Gu Ye is recovering well, something Bao Ni knows all too well. She rubs her back and thinks, "That jerk of a man!"

Thanks to Sister Fang, who brought a lot of ginseng, big and small, when she came with the army. Bao Ni gave Gu Ye a good nourishing meal.

There were also some hides, all shaved until soft. Bonnie gave Grandpa a larger wolf pelt so that Grandma could make it into a mattress. Grandpa had rheumatism, and it would keep him warm.

These things cost some money, but it was worth it, and Bonnie didn't feel bad at all. Bonnie carefully preserved the other ginseng; these were valuable items.

When Yang Qiaomei returned home after the New Year, the seafood that Bao Ni brought her to buy was also very popular with her family and friends.

Everyone was happy!

Spring planting this year was busy as usual, but there was also something to be happy about: the fruit trees that Bonnie and her friends planted in their first year were starting to bloom.

In its first year of blooming, each tree produced only a few blossoms, sparse and scattered, but from a distance, it still looked like a sea of ​​flowers, albeit a rather thin one.

Every time the women came to the island to work, they would walk around and glance at the flowers from a distance, afraid that if they got too close, they might accidentally knock over these hard-won blossoms. These were not just flowers; they were their hope!

Because these fruit trees have blossomed, the army has organized manpower to plant hundreds of apple trees. When they bear fruit, even if they don't sell them for money, each soldier can still have one to eat.

Yang Qiaomei also cultivated several acres of land, planting high-yield corn and sweet potatoes. Her priority was to ensure her family didn't go hungry before thinking about how to improve their meals.

We're still using the old methods for kelp cultivation. Professor Gao's method is still a bit lacking. Hopefully, we can succeed in October, which is the best season for kelp cultivation.

Bonnie and her seaweed farming team nearly doubled the area they were cultivating. Sister-in-law Yaru, who had settled in the island's first team, also joined the seaweed farm to manage the accounts; she was well-educated. This delighted Han Weidong and the others, as they really disliked doing these mundane tasks.

With the increased planting area, more straw ropes and bamboo rafts are needed, and many women in the family compound come to do odd jobs, earning some extra money.

In any case, spring on the island is vibrant and full of life.

Just then, the troops received a distress call.

The letter was written by the wife of a martyr whose husband died three years ago. She was raising her three children alone. Life was manageable until recently when she was diagnosed with an incurable disease and is nearing its end. She is worried about her three underage children, as all her close relatives have passed away, and the remaining relatives are distant and unlikely to treat her children well. She pleads for help from the military.

The letter was sent to the army, but it didn't specify who it was addressed to. Commander Yang had someone check and found out that the soldier who died was the former deputy battalion commander of the 2nd Regiment. He was supposed to bring his wife and children to live with him, but he died unexpectedly.

Division Commander Yang convened a meeting of officers at the battalion level and above to discuss the matter.

"That's roughly the situation. It's the family of a martyr who entrusted their child to us. Everyone, think about how we should handle this." As soon as Commander Yang finished speaking, everyone started whispering among themselves.

Gu Ye had previously served in the same regiment and wasn't familiar with this deputy battalion commander, so he didn't know the specifics. He also had no idea how old the three children were.

"Alright, stop whispering down there, everyone, speak up."

The regimental commander spoke first, "Division commander, we must take this matter seriously. Our soldier has sacrificed his life, and his child cannot become an orphan left unattended."

“Yes, we need to hurry over there and see what the situation is. If all else fails, we should see if there are any families we can adopt. We can’t let the children of martyrs be left without anyone to rely on. If one day we also sacrifice our lives, will our children ever need help?” Political Commissar Zhai said sadly, but it was also a reality.

Gu Ye thought for a moment, then continued from Political Commissar Zhai's words: "We need to first see the actual situation, how old the children are, what their own thoughts are. It's impossible for three children to be adopted by one family; every family has quite a few children. Whether they are willing to be adopted separately is also a question. So, I think the primary task is to go and see the situation before making a decision."

“Yes, Gu Ye’s suggestion is good. Let’s see how things go first.” The Third Regiment Commander also chimed in. He had three or four children at home and really couldn’t afford to adopt three more.

Commander Yang and his men finally decided to send an officer and a soldier from the same village to check on the situation.

When Gu Ye got home, he told Bao Ni about it. She also felt sorry for the child, but she didn't feel any urge to adopt him.

Bonnie lived in the future for about twenty years, and she had a deep-rooted sense of wariness from that era, lacking the selfless dedication of this time.

She could help military wives clear land and grow seaweed because they were adults and she didn't need to be responsible for their lives. But children were different; they bore the responsibility of a person's life, and Bonnie felt she couldn't do that.

“Gu Ye, if we bring the children over, I can provide financial support, but we can’t adopt children. I can’t afford to support a child’s life. I can only do my best to raise Liu Jiu and San Qi properly.” Bonnie spoke to Gu Ye in advance to avoid things getting out of hand.

“I have no intention of adopting a child. I had such a childhood myself. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have been able to get married, have children, and live a normal family life. I also don’t have the confidence to take responsibility for other people’s lives. They are not like the 69s and 37s.” The couple reached an agreement, and they would discuss the rest after the other person returned.

The two People's Liberation Army comrades who had set off on a mission eventually arrived at the village of the letter writer, which was also a fishing village near an island, where conditions were harsh.

A soldier from the same village led the way to the house he remembered.

The two stone houses, with oyster shells pasted on the exterior walls, are very ordinary houses in the area.

The two people entered the courtyard, where a girl in her early teens was cooking.

"Hello, we are from the island unit. Is your mother home?" Junior officer Zhang Yang was terrified of hearing the news of her mother's death.

"My mother is lying in the house; she's sick. You're from my father's unit, and my mother wrote to you." The girl stood up; she was over 1.6 meters tall, but a bit thin. She had big eyes and seemed quite determined, not timid at all.

"Yes, we came here after receiving your mother's letter. Please take us to see your mother."

Officer Zhang looked into the girl's eyes with an equal and gentle gaze.

The girl washed her hands and led them into the house. Lying on the kang (heated brick bed) was a thin, frail woman; she was very weak, her breathing barely perceptible, and it seemed her days were numbered.

Beside the woman were two children, around ten years old, who looked like twins and quite alike.

This family of women and children has had a very difficult life. We hope to help them, to truly help them, so that the departed can rest in peace and the martyrs can rest in peace!