The stove at Gu Nanxun's house was now fully functional, and Lin Qing gradually moved all her cooking utensils there. She no longer needed to cook at the educated youth settlement, and finally, she no longer had to endure their sour remarks! Every time Lin Qing cooked at the educated youth settlement, she would be subjected to their sarcastic comments. Although Lin Qing could ignore them, it eventually became annoying.
That day, Lin Qing went to the infirmary after finishing her meal. Gu Nanxun was leaning against the bed looking at the textbooks Lin Qing had brought back when he heard Liu the carpenter's voice.
"Xiao Gu, are you resting?"
"No rest! Uncle Liu, come in!"
Upon hearing Gu Nanxun's voice, Liu the carpenter pushed open the door and went inside. He returned to Gu Nanxun's house, which had undergone a complete transformation!
The room was clean and tidy, with newspapers pasted all over the walls. The table against the wall was neatly arranged with cooking utensils such as seasonings, rice, flour, pots, and bowls. Next to the table was a water vat filled with water, and next to the vat was a shelf with a washbasin, soap, and towels.
There was a low cabinet next to the bed, its door closed, so it was impossible to tell what was inside. The cabinet surface could be used as a table, and on it sat a plate of steamed egg custard, a kettle, and a mug of malted milk powder, which was steaming.
Gu Nanxun was leaning against the bed, dressed in a new, neat and clean outfit, holding a textbook in his hand, looking very comfortable.
Carpenter Liu swallowed hard, his eyes stinging slightly as he looked at the scene before him. He seemed to be seeing a normal young man reading at home, a scene brimming with the warmth of life.
"Little Gu, I've brought you something," Liu the carpenter said, pushing the chair he was carrying towards Gu Nanxun.
"A wheelchair?" Gu Nanxun exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected to see this in this backward little mountain village. Wheelchairs were rare even in large hospitals, as they were considered scarce resources. Although it was a little different from the wheelchairs he had seen in hospitals, it was undeniably a wheelchair, only the wheels were made of wood.
Actually, when he returned, his unit applied to the military hospital to send him one, but he declined because wheelchairs were a scarce commodity. He never expected to see one now.
"Yes, it's a wheelchair, that's what Xiaolin, the educated youth, called it. I made this wheelchair based on the blueprints Xiaolin gave me. I've tried it, and it works very well."
Carpenter Liu exclaimed excitedly, gesturing wildly. He hadn't expected such a magical thing to exist, especially since he had made it himself. This young educated youth, Lin, was truly clever.
"Did Qingqing make this for me?" Gu Nanxun's lips curled into a smile, overjoyed, radiating happiness. He hadn't expected Qingqing to think of making him a wheelchair so soon! What had he, Gu Nanxun, done to deserve Qingqing's affection? He had even considered giving up on Qingqing before. Now, thinking back, he shouldn't have done that. Thank goodness he hadn't, otherwise, how heartbroken Qingqing would have been!
"And this outfit, which was also made for you by my wife before, is now finished, so I brought it all over for you."
Seeing Gu Nanxun's happiness, Liu the carpenter nodded with satisfaction and continued speaking.
"Thank you, Uncle Liu..."
Gu Nanxun took the clothes, examined them carefully, and then touched them.
"Xiao Gu, do you want me to help you up and let you try sitting down?"
Carpenter Liu excitedly pushed the wheelchair to the bedside and suggested to Gu Nanxun.
"Uncle Liu, you don't need to help me. I want to do it myself."
As he spoke, Gu Nanxun used both hands to move to the edge of the bed, then used both hands to hold onto the wheelchair, and with a forceful movement, he moved from the bed to the wheelchair beside the bed.
Carpenter Liu watched in stunned silence. This young Gu, no wonder he was a soldier. Those arms were incredibly strong! Thinking about it, he glanced again at Gu Nanxun's legs, feeling truly sorry for them…
Gu Nanxun pushed the wheels with his hands and circled the room twice. The wheels were very easy to use; although they were made of wood, it didn't affect their flexibility at all, and they were very easy to push without any effort.
"Thank you, Uncle Liu. The wheelchair is really useful."
"It works great, doesn't it? I've tried it. You just need to gently roll the wheel; it's effortless. I have to say, Xiao Lin, the educated youth, is really clever."
Carpenter Liu watched Gu Nanxun easily pushing the wheels around the house and said happily, "I never imagined that putting two wheels on this chair would allow someone who can't walk to move around on their own. It's so convenient!"
"Xiao Gu, you practice by yourself! I have things to do at home, so I won't keep you company."
"Okay, Uncle Liu, take care."
After Liu the carpenter left, Gu Nanxun pushed his wheelchair out of the house. It had been over a month since he returned injured, and this was only the second time he had left his room. The first time was when he was kicked out of the Gu family home; his arrival here was passive and unwilling. But today, he was leaving the house willingly, and happily.
As soon as Gu Nanxun pushed his wheelchair out, he saw Lin Qing's house under construction in the distance. Gu Nanxun slowly pushed the chair closer to the house. The foreman in the distance saw Gu Nanxun and ran towards him in surprise.
"Xiao Gu, how did you get here? What are you sitting on...?"
The captain gaped in surprise, his eyes widening instantly, his face filled with astonishment as he asked incredulously.
Gu Nanxun pushed the wheelchair around in front of the captain several times, and the captain followed Gu Nanxun around like a fool.
"What is this thing?! It can actually walk!"
"Idiot, didn't you see that's a chair?"
"Are you the idiot? Does your chair walk?"
"It's not that the chair can walk; you see, that chair has two wheels."
"That's what a perceptive young man said."
"Yes, it's that wheel. Just like our handcart."
"Wouldn't that be a chair-cart... Hahaha..."
An older man was talking and laughing heartily.
"A chair car... Haha... This is amazing! Who invented it?!"
"..."
Upon seeing Gu Nanxun arrive, the construction workers around stopped what they were doing and gathered around him, discussing the wheelchair he was sitting in.
"Xiao Gu, what kind of chair is this? It's so convenient! With this, other elderly people with mobility issues in our village can also get out."
"The captain said with a happy expression."
"Uncle, Qingqing asked Uncle Liu to make this for me, and Qingqing drew the picture herself."
Upon hearing the captain's question, Gu Nanxun excitedly began to explain.
"This was actually designed by Xiaolin, a young intellectual sent to the countryside."
The captain asked in surprise.
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