Bonnie found Sister Zhang and told her about the demands of the visiting family members.
“I’ll handle this. The guesthouse used to have a stove, so we can tidy it up and use it. We can borrow other things from the logistics department. They’ll have to prepare their own food; there’s nothing we can do about it. Sister Zhang is willing but unable to help; she has a large family to support.”
"That's only right. We should help them in emergencies, not indefinitely. Their circumstances are pretty much the same now, so all we can do is help them save as much as possible. Tomorrow we'll take them to the beach to experience island life and we can even get them some food."
Bonnie understood the principle that generosity breeds gratitude, while excessive generosity breeds resentment; she couldn't interfere too much, as she was the one living her own life. Her baby was only three months old, and she had already done quite a bit.
Bonnie carried Sanqi home; he was hungry. Aunt Zhang will handle the follow-up, so she doesn't need to worry about it.
After feeding Sanqi, Liujiu returned as well.
"Mom, I'm home on time."
"Liu Jiu kept his promise and is an excellent soldier who deserves a reward. Now, Comrade Lin Baoni will present the award to Comrade Liu Jiu."
"Slap slap..."
Liu Jiu clapped for himself, standing straight, with a great sense of ceremony.
Bonnie took out a peach shortbread and handed it to Liu Jiu with both hands. Liu Jiu solemnly accepted it with both hands and gave a standard military salute.
After the handover ceremony, before enjoying her prize, Liu Jiu broke off a small piece and put it in her mother's mouth. Bonnie ate it happily, and Liu Jiu was also very happy.
"Liu Jiu, keep an eye on Sanqi for Mom, make sure he doesn't fall to the ground. Mom's going to cook."
"Okay, Mom, what's for lunch?"
"I boiled dumplings. Grandma made them yesterday. They were made with radish, vermicelli, and dried shrimp, and she even added pork cracklings."
Yesterday, Bao Ni's mother not only helped take care of the child, but also made dumplings for Bao Ni, which is perfect for today's meal.
"That's wonderful, I love Grandma!"
That heartless girl, how much she dislikes her cooking! Oh well, it's not bad now; although it's not delicious, it doesn't taste weird anymore. Bonnie came up with a solution: when cooking, she doesn't use any seasonings other than oil and salt.
I had a delicious lunch of dumplings and a bowl of dumpling soup. So satisfying!
"Mom, I want to eat like this every day."
“Mom also wants to eat like this, but we only have a limited amount of refined grains each month.”
"Sigh, this is really tough!"
At sixty-nine, he acted like a little adult, even learning to sigh and groan.
"Alright, we're already very happy, don't sigh."
"I know, my wife said that if you sigh too much, all your good luck will be gone."
After eating and drinking their fill, Liu Jiu was feeling drowsy. She lay down on the kang (a heated brick bed), hugged San Qi, and soon the two siblings fell asleep.
Bonnie covered the two children with small blankets; the kang (heated brick bed) was warm, so a little extra warmth was enough.
Bonnie thought it was a wise decision to have her father and older brother build this kang (heated brick bed). Although the winters on the island are not as freezing as in Northeast China, the temperature can still drop to several degrees below zero when it gets cold.
Without a heated kang (a traditional brick bed), the room would be ice cold as soon as you entered.
In the afternoon, since there wasn't much to do, Bonnie didn't go out. It was cold outside, and she couldn't keep taking Sanqi out. With current medical conditions, the mortality rate for young children is still quite high.
In the evening, Gu Ye came back, and Liu Jiu felt really happy. She had dumplings made by her maternal grandmother for lunch, and her father cooked dinner. It was so good that she didn't have her mother's cooking.
The next day, Bonnie heard that Sister-in-law Zhang had resolved the cooking issue and that they could now take turns cooking.
There were other women in their second regiment, including the battalion commander's wife, so Bao Ni didn't go over there anymore. They knew that Bao Ni's family was too small, so they all took the initiative to help and didn't let Bao Ni come out again.
On the third day, the women in the family compound organized a beachcombing trip for them, which excited the visiting group members who were seeing the sea for the first time. So much seafood—they'd never seen it before, never even heard of it! Everyone was in high spirits, thinking they'd come back for the next few days.
Since they're visiting relatives, the main characters aren't the women in their family compound, but rather their husbands and sons.
The military leaders are also very humane, making every effort to allow soldiers with family members visiting to rest and spend more time with their families.
From then on, soldiers could often be seen strolling around the island with their wives and children.
"Honey, this is where we often swim. It's cold now, but it will be even more beautiful in the summer. I'll work hard, strive for more merits, and get promoted as soon as possible so you can join me in the army. We can have a few children together, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The young soldier has been in the army for four years and is now a platoon leader. He got married last year; his wife is his childhood sweetheart.
"Brother Qiang, don't push yourself too hard. Be careful. I'm not in a hurry. We're still young, and we'll both be there for the military someday. I just want you to be safe and sound. Our homes aren't too far apart, so I can visit you more often."
Young men and women sit by the sea, gazing at the ocean, reminiscing about the beautiful past and dreaming of a happy future.
There were also silly dads who accompanied their children to collect seashells, thinking that these few days would help their sons remember them instead of calling anyone in a military uniform "Dad".
"Honey, you've worked so hard. Just wait a little longer, I'll definitely try my best to bring you to join me in the army. Don't be too frugal while you're at home; you've lost weight. Your health is very important, so don't overwork yourself. My allowance is enough for us."
"Yes, I know, I just can't bear to spend it all, it's all money you worked so hard to earn. I won't do that when we go back, I have to take good care of myself so I can take good care of you and our son. I want to be like Bonnie, she lives with confidence."
Unbeknownst to Bonnie, she became the role model for many. She felt she hadn't done anything special, barely appearing in the later episodes, but many legends about her circulated in the family compound.
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