Chapter 321| Chapter 322| Chapter 323
Chapter 321: The Troops Gave Everyone New Quilts
Sheng Wanyan threw on her heavy winter coat and headed out to join the crowd gathering in the open clearing.
The air was biting cold, so Political Commissar Xie didn’t waste time on a long-winded speech. He cut straight to the point.
“To the families who stepped up and made sacrifices during the flood! The regiment has not forgotten you!” he bellowed. “The military command has officially approved compensation for every household that surrendered their bedding to fortify the flume. You are all invited to come forward and receive an equal number of brand-new quilts!”
The exact millisecond the announcement cleared his lips, a massive cheer erupted from the crowd.
Gu Tingxiao hadn’t returned to the cottage for lunch; instead, he had rounded up a few of his men to help transport the massive stacks of bedding from the logistics depot.
“The leadership is truly wise!”
“Who would have thought we’d get something this wonderful?!”
“Goodness, look at the quality! Those are brand-new, premium quilts.”
“I sacrificed two blankets last night, does that mean I get two brand-new ones back?”
“The army really takes care of its own. I never expected them to be this considerate.”
The clearing buzzed with lively chatter as the military wives eagerly discussed the news.
“Line up in an orderly fashion!” the logistics officer shouted. “When your name is called, step forward to claim your allocation!”
As Political Commissar Xie began reading from the master ledger, the women quickly formed a neat line. When Sheng Wanyan’s turn came, she was handed two thick, heavy quilts. Gu Tingxiao immediately stepped forward, smoothly taking the bulk of the weight from her arms.
Pan Yue was called next, collecting two new quilts for her own household, while Director Pan’s residence received their share as well. One by one, every single family who had contributed to the rescue chain was systematically rewarded.
“Wait a moment! Why hasn’t our household been called?”
Seeing that the officer had closed the ledger and their names were nowhere to be found, Captain Du’s mother immediately sourly interjected, her face darkening with displeasure.
“Exactly! Our name wasn’t read either!” Zhang Zhaodi chimed in sharply, her eyes locking onto the pristine fabric. These were premium, brand-new quilts! Why was everyone walking away with a prize while her household was left bare?
Political Commissar Xie leveled a cold, unyielding look at the two women. “Captain Du’s household and Captain Wu’s household contributed absolutely zero assets to the rescue operations during the flash flood,” he delivered flatly. “You provided neither manual labor nor material bedding. Tell me, on what administrative grounds do you expect a share?”
The moment the Commissar laid down the boundary, the surrounding military wives immediately turned on the shirkers, their voices overlapping in a wave of public scorn.
“He’s entirely right! You two were huddling safely inside your rooms the entire night!”
“Exactly! Every single one of us remembers who stood in the current and who hid!”
“The exact second you heard the emergency bugle sound, you barricaded your doors. Your households acted like absolute deserters!”
“Now that the regiment is distributing premium benefits, you’re the first to step forward and demand a prize. You certainly have a lot of nerve!”
The crowd wasn’t about to let them slide. How could anyone possess the sheer audacity to demand a reward after sitting idly by while others bled?
Zhang Zhaodi and Liang Qian’s expressions turned thoroughly unsightly. The collective, unvarnished criticism from their neighbors left them burning with embarrassment.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Political Commissar Xie barked, raising a hand to disperse the crowd. “To the families who received nothing today: look inside your own conduct for the answers. If your husbands harbor any professional grievances regarding this allocation, tell them to file a formal report on my desk! Company, dismissed!”
With that parting instruction, the Commissar turned and strode back toward the headquarters. In a brutal winter climate like this, he had absolutely zero intention of lingering in the snow to argue with Zhang Zhaodi and Liang Qian. If those households felt mistreated, let their officers come and argue the logistics themselves.
The exact second Political Commissar Xie vanished down the path, Captain Du’s mother instantly pivoted, venting her boiling frustration directly onto Liang Qian. “This is entirely your fault! I explicitly told you to hand our spare blankets over to the vanguard detail last night, but you stubbornly refused!”
Liang Qian let out a cold, venomous sneer at her mother-in-law’s accusations. Now that the household had missed out on a major material benefit, the old woman was trying to shift the blame to her. Last night, when the neighborhood leaders were calling for resources, who was the one wearing a sour, tight-fisted expression, refusing to part with a single scrap of fabric?
“Stop trying to pin every domestic failure on my head,” Liang Qian countered fiercely, refusing to back down a single inch. She had been thoroughly spoiled her entire life and had never endured a moment of mistreatment; there was absolutely no universe where she would swallow her pride for a mother-in-law.
She understood her leverage perfectly. As long as she remained Chief of Staff Liang’s daughter, the Du family wouldn’t dare push her too far. If Captain Du ever desired to secure a professional promotion or a salary bump, his primary directive was keeping her content. If the Du household chose to make her life miserable, she wouldn’t hesitate to pull the emergency cord, destroying both sides’ futures so nobody could live in peace.
Sensing the genuine fury in her daughter-in-law’s eyes, Aunt Du tactfully shut her mouth. After all, she was still desperately banking on Liang Qian to initiate a reconciliation with Chief of Staff Liang. If she permanently alienated her daughter-in-law now, any future peace offering would be completely off the table—to say nothing of securing comfortable metropolitan career assignments for her eldest and youngest sons.
She had no idea how long Chief of Staff Liang intended to maintain his icy silence over the family scandal. If she returned home empty-handed and her two sons missed out on their job placements, her life would become an absolute nightmare. She would have no one left to financially anchor her twilight years.
Aunt Du swallowed her rage, forcing herself to endure the disrespect. She couldn’t afford to offend this high-born daughter-in-law in the current climate, but she silently vowed that things would change in the future. The exact second her sons locked down their career placements, she would no longer tolerate this girl’s arrogance.
“Wait a moment… remember when Captain Gu’s wife went door-to-door auditing exactly how many quilts we had surrendered?” one of the military wives noted, a sudden realization hitting her. At the time, the crowd had assumed Sheng Wanyan was merely completing a standard administrative log. None of them had anticipated that the captain’s wife was actively drafting a blueprint to secure a massive material reward for them.
“Oh! Now that you mention it, the memory completely clicks!”
“These brand-new quilts are entirely due to the advocacy of Captain Gu’s wife!”
“Exactly! Not only is Captain Gu an absolute powerhouse on the field, but his young wife is incredibly brilliant and capable!”
“They truly are a perfect match.”
The women swarmed Sheng Wanyan, showering her with enthusiastic praise. Now that they had tasted the direct, material benefit of her leadership, their warmth was boundless.
Sheng Wanyan accepted their compliments with a polite smile, though her pragmatic mind understood the shelf life of such adulation. Human nature was predictable; while the community would celebrate a benefactor in the immediate aftermath of a crisis, time would inevitably dilute the memory. Within a few months, the intensity would fade, and everyone would return to their default personalities.
She hadn’t orchestrated this relief package to buy their permanent loyalty anyway. Her primary objective was simply conditioning the base wives to operate as a unified front whenever a real crisis threatened their survival. She chose to simply ignore their petty domestic squabbles and harsh words.
However, she had intentionally kept the logistical details of the compensation package completely hidden during the initial audit. Had Zhang Zhaodi known beforehand that surrendering an old blanket would net her a pristine, brand-new replacement from the state repository, she would have cleared out her linen press without a second thought. Sheng Wanyan had deliberately maintained absolute silence, specifically to lock her out of the reward!
Across the clearing, Aunt Du and Liang Qian reached the exact same bitter conclusion. Had Sheng Wanyan simply dropped a hint regarding the compensation scheme earlier, they would have handed over their bedding without a single drop of hesitation.
Sheng Wanyan had possessed the data all along, yet she had consciously chosen to keep them in the dark. Because of her calculated silence, their household had lost out on premium state assets, missed out on a recorded community merit, and ended up completely ostracized and despised by the entire compound.
The two families stared at Sheng Wanyan, their eyes burning with an intense, toxic hatred. It never once crossed their selfish minds that none of the other military wives had known about the incoming compensation either; the others had surrendered their bedding purely out of a raw desire to save lives. Incapable of self-reflection, the shirkers chose to project the full weight of their self-inflicted failures entirely onto an external enemy.
Sheng Wanyan didn’t give a single damn about the resentful glares Zhang Zhaodi and Liang Qian were throwing at her back. She simply instructed Gu Tingxiao to hoist the premium heavy quilts, and the couple turned to walk back toward their cottage, her thoughts already returning to her nursery logistics.
Zhang Zhaodi and Liang Qian tracked her retreating silhouette, the unadulterated venom in their eyes deep and dark. Once a seed of bitter resentment takes root in a small mind, it amplifies infinitely until it consumes the entire heart.
Sheng Wanyan harbored absolutely zero interest in tracking exactly when or how Liang Qian and Zhang Zhaodi would inevitably form an alliance. As the old proverb goes: birds of a feather flock together. It was entirely expected that two individuals of the exact same toxic baseline would eventually drift into the same social circle, especially since they now shared a unified, burning target for their malice.
That target was Sheng Wanyan.
When New Year’s Eve finally arrived, the entire military compound was alive with festive, vibrant energy. The unexpected windfall of premium state blankets had cast a joyful glow over the residential blocks, successfully erasing the lingering gloom of the recent flash flood.
Inside the cozy cottages, families huddled around their stoves, sharing lively conversations and festive preparations.
Sitting in the warmth of the master bedroom, Father and Mother Sheng watched the bustling community dynamics, happily gossiping about the regiment’s exceptional winter benefits as they finalized the holiday arrangements.
Chapter 322: The Army’s New Year’s Dinner
“It’s freezing outside right now, so make sure you wash those new quilts and air them out in the sun before you actually use them,” Mother Sheng instructed carefully, terrified that the young couple would just throw them over their beds straight out of the depot.
“We know, Mom,” Sheng Wanyan replied with a smile. “We still have plenty of blankets at home, so there’s no rush to use the new ones.”
Sheng Wanyan didn’t find her mother’s nagging annoying at all. On the contrary, after everything that had happened, having a mother around who cared enough to fuss over her brought her a deep sense of comfort.
“Look at you, always having a quick answer,” Mother Sheng teased gently. “By the way, have you and Xiaoyue gotten everything fully prepared for the New Year?”
Sheng Wanyan had already meticulously organized their holiday stash, stocking up on melon seeds, traditional pastries, walnuts, wine, and assorted candies. During the Lunar New Year, the compound children would go door-to-door to pay their respects and offer holiday greetings, and it was customary for each household to hand them a generous fistful of melon seeds and treats. Last year, Sheng Wanyan and Gu Tingxiao had returned to the capital for the holidays, so they had missed out on the neighborhood festivities. But this year, celebrating right here at the barracks promised to be an incredibly lively affair. The presence of the children always made the holiday atmosphere feel far more festive.
“Yes, Mom. I’m completely ready.”
“I’m all set too,” Pan Yue chimed in.
Hearing that the domestic logistics were fully handled, Mother Sheng let out a relieved sigh. “That’s wonderful. Oh, I almost forgot—the regiment is hosting a massive year-end banquet at the mess hall tomorrow evening.”
Tomorrow marked the second-to-last day of the lunar year 1975, and the base was bound to be a whirlwind of activity. After a long, grueling year of training and service, the administration wanted to properly reward the hard-working soldiers. More importantly, after enduring the terrifying flash flood, the command recognized the urgent need to comfort and reassure the community.
In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, a few of the military wives had been so thoroughly shaken that they desperately wanted to pack their bags and return to their hometowns. Had their husbands not spent days patiently soothing their anxieties, the residential quarters might very well be half-empty by now.
Shaken by the close call, several soldiers had raised the issue with the upper echelons. At the end of the day, no active-duty soldier wanted to be left isolated in an empty house, constantly worrying about a displaced family. If a man was constantly sick with worry about his household’s basic safety, how could he possibly maintain the focus and unyielding confidence required to execute dangerous state missions?
In this era of strict rationing and limited financial resources, material rewards were scarce, making psychological security and spiritual comfort absolutely paramount. The military command had to guarantee that the soldiers’ families felt thoroughly secure, cherished, and warm, systematically erasing any lingering resentment or fear from their hearts. Above all, they could not allow a domestic crisis to erode the troops’ absolute trust in the regiment. Thus, the leadership was pulling out all the stops to appease the families, ensuring the military wives felt valued enough to happily maintain their vital roles at the rear.
The following evening, Sheng Wanyan walked over to the communal mess hall for the grand banquet, carrying little Yi Yi along for the festivities.
It was the literal first time the infant had ever been introduced to such a massive, roaring crowd. The moment they crossed the threshold, her wide eyes darted left and right, utterly fascinated by the bright lights and shouting voices. A dozen military wives immediately swarmed Sheng Wanyan’s sector to coo over the baby, and little Yi Yi rewarded them with a brilliant, toothless smile.
“Is the little one’s name Yi Yi?” a wife asked, leaning closer.
Seeing how beautifully plump, fair, and healthy the infant looked, the women couldn’t help but feel a wave of secondary emotion. How on earth did Captain Gu possess the heart to march into a raging current when he had such a precious baby girl waiting at home? they mused. The man’s sense of duty is terrifying.
“Yes,” Sheng Wanyan answered with a bright smile.
“Gu Yi Yi… you know, it flows beautifully.”
“Actually, Yi Yi is just her childhood nickname,” Sheng Wanyan clarified with a chuckle. “Her official registered name is Gu Jinsheng.”
The surrounding wives laughed warmly, realizing they had mistaken her nursery name for her formal title.
“Folks with an educated background truly select names differently,” one woman sighed admiringly. “Look at the names we give our girls—it’s always Dahua, Erniu, or Xiaocao.”
In this era, typical rural households almost exclusively named their daughters variations of “Big Flower,” “Second Flower,” or “Little Weed.” If a girl was granted a slightly more polished name like Xiaofang or Xiaohui, it was a clear sign she was highly treasured by her parents.
Across the hall, Gu Tingxiao was working alongside the other officers, hauling heavy timber tables and benches into neat rows, while a contingent of tireless military wives swarmed the kitchen to help the cooks plate the feast.
Sheng Wanyan had been bouncing Yi Yi for a while, and noting the strain on her daughter’s arms, Mother Sheng smoothly stepped in to lift the heavy baby.
“Is our little Yi Yi getting sleepy?” Grandma Sheng asked, leaning over as she noted the infant’s heavy eyelids.
“Yes, she’s definitely nodding off,” Mother Sheng murmured, shifting her grip. “Her lids are dropping.” The baby had been passed from one enthusiastic neighbor to the next for nearly an hour, and the heavy social stimulation had thoroughly drained her battery.
Pan Yue was sitting nearby balancing little Huzi on her lap. The moment the toddler spotted his cousin, he eagerly extended both arms, his chubby fingers grasping at the air. Mother Sheng gently guided Yi Yi’s tiny hand into his palm, and Huzi let out a satisfied squeal, tightly locking his fingers around his sister’s wrist.
“Beautiful~!” he babbled happily.
Huzi was absolutely infatuated with Yi Yi and loved playing with her, completely unbothered by the fact that she was still too small to articulate real words.
“Say younger sister,” Pan Yue corrected gently, seizing the educational opportunity. Unfortunately, her one-year-old son possessed zero interest in linguistics and simply ignored her, continuing to pat the baby’s blanket.
Once Gu Tingxiao and the men finished organizing the dining floor, he scanned the crowd, tracking his family’s sector. Noting that his daughter was on the absolute brink of sleep, he strode over and seamlessly transferred the heavy infant into his own broad arms.
“Mom, let me handle her,” he murmured to Mother Sheng. “Go ahead and take your seats at the table.”
Mother Sheng nodded gratefully, rolling her shoulders. Though little Yi Yi was only five months old, her exceptional health meant she was remarkably heavy. Holding her for even twenty minutes left an older woman’s arms completely numb.
Gu Tingxiao cradled his daughter against his chest, pacing a slow, rhythmic circle along the edge of the mess hall as he gently patted her back.
Watching the legendary, cold-blooded “King of Hell” transform into a fiercely doting, tender father, the surrounding soldiers nearly choked on their tea. Are our eyes malfunctioning? they thought in absolute, collective bewilderment. How on earth is that terrifying commander displaying a side this incredibly gentle? Is that an impostor wearing Captain Gu’s uniform?
They were witnessing a side of their superior they hadn’t believed existed. The sheer depth of adoration Captain Gu harbored for his precious daughter was staggering.
“Is that honestly our commanding officer?” a young private whispered, staring in awe. “How can a man be that terrifying on the drill field and that gentle at home?”
Why did they only get the cruel, unyielding version of the captain—the one who wouldn’t hesitate to slap them with a grueling five-kilometer disciplinary run if their formation slipped by a hair? Talk about an absolute double standard! Still, the men felt they had finally unlocked the core truth of the universe: they simply weren’t Captain Gu’s beloved daughter.
The military wives huddled around the banquet tables couldn’t tear their eyes away from the sight either. They had never envisioned a senior officer performing nursery duties so naturally in public. In an era where domestic logistics were almost exclusively deemed “women’s work,” seeing a decorated commander proudly pacify a crying infant challenged every traditional standard.
“Captain Gu truly treasures his wife,” a woman murmured wistfully.
“Exactly. There isn’t a single husband in this entire compound who invests more care into his household than he does.”
Standing near the back of the room, Liang Qian’s face flushed a violent, angry crimson as she listened to the whispers. A toxic wave of envy clawed at her throat. If it weren’t for Sheng Wanyan’s interference, she thought bitterly, I would be the one standing in the center of that room, wrapped in the envy of every woman on this base! How did that country girl manage to usurp my destiny?
Yet, despite her burning resentment, Liang Qian didn’t dare manifest a single shred of public hostility toward Sheng Wanyan. She had only just survived a severe administrative tongue-lashing from the political commissar, and her relationship with her father, Chief of Staff Liang, remained dangerously icy. If she instigated another public scene, Political Commissar Xie would strip her of her housing privileges without a single second of hesitation.
A short distance away, Zhang Zhaodi rolled her eyes in deep disgust. In her eyes, Sheng Wanyan’s behavior was utterly shameless. How could a proper wife display such laziness in front of the entire regiment, casually forcing Captain Gu to handle a crying infant while she sat idly by? Did she harbor absolutely zero respect for her husband’s professional standing? How was Captain Gu supposed to command respect from his troops tomorrow if his wife turned him into a nursery maid tonight?
Sheng Wanyan remained entirely oblivious to the silent drama brewing in the corners. She simply retrieved a sleek insulated bottle from her bag and passed it smoothly to her husband.
“Wait, is that a modern nursing bottle?” a sharp-eyed wife whispered.
“It certainly is. But look at the materials—it’s crafted from high-grade tempered glass. You can only source those specialized imports from the premium department stores in the capital.”
“I heard they cost dozens of yuan a piece!”
“Merciful heavens… talk about an education.”
“A single bottle costs an entire month’s wages for a laborer! Captain Gu’s household truly treats their daughter like a literal princess.”
A wave of shock rippled through the onlookers. No matter how deep the Gu family’s financial reserves ran, pouring that level of luxury capital onto a female infant was entirely unheard of. Captain Gu’s standard monthly military stipend wouldn’t even cover the baseline maintenance of a nursery that lavish!
Chapter 323: New Year’s Eve
“Captain Gu’s monthly salary is eighty yuan, and with his mission bonuses, it comes out to a hundred yuan a month,” one of the women whispered.
“But his wife is such a spendthrift. No matter how much Captain Gu earns, it’ll never be enough!” another chimed in. “She’s basically flushing all the family money down the drain for a little girl.”
Xu Guihua, Captain Fang’s wife, overheard the jealous bickering and immediately shot back, “As long as Captain Gu is happy with it, it’s fine. You lot don’t need to lose sleep over how they spend their money!”
The women shrank back a bit, muttering, “We didn’t mean anything by it, we were just gossiping.”
“Exactly,” Xu Guihua pressed, her voice hardening. “Comrade Sheng Wanyan not only saved everyone during the flood, but she also secured those new quilts for the whole compound. Do you really feel comfortable talking trash about her after that?”
The gossiping wives completely shut their mouths. They had been so swept up in their envy that they had temporarily forgotten who had just done them a massive favor.
“Don’t mind them, Sister Fang,” one muttered appeasingly. “Our tongues just slipped for a second.”
“Hmph.” Xu Guihua snorted coldly, too disgusted to waste any more breath on them.
A few seats away, Zhang Zhaodi narrowed her eyes as she listened. The others are right, though, she thought. Even if Captain Gu makes a high salary, no one should be as wasteful as Sheng Wanyan!
She began tallying it up in her head. Every piece of furniture in the Gu household was top-tier, and their sofas were made of premium cotton. Worse, they cooked meat so frequently that anyone walking past their courtyard could smell the rich, savory aroma. Even if Captain Gu’s monthly income reached a hundred yuan, it shouldn’t be enough to sustain a lifestyle like that. It made sense before they had a kid, but now they had a baby and were still eating meat constantly. Where was all this endless wealth coming from?
Could Gu Tingxiao be doing something illegal or shameful under the table?
If that was true, then the man really had a death wish. The more Zhang Zhaodi thought about it, the more convinced she became that Sheng Wanyan’s household was hiding dirty secrets. If Captain Gu went down, Captain Sheng wouldn’t be able to escape the fallout either. Even if her brother had nothing to do with it, a scandal like that would permanently freeze his military promotions.
Once the Sheng siblings were out of the way, her own husband’s promotion would be a absolute certainty.
I just need to watch her closely for a while, Zhang Zhaodi plotted silently, and then I’ll take her down in one swift motion!
The mere thought of Sheng Wanyan being stripped of her status and reduced to misery made her chest swell with joy. Let her act aloof and high-and-mighty now; let her scheme against her neighbors. We would see how proud she could be when she was locked away!
Lost in her victorious daydream, Zhang Zhaodi passed Sheng Wanyan’s seat, intentionally thrusting her chin high into the air with a haughty sniff. Sheng Wanyan watched her go, a look of pure confusion on her face. What on earth is wrong with that woman now?
“The commissar is arriving!” a voice called out.
Political Commissar Xie and the senior leadership of the regiment officially entered the mess hall. The moment the officers took their places at the head table, the banquet began, and everyone dug into the food.
Gu Tingxiao, still cradling little Yi Yi, settled into a chair next to his wife. Their table was entirely occupied by members of his active platoon, which naturally included Captain Wu and his wife, Zhang Zhaodi.
Political Commissar Xie raised his glass high, addressing the roaring room. “Everyone eat and drink your fill today! Let’s leave the stress of the year behind and have some fun!”
“Thank you, Political Commissar!” the soldiers roared back.
Commissar Xie waved his hand, telling everyone to sit back down and eat, dismissing any further rigid protocols for the night.
When soldiers got together, drinking was inevitable, and a steady stream of men began migrating to the head table to toast their leaders. However, despite the lively, festive atmosphere, strict military discipline remained in place; no one was permitted to cross the line into total drunkenness, as they had to remain combat-ready at a moment’s notice.
Gu Tingxiao insisted that Sheng Wanyan eat her dinner first while he watched over the baby. Sheng Wanyan skillfully picked out the best portions from the communal platters and piled them into his bowl so he wouldn’t be left with an empty stomach when the drinking rotation caught up to him.
Zhang Zhaodi rolled her eyes in deep disgust at the display. In her mind, Sheng Wanyan was utterly selfish, harboring zero traditional respect or pity for her husband. At a formal function, a proper wife should serve her man first, yet she sat there eating with a perfectly clear conscience, entirely unbothered by what anyone thought.
Sheng Wanyan was completely oblivious to the bitter calculations running through Zhang Zhaodi’s head. And even if she had known, she wouldn’t have altered a single aspect of her behavior. The child didn’t belong to her alone. Gu Tingxiao spent his entire day at the barracks; why shouldn’t he share the parenting load the moment he clocked off?
Though both of them were running on empty from their respective duties, a marriage required an equal partnership, not one person sacrificing everything while the other sat back. Besides, this was Gu Tingxiao’s own flesh and blood. A man couldn’t just be responsible for planting the seed and completely abdicate the responsibility of raising the crop. If Gu Tingxiao ever displayed that kind of ancient, chauvinistic attitude, Sheng Wanyan would file for divorce without a single second of hesitation. Whether she had a husband or not, she possessed the financial independence to raise her daughter beautifully on her own; there was absolutely no reason to tolerate a useless partner. Divorce would save her a lifetime of domestic misery.
At the table, the food disappeared at a terrifying speed. If a person hesitated for even a fraction of a second, the meat plates would be picked entirely clean. Even though Sheng Wanyan had an endless supply of premium rations hidden in her spatial domain, these banquet dishes were her legitimate right, and she had no intention of surrendering her share to anyone. She aggressively gathered several choice cuts, transferring them directly into Gu Tingxiao’s bowl so he wouldn’t be forced to match the men drink-for-drink on an empty stomach.
“Sweetheart, eat more of the pork,” Gu Tingxiao murmured, trying to pass the meat back to her plate, noting she hadn’t taken much for herself.
“I ate a large apple before we left the cottage,” she whispered back, blocking his chopsticks. “My stomach is already half full; I really can’t manage any more.”
Gu Tingxiao didn’t press her further. If she grew hungry later in the night, he would simply light the kitchen stove and whip up a hot midnight snack for her.
The moment Sheng Wanyan cleared her plate, she reached out her arms. “Give Yi Yi to me now.” She carefully took the dozing infant into her lap, freeing Gu Tingxiao up so he could finally focus on his own dinner.
Once the meal was cleared, the atmosphere shifted into standard military camaraderie. Political Commissar Xie ordered the kitchen staff to bring out massive bowls of roasted peanuts, melon seeds, and dried fruits to accompany the alcohol. After a grueling year of training and a near-catastrophic natural disaster, the men finally relaxed, the liquor flowing freely as they toasted one another. Still, a thread of discipline anchored the room; anyone who lost control of their faculties would face a harsh reprimand the following morning.
Sheng Wanyan sat quietly by her husband’s side, thoroughly enjoying her first real experience of a traditional, raw mid-seventies holiday celebration. The military wives huddled together, laughing and sharing community updates, until the late hour caught up with the children. One by one, as the infants grew fussy and sleepy, the mothers began gathering their shawls to head back to the quarters, leaving the men behind to finish their carousing.
The moment Sheng Wanyan crossed her own threshold, she gently transferred the deeply sleeping Yi Yi onto her miniature heated kang bed. She had given the baby a thorough, warm bath right before they left for the mess hall, so she only needed to dampen a soft cloth to gently wipe the infant’s hands and face.
Once the baby’s skin was clean, Sheng Wanyan uncapped a small jar of specialized infant facial cream, carefully massaging it into her cheeks. The premium lotion had originally been sourced by Mother Gu from an exclusive Overseas Chinese Shopping Mall back in the capital and sent north in a care package. Now that the jar was nearly empty, Sheng Wanyan intended to quietly substitute it with a high-grade modern infant moisturizer from her spatial domain. If Gu Tingxiao ever noted the shift in packaging or quality, she would simply claim she had formulated the cream herself using her pharmaceutical knowledge. After all, she had already engineered a complex cold remedy for the state; creating a basic cosmetic lotion wouldn’t arouse a single shred of suspicion.
With the nursery logistics handled, Sheng Wanyan boiled a massive cauldron of water to scrub away the grime of the day, making sure to leave a full reservoir of hot water resting on the stove for her husband.
It was already past midnight when the front door clicked open and Gu Tingxiao slipped inside. A soft, tired smile broke across his handsome face the moment his eyes landed on the steaming basin of bathwater his wife had left waiting for him. After rinsing off the smell of tobacco and liquor, he crept into the nursery nook to check on his daughter, carefully tucking the edges of her small quilt around her shoulders before climbing into the master bed, wrapping his powerful arms tightly around his wife as he drifted into sleep.
The following morning broke to the official arrival of New Year’s Eve. Tonight, the extended family would gather for the grand reunion feast.
As they dressed for the morning, Sheng Wanyan turned to her husband. “Tingxiao, you need to carve a smooth teething stick for Yi Yi today. She’s constantly chewing on her fingers, and it’s turning into a bad habit.”
Gu Tingxiao immediately walked over to the kang, gently parting his daughter’s lips to inspect her gums. Seeing the distinct, swollen redness along the lower line, he knew her first teeth were on the absolute verge of erupting.
The courtyard was still heavily stocked with pristine winter firewood. Gu Tingxiao marched outside, selected a solid, high-density branch of the perfect diameter, and settled onto the porch steps with his carving knife. He worked meticulously, shaping the wood into a flawless teething ring, then spent an hour aggressively sanding the grain until the surface was as smooth as silk. He ran his calloused thumb over the wood repeatedly, verifying there wasn’t a single microscopic splinter or rough edge left before he was fully satisfied with his craftsmanship.
“Run it through a cauldron of boiling water first to disinfect it,” Sheng Wanyan called out from the doorway, her modern medical instincts fiercely protective of the baby’s hygiene.
“Understood,” Gu Tingxiao answered, gathering his tools and heading straight into the kitchen to scald the wood in a pot of roaring water.
