As the distance got closer, Wang Jianguo pointed at the figure standing at the dock and asked, "Is that Xiao Ning?"

Song's mother stretched her head to look carefully, and it seemed a bit similar, so she waved her hand.

When Wang Shuning saw it, he immediately stood on tiptoe and waved.

Mother Song's eyebrows curved, "It's Xiaoning."

After the ship docked, Wang Shuning hurried to meet it.

Song Guiying looked at her little daughter in front of her, held her face with her hands, and cried with joy, "You've become much darker, I almost didn't recognize you."

Wang Shuning reached out and snatched the bag from Song's mother's hand, "Let's go home."

Half an hour later, Song Guiying and Wang Jianguo saw a group of two-story buildings.

Pushing open the courtyard door and walking in, the sunlight shone on the wall. The house looked nice and much more spacious than the Wang family's house in Beijing.

Walking into the living room, they looked around. It was quite clean and had all the necessary things. However, since they lived alone, the house was a bit big.

Wang Jianguo looked at the radio on the table in the living room, which looked like it was used frequently.

Plug in the socket, turn on the switch, and a war documentary is playing.

There were fruit snacks on the table, but the old couple had no appetite as they had just got off the boat.

The two of them looked at the entire house and the yard outside before sitting down to rest.

Wang Jianguo sighed: "Everything is good, except this place."

Song's mother agreed, "Your father and I asked for a month's leave from the factory and will stay on the island for half a month before returning."

Wang Shuning nodded. "It's not the hottest time on the island yet. You guys finally got here, so you can stay a little longer."

Song's mother shook her head, "Your sister-in-law is two months pregnant. If you hadn't been in trouble this time, your father and I wouldn't have come here. We are worried. After all, she is the first grandchild of our Wang family."

Wang Shuning was pleasantly surprised. "Why didn't you tell me that my sister-in-law was pregnant? I could have sent her some nourishment."

Song's mother sighed, "Before she had time to write to you, something happened to you, and she was scared."

When it was almost time to cook lunch, Song's mother insisted on helping out, not even complaining about the tiredness.

The vegetables in the kitchen were bought by Wang Shuning at the market in the morning, and some were taken out from the space.

The three of them talked while eating lunch, and the meal took an hour and a half to finish.

After dinner, the two elders took a shower and went to their room to sleep.

The older generation doesn’t have the habit of taking naps. Even if they are tired from traveling for days, they only sleep for more than 40 minutes before waking up.

Song's mother opened the bag they brought, and except for a few sets of clothes, it was full of bright and beautiful fabrics.

"Your clothes were handed over to us by the army leaders. They were all put in the coffin during the funeral. Even if they were dug out, you couldn't wear them again. When you came here, your family specially got some cloth coupons to buy new cloth for you. During the time you're on the island, Mom will make some for you."

It’s really sad that I didn’t wear the new pink dress much and it was wasted.

Things that have been used to fill the coffin will bring bad luck if taken out, and it will be unlucky to wear them, even if the little daughter is not dead.

Wang Shuning touched the stack of cloth with his hand. There was so much cloth and the cloth coupons must have taken a lot of thought.

"Thank you, Mom. I was just worried about having no clothes to wear. Now I will have a lot of new clothes."

Song's mother was delighted to hear this and put her hand on the back of her little daughter's hand, "Mom will make everything for you."

In the evening, when Song's mother put the dried and folded clothes into the closet in Wang Shuning's room, she saw the sky blue clothes.

I felt that it was not folded neatly, so I wanted to take it out and fold it again.

Then I saw a cut on the shoulder.

The color of the damaged area is a little light red, and also on the chest.

Song's mother touched it with her fingers, and her fingertips trembled a little.

The knife stabbed here, the blood couldn't wash it away, and left a mark.

She took a deep breath, folded the clothes, and prepared to sew the damaged parts.

During dinner, Wang Shuning said, "I'm going to work at school tomorrow. Mom and Dad, don't go to deserted places. The scenery on the island is different from that in Beijing. You can go to the beach for a walk when you're bored. Don't get too close. Run away as soon as the waves come."

Song's mother: "You're going to work so soon?"

Wang Shuning: "Tomorrow is Monday. I have been resting at home for a week."

Song's mother: "Where are the supply and marketing cooperatives and the places to buy vegetables on the island?"

Wang Shuning: "I'll take you there tomorrow morning. The school will provide lunch, but I won't be back for lunch. The schedule is posted on the wall. If I don't have classes, I'll be back early. If I have the last class, I'll be back at four at the latest."

Song's mother turned around, but her eyes couldn't see clearly.

She put down her bowl and chopsticks and walked over. "It's okay. There are only three or four classes a day. Unlike me and your father, we are always busy in the factory and have no time to rest."

Wang Jianguo: "It would be great if you could go back to Beijing and be a teacher."

Song's mother's forehead twitched, and she turned back and sat back, staring at Wang Shuning: "Because of what happened to your sister, I can't retire early and let you go back to take over. I thought that after you have been on Jinshan Island for three years, you can apply to be transferred back to Yihe Town Primary School as a teacher. If you are not married by then, you can stay for two more years. When I retire, I will let you go back to take over the job, and then you can be transferred back to the city."

She had not had this idea at first. After all, her youngest daughter was 20 years old this year, and would be 24 in four years. How could she not be married?

But after almost dying, Song's mother felt that it would be better to keep her by her side.

Wang Shuning didn't expect Song's mother to say this. If she took over the job, she would lose all the benefits after retirement.

The Wang family has a history of evading going to the countryside, so even if Song's mother retires at an age and asks him to go back to take over, things will not be easy.

In four years it will be 1976, and the college entrance examination can be resumed in 1977, so there is no need to do this.

"Mom, who knows what will happen in four years. We'll talk about it then. I'm doing fine as a teacher now."

Song's mother blamed herself a little: "Mom also knows that being a teacher is good, but the family can only give you a factory worker position."

Wang Shuning raised the corners of his mouth and smiled happily: "From childhood to adulthood, I ate no worse than other children, had new clothes to wear every year, and my eldest brother, second sister and I all graduated from high school. My parents are already very impressive."

Wang Jianguo and Song Guiying smiled. At their age, what makes them happiest is their children living well.

The next day, she took Song's mother to the market, and when they came back, Wang Shuning's father had already prepared breakfast.

After dinner, Wang Shuning went to work at school.

Wang Jianguo took a sip of porridge and said, "I've seen what's in the kitchen. It's all fine grains. There's only a little bit of cornmeal and sweet potatoes. I don't think Xiao Ning eats much."

The food here is much better than at home. For example, yesterday's lunch and dinner, the white rice didn't have any coarse grains added.

Song's mother broke open the glutinous rice cake and said, "My daughter only earns 40 yuan a month, so what's wrong with her eating better? We don't need her to send money home, and we don't need her to save for a dowry. It's okay even if she spends all her salary every month."

Wang Jianguo was helpless. The fact that his little daughter almost died scared his wife so much that she might become even more indulgent in the future.

Spending all forty dollars every month, how extravagant is that!