Read Novel Full Chapter 550: Is it time to find an opportunity to have a child?
Chapter 550: Is it time to find an opportunity to have a child?
No one knew whether Xu Kaitai simply hadn’t been found or if he had run into danger at sea.
Such things were not uncommon, and some people left only to never return.
But today, Rong Sanshao saw Xu Kaitai again, and he didn’t look like someone who had just made it back to land.
He couldn’t help but be curious, so he secretly inquired and learned that Xu Kaitai had already appeared at the Southern Military Base, even before the land had fully recovered.
In other words, he had not only found Gu Tinglin long ago but had also chosen to stay.
This was understandable. Everyone has their roots. He was originally from the Southern Military Base, so it made sense that he felt a stronger sense of belonging to his old base.
It was the same for Rong Sanshao. When he arrived at the Fengcheng Base, he had made the decision to stay without hesitation.
But then why was Xu Kaitai still taking a submarine out to sea?
It was said that every time he left, it lasted for several months.
Jiang Ning was momentarily dazed before everything suddenly clicked into place.
That explained Gu Tinglin’s reaction when he first saw the space. He had been shocked, but not entirely surprised.
Turns out, he had already suspected something.
Back at the Southern Military Base, Xu Kaitai had known that she was receiving special protection from the chief.
When he found the Southern Military Forces in the vast ocean, he had told Gu Tinglin everything about the Huacheng Base.
Gu Tinglin knew that Jiang Ning would never return to Huacheng Base.
And deep down, he also understood that while the five major military forces had gathered at Huacheng, with their ranks technically equal, the base still needed a leader.
Even if the leaders could stay impartial, could the people under them do the same?
In the current post-apocalyptic world, everyone was working together to rebuild civilization, united in their goal to move forward.
But no matter how strong the big picture was, the military was still made up of people, and people had conflicts and personal agendas.
As a leader, Gu Tinglin certainly understood this.
He was just glad that Chinese civilization was being preserved, and it didn’t matter where it was rebuilt. The more places that thrived, the better.
For Huacheng Base, whether he was there or not didn’t make much of a difference.
His subordinates thought the same.
He had dedicated the first half of his life to the country. Now that Huacheng Base had risen, he wanted to use the time he had left to protect the people he owed.
So, he established Fengcheng Base.
And Xu Kaitai had gone out to sea to look for her.
Jiang Ning took a deep breath. He really didn’t say anything.
Was this what they called a father’s silent love—strong and unwavering, like a mountain?
If that was the case, then it made perfect sense why he wanted Huo Yishen to join the military.
After living through two lifetimes, Jiang Ning had never experienced such deep, unspoken care before. For a moment, her emotions were in turmoil.
When Xu Kaitai was mentioned, Rong Sanshao couldn’t help but think of his brothers at Huacheng Base. “I wonder how Liu Cheng and the others are doing over there?”
Jiang Ning steadied her emotions and replied calmly, “No matter where they are, it’s about continuing Chinese civilization.”
Some things were better left unsaid.
Rong Sanshao patted his full stomach and walked away.
Next door, Shu Xueqing returned late after working overtime.
Worried that Gu Tinglin might be hungry, she hurried home—only to find that not only had he cooked, but he had even left some for her.
Shu Xueqing was surprised. “Old Gu, did the sun rise in the west today?”
Gu Tinglin knew how to cook, but not very well.
Back when he was young, he was constantly out on missions. Even when he was back with his team, he ate at the cafeteria. As he rose in rank, he got busier and had even less time for things like cooking.
For the past few years, it had been Shu Xueqing who had managed their daily life.
It was just two simple dishes, and his cooking skills were hardly praiseworthy. Yet, Shu Xueqing was particularly happy. After all, this was the first time he had cooked for her.
Gu Tinglin looked at her expectantly. “How is it?”
They had been married for years, so Shu Xueqing answered honestly, “It’s too salty, but it’s still edible.”
“Next time you cook, remember to call me.” Gu Tinglin seemed a bit disappointed but then quickly brightened up. “I’ll learn a few dishes.”
Shu Xueqing had been quite happy, but when she heard his words, she paused. “Do you want to cook for Jiang Ning?”
Gu Tinglin had the intention, but his cooking skills were really lacking.
To be honest, Shu Xueqing felt a little disappointed, but she quickly adjusted her feelings.
How could she be jealous of Jiang Ning? He had always felt guilty for missing out on his daughter’s growth and the hardships she had endured, while at least she had him by her side for the past ten years.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? If he wanted to spend his time on Jiang Ning, it just showed he was someone who took responsibility.
Gu Tinglin smiled. “In the future, I’ll cook for you and Anning.”
That was enough for Shu Xueqing.
After dinner, she washed the dishes and tidied up the kitchen, only to notice that there were new supplies in the kitchen.
There were exquisitely packaged rice and flour, cured sausages and meats, and fresh dumplings.
Shu Xueqing was surprised. When did the base start offering such good supplies?
She was about to ask but seemed to remember something. She crouched down and placed the supplies in a place where others couldn’t see them.
Later that night, as she lay in bed with the lights off, Shu Xueqing could sense that Gu Tinglin was in a good mood, yet he didn’t seem to be falling asleep.
“Old Gu, still not sleeping?” she asked.
Gu Tinglin gave a slight hum. “You go ahead and sleep. I’m just thinking about something.”
Shu Xueqing couldn’t sleep. She turned and hugged him. “Anning and her family have settled down, and they’re not getting any younger. Maybe it’s time to find an opportunity to have a child?”
Given the harsh conditions of the apocalypse, it was too late for her to have children.
The natural disasters were too severe, and there were hardly any children left in the base, and the youngest and most suitable for childbearing were people like Jiang Ning.
If they didn’t have children soon, who knew whether they’d have the opportunity in a few years?
Gu Tinglin hadn’t thought about it in that way. “Now’s not the best time. Let’s wait until things settle down a bit.”
“Things will get better, but having children is a big issue. Don’t think there are enough young people around. The base has very few women, and the harsh conditions have already taken a toll on many of them. Even if things improve, they may not have a chance to have children.”
This reminded Gu Tinglin. “Your hospital can start researching in this area. When conditions improve, medical methods could help more women have the chance to bear children.”
Shu Xueqing nodded. “I’ll discuss it with the director tomorrow and prepare for medical measures in advance.”
Gu Tinglin rested at home for two more days. His pneumonia hadn’t completely healed, but he still went back to work.
Now that he had a family and a daughter, he didn’t dare push himself like he used to. He took care of the important tasks and then returned home to rest.
During his illness, good news came in.
The soldiers he sent out to search for resources had reported that they had discovered a limestone deposit more than 100 miles away.
They could try to build a lime kiln and heat the limestone to produce quicklime, which could be used as building material and for mortar, further solving the shortage of sand and clay.
There was even better news: a coal mountain had been discovered over 300 kilometers away.
However, it wasn’t an open-pit mine, so it would require a lot of manual labor to dig.
This news was extremely exciting. Coal could solve the fuel problem and power many machines.
But the problem was that there weren’t enough people.
The Fengcheng base had started from scratch, with no mechanical assistance and a shortage of people. They were already splitting the soldiers in half to handle tasks, and if they kept pushing like this, they would burn out.
The decision to transport bricks while also trying to meet the basic needs made it difficult to choose between the two.
Gu Tinglin quietly listened to the discussion. “There are more tasks than people, so we need to prioritize appropriately.”