For three consecutive days, Bao Ni brought Fang Hongqiang a portion of the nutritional supplements she made for Gu Ye.

Fang Hongqiang could tell that Gu Ye's wife was genuinely trying to help him, so he didn't refuse anymore, thinking that he would pay Gu Ye the money after he had taken action.

On the fourth day, Fang Hongqiang's wife arrived. She was in her thirties but looked like she was in her forties. Her clothes were very clean, but patched on top of patched, showing that she was a skilled seamstress with fine stitches.

"Honey, how are you?" Sister-in-law Fang looked at Fang Hongqiang, who was lying motionless on the bed, and tears streamed down her face.

"Qiaomei, don't cry, I'm fine now, I'll be better in a few days. This is my comrade-in-arms Gu Ye, and his wife, Comrade Lin Baoni. I've been eating a lot of good food these past few days thanks to Comrade Lin." Fang Hongqiang not only injured his internal organs this time, but also broke one of his legs. Fortunately, he received proper treatment and will not have any sequelae, otherwise, his military career would be over.

"Thank you so much, sister. How much is it? Please calculate it and I'll give it to you." Yang Qiaomei wiped away her tears, thanked Bao Ni repeatedly, and took out her money to pay Bao Ni.

"Really, there's no need, sister-in-law. It was just something I did on the spur of the moment. Let's not talk about money. This is a hospital room; we shouldn't be arguing. Brother Fang and Gu Ye are comrades-in-arms, comrades who have shared life and death. It's really nothing." Bao Ni really didn't want to accept money. Uncle Shen always made a lot of soup, so she was just passing on what he had. She was taking advantage of Uncle Shen; she couldn't buy that much soup with her own money.

Seeing that Gu Ye's wife really wouldn't accept it, Fang Hongqiang said to his wife, "Qiaomei, if Comrade Lin doesn't want it, then forget it. We'll talk about it later."

They all lived in the military base and visited each other frequently.

Lin Baoni also learned Fang's sister-in-law's name, Yang Qiaomei.

She was such a diligent woman; she started working shortly after arriving. She wiped Fang Hongqiang's body, changed his clothes, changed the sheets, and then went to do the washing; she was busy the whole time.

When Bonnie returned from getting dinner, Fang Hongqiang was already eating. Yang Qiaomei had gotten the hospital cafeteria's special meal for patients, which was quite good. Bonnie didn't bring up the matter of sharing soup with Fang Hongqiang again; she didn't want to put him in a difficult position.

After Gu Ye finished his injection, Bao Ni took him to the restroom, and then they prepared to go to the guesthouse to sleep.

"Sister-in-law, I'm going to sleep at the guesthouse. Where are you sleeping?"

"Hey girl, I'll just sleep here." She patted the small bed next to Fang Hongqiang's hospital bed, which was where the young soldier slept before. Now that he's gone back, Yang Qiaomei plans to sleep there.

Bonnie didn't say anything, just told Gu Ye, and left.

The next day, Bonnie brought breakfast over. Yang Qiaomei had already tidied up and brought the food back.

"Hey girl, you're here?" Yang Qiaomei greeted Bao Ni as she came in carrying a thermos and a lunchbox.

"Sister-in-law, you're up really early. Is everything all done?" Bonnie glanced at her watch; it wasn't even six o'clock yet.

"It's still early. If this were our team, we would have finished half of the work by now." Yang Qiaomei's family is from Northeast China, while Fang Hongqiang's hometown is Shandong. The three of them fled to Northeast China when they were fleeing famine.

Yang Qiaomei is straightforward and speaks in a loud voice. She was a little reserved on her first day, but after a night, she feels like a familiar face.

When Bonnie watched videos before, many people said that Northeasterners were warm and hospitable, and had a "cooperative spirit." At that time, she hadn't had much contact with Northeasterners, so she couldn't verify this. Today, she felt her opportunity had arrived.

Gu Ye's injuries have almost healed; the wounds have scabbed over, and he can walk around slowly on his own. For the past four or five days, Bao Ni has been drinking nutritious soup twice a day, and her strength has almost recovered.

Bonnie gave away the simple commode she bought for two cents to Yang Qiaomei, and her son Fang Hongqiang was able to move around in a wheelchair. He only had a broken leg, so he could still sit on the chair by himself.

After spending a few days with Yang Qiaomei, Bao Ni found her to have a really good attitude. She had a mother-in-law who couldn't see anything at home, four children of all ages, and had to work every day. Although her family could lend a hand, she still had to do most things herself.

Although Yang Qiaomei looks a bit older due to overwork, she has a great attitude. She is cheerful every day, doesn't lose her temper easily, and can even sing a few lines occasionally.

"Sister Lin, is there a lot of land on your island?"

“There’s not much land, and most of the income comes from fishing at sea. Why are you interested in islands?” Bonnie didn’t know Fang Hongqiang before. He was from the Third Regiment, while Gu Ye was from the Second Regiment.

“My husband said he wanted us to come with him to his home base. There are four children in my family, plus my mother-in-law and me, making six or seven people. If we really come with him, what will we eat and drink? Back in our hometown, at least we can make a living. But I also want the children to see their father more often, since none of my family members know him.”

Yang Qiaomei also wanted to be closer to her man for peace of mind, but she couldn't ignore the reality of the situation.

Bonnie thought for a moment before saying, "There are also military wives on the island who farm, but they have to row a boat to get there. Each family can get three or four acres of land. We are also growing seaweed, and we may expand the area next year, which will require more people to work. But the island is prone to typhoons, and sometimes a typhoon can wipe everything out."

Bonnie explained the pros and cons beforehand, and the choice was up to the Fang couple.

Yang Qiaomei didn't say anything. She needed to think about this carefully. As a military wife who had independently supported her family for more than ten years, she had her own wisdom and her own way of thinking, even though she hadn't received much formal education and didn't know many characters.

Bonnie stopped bringing up the topic and suggested taking her for a walk around the city. The injections were finished and lunch was ready, so the two women left their fellow sufferer in the hospital bed and went off to have some fun.

"Thank you so much, sister-in-law. This is my Qiaomei's first time traveling so far, she's a little reserved. She used to be so brave, she dared to go anywhere, and she was very curious. If it weren't for you, sister-in-law, she probably wouldn't have made this trip at all, she wouldn't have been able to go anywhere." Fang Hongqiang recalled Qiaomei when she was young, she was also the most beautiful girl in the village!

"No need to thank me. My Bao Ni has a rough personality and doesn't like beating around the bush. My sister-in-law is straightforward and gets along well with Bao Ni. Otherwise, my Bao Ni wouldn't take on these things herself." Gu Ye knows Bao Ni well. She's the kind of person who truly likes what she likes and truly dislikes what she dislikes, without any pretense.

Meanwhile, Bonnie was strolling around the city with Yang Qiaomei. At this time, there weren't many tourist attractions in the city, just parks, cinemas, department stores... Yang Qiaomei said she wanted to see the sea, so Bonnie took her to the pier.

"Ah, Bonnie, I see the sea! My husband has been here for so many years, and I've never come to visit him once. Before, the kids were too young, and then my mother-in-law got sick and went blind, so I couldn't leave anymore. The sea is so vast, and there are so many birds..."

Yang Qiaomei stood on the shore with her arms outstretched, feeling a deep sense of joy that she couldn't describe.

“Bonnie, I’ve decided to come and join the military. I want the children to know what their father does and what his workplace is like. Even if it’s tough, it doesn’t matter. As a family, we should be together.”

Yang Qiaomei's words are simple and unadorned, yet they inexplicably evoke a sense of sadness.