Bonnie pushed open the door and entered the yard. Her parents were still asleep, and she could hear their intermittent snoring.

Bonnie didn't go inside. There was a recliner that Grandma used to use in the yard, and Bonnie lay down in it and swayed around.

Above us was a clear, unblemished blue sky. Decades from now, apart from Tibet, you'll hardly see such a blue sky anywhere else.

The seaweed houses in the courtyard, weathered by time, appear rustic and grand.

Listening to the sound of the waves and the faint snoring from inside the house, Bonnie began to feel drowsy, her eyelids grew heavy, and she didn't want to open them again.

"Why is this girl sleeping here? Isn't she afraid of catching a cold?"

When Bonnie's mother woke up and came out of the house, she saw Bonnie sleeping on the recliner. She turned around and went back into the house, picked up a small blanket, and intended to cover Bonnie with it.

"Mom, you're awake. What time is it?"

Bonnie woke up when she heard footsteps, but didn't want to move.

"I didn't check the time, it should be afternoon. Your dad is still not awake. He's been anxious and stressed lately, hasn't been eating or sleeping well."

Bonnie's mother draped the small blanket over Bonnie and sat down on the small stool next to her.

"I heard Liu Jiu has a boyfriend. What does he do? Is he a good person?"

Bao Ni's mother had only heard a little about it from San Qi, but she was too busy those days to ask for details. Her Liu Jiu already had a boyfriend; time flies so fast, she really is getting old.

"Someone who came here before, his name is Mu Nanfang, do you remember him, Mother?"

"Oh? I know, the tallest young man, the one who said your uncle is a good cook and could open a restaurant in Beijing."

"Yes, you have a good memory. It's that kid. He's very good to Liu Jiu, and his family is also in the military. The two kids are still young, so let's get to know each other like this for now. When they get older, if they still feel they're a good match, then we can take it to the next step."

Although Bonnie thinks Mu Nanfang is a good person, whether they will actually get married in the end, and whether they can spend their whole lives together after marriage, are all unknown, and no one can guarantee it.

“That works too. Liu Jiu is focused on joining the army. Now that she’s found someone suitable, it saves her the trouble of not having time to meet suitable people later. It’s good to know someone’s background. Otherwise, you can only know a person’s face but not their heart. Who knows what kind of person they are inside?”

Bao Ni's mother has seen it all. Take her eldest son's current wife, for example. When they were first introduced, the man seemed quite nice—good at talking, good at socializing, and a decent person. But after marriage, he developed a severe preference for sons over daughters and even physically abused his wife. She had no choice but to divorce him, taking her child with her, and later moved in with her eldest son.

"Mother, how is Da Bao?"

Bonnie usually doesn't think about these children. They live far away and don't see each other often, so there's not much of a connection between them. Now that she's back, she has nothing to do, so she's chatting with her mother for a while.

"Dabao has graduated and been assigned a job in the city. He doesn't come back often, but he'll bring some things to visit your dad and me during holidays. His relationship with your older brother is a bit distant. His mother visits him occasionally, but we don't know how they get along."

When Bao Ni's mother thought of her eldest grandson, she didn't know what to say. She had raised him single-handedly, and ever since his mother left, the child harbored resentment towards them. Later, her husband advised her to think more positively, saying that even a son couldn't be relied upon, let alone a grandson, and to let nature take its course.

"We're all adults now. We chose our own paths, and we have to bear the consequences ourselves. How's Erbao? He's about to take the college entrance exam. How are his results?"

Bonnie understands her mother, and not just her mother, but most mothers who reach a certain age are concerned with and interested in topics related to people or things they are familiar with.

Otherwise, if you talk to them about national policies or the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and other countries, they won't understand or be interested. Talking to them about the family planning policy is less effective than telling them about families who secretly went to other provinces to have sons to avoid the policy!

"Erbao is a simple-minded child, but he's more humane than Dabao. He comes over often to chat with your grandparents and weed the garden together."

We don't squander the pocket money your older brother gives us, and he even buys us food during holidays. We don't lack food, but it makes us feel good.

The child's grades are alright, I don't really understand them, but they said the previous exams were passed and the child is ready to take the college entrance exam.

Bonnie understood; this was a preliminary test, and it seemed to go well.

Erbao has always longed to go to Beijing and studies hard so that he can leave the island and see the world. It's a good idea; every child is curious about the outside world when they are young.

"Mom, what are we having for dinner?"

Bonnie and the others didn't eat lunch and slept the whole time, so they missed lunch.

"What do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you."

"Let's have some pancakes. I see that all the vegetables in the garden are ready to eat, and there are also scallions. I haven't had them in a long time, and I suddenly crave them."

Bonnie felt that she had become more impatient since returning to the island. Just now, thinking about eating scallion pancakes, she felt her mouth watering.

“Okay, I’ll make pancakes tonight. Tomorrow morning we’ll go beachcombing and catch some oysters. I’ll make you oyster pancakes; you loved them when you were little. Back then, thanks to the blessings of Mazu, we were able to find a lot of seafood, which allowed us to barely survive on the island, unlike outside where people starve to death!”

Bao Ni's mother quickly grabbed a basin to mix the dough, while Bao Ni carried a small basket to the yard to gather vegetables and scallions.

By the time Bonnie's dad got up, Bonnie and her mother had already been busy for half a day.

While Bao Ni's mother made pancakes, Bao Ni picked vegetables and peeled scallions, chatting with her mother about everyday things every now and then. Bao Ni didn't remember many people, but she would recall them when her mother brought them up.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!