

However, Gu Qinghan had long known that Huang Yueying was that type of person. Quartermaster Luo would definitely not let her take shortcuts; everything Huang Yueying did would be in vain.

Wen Nuan pouted as she watched the rushing yellow sand and said, “I didn’t expect Huang Yueying to be so impatient for success. With that kind of effort, she might as well focus on improving herself.”

She had heard from Sister Guihua and others that Huang Yueying loved to build various connections.

When they had just arrived in the North, Huang Yueying had enjoyed playing with Liu Meili. However, later on, when Liu Meili became less keen on showing off in the family compound, Huang Yueying stopped hanging out with her.

Wen Nuan naturally wanted to keep her distance from such a petty person. If something happened to her one day, that type of person would undoubtedly kick her while she was down.

Gu Qinghan smiled and pressed down on the accelerator, saying, “Forget about her. We’re going to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative now.”

Wen Nuan went to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy crucian carp and papaya, planning to make a milk soup to take to Sister Guihua.

However, when Lele returned, he had fallen asleep in the car and still hadn’t woken up, so Wen Nuan asked Gu Qinghan to help deliver it.

Sister Guihua had spent three days in the hospital before returning to the family compound.

Many people were curious about who had cured Sister Guihua and Zhou Jianshe’s infertility after hearing that she had given birth to a son.

After all, they had been married for over ten years, and for such a long time, they hadn’t been able to conceive. Suddenly, she had a baby?

And a big, chubby baby at that?

Every time Wen Nuan returned to the family compound from the Kitchen Unit, someone would ask her about it, but she would just smile and not respond.

These were Sister Guihua’s private matters; she would share them when she was ready, after her month of confinement.

However, some gossip still circulated.

People found out that Sister Guihua had previously sought the help of Doctor Zhao, and everyone began speculating that perhaps it was Doctor Zhao’s treatment that had worked.

As a result, some couples in the family compound who hadn’t had children for several years secretly went to the military hospital to seek out Doctor Zhao.

Wen Nuan wasn’t particularly interested in these matters. She was busy preparing quick dishes for the factory and helping to make soup to send to Sister Guihua’s home when she returned to the family compound.

As for little Lele, ever since Sister Guihua returned from the hospital, he had been eager to visit their home and see the baby.

Wen Nuan wasn’t sure what the customs were like over at Sister Guihua’s place. She had heard that some people preferred not to have visitors during the month of confinement, fearing it might disturb the newborn and cause them to cry.

However, Aunt Liang said it was fine and, smiling brightly, encouraged Lele to go see the baby.

When Lele heard Aunt Liang say this, he quickly grabbed his favorite toys and snacks and dashed over to Sister Guihua’s house.

The little girl arrived at their home with great excitement. The moment he entered, he began searching for the baby, completely ignoring Sister Guihua.

“Little baby!”

“Big sister is here! Little baby, are you awake?” Lele saw a crib in the living room and immediately ran over. There lay a tiny infant, quietly resting in the crib, eyes tightly shut, with a slightly red mouth that kept sucking, as if he were nursing on something.

He was incredibly cute.

Wen Nuan followed closely behind Lele and reminded him, “Lele, don’t be so loud. You’ll wake the little baby. He’s still sleeping, so let’s be quiet for a moment.”

Lele’s big, round eyes blinked at her as he whispered, “He’s so small. Is it because the little baby has nothing to eat?”

Aunt Liang chuckled and replied, “Newborn babies are always this small. After a while, they’ll grow bigger. Soon, they’ll be as tall as you, Lele.”

Lele then asked, “Can I give him something to eat?”

As he spoke, he raised the candies and cookies he had brought with him.

Wen Nuan immediately shook her head, saying, “No, the little baby can only drink milk.”

Aunt Liang, smiling brightly, added, “The little baby can’t eat that yet; he’ll be able to eat when he’s older.”

Lele’s small head drooped in disappointment as he stuffed the candies back into his pocket and asked, “Oh, can I hold him?”

Wen Nuan patted his head and said, “Not yet, Lele. You don’t have enough strength. You can hold him when you’re a bit older.”

Lele looked up at Wen Nuan, saying, “Then… Mom, can you bring the little baby back to our home?”

“I really want a little baby! I want to feed him, hold him, and sleep with him!”

Wen Nuan: “…”