Gu Ye and Bao Ni didn't stay long at Cao Wenze's place. Many of their comrades had already transferred to civilian jobs and left. It's like an iron camp with ever-changing soldiers. Gu Ye wasn't in the mood to chat with unfamiliar people.
Bonnie also met Sister Zhang and learned about their family's situation. After being demobilized, they didn't go back to their hometown. They had lived here for too many years, and their hometown felt too unfamiliar to them.
Especially since their parents have passed away, and the siblings haven't seen each other for years, their relationships have become distant.
"Brother Wenze, we're leaving tomorrow. When you're less busy, come to Beijing and meet up with us. Or, you can join our future travel group."
"A travel team?"
"After Bonnie and I finish this trip, we'll travel around the country with friends throughout the year. We'll enjoy different scenery, taste different delicacies, and travel around while we're still in good health."
Because of work and career, Bonnie has always followed me from one place to another. Just when she was getting used to a place, she had to move again. She was always adapting to new environments, so she didn't have many friends. She could count them on her fingers.
So, we plan to go on a trip every year with three or five close friends and family members; it should be a lot of fun.”
Gu Ye had already planned his next trip. He wanted to fulfill his promise to exercise regularly and live a carefree life for another ten or twenty years.
"You two seem to be having a really fulfilling time. Is this a romantic getaway for just the two of you?"
Staff Officer Deng was also envious, and she wondered if she could join their travel team next time.
"Yes, this is just the two of us on this trip; we didn't bring anyone with us."
Gu Ye glanced at Bao Ni; the two of them together were fine.
"Okay, just let us know when the time comes, and we'll meet up with you."
Cao Wenze was also tempted. He wanted to take advantage of his still-good health and do something with Yingzi. Before, they had both been busy with work and rarely saw each other.
"Where are you planning to go tomorrow? Do you have a destination in mind?"
"Let's go to Hainan, go surfing at the beach. Water sports are all the rage these days. Let's also experience winter by the sea. A winter without heavy snow is nice too."
"There was no snow here in winter before, what else is different?"
Cao Wenze didn't understand. Gu Ye was a little different now. He was no longer tense or stern. He had become curious about everything and a bit childish.
"It feels different. Before, I never had time to play freely, and there weren't many activities to do. Now it's different. I heard that there are many interesting water sports there."
"That's true, times have changed, haven't they? Where do you live?"
"Our comrades from '69' are from Hainan, and they helped us rent a sea-view house. You can go and take a stroll there when you have time. The house is quite spacious, a detached building, and it's convenient to live in."
Gu Ye's ambitions were practically soaring; he wanted to surf, to drive a speedboat, to...
Cao Wenze and his wife were very interested and started planning a few days' trip themselves. I really envy them; they can just pack up and go without hesitation.
The next day, Gu Ye and Bao Ni boarded a train to Hainan, where they would spend the winter.
Arriving in Hainan, the scenery is completely different.
The house rented with the help of my comrade Liu Jiu's family was nice, not far from the sea, somewhat like a seaside resort in later times. It was over 100 square meters, with three bedrooms, a spacious living room, a sofa, and a TV.
"Honey, how's it going? Not bad, right?"
"Yes, I feel so refreshed!"
Bonnie stood under the eaves outside the window, arms outstretched, enjoying the breeze.
"Let's rest for a bit today, and tomorrow morning we'll take a stroll around the neighborhood and try some local delicacies."
"Okay, you've rested enough. Let's go to the beach again. Didn't you want to try a speedboat?"
"Yeah, I think that's pretty cool, right? That's what young people say these days, right? Cool?"
Gu Ye heard the young people on the street muttering this phrase, and he remembered it correctly.
"Yes, that's what they say, cool, handsome!"
Bonnie remembered a phrase, "So cool, so awesome, so incredibly silly!"
"I want to be a cool old man. Tomorrow we'll go buy some floral clothes. I see a lot of people wearing them on the street."
Bonnie knew that Gu Ye was referring to beachwear, shorts, short sleeves, and a tropical vibe.
"Okay, let's buy it. Let's buy a matching set and be the most fashionable old couple."
"Yeah, anyway, nobody knows us, so let's have fun and wear whatever we want."
Gu Ye and Bao Ni sat on the floor of the vacation cabin, discussing how to spend the winter. The two were having a lively discussion.
The next day, after getting up, the two of them held hands and went for a walk around the area. They had breakfast and bought several floral shirts and shorts with coconut tree patterns.
"Bonnie, try some fresh coconut juice."
"Hmm, it tastes pretty good."
Bonnie took a sip; it was ice-cold.
Gu Ye held a coconut in one hand and Bao Ni's hand in the other, the two strolling slowly down the streets of Hainan. Every now and then, he would feed his wife a sip of coconut juice; from behind, they looked like a couple deeply in love. Gu Ye and Bao Ni were both in good shape, with no excess fat and even defined waistlines.
After their afternoon nap, the two went to the beach again, where the seawater was still very clear.
There were quite a few people playing at the beach, but it wasn't as crowded as during later long weekends, where you felt like you could step on the heels of the person in front of you with every step.
"Honey, shall we rent a speedboat?"
"Okay, let's ask how much it costs to rent. They even have surfing. Let's try it out."
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