The Gu family finally settled down, albeit with some difficulties, but Bao Ni was unaware of this as she was busy.
The weeds on the island keep growing back, no matter how hard you try to get rid of them!
Bonnie, in particular, cleared a lot of wasteland. Often, she would finish weeding several plots in succession, and just as she finished weeding the last one, the weeds in the first plot would grow quite tall again. It was as if she was trapped in a vicious cycle from which she couldn't get out.
There's nothing we can do about it. As the farmers say, it's always like this the first year of clearing land; you can't get all the weeds out.
There was also good news: the wheat was growing well, with large ears of grain. Bonnie and the others used some wood ash as fertilizer. And thankfully, just a few days after fertilizing, a light rain fell. May Goddess Mazu protect us!
Another unfortunate incident was the failure of the chicken-raising experiment. The thirty chicks used in the experiment were all killed by an unknown creature within a few days. No one saw what it was, only small paw prints.
After weeding once again, Bonnie and the others were so exhausted they could barely stand up straight. Now, they even dream about weeding at night.
"Bonnie, this time it can hold out for a while. The seedlings have grown a bit bigger, much taller than the grass."
"Yeah, I even dreamt about pulling weeds last night. There was a big weed that I couldn't pull out no matter what I did. When I tried to pull it out, my husband woke me up. He mistook my hair for a weed and almost pulled it all out of my head."
Sister-in-law Huang was gesturing wildly as she spoke, it was hard to tell if she was serious or joking.
"Really? Sister Huang, won't your husband give you a piece of his mind?"
"He dares?"
Sister-in-law Huang has become quite assertive. Ever since the land reclamation was completed, she feels she can earn a living on her own and dares to raise her voice at Battalion Commander Huang, occasionally even ordering him around. Battalion Commander Huang can't really do anything to Sister-in-law Huang; what can he do, like divorce?
Later, Sister-in-law Huang discovered this and became even bolder, letting Battalion Commander Huang share some of the housework. Battalion Commander Huang grumbled and cursed, but there was nothing he could do; he had to grit his teeth and do it. He resented in his heart that Lin Tuan's wife had corrupted his own wife, making her dare to challenge him.
Listening to her sisters-in-law's laughter and banter, occasionally punctuated by a slightly suggestive joke, Bonnie felt quite pleased. They say alcohol emboldens heroes, but Bonnie believed financial independence emboldens women. Although they hadn't yet reaped the rewards, her sisters-in-law felt more confident.
As they rowed, the women's hearty laughter startled a flock of seabirds on the shore, which flapped their wings and flew away.
After mooring the boat, a group of women, carrying the wild vegetables they had picked, rolled up their trousers, wore straw hats, and chatted and laughed as they entered the residential compound.
"They've returned from the island. How are the crops? The wheat must be filling out by now. It'll be harvest time in a little over a month. Let us have a look around then!"
"Yes, we'll help harvest the wheat, and then we'll get to taste the white flour steamed buns."
These women, though not involved in the land reclamation, kept a close eye on Bonnie and the others' movements.
Two conflicting mindsets are at play: one hopes that after a typhoon, there will be no harvest, proving their choice was right; the other hopes for favorable weather and a bumper harvest, so they can start clearing land again next year.
This conflicted feeling made some of the women feel uncomfortable and indescribable when they saw Bao Ni and her team of pioneers.
"The wheat is growing well right now. We just fertilized it. If we can survive the typhoon, there's still hope for a good harvest. I'll definitely let you smell the steamed buns then."
Sister-in-law Huang has been riding high lately, and her tongue has become quite smooth.
"Look how stingy you are! You've had a bumper harvest, and you want us to smell the steamed buns? We should at least have a bite!"
"Hey, where were you when we were climbing up and down weeding? It's easy for you to say that when you're not the one doing the work. You're so generous, but I've never seen you give anyone a bite to eat all these years."
The two sisters-in-law chattered on and on, their laughter and scolding never bothered him.
"Baoni, Lin Baoni?"
Bonnie, who was standing and watching the commotion, seemed to hear someone calling her. She looked around and realized that the person staring at her looked familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen him before.
Are you calling me?
Bonnie asked in confusion, "This person looks familiar, but I just can't remember who he is."
"Don't you recognize me?"
The voice was incredulous, yet somewhat condescending.
"Hmm, she looks familiar, but I can't remember which sister-in-law she is. Which regiment is she from? Do you know her?"
"I don't recognize you. Are you new here?"
I don't know either Sister Huang or Sister Zhu, so they must be newcomers.
Qu Jing looked at Lin Baoni and realized she didn't recognize her. She didn't know whether to be angry or not.
"I am Qu Jing, Gu Feng's wife, and your cousin's wife."
"My goodness! You look so different! I was wondering why you looked familiar but I couldn't remember who you were. We've met twice before, and you weren't dressed like this then. In Beijing, you hardly ever saw my face directly, so it's no wonder I didn't recognize you."
Bonnie remarked that the woman looked familiar. "Oh, it's Gu Feng's wife!" she exclaimed. "Her outfit is so different! She's changed from a dress to black pants and a floral short-sleeved shirt, her hair is styled in a new updo, and she's wearing cloth shoes instead of leather shoes."
Qu Jing was confused by Bao Ni's words. Bao Ni was eloquent and articulate, and her words were so logical that Bao Ni couldn't find any fault with her. The other woman had clearly stated that they weren't close.
Everyone wasn't stupid; they immediately understood that the family relationship wasn't good.
"Bonnie, let's go back now."
In the blink of an eye, only Bao Ni and Qu Jing were left; they had all left.
"Alright, we're not that close, no need to act like I don't like you. Both times we met, you held your head high and barely looked at me. It's impressive you even recognized me. What about yourself? Don't forget to live your life quietly, otherwise..."
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