Chapter 50: Striving for Rewards

Hearing her daughter’s voice over the phone, Yu Wanqin’s heart melted, and her tone softened even more. “Mommy misses Tongtong too! My sweet baby, have you been behaving at Aunt Lan’s house? Have you been naughty?”

Tongtong frowned slightly, her little brow furrowing, and softly explained that she had already moved to Dad Gu’s house.

Yu Wanqin fell silent for a moment on the other end of the line before chuckling. “Then you must listen to your godfather, okay?”

She hadn’t wanted to trouble Commander Gu—after all, she and her daughter already owed him too much.

But he was doing it for Tongtong’s safety, and she had no reason to object.

Yu Wanqin thought to herself that once she had some free time, she would go into the city to look for a suitable gift to give him as a token of gratitude.

“Tongtong has been very good!” Tongtong immediately began her report, her little mouth chattering away, her excited face flushed pink. “Godfather is very nice to Tongtong, and Brother Jingnan and Brother Muchen are also very nice to Tongtong! Tongtong gets to eat meat and snacks every day.”

After saying this, she quickly glanced at Gu Yanbin, then covered the receiver and whispered, “Mommy, I’ll tell you a secret—Godfather snores when he sleeps and even talks in his sleep!”

Gu Yanbin: “…”

Did the little girl think he couldn’t hear just because she covered the receiver?

He scratched his head impatiently, sighing inwardly.

Who would have thought his little “warm jacket” would have a leak… How embarrassing for Wanqin to find out he wasn’t well-behaved in his sleep!

Yu Wanqin couldn’t help but laugh on the other end of the line, easily imagining Commander Gu’s awkward expression.

She asked gently, “Has Tongtong thanked Godfather and her brothers?”

“Yes!” Tongtong nodded vigorously, even though her mother couldn’t see her. “Tongtong says it every day! Mommy, how are things over there? Is studying tiring? Is anyone bullying you?”

The little one, like a miniature adult, began to show concern for her mother.

Gu Yanbin also tensed up, pricking up his ears.

If anyone was bullying her, he would call his old comrades in Jingshi for help.

Yu Wanqin felt a warm glow in her heart. “Mommy is doing well here. Studying is interesting, and the teacher praised Mommy for learning quickly. No one is bullying Mommy, and the aunties in the dorm are also very nice to me. Tongtong doesn’t need to worry about Mommy.”

Gu Yanbin’s expression relaxed, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s good!” Tongtong also seemed to sigh in relief before chattering away again about recent events. She skipped over the dangerous parts involving Shen Wei’s mischief, only sharing the fun and interesting stories to avoid worrying her mother.

Listening to her daughter’s lively voice, Yu Wanqin knew she was truly doing well, and her anxious heart gradually settled.

Mother and daughter shared many heartfelt words across the telephone line.

As they talked, Tongtong’s voice gradually grew softer, tinged with a thick nasal tone.

“Mommy… Tongtong really, really misses you… When will you finish studying and come home?”

On the other end of the line, Yu Wanqin’s eyes instantly welled up with tears.

She sniffled, trying hard to keep her voice light and cheerful. “Mommy also wants to come home quickly to hug Tongtong. Mommy still has… um, fifteen more days until the training ends! It’ll be over soon! Can Tongtong count the days and wait for Mommy?”

“Fifteen days…” Tongtong repeated softly, her little head drooping, but she mustered her strength and perked up. “Okay! Tongtong will wait for Mommy obediently! Mommy must study hard and become the best doctor!”

“Okay, Mom will definitely work hard.” Yu Wanqin choked back tears as she promised.

They lingered in reluctant conversation for a while longer, until Gu Yanbin signaled that time was almost up. Only then did Tongtong, with immense reluctance, give the receiver a loud “mwah” and say, “Goodbye, Mom! Tongtong loves you! Remember to miss Tongtong!”

After hanging up, Tongtong hugged the receiver that still seemed to carry the warmth of her mother’s voice, lost in thought for a long moment before slowly setting it down.

Seeing her slightly reddened eyes, Gu Yanbin’s heart ached. He picked her up and held her close.

“Good girl, Mom will be back soon. Tomorrow, Godfather will take you to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy mung bean cakes!”

Tongtong rested her little head on her godfather’s broad shoulder and whispered, “Godfather, Tongtong isn’t sad. Tongtong is happy! As long as Mom is doing well, Tongtong is happy.”

She paused, then lifted her little face, her eyes sparkling brightly. “When Mom comes back, Tongtong will give her the biggest apple! And I’ll tell Mom that Tongtong has been so, so happy staying at Godfather’s house!”

Seeing her sensible little face, Gu Yanbin felt both tenderness and a pang of sorrow. He nodded firmly. “Alright! When the time comes, Godfather and your brothers will all go together to bring Mom home!”

“Mhm!” Tongtong finally broke into a radiant smile and began eagerly counting the days.

…One day closer to Mom coming home!

…

The next day, Gu Yanbin went to Liu Zhenjun’s office.

The two exchanged a glance, instantly understanding each other’s thoughts, their emotions too complex for words.

“Old Gu.” Liu Zhenjun broke the silence first, his voice unusually low and grave. “That child Tongtong… she’s too extraordinary. About those blueprints, Engineer Peng privately told me that Tongtong’s ability might not be far behind those veteran experts who’ve researched for years.”

Gu Yanbin nodded heavily, his brow furrowed. “I know. Engineer Peng called me this morning and mentioned again about taking Tongtong to the research institute.”

They looked at each other, seeing both shock and pride in each other’s eyes, but even more so, deep concern.

“This matter must stay buried between the two of us.”

Gu Yanbin’s tone was resolute. “Absolutely no one else can learn about Tongtong’s… talent in this area. She’s still too young. If this ability gets out and certain interested parties find out, the consequences would be unthinkable.”

Liu Zhenjun wholeheartedly agreed. “Exactly. In the current climate… standing out too much isn’t a good thing. We’ll just treat it as her being lucky, a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse.”

“Right.”

Gu Yanbin nodded, but then his tone shifted, a glint in his eyes as he smiled. “However… Army Commander, even though we can’t openly credit her, shouldn’t we still try to secure some tangible benefits for my daughter, your niece?”

“She shouldn’t have worked for nothing, right? The research institute solved a major problem—they must have approved considerable funding and rewards, shouldn’t they?”

Liu Zhenjun was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and scolded, “You sly fox, Gu Yanbin! So this is what you were waiting for!”

But after all, she was his own niece; he couldn’t treat her poorly.

He immediately waved a hand. “Fine! I’ll handle this! We definitely can’t shortchange our little hero! At the very least, we should get Tongtong a special contribution encouragement award!”

He was starting to feel a bit envious of Gu Yanbin.

To have such incredible luck, picking up a daughter who turned out to be a treasure.

If only I had gotten to know Tongtong earlier—who would end up being the godfather might have been a different story!

Though their thoughts differed, the two hit it off instantly.

A few days later, a special reward from the Military Industry Research Institute was quietly issued.

A full five hundred yuan!

In this era, that was a fortune!