Hi, dear readers! Remember the poll I created a week ago? This novel won! Thank you all for voting! I might do this again next month—let’s see! Anyway, you can now read up to Chapter 102.2. Enjoy! ฅ/ᐠ˶> ﻌ<˶ᐟ\ฅ

Chapter 97.1

When they went out, they happened to run into Sister Guihua and Aunt Liang.

After Sister Guihua roughly understood the situation, she let Aunt Liang follow them to see if there was anything she could help with.

Wen Nuan thought it would be good to have another person to support them, so she asked Aunt Liang to go along.

Although the weather was cold, many people in the family compound were out and about due to the holiday.

However, compared to the bustle of the family compound, the military hospital was much quieter.

Although superstitions were not allowed in these times, there were still many who would not go to the hospital on such a festive day as the New Year.

Even though this place was for saving lives and healing the injured, many people still believed it was unlucky.

Originally, Gu Qinglan had planned to work half a day today and then have a holiday, returning to work on the third day of the new year.

On the way to the hospital, Gu Qinglan had briefly shared the situation with them.

This time, the person who forcefully introduced a blind date to Gu Qinglan was Aunt Liu, the mother-in-law of Director Xu from their department. Aunt Liu had a son in the army, who was also a regiment-level officer.

It seemed that she often came to the hospital to bring meals to Director Xu, and through these visits, she became acquainted with Gu Qinglan.

Gu Qinglan had a good personality and was quite attractive; previously, there had been male comrades who expressed interest in her, but after Gu Qinglan declined, most people would not pursue her further.

Unexpectedly, Aunt Liu had been “enthusiastic” to such an extent that she directly called a male comrade from Beijing, regardless of whether Gu Qinglan agreed.

No matter how one looked at it, this was unreasonable.

Gu Qinglan had also said that she had clearly expressed her rejection, and the other party had not pressed further; she thought it had ended there. Who would have known that such a thing would happen?

Wasn’t this bullying Gu Qinglan, a young girl without her parents by her side?

Even if someone truly wanted to introduce her to a blind date, Gu Qinghan and Wen Nuan were not incapable of making that decision; Aunt Liu had clearly acted without consulting them first.

If things went badly, Gu Qinglan’s reputation could be ruined!

Gu Qinglan said, “Elder brother, sister-in-law, I really did clearly refuse Aunt Liu.”

However, at that time, she hadn’t made it clear to Li Daxiang, but even if she had, she wouldn’t go around telling people her private affairs.

She also hadn’t expected Aunt Liu to be so forward, directly bringing the man in front of her, as if trying to force her into submission.

Wen Nuan was extremely angry; the more she listened, the more she felt that Aunt Liu was definitely doing this on purpose.

Aunt Liu first said that Gu Qinglan was getting older, implying that at Gu Qinglan’s age, she should find a man to marry off.

Now, she had directly brought the male comrade over, which was just to make her comply obediently, wasn’t it?

If a less assertive female comrade had been in Gu Qinglan’s position, she would have been utterly at Aunt Liu’s mercy.

If Gu Qinglan really was willing to meet with that man, Aunt Liu would probably have a pile of arguments ready to persuade her to accept this blind date.

It was nothing short of a rogue act of pushing a duck onto the shelves!

Gu Qinghan knew that Wen Nuan was angry and quickly held her back, saying, “Wait, let me handle it. Don’t get upset; Doctor Zhao said you shouldn’t get worked up in the first three months.”

Although Wen Nuan looked delicate, he always knew she had a bit of a temper and her own principles. While she wouldn’t quarrel with an aunt, Gu Qinghan didn’t want her to become so upset over this matter.

It was a festive day, and she was pregnant; encountering such a situation was already unfortunate enough. If anything else happened, he felt he would go crazy.

Carrying Lele on her back, Gu Qinglan heard Gu Qinghan say this and couldn’t help but interject, “Sister-in-law, you mustn’t argue with those people. Your health is the most important thing right now. I can handle it myself.”

“Besides, we have elder brother here; we have the numbers. I don’t believe she can truly force me.”

Gu Qinghan looked at Wen Nuan with concern, reminding her again, “If anything happens, let us handle it first. You just stand aside with Lele.”

Wen Nuan met the worried yet authoritative gaze of the man and nodded, saying, “Got it.”

Then she reached out and squeezed the warmth of his palm, smiling, “With you here, do you think anyone can bully me?”

Hearing Wen Nuan’s words of trust, the man smiled faintly.

Aunt Liang, listening to their conversation, huffed, “Don’t worry; you young people may be too shy to scold, but I’m here!”

Originally, Aunt Liang had come with the mindset of watching a show, but the more she listened, the angrier she became.

Taking advantage of a female comrade like this was truly despicable.

Lele, who was leaning against Gu Qinglan’s back, didn’t quite understand what was going on, but seeing the anxious expressions on the adults’ faces, he couldn’t help but shout, “I’ll help Auntie scold!”

“Just don’t cry from being scared; that’s enough! And you want to scold!” Gu Qinglan was amused by her, unable to resist giving Lele a pat on the bottom, saying, “Auntie has been carrying you all this way and is going to be exhausted. You should get down now.”

As she set Lele down, she couldn’t help but murmur, “Why does it feel like you’ve gotten heavier again?”

Before, Gu Qinglan could carry her from the family compound to the hospital without feeling too tired, but now, even before reaching the hospital, she was already gasping for breath.

Lele giggled and said, “That’s because I’ve grown up!”

When Lele smiled, the two chubby cheeks on her face appeared even rounder, making her look adorable.

“You’re still saying that after growing up, you still want Auntie to carry you. Aren’t you ashamed?” Gu Qinghan glanced at the child and simply picked her up to carry her.

Gu Qinglan couldn’t help but tease as she pinched Lele’s cheek, saying, “You’ve grown up and gained weight, little piglet!”

Lele clutched her dad’s neck tightly, huffed, and turned her head away, “You’re the little pig Auntie!”

Seeing them starting to bicker again, Wen Nuan urged, “Let’s stop talking and hurry over there.”

When they arrived at the hospital, they actually saw Aunt Liu waiting outside with a man.

Moreover, there were quite a few people nearby watching, but it was unclear whether they were from Aunt Liu’s party or just spectators from the family compound.

As they approached, they heard Aunt Liu’s loud voice complaining, “Hey, what is up with the current female comrades? Clearly, we agreed to introduce her to someone, and she just said one word and disappeared without a trace. I’ve never seen someone so rude!”

“Besides, she’s just a little nurse at a hospital. If it weren’t for her backing from a battalion commander brother, she’d still be a rural youth digging in the fields! The comrade I introduced to her, Zhou, is a cadre; how could he possibly be unworthy of her? She’s just high-minded and picky, no wonder no one wants her even though she’s in her twenties!”

Hearing such words, before Wen Nuan and the others could get angry, Aunt Liang was the first to lose her temper and rushed forward, furiously saying, “Oh, so you must be Aunt Liu? So you can bring someone over without a word, forcing a female comrade to meet with him, but she isn’t allowed to refuse? Others have rejected you, yet you still bring him here. Are you trying to bully a thin-skinned female comrade?”

Aunt Liu, who was already in her sixties and had a kind-looking face, finally noticed Gu Qinglan’s arrival and spoke earnestly, “What you’re saying isn’t fair! I saw that this girl Gu Qinglan was already in her twenties and still didn’t have a partner, so I said I want to introduce her to single male comrade. She herself said she couldn’t find someone suitable, but if she had someone, she would be willing to meet. How did it become me forcing her now?”

“That Comrade Zhou traveled all the way from Beijing. He’s a respectable person, working at the Industry and Commerce Bureau in Beijing. I thought he would match her well, right?”

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately developed a favorable impression of such a young and capable male comrade, whispering among themselves as they looked at Gu Qinglan.

But Aunt Liang shot a glance at the male comrade surnamed Zhou and immediately got angry, placing her hands on her hips and shouting, “Stop talking nonsense! Our Qinglan never agreed to this! So, what if she’s in her twenties? Is she living off your family’s rice? Does she deserve to be casually married off like this? Have you even asked her family for consent?”

Wen Nuan, worried that Aunt Liang would get too worked up, pulled at her arm and softly said, “Auntie, don’t get excited.”

At the same time, Gu Qinghan held onto Gu Qinglan’s arm, signaling her to stay silent for the moment.

She looked at Aunt Liu, who spoke in a way that reeked of moral coercion, a typical hypocrite.

Under the guise of “I’m doing this for your own good,” she was doing things she liked that others found suffocating.

Previously, Gu Qinglan had nearly been “sold” by her adoptive parents, and now this Aunt Liu was being so “enthusiastic,” making it hard not to suspect that she was receiving some sort of benefit for her actions.

From the very beginning, Aunt Liu had likely planned to force Qinglan into submission; who would have known that Qinglan was no fool and simply ran away?

Hence, Aunt Liu started to tarnish her reputation, claiming whatever she wanted since Qinglan was absent.

In the end, if Qinglan’s reputation was ruined, wouldn’t she be forced into marriage?

Wen Nuan sized up the so-called respectable male comrade beside Aunt Liu, who had a rather unattractive appearance.

If he were really that outstanding, why would he come all this way to look for a blind date?

It seemed that he sensed Wen Nuan’s scrutiny and lowered his head, not saying a word. Seeing him like this only made Wen Nuan dislike him even more.

Wen Nuan tugged at Gu Qinghan’s arm and said, “Qinghan, go find Commissar Li and let him know there’s trouble at the hospital. Someone is causing a scene and behaving inappropriately; we need the chief to take charge!”

Gu Qinghan frowned, feeling uneasy about Wen Nuan being here alone, but Aunt Liang said, “Captain Gu, don’t worry. With me here, no one can bully Comrade Wen Nuan.”

Gu Qinghan glanced at Wen Nuan, noticing the determination in her eyes, and decided to make it quick, saying, “I’ll go right now.”

Then, she looked at Gu Qinglan and said, “Keep an eye on your sister-in-law.”

Upon hearing Wen Nuan’s words, Aunt Liu’s face darkened immediately. “What do you mean by saying someone is being a hooligan? When have we ever acted like hooligans? We haven’t even said a word to your Gu Qinglan! What kind of hooliganism are you talking about? Don’t think that just because you have a man who is a battalion commander, you’re so impressive. Don’t turn white into black!”

In that era, being a hooligan was a serious crime, often leading to hard labor, or worse, execution by firing squad.

No one would ever admit to it.

Besides, they really hadn’t done anything to Gu Qinglan; at most, they simply wanted her to behave obediently.

Wen Nuan saw that Aunt Liu was already red in the face and angry, and she let out a cold snort. “You went against the will of a woman. After Comrade Gu Qinglan had clearly refused, you still insisted on introducing a  man to her, even bringing him to the hospital. What else could that be but hooliganism?”

“You… you’re talking nonsense!”

Aunt Liu was instantly defensive, revealing a disdainful look as she scoffed. “To be honest, I’m doing this for your girl’s good. This marriage wouldn’t be a loss for her at all. That Comrade Zhou is a state cadre; if your Qinglan weren’t relying on your man, she’d probably still be down in the countryside!”

Aunt Liu knew a bit about Gu Qinglan’s background. She had originally been a educated youth and, perhaps fearing hardship, had let Gu Qinghan help her get into the army.

If it weren’t for her decent looks and having an older brother and sister-in-law, this marriage wouldn’t even have been her lot!

On the contrary, they had used their connections to help Gu Qinglan cut ties with her identity as a educated youth. How could they still have the face to strut around in front of her?

Aunt Liang glanced up and down at the man named Zhou and sneered, “Even if your family doesn’t have a mirror, at least you could pee on the ground and look at your reflection! If you don’t even match up to our Qinglan in height or looks, then you’re simply not worthy. We’re the ones losing out, so what’s it to you?”

Wen Nuan noticed Gu Qinglan was on the verge of retaliating against them, so she took her hand.

Then, she looked at the crowd that had gathered and raised her voice, saying, “Everyone heard that, right? It seems this Aunt Liu not only brought a male comrade here to act like a hooligan, but she’s also a reactionary!”

Reactionary?

Aunt Liu was struck speechless by this baseless accusation, her face going pale.

It was one thing to be labeled a serious crime outside; now, being in the army, this could mean the end of her whole family’s military career!

This… this…

Aunt Liu was on the verge of tears, her voice trembling. “You—you’re slandering us! Our ancestors were eight generations of honorable farmers and working-class laborers. Don’t think that just because you’re a military wife, you can talk nonsense!”

Wen Nuan scoffed. “I’m slandering you? Let everyone weigh in. The movement of going to the countryside was a major initiative organized by us. Yet, in Aunt Liu’s eyes, it has somehow become a matter of looking down on those who toil in the fields? Isn’t that reactionary?”

The onlookers finally reacted, turning their attention to Aunt Liu and beginning to discuss among themselves:

“That’s not right! The educated youth are honorable individuals!”

“To dare discriminate against the educated youth? This mindset is really skewed. Could she be an enemy agent?”

“You—you’re talking nonsense!” Aunt Liu was genuinely flustered this time. “That’s not what I meant at all! You used connections to bring Gu Qinglan from the countryside to the army. You’re the ones abusing your power!”

This time, Gu Qinglan couldn’t hold back any longer. She stepped directly in front of Wen Nuan, pointing at Aunt Liu and cursing, “You old hag! You can insult me all you want, but why bring my brother and sister-in-law into this? Do you really think I’m an easy target, huh?”

Gu Qinglan rolled up her sleeves, ready to stride toward Aunt Liu angrily.

Seeing the situation escalate, Aunt Liu took several steps back, but before she could react further, the man beside her, who had been silent until now, suddenly lunged forward, gritting his teeth and cursing, “You filthy bitch! I came all this way to arrange a blind date with you, thinking you’d appreciate it. Do you really think you’re a goddess descended from heaven?”

He spat on the ground, his face twisted with anger. “Damn it! How dare you not appreciate my kindness? You think I have a good temper, huh? You little bitch, just watch me beat you to death!”

As he spoke, he swung his fist toward Gu Qinglan.

However, the collective strength of the crowd proved formidable. Moreover, this was the North Army’s military hospital, and Gu Qinglan was a nurse here, so everyone naturally stood with her.

Especially since most of the people present were women, this man’s willingness to resort to violence touched a nerve.

Seeing the man take action, a group of female comrades rushed forward, determined to stop his violent behavior.

But the next scene left everyone stunned—

Wen Nuan, slender in build, grabbed a wooden stick about the thickness of a child’s arm. She turned sideways, raising her arm, and struck the man squarely on the jaw, sending him flying two meters away with a thud.

When he fell to the ground, a tooth flew out of his mouth.

Seeing this, Gu Qinglan immediately raised her foot and kicked the man, causing him to curl up in pain and scream.

Wen Nuan threw the stick onto the ground, dusted off her hands, and snorted. “Did you really think we in the Kitchen Unit were pushovers?”

In their Kitchen Unit, even a rolling pin was a weapon!

Gu Qinglan stared at the scene before her, unable to close her mouth for a long time. She looked at the impressive Wen Nuan with admiration.

“Sister-in-law, you’re amazing!”

Wen Nuan smiled. “It was nothing, really. I just didn’t dare to go all out.”

She certainly had to take care of the baby in her belly; she couldn’t risk injuring herself over some worthless man.

Upon hearing this, Gu Qinglan grabbed Wen Nuan and looked her up and down. “Sister-in-law, are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, really,” Wen Nuan reassured her, taking Gu Qinglan’s hand. “That man didn’t hurt you, did he?”

Gu Qinglan shook her head. “He didn’t even touch me!”

“Thank you, sister-in-law! I love you so much! Wuwuwu…” As she spoke, Gu Qinglan hugged Wen Nuan’s shoulders tightly.