Liu Meili walked in, then walked around the living room, looking around the structure of the house as if it were her own home.
Finally, she walked back to Wen Nuan, smiled broadly, and said, "Comrade Wen, I know you must think I am very rude for saying this. But I have my reasons, and I can explain it to you clearly."
Wen Nuan frowned; her first impression of this person was not very good.
You know it's impolite, but you still make such an excessive request
Who gave her face
Do you think she's easy to bully because she's new here
Wen Nuan looked at her expressionlessly and said nothing.
After all, the newcomers were guests too, and she didn't want to have conflicts with others on her first day.
Moreover, she had not given her name just now, but Liu Meili already knew her name and had probably already inquired about her situation.
Liu Meili was obviously a shameless person. She put one hand on the eight-immortal table in the living room and rubbed it with her fingers: "Actually, I applied for this house first. Lao Chen in our family was promoted to the head of the regiment in the first half of the year. According to the rules, he could apply for a house again, so I applied for this one. At that time, the political commissar was also ready to approve us to move in, but at that time... your deputy head of the regiment, Gu, suddenly said that he wanted to bring his family to accompany the army."
From what she said, it seemed that Liu Meili felt that this house should belong to her, which made Wen Nuan feel even more uncomfortable.
And he deliberately said something like leader and deputy leader. What does that mean
Could it be that a higher position can force her to change rooms
Although Gu Qinghan's joining the army was a bit sudden, it was only approved after numerous approvals, and it did not violate any regulations. Everything was strictly carried out according to the organization's arrangements.
Wen Nuan smiled and looked at her: "Sister-in-law, you also said it was 'ready for approval', which means it has not been approved. But what you just said made me seem like I robbed your house? Isn't it inappropriate to say that? My son Qinghan and I also moved in according to the organization's arrangement, and the house we were allocated also went through many approvals."
Liu Meili didn't expect Wen Nuan to be so eloquent, so she smiled and said, "Oh, you misunderstood me. It's naturally worth celebrating that new family members have joined our Air Force family. I also look forward to making friends with you, Comrade Wen, in the future."
"Actually, I'm a tough person. I don't mind living in any house. I'm not the kind of person who has to live in a good house. But we have three children at home, and now there's no room for them. I was thinking, Comrade Wen, you and Deputy Head Gu only have one child now, and it's still so young. In two years, when your Deputy Head Gu gets promoted again, you can apply for a bigger house again. Maybe you can even apply for a three- or four-bedroom house by then."
This was the first time Wen Nuan had seen someone so shameless. She frowned and asked, "What if I say I don't want to change?"
Liu Meili seemed to have guessed that Wen Nuan would refuse, so she smiled and said, "I know my request is too much, and it's normal for you not to change. But don't worry, I will definitely not exchange a very bad house with you. The house I live in now is also a townhouse with red bricks, in the first row in front. When I moved in, I thought the room was not big enough, so I connected another room. Now there is only one room, and my child can't sleep more, but it's just enough for your family of three. And we also put a kang in the room, it's very warm to sleep on it at night."
Liu Meili was still trying to convince Wen Nuan, and she spoke as fast as a cannon: "I know you and Deputy Captain Gu are from G Province. You don't know how cold it is in the north city in winter. If there is no kang at night, it will be very difficult to endure. If you can't sleep well at night, how can your Deputy Captain Gu train during the day!"
Hearing these words, if you didn't know, you would think she got a huge advantage!
If it was really that good, why would Liu Meili want to change houses
It was the first time Wen Nuan had met someone who was so good at talking. She raised her eyebrows and said in a cold tone, "Sister-in-law, since you came here to ask for my opinion, I still say the same thing: I don't want to change."
"If you really want to live in this house, you can ask the organization to reallocate it. If the organization agrees to allocate this house to you, Qinghan and I will not have any complaints and will absolutely obey the arrangement!"
She didn't steal or rob. The house was allocated to her family member Gu Qinghan, and she also liked the house very much.
No matter who comes to ask, she won't change!
Liu Meili's face changed, and she thought, if she could ask the organization to change her, why would she have the audacity to come here
However, she didn't expect that Wen Nuan, who looked as soft and fragile as a little white rabbit, could be so tough. Her expression froze for a moment, and finally she said, "Well, since you are so determined, I won't be so shameless to ask you again. I hope you don't take this matter to heart. We all live in the same family compound, and we see each other every day. I don't want to destroy our unity."
Wen Nuan understood that Liu Meili not only failed to get the house, but also wanted to put a hat on her. If there were any conflicts in the future, she would probably accuse her of being narrow-minded, petty and vindictive, and destroying the unity of the army.
A nice cup of green tea.
Then she can be even more green tea than her!
Wen Nuan held the child and smiled at her. Her voice softened a lot and she said gently, "Sister-in-law, I hope you don't blame me. How could I still remember it? I just came here and the child is still young. I didn't even have time to ask you to drink a glass of water. I hope you don't mind. I still have a lot of things to ask you in the future!"
Liu Meili looked at Wen Nuan's gentle and harmless smile and felt even more uncomfortable. She found an excuse to go home and cook and left.
As soon as Liu Meili left, a strange figure appeared at Wen Nuan's door. She stood at the door and looked around for a few times until Wen Nuan noticed her. Then she spoke: "Are you the new military wife? Oh, I live next door to you. You can just call me Sister Zhang."
Wen Nuan nodded to the other party: "Hello, Mrs. Zhang, my name is Wen Nuan, and I am Gu Qinghan's lover. Please come in."
Mrs. Zhang walked in, looked around Wen Nuan's house, then looked at Wen Nuan, her eyes slightly startled, and she couldn't help but say, "Sister, you are so pretty. I have never seen a girl as pretty as you."
Wen Nuan smiled and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Zhang, you are so sweet."
Mrs. Zhang said, "I know your family's Gu Qinghan. The news of your coming has spread throughout the family compound a long time ago. You just arrived in North City, and you probably haven't prepared any food yet. I got you some potatoes and radishes." As she spoke, she placed the big potatoes and radishes in her hands on the eight-immortals table.
Wen Nuan was a little flattered. There are still many kind people these days. "Thank you, Aunt Zhang. I haven't even lit the stove or boiled water yet. I'm so sorry that I didn't even prepare a cup of tea for you."
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "It's okay, it's not convenient for you to bring the child with you. Besides, I live in the next room, so you can come for tea anytime." She paused, then asked curiously, "Did someone named Liu Meili come to see you just now?"
Wen Nuan nodded, but didn't mention changing houses.
Before Wen Nuan could reply, Mrs. Zhang snorted, "That Liu Meili must be looking for you to exchange houses, right?"
Wen Nuan was slightly stunned. Since she was guessed, it was difficult for her to deny it.
"I came to ask."
Mrs. Zhang sneered, "I knew that Liu Meili would come to see you. Don't be fooled by her. She's bullying you because you're new here! Her kitchen has caught fire, and the kang has been broken down countless times by the kids jumping on it! The political commissar asked her to move to the middle room in the third row in June, but she hated being sandwiched in the middle and has refused to move there. Don't listen to her nonsense that this house was originally supposed to be allocated to her. That's not true!"
Wen Nuan frowned. She almost thought that what Liu Meili said was true.
Mrs. Zhang added, "Just live here without worry. This house was originally allocated to you. But your husband hasn't replied whether he will bring his family, so Liu Meili came up with this idea." Mrs. Zhang was very angry when she said this, and then she asked worriedly, "You didn't agree to exchange with her, did you?"
"No." Wen Nuan smiled.
"This is arranged by the organization. Qinghan and I both obeyed the arrangement. There is no way we can switch with her."
When Mrs. Zhang heard Wen Nuan say that she hadn't changed, her expression eased a little. "That's good. You just came here and there are many people you're not familiar with. If you have any questions, you can come and ask me."
"Okay, then I may have to trouble you more often in the future."
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm next door. If you have any questions, just call me." Mrs. Zhang looked at the little one in Wen Nuan's arms again. It was the first time she had seen such a delicate and pretty child, so she looked at him a few more times out of curiosity: "Is it a girl?"
"Yeah, it's a girl."
"It's obviously a girl!" Mrs. Zhang teased the cute little girl and said with a smile, "Girls are the best. They are the caring little cotton-padded jackets of their parents. Oh, oh, oh, so cute. They don't cry or make a fuss, and they are chubby. They haven't been weaned yet, right?"
Talking about children, the two began to talk about parenting. They became very excited and sat on the chairs to start chatting slowly.
As soon as Liu Meili walked out of the warm house, two military wives surrounded her.
Huang Yueying asked: "Meili, how is it going? Is the newcomer willing to exchange with you?"
"They haven't packed their bags yet, so it's best to move now. Aren't they all red brick houses? They're all the same size."
Liu Meili curled her lips and said in a bad tone: "Don't mention it. I've talked so much that my mouth is dry. I don't want to change it."
"Oh, you make me feel embarrassed, as if I am taking advantage of her by changing this house. But I still have a kang at home, which has only been there for two years. I spent more than a hundred yuan on it. I won't let her down!"
A military wife named Tian Chunmei said, "It's okay. The newcomer may not be able to make the decision on this matter. Why don't you go home and ask Captain Chen to discuss it with Deputy Captain Gu?"
Liu Meili nodded after hearing this, and felt that there was some truth in this.
But on second thought, her husband, Mr. Chen, probably wouldn't ask Gu Qinghan for this. If he had been willing to talk to the political commissar at the beginning, the house would have been theirs long ago. Why would they have to wait until now
Liu Meili became even angrier when she thought about it. The house she had originally planned to move to was gone just because Gu Qinghan suddenly said he wanted to bring his family to join the army!
You didn't join the army earlier or later, but came just at the end of the year when housing was allocated. What bad luck!
Huang Yueying looked at Liu Meili who was leaving and whispered, "It seems that the new one doesn't know how to behave. Liu Meili is the wife of the head of the regiment after all, but she, the wife of the deputy head of the regiment, doesn't even give her face!"
Tian Chunmei sneered and asked, "Then why don't you give her your house? I think Liu Meili is taking it for granted. It's not like your house is going to collapse and no one can live in it."
Huang Yueying curled her lips and said nothing.
She thought, if Liu Meili liked her house, she would definitely give it up!
The newcomer just doesn't know how to deal with things.
Huang Yueying glanced in the direction of Wen Nuan's house and saw that the wooden door was closed, so she said, "Forget it, go home and cook. It's none of our business anyway."
*
After sending Mrs. Zhang away, Wen Nuan was not affected by Liu Meili's plan to move to a new house. Instead, she began to study the stove in the living room with great interest.
The stove has a pipe connected to the wall, which should be used to supply heat to the wall so that the house will not be too cold.
It is exactly 3:30 in the afternoon, but it gets dark earlier in the north than in the south in winter, and the later it gets, the lower the temperature.
So Wen Nuan wanted to light the stove early to warm up the house first, and then boil some water to wipe the furniture so that she could go to bed tonight.
Perhaps Gu Qinghan had informed the group in advance, so there were already several honeycomb coals piled up in a corner of the kitchen.
There is also a half bag of coal next to the honeycomb briquettes, which should also be used to burn in the stove.
In order to make her work more convenient, Wen Nuan simply carried the child on her back. I don't know if the little guy was sleepy, but he fell asleep after being carried for a while.
Just when she found some old newspapers and was about to light the honeycomb coal, Gu Qinghan came back with two large cabbages in his hand.
Gu Qinghan saw Wen Nuan carrying her child and preparing to light the stove, so he walked over to her and took the newspaper and fire chopsticks from her hands: "I'll do it, you sit for a while."
"You also know how to light a stove?" Wen Nuan was a little curious. She had always lived in the south and had never used a stove.
Gu Qinghan put the old newspaper strips and the broken wooden sticks into the stove, then looked up at her. Seeing that she was quite curious, he said, "I spent a whole year training in Shenyang a few years ago, and I learned it."
Wen Nuan really didn't know this. No wonder he was so skilled. It turned out that he had lived in the north before.
After thinking about it, Wen Nuan told Liu Meili about her visit just now: "The lover of the head of the 79th Regiment came here just now."
Gu Qinghan looked over and Wen Nuan began to tell him everything that had just happened. He didn't pay attention and he became thirsty from talking.
Gu Qinghan frowned after hearing Wen Nuan's words, and finally said, "Ignore her."
"The house was arranged by the organization, and no one has the power to make us move out."
"I won't pay any attention to her. Life here is so good. Mrs. Zhang next door is also a good person. She even sent us radishes and potatoes!" Wen Nuan said this with sparkling eyes and a playful tone.
After thinking for a while, Wen Nuan began to mutter again: "No, let's pack our luggage tonight and see if we can bring something back for Mrs. Zhang tomorrow."
Gu Qinghan smiled gently and found that Wen Nuan was quite easy to satisfy.
Wen Nuan watched as Qinghan slowly lit the stove, then went to see the cabbage he had brought back. It was a very big cabbage, but the leaves on the outside were a little wilted, probably because it was taken out from the vegetable cellar.
She asked: "Where can I buy Chinese cabbage?"
When she was looking at the house just now, she saw that there was a vegetable cellar about two meters deep in the yard. She would buy some vegetables and store them there when the time comes. Otherwise, it would be impossible for her to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy vegetables every day when there is snow.
Of course, the supply and marketing cooperatives may also run out of vegetables.
I can't join the army and eat in the cafeteria every day!
Gu Qinghan put a few pieces of coal into the stove and said, "The political commissar's wife gave it to me. I'll go buy some vegetables with you tomorrow."
"I may not have time to cook tonight. I have to go out to get some coal and then go to the canteen to get some food."
Wen Nuan was not idle either. She took out a shirt that could be retired with honor from her luggage bag and planned to boil some water to wipe the table after lighting the stove.
So he said, "Then I'll go with you and buy some bowls, chopsticks and dishes."
Gu Qinghan glanced at the weather outside, quickly put the honeycomb coal into the stove, and said, "It's a bit cold outside. I don't know if it will snow when I come back from the vegetable market. You and the kids can wait for me at home. If there's anything you need to buy, write it down for me and I'll buy it for you."
Yes, the child was asleep, and they had just arrived at this place, so Wen Nuan was also worried that the child would not be able to adapt to the local climate.
Never mind, if he wants to do it, just let him do it.
While Gu Qinghan was lighting the stove, Wen Nuan found a pen and paper and wrote down the things she wanted to buy one by one.
Just some bowls, chopsticks, spoons, plates, spatulas and other things needed for daily use in the kitchen.
"Oh, and I need to buy a few more cups."
Just like what happened just now, Mrs. Zhang came to our house and didn't even have a cup for people to drink water. That was so rude.
"By the way, we also need to buy some oil, salt, sauce and vinegar! Oh my God, why are there so many things to buy?" Wen Nuan lowered her head again and wrote down a list of condiments on the paper.
In fact, they could have saved some money on these condiments, but who knew that Gu Qingsong sold all the condiments at home. Wen Nuan felt extremely distressed instantly.
After that, Wen Nuan began to check every corner and found a kettle, a thermos, and a broom that needed to be bought.
I always feel like there are a lot of things to buy, but I can’t remember what I need to buy for a while.
She scratched her bangs irritably, feeling a little annoyed.
Gu Qinghan was lighting the stove while muttering to himself as he watched the warmth filling the room out of the corner of his eyes. The honeycomb coals in his eyes were slowly burning red, and he could instantly feel a hint of warmth, and even his heart was warmed up.
After Gu Qinghan lit the stove and prepared to go out again, Wen Nuan took out twenty yuan from the secret pocket of her cotton coat and handed it to him: "You have a lot of things to buy. Take it and don't always ask others for money."
Wen Nuan guessed that Gu Qinghan probably didn't have much money. When she left home, she heard Gu Qingsong talking about something called "pregnancy".
Gu Qinghan didn't know whether he had lent him the money, and Wen Nuan didn't ask.
All their savings now should be the 180 yuan he gave them before, but they always have to buy more things at home, so they can't save this money.
Fortunately, I had the sudden idea to send him two telegrams beforehand, otherwise the one hundred and eighty yuan might have ended up in someone else's pocket!
Gu Qinghan looked at the money Wen Nuan handed over, took it and put it in his pocket, "Well, I might be back a little late. If you're hungry, put the buns I bought this morning on the stove to warm them up before eating."
Wen Nuan nodded: "Don't worry, I'll wait for you to come back."
*
As soon as Gu Qinghan walked out of the red brick townhouse, he saw Chen Jiawei, the husband of the woman Wen Nuan had just mentioned.
Chen Jiawei seemed to have known that his wife had gone to find Wen Nuan to exchange houses. As soon as he saw Gu Qinghan, he turned around and went back to the house. He was probably embarrassed.
However, before Gu Qinghan could walk away, Chen Jiawei caught up with him, as if he had something to say to him.
Gu Qinghan had met Chen Jiawei before when he was training in Shenyang. They were both pilots, but were later assigned to different military regions.
Now that we meet again, it seems inappropriate not to say hello.
Gu Qinghan saluted him first, and Chen Jiawei also returned the salute to Gu Qinghan.
After thinking for a while, Chen Jiawei was the first to speak: "Xiao Gu, did you know that my wife asked you to change rooms?"
Chen Jiawei actually didn't want to say this, but Liu Meili got angry at her as soon as she got home, locked the door of the room, and stopped cooking.
I don’t know if she saw Gu Qinghan coming out of the room window just now, so she cried and asked him to come out to talk to Gu Qinghan about changing rooms.
That's why Chen Jiawei came out despite himself.
After hearing Chen Jiawei's question, Gu Qinghan remained calm and nodded.
Seeing this, Chen Jiawei sighed and said, "That house, I did apply for it before..."
Gu Qinghan turned his head slightly to look over, his tone a little cold: "Are you sure the room you applied for is the one I live in?"
Gu Qinghan didn’t know about their application for the house, but since the house was allocated to them, the house must have been vacant before and belonged to no one.
Chen Jiawei was slightly stunned. Originally, his position was higher than Gu Qinghan's, so he should have been more assertive in front of him. But for some reason, he felt a little timid when he was looked at like that by Gu Qinghan.
Chen Zhiwei sighed: "Xiao Gu, to be honest, my wife has run away several times to change houses, and she nags me every day..."
After hearing this, Gu Qinghan looked at him calmly and said, "I listen to my wife. Since she says she doesn't want to change, you don't have to look for me."
Chen Zhiwei laughed out loud, glanced at Gu Qinghan who was half a head taller than him, and joked: "You are a grown man and you still listen to a woman. Really."
Gu Qinghan glanced at Chen Zhiwei with a strange look in his eyes and said, "Aren't you the same?"
Chen Zhiwei: “…”
It seems... so.
Chen Zhiwei wanted to say something, but Gu Qinghan's long legs had already walked away, without giving him any face.
When Gu Qinghan returned home again, Wen Nuan had already wiped all the cabinets and tables in the house, and even the glass windows were exceptionally clean.
The floor seemed to have been swept, and it was no longer gray and looked much more comfortable.
After Gu Qinghan had stacked the honeycomb coals one by one, Wen Nuan immediately threw down the rag in her hand and said, "I'm so tired. Can you wipe the door later? I can't reach it!"
The child had woken up, but there was no place for her to sit. Now I could finally put her down, so I untied the baby straps and put her on a yellow leather sofa in the living room.
There is also a white lace scarf on the back of the sofa, which is specially provided.
This is the most imposing piece of furniture in the whole house. As soon as the little one put it down, the lace cloth grabbed hold of his little hands.
Wen Nuan was tired and didn't have the energy to take care of her anymore, so she just let her play as long as she didn't put it in her mouth.
Just now, Wen Nuan wanted to sit on this sofa, but it had just been wiped and the water stains had just dried.
Gu Qinghan picked up the rag and put it in the basin Wen Nuan had prepared, washed it, and then wiped the door silently.
Men are tall, so it's easier for them to work. The place that was warmer and needed to be touched by tiptoeing just now, Gu Qinghan can reach it with just a stretch of his hand. And he is also very strong, and wiped away all the dust with one touch.
It's so infuriating.
However, looking at Gu Qinghan's back, Wen Nuan recalled the scene when she first met him that day. At that time, she also saw his back first.
Because he had just brought back the honeycomb coal, Gu Qinghan had taken off his military coat and was now only wearing a sweater and a base layer.
Her warm gaze moved from his broad shoulders to his lower body slowly. Last night, she seemed to have hugged his waist while sleeping. He must have abdominal muscles, right
Recalling what she shouldn't recall, Wen Nuan shook her head and her eyes fell on his buttocks.
Well, it's quite curvy.
Why does a man have such a perky butt
Gu Qinghan felt a burning gaze from behind him, so he leaned over and asked, "I made some steamed buns and shredded radish. Let's just eat a little tonight."
Wen Nuan hugged the excited little guy, not wanting to move at all, and replied softly: "We'll eat together when you're done."
Having said that, Wen Nuan sat on the sofa for a while and then dozed off. The room was slowly getting warmer as the stove was lit, and it was not as cold as when she first came.
If her daughter hadn't been crying for milk, Wen Nuan would have probably fallen asleep.
I don't know if she has become accustomed to Gu Qinghan's presence, but she no longer runs back to her room and closes the door when feeding like she did before. Now she just unbuttons her cotton jacket and feeds.
The little fellow seemed to have not had milk for several days. He grabbed the warm clothes with his hands and pulled them hard a few times, and stared at the armrest of the sofa with his feet.
Gu Qinghan brought the dirty water used to wipe the furniture to the kitchen, placed it on the stove, and rubbed it again and again with the rag until the basin of warm water became ice-cold before returning to the living room.
Wen Nuan thought that she would not be able to eat enough steamed buns and might go hungry tonight. However, when she saw the bowl the size of an enamel plate filled with three steamed buns as big as her face, she felt that she was still too young.
It turns out this is the steamed bun from the north!
Gu Qinghan handed her a steamed bun and said, "If it's not enough, I'll ask my comrades in the kitchen for some flour and make you some noodles."
"No, no, no, that's enough."
Wen Nuan felt that she couldn't finish one, and the fact proved that she was almost dead after eating half of it.
The little guy is a little older now, and he starts to eat some staple foods. He especially likes steamed buns and dumplings.
Seeing Wen Nuan and the child only eating half of it, Gu Qinghan couldn't help but frowned: "That's all they ate?"
I ate a lot at the hotpot restaurant yesterday.
"I'm almost dying of fullness!" Wen Nuan touched her belly. No wonder people in the north are so tall, it turns out they can eat so much!
Gu Qinghan didn't believe it: "Is it not delicious?"
"No, it's much better than sweet potato rice." Wen Nuan was telling the truth, because the rice in that era was very coarse and it really wasn't very tasty to cook rice with it.
"Are you really full?"
"Can I still lie to you?"
Gu Qinghan glanced at her and smiled: "I asked you if you were cold before, but you said no."
"… "
This matter can't be resolved, right
After eating and drinking, Wen Nuan didn't want to move at all. Gu Qinghan was the one who made the bed. Maybe because of his years of military life, the sheets and quilts he made were very neat and straight, which made Wen Nuan embarrassed to get into bed.
After making the bed, Gu Qinghan took two enamel trays to the living room and brought two basins of water into the room, one for the children and one for Wen Nuan.
After Wen Nuan washed the child's butt and feet, she also washed her own feet and prepared to take her to bed.
The little guy came to a strange place and kept looking around the new room. He didn't seem to be sleepy yet.
Wen Nuan saw that Qinghan was still repairing the doors and windows in the living room, so she didn't rush to let the child go to bed.
I don’t know what time it was, but the lights in the house suddenly went out. Wen Nuan then realized that the lights in the army were turned off uniformly.
Before turning off the lights, the child fell asleep due to tiredness from playing, but Wen Nuan was still awake and waiting for Gu Qinghan.
Soon, the door of the room was pushed open. The temperature in the living room was lower than that in the room. The bed, which had finally warmed up, began to feel a little cold again.
Gu Qinghan was holding a candle in one hand and his own enamel tray in the other. He must have just finished washing his feet.
Seeing this, Wen Nuan moved her butt, patted her specially vacant breasts, and said with a smile: "Come here, you sleep here."