Back at the seaweed farming team where Han Weidong and his group lived, Sister-in-law Yaru and Haiyan were already there.

"Baoni, when did you get back? I vaguely saw smoke coming from the chimney this morning, but when I came over after I finished cleaning, there was no one there." Sister-in-law Yaru, who had recovered from the grief of losing her husband, was much more cheerful.

"I came back yesterday, and went swimming in my diving suit today, so I didn't call you. How was Haiyan's New Year? Did you cook anything special?" Bonnie looked at the slightly chubby Haiyan, who seemed to have taken her words to heart. She hadn't just focused on feeding and clothing her two younger brothers; she was doing well herself too. Only when one learns to love oneself can one have the capacity to love others.

"Sister Bonnie, the food is ready! I stewed a chicken and made seafood. There are six dishes in total."

"Great, sixes bring good luck! We don't need to rush to plant seaweed in May this year, so it won't be in the same place as spring planting. After harvesting the wheat at the end of June, we can directly harvest the seaweed, dry it, and then plant it again in October." Bonnie explained the things that needed to be done this year, so that everyone was aware of the situation and felt at ease.

Currently, only Han Weidong, his sister-in-law Ya Ru, and Haiyan are permanent staff at the kelp farm; the other children have all gone home.

After Lin Hai and the others joined the army, the children their age grew up and needed to shoulder corresponding responsibilities. Bao Ni and her group are currently in the experimental phase; they don't have much work, and naturally, they don't earn much.

"I'm free this afternoon. Let's come back tomorrow to discuss spring planting." Bonnie was hungry and wanted to go home for dinner.

When they arrived at her parents' home, her mother had already prepared a meal, including dumplings, to welcome them home.

"Oh, I've been craving this. Everything in Beijing is great, except for the lack of fresh seafood. I'm not used to it."

Looking at the table full of seafood, Bonnie's mouth watered.

"Erbao, where's your brother?" Baoni looked around but didn't see Dabao.

“He went to clean the house with my parents. I asked him to come to my grandma’s house, but he won’t come.”

Erbao is simple-minded and doesn't care about anything except eating. Unlike Dabao, who keeps everything to himself and acts like a little old man at such a young age.

"Ah, you are blessed, your heart is as vast as the sea."

Erbao didn't quite understand what his aunt was saying, and just grinned foolishly.

Da Bao was someone Bao Ni had watched grow up since he was little, and she often took him out to play before they got married. However, as children grow up, they develop their own ideas, and no one can force them to do anything.

After eating and drinking her fill, Bonnie felt like she had come back to life.

"Six-Nine, Three-Seven, Mom is going home. Are you going back too?" Bonnie wanted to give some of the Beijing specialties she brought back to the families she was close to.

"We're not going back. We still need to stay with Grandma and Grandma. You go back by yourself. Goodbye, Mom!" Liu Jiu and San Qi didn't want to go back and wanted to stay at Grandma's house for a few more days.

Bonnie was overjoyed to have someone look after her child.

"Take this to Linbo's wife, I won't go over." Bao Ni's mother handed over a lunchbox containing dumplings she had made for lunch.

"Okay, I'll bring it to her on my way later."

Bonnie went to the hospital with a lunchbox and saw Lin Bo's wife looking listless, apparently experiencing pregnancy symptoms.

"Wenli, she's reacting now, but she looks like a wilted eggplant."

"Sister, you're here. I've been feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit since yesterday. I vomited once when I woke up this morning, and then again after eating. I feel so weak. Sister, how long did you vomit back then?"

Cao Wenli didn't expect morning sickness to be so bad; she felt like her throat was cracked.

"Me? I didn't have any pregnancy symptoms at all, and I had a great appetite." Bonnie had two children, experienced no pregnancy symptoms, and had a quick and easy delivery.

"So happy, I'm so envious," Cao Wenli thought. "Comparison is the thief of joy!"

"These are dumplings Mom made for lunch. She made them especially light for you. Try them and see if you can eat them." Bonnie put the lunchbox on the table, then left shortly after, as she had other things to do.

After returning home, I took the local specialties I brought back and delivered them to several familiar families, and received some return gifts in return.

I took some more and delivered it to Haiyan and Sister-in-law Yaru, as well as to my third aunt and my youngest aunt's house; I had to go to all of them.

"Baoni, do you think it's possible to take the college entrance exam again after this?" Aunt Lin asked, unsure whether she wanted to nag or hear Baoni's opinion. Her son, Lin Shan, was about to graduate from high school, and she didn't know what his future held.

"I can't say for sure whether it's possible or not, but I don't think this kind of recommendation system for university admission can last. Who knows when we'll be able to have an entrance exam? The country needs talent for development." What could Bonnie say? It was only 1973; the college entrance exam wouldn't be reinstated for another four or five years. She didn't dare to speak carelessly; if she accidentally said something wrong, she'd be arrested!

As for Lin Shan or her other brothers, she had no ability to plan their future. She had done all she could. It was all about timing, location, and people; whoever had the right circumstances was simply lucky. She wouldn't do anything thankless or arduous, like her eldest brother and sister-in-law, who were already blaming themselves.

Spring returns to the earth, and all things revive!

Bao Ni, along with Han Weidong and his three sisters-in-law, Ya Ru and Xiao Haiyan, began to busy themselves with farming.

There are far fewer people this year, so we can improve our living conditions. We planted some wheat and millet, which should be enough to make dumplings for the New Year and other holidays.

With so few people, farming is truly exhausting.

Bonnie and her colleagues worked for several days, but in the end, Gu Ye took a day off and brought along some close comrades to help them finish planting all the land. Bonnie's few acres were planted entirely with wheat and millet, and they had harvested a good amount of corn last year.

The land was planted, the seedlings sprouted, and weeds were hoeed several times. It was June, and in about ten days, it would be time to harvest the seaweed. This task was handled by the military and the island's first team.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!