"What's wrong? I heard someone's been giving you trouble?"
"It's nothing, Aunt Da Hua. She's just trying to take advantage of us. Her son is so big, and she still wants to come and freeload off us. Who gave her the nerve?"
When Grandma heard it was Shi Dahua, she wasn't surprised. She was the most shameless person on the island, a trait passed down through generations. As a result, her children followed suit, becoming lazy and gluttonous.
"You're really going to provide these kids with a meal? That would require so much grain!"
"There are only a few days left before the New Year. After the New Year, the weather will be warmer and there will be more wild vegetables. We'll just have some to eat, otherwise what can we do? They're all teenagers. It's too bad for their health to do heavy work without enough to eat. They're all children from the island, and we can't bear to do that. We'll just keep an eye on them for now."
Grandma knew that Bonnie had her own ideas, so she didn't say anything more.
Time flew by and the year was almost over, so Bonnie and her team were going to take a break. The wasteland had been cleared, large chunks of soil had been broken up, and even ridges had been erected.
Gu Ye hadn't returned yet, so Bao Ni sent the child to her grandmother's early in the morning; she was going to leave the island.
As she boarded the boat and felt the sea breeze, Bonnie was unusually cheerful, looking forward to seeing her old friends.
At that time, Bonnie was not very old, only about ten years old. It had only been a few years since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and everything was just beginning to return to normal. There were also many things to do on the island, and Grandpa and the others couldn't keep an eye on Bonnie, especially during holidays, when they could hardly see her all day.
Bonnie discovered the cave by accident. There were already sea cucumbers and abalone there. Bonnie later added more and more of the good seafood she caught on the seabed and kept them in the cave.
As soon as school was out for break, Bonnie would fill a basket with fish, take a boat off the island, and sell it in the city.
Back then, Bonnie had extremely short hair, and it was impossible to tell if she was male or female. She always wore the same gray clothes, gray pants, and black cloth shoes. Many people mistook Bonnie for a boy and bought seafood from her.
The person I saw most often was Chef Ye, the head chef of a large public-private joint venture hotel. He had just graduated from his apprenticeship and, being an orphan, his status was not problematic. After the liquidation, the original head chef had run away, and Chef Ye was appointed as the new head chef.
The two people's relationship was built on buying and selling, and lasted for many years, until those three years when everyone was having a hard time, and Bonnie's business also stopped.
Bonnie's memories played like a movie, replaying past events. Bonnie felt deeply moved and admired the Bonnie of that time; the little girl was incredibly capable!
Before I knew it, the boat had reached the shore.
Following the route she remembered, Bonnie arrived at the Sihaiju State-run Restaurant, a three-story building that was considered one of the largest restaurants in the city.
It's morning now, not lunchtime yet, so there aren't many people in the restaurant.
"A single spark can start a prairie fire. Is Master Ye here?"
"All reactionaries are paper tigers. Who are you?"
Luckily, this waiter wasn't arrogant or rolling his eyes.
"I'm a relative of Master Ye, could you please call him for me?"
"Okay, wait a moment."
The waiter turned and went to the kitchen. A moment later, someone came out.
Who's looking for me?
"Uncle Ye, it's me, Lin Baoni."
"Little Bonnie! It's been a while since you've come to see me!"
Master Ye never expected that the person who would come to him would be his young friend Lin Baoni.
"Uncle Ye, please stop calling me 'Little Bao Ni'. I'm a mother of two now, I'm practically 'Big Bao Ni' all over."
"In my memory, you're still that tomboy with short hair and bright eyes. What brings you to visit me? It's been years since you last came to see me!"
In Bonnie's memory, the last time she came to see Master Ye was in early 1964. The impact of those three years had eased considerably. She had failed her college entrance exam and was unemployed. She originally wanted to return to her old profession, so she came to Master Ye to try her luck.
“I came here a few years ago. I was already at the door when I heard someone mention your name in the corner, and something about seafood, so I didn’t come in, afraid of causing you trouble. Later, some things happened, and I didn’t have time to come. And later, as you know, things got more and more complicated.”
"I understand. I think I know what you're talking about. Now that everything's alright, what are your thoughts?"
Bonnie didn't plan to sell seafood, as there were still risks involved.
"Uncle Ye, I don't plan to go back to my old business. I was just thinking of seeing if you need any better sea cucumbers and abalone. I'd like to barter with you to get some New Year's goods."
"That's hard to say. We need seafood every day, especially the good kind. So, send me some tomorrow, and we'll get a batch of mutton and pork. We can each benefit from it."
Master Ye needs some good seafood lately. Several high-ranking officials have been coming over for dinner these past few days, and he needs to make a good impression. Bonnie's arrival is just in time.
"Alright, Uncle Ye, you go ahead with your work. I'll go look around the city first, and I'll come back tomorrow. By the way, Uncle Ye, are you hiring a chef?"
"What, you're coming?"
"I'll pass on myself; my cooking is all salt and has no other flavor. I have an uncle who's a good cook and interested in cooking, so I just casually asked him."
Knowing her uncle's passion for cooking but also his lack of opportunities to practice, Bonnie asked him about it.
"Have him come over tomorrow. I'll give him a test. We really need to recruit two master craftsmen after the New Year, the kind who are apprentices. If they pass the test, they can become full-time employees."
Chef Ye's restaurant is large, but there are too few good chefs, and sometimes they are really too busy. The higher-ups have allocated two apprenticeship positions, and this time they require applicants to have a certain level of culinary skills. His family doesn't have any need for such work, nor do they have any suitable candidates.
"Thank you so much, Master Ye. This is a rare opportunity, and I am deeply grateful!"
“We’ve been friends for years, it’s too formal to talk about these things. Alright, you go ahead and get busy, I need to get to the stove too.”
Bonnie left with her basket on her back; she was going to buy some New Year's goods.
The shopping mall was packed with people before the New Year. She picked out a piece of fabric for her grandmother and grandfather, and also for her father. The children didn't need any; a few days ago, Sister-in-law Gu and her family sent them quite a bit, and Sister-in-law Wei Hong and Sister-in-law Wu Fang also sent packages.
Bonnie has maintained contact with Gu Ye's childhood friend's wife over the past few years, and she sends her dried seafood during holidays.
That's how relationships work—it's a give-and-take. Feelings are built up over time. Although they don't see each other often, they keep in touch with letters and packages, so their relationship is quite good.
Bonnie bought some snacks, toys from brands 69 and 37, and several tin frogs—it wasn't cheap at all. She also bought a whole basketful of odds and ends.
After finally squeezing out of the crowd, Bao Ni ate a bowl of shredded pork noodles and three large steamed buns at a state-run restaurant. Then, carrying her things, she prepared to head home. It was almost Chinese New Year, and there were still quite a few people wearing red armbands on the streets, and some were even being paraded through the streets with signs hanging around their necks…
Bonnie felt helpless and upset. She rushed to the pier, waiting to catch the boat back to the island.
Standing on the familiar yet unfamiliar dock, she suddenly wished that the original Bonnie had gone to her place and seen the world of the future. This was what Bonnie deserved; she was such a girl who loved life, and God shouldn't have treated her unfairly.
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