Bonnie and Gu Ye stayed with their parents on the island for more than three months before setting off in mid-September to visit the south, where they had lived for several years.
"Brother Ye, can you still recognize him?"
"I can't recognize him! He's changed so much in just over ten years!"
Looking at the streets lined with tall buildings and the cars shuttling back and forth, it felt like a completely different world from before.
"More than 20 years of reform and opening up have passed, and this place is almost in line with the world."
Bonnie knew that the lions had awakened and that they had a place in the world.
"That's wonderful. If people have souls, those who left can also see these changes. They paid for this with their lives, and they should see it."
Gu Ye thought of his comrades-in-arms, those fallen heroes who never rise again!
"Yes, they will see!"
Bonnie held her brother's hand, wanting to give him some comfort and reassurance.
"Right? You can see it?"
"able!"
At this moment, Gu Ye was vulnerable and helpless, like a child who couldn't find his way and was lost on the street.
"Gu Ye, Bao Ni, over here!"
"Brother Wenze, you're not at work today?"
"I'm not busy. I don't need to go unless it's an emergency. I mainly take care of my students."
Cao Wenze was wearing a traditional Chinese short jacket, and he really did look like a master of traditional Chinese medicine, completely different from when he wore his military uniform. He had gained some weight, and his face looked much brighter.
"Is your wife adjusting well? Now that she's retired, she suddenly has so much free time?"
Looking at Staff Officer Deng, Bonnie felt that he wasn't adapting as well as Wenze.
"I'm still adjusting. I've been in the military for decades and I'm used to being busy. Suddenly having free time makes me feel lost and I don't know what to do."
Deng Yingzi is really not used to it. She has been retired for two or three years and has not fully adapted yet.
"You're used to being busy. As for me, I've been looking forward to retirement for many years. I'm so happy to finally retire."
Bonnie's biggest wish is to retire, not have to work, receive a monthly pension, sleep in whenever she wants without worrying about being late for work, and go back to the island whenever she wants without having to worry about not being able to take too much leave.
“Your personalities are different, and your sister-in-law is not very comfortable with home life.”
Cao Wenze knows Yingzi too well. She was raised as a boy since childhood, and her personality is already formed and not easy to change.
"Alright, let's go home first. We'll talk about it when we get home. It's hot outside, and Bonnie and the others probably aren't used to it."
"It's a bit hard to get used to. Gu Ye and I stayed on the island for more than three months, counting down the days until it would cool down here before we came. But we didn't expect it to still be so hot."
The four of them talked as they walked out, heading home by car.
The Cao family bought their own house; it's a 100-square-meter apartment with a simple interior design.
"Come in. We haven't lived in this house much since it was cleaned up. We mostly stay in the retirement home. This place is close to the hospital where Wenze works, so we sometimes come here to stay for a few days."
Deng Yingzi bought a lot of things yesterday and brought them in, including fruits and tea.
"It's pretty good, you can stay wherever you want."
"Yeah, life is better now, and we have more choices. Things we wouldn't have dared to even dream of before."
Bonnie and Staff Officer Deng exclaimed in amazement at how much things had changed.
"Brother Wenze, did you know that Commander Yang has gone?"
"I've heard about it, but I don't care anymore. After all these years, I've let it go. The ill-fated relationship between us is inexplicable, and becoming strangers in the end is the best outcome."
He got his comeuppance; a parent outliving their child, troublesome children, and bedridden for over ten years—I can imagine his later years wouldn't be easy. After all these years, I've finally gotten over that hurdle in my heart.
Shengnan said to me, "Dad, you're over fifty now. You should let go of what you should let go of. Otherwise, you'll only suffer, and it won't affect anyone else."
Cao Wenze and Gu Ye talked about his daughter's advice to him, and he listened to it and felt relieved.
“That’s right. When I heard the news of Gu Xiangdong’s death, I felt a huge sense of relief. If I wasn’t worried about getting into trouble, I would have laughed out loud. It was so satisfying. He deserved his end.”
"Yeah, the endings weren't good at all. They lost their reputation for life and were infamous for eternity."
The two men, both in their sixties with gray hair, spoke of such things like children, believing in retribution and the cycle of cause and effect.
"Sister-in-law, is Shengnan still in the military hospital?"
"Yes, that child has always had a regret. She and Liu Jiu had similar thoughts; they both wanted to join the combat troops. If she hadn't gotten sick that year, which limited her career choices, she definitely wouldn't have applied to medical school."
But things are alright now. The family of three gets along well, especially Shengnan's husband, who is understanding, which is commendable. When she's busy, she can't take care of the family; her husband does all the work, both inside and outside the house.
"That's good, similar to Liu Jiu and the others. It's the same in the south. They have to take care of two children and both sets of parents. When Liu Jiu gets busy, she can't go home for ten days or half a month."
The two mothers, instead of praising their daughters, sat together praising their sons-in-law. What wonderful mothers-in-law!
"Do Shengli and Shengyang come back often too?"
"Shengli is in the army, so he has no choice in what he does. His daughter-in-law often brings the children back to visit. Shengyang is always running around with a camera, saying he wants to photograph the whole world. He's almost thirty, and his younger brother's child is old enough to run errands, but he still doesn't have a marriage partner. It's driving him crazy."
Cao Shengyang studied photography in college, determined to become the best photographer. After graduation, he worked for a while, then began traveling around taking photos. He achieved good results, winning many awards, and was sought after by many people. He was self-sufficient and lived a carefree life.
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