Bonnie was busy training Han Weidong and the others, Liu Jiu went back to daycare, and Sanqi was with his wife again. He was so happy that he didn't have to eat his mother's cooking.
Goodbye, Mom.
Every day, Sanqi would cheerfully wave goodbye to his mother and go into the house with his wife without looking back, showing no reluctance whatsoever.
"You brat!"
Bonnie left too; she had a lot to do.
"Faster, faster..."
Bonnie shouted at the boys swimming at the beach. This scene looked so familiar! Ah! Old Jiang always yelled, "Jiang Jiaojiao, faster, faster..."
When Bonnie was little, she resisted everything Lao Jiang arranged for her. Now, she sometimes misses those days when Lao Jiang pushed her.
She always silently prayed to the goddess Mazu for protection, hoping that the original Bao Ni would go to her and get along well with Lao Jiang. This thought grew stronger with each passing day!
Here, Bonnie was leading them in training by the sea. At the pier, a group of soldiers in uniform disembarked. If Bonnie were here, she would definitely recognize her younger brother, Lin Bo, who was no longer a teenager.
"Dean, do we have a place to stay?"
“There are dormitories. Couples live in the family compound, while unmarried people or those without a partner live in the dormitories.”
The speaker was a man in his fifties, wearing glasses and looking like a scholar. His upright posture revealed him to be a veteran, and his rhythmic gait was quite unusual.
Upon arriving at the hospital, they were greeted at the entrance by Commander Yang, a high-ranking military officer. They had overseen the hospital's establishment, but they were unsure how to store the items inside, fearing they might damage them.
"Dean Luo, you must be tired from your journey! Everything has arrived, but we don't understand many of the instruments, so we're waiting for your guidance on installation. There's a division of troops stationed on our island, along with their families and tens of thousands of residents."
"Commander Yang, you're too kind. Thank you so much for picking me up. Leave the rest of the work to us. If I need anything, I'll ask you for help."
After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, both being very busy people, they went about their own business.
Commander Yang left the logistics leaders behind to help Dean Luo settle things. Dean Luo first told the medical staff to put their luggage in the dormitory and rest for a while, and to start debugging the equipment tomorrow.
Everyone else had left, and Dean Luo began to tour the hospital. It was a two-story building with red bricks and gray tiles, and it was quite large. This would be his future battlefield.
The hospital is being tidied up in an orderly manner, and the medical staff of the family compound's health clinic have been transferred to the new hospital. The family compound will no longer have a health clinic.
Bonnie and the others' training has also yielded results. The most significant improvement is that everyone can swim now, and they are also practicing diving. This time, Lin Hai has shown off his swimming speed and diving skills.
"Alright, that's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow. Let's try to master everything we've been taught before we start planting. In May, we're going to the seabed to harvest baby kelp seedlings. Are you confident?"
"I have confidence!"
"have!"
...
Their morale is still good, and no one has fallen behind. Ever since Uncle Lin started working at the state-run restaurant, the people on the island have had even more faith in Lin Baoni, feeling that following Baoni will lead to a bright future, and maybe one day they too can become workers and receive government-supplied food rations.
"Han Weidong, is there any grain left?"
"Also, Sister Bonnie, wild vegetables are now in season, and we eat them mixed with other vegetables. There's no shortage of fish and shrimp from the sea. As long as you're not lazy, you can eat your fill."
"You've all worked hard. Keep up the good work and don't feel bored. You've already started ahead of others. Take advantage of this opportunity to go to the countryside and hone your skills. Don't neglect your books either; knowledge is always priceless."
Bonnie knew that the college entrance examination would not be reinstated for several years; it was only 1971. But people aren't afraid of hardship or fatigue; what they fear is not seeing hope. As long as there is hope, even if it's faint, there's motivation, isn't there?
"Okay, Bonnie. We're giving lessons to other people tonight. They're doing quite well in the most basic literacy and arithmetic."
“They did well, but not all of them are stupid or bad at learning. Most of them are from poor families. To you, a few dollars a year for books may not seem like much, but for many families on the island, it is a considerable expense.”
Han Weidong and his group didn't know this before, but after spending a lot of time with Lin Hai and his dozen or so boys over the past few months, they've learned a lot. Compared to the children on the island, they're practically born into a lucky family.
“There is little land on the island, and typhoons are frequent. In bad years, there is no harvest at all. Going out to sea is also very risky. Sometimes there are shipwrecks, and there is no return. The breadwinner of a family is gone, and life becomes even more difficult.”
"And then there are the women in the family compound. Unlike the aunties and grandmas you're familiar with in the compound, who have high incomes and live a life of comfort, most of them don't have jobs and live on their own wages. They also have to help their relatives and friends back home from time to time, so they struggle to make ends meet."
Bonnie suddenly felt inspired today and wanted to say something to them.
"My own abilities are limited, and what I want to do for them is just a drop in the ocean. Since we've come into this world, we should leave something behind, shouldn't we? I've said a lot today, please don't mind, just listen and that's it."
Bonnie waved and turned to leave.
She probably missed Lao Jiang, thinking of his spirit of putting the greater good before his own family, and of her grandmother and mother, two generations of military wives. She felt a desire to confide in him and hoped that her sons weren't bothered.
"Six-Nine's mom is amazing. What she said is very practical. She really wants to do something for these people. I suddenly feel that I'm pretty good here. I don't have to live like before, just drifting through life, taking it one day at a time without any goals."
“Brother Weidong, I feel the same way. Listening to what Sister Baoni said, I felt a little sour and a little excited. In the past, the wives in the family compound would compare themselves to each other, which was very annoying. But the military wives here are clearing land and planting crops for an unknown harvest. It’s really not easy.”
Han Weidong and Zhou Chen truly felt something, something indescribable, that their lives would be more meaningful from now on. They no longer felt like exiles; they would live well, not just exist.
Bonnie had no idea that her reflections would give the four young people a goal and aspiration, providing excellent guidance for their future lives and leading them to achieve considerable success in their respective careers—but that's another story.
Bonnie hurriedly returned to her parents' home. She knew that Lin Bo was going to be transferred back soon, and she didn't know when he would come to the island. Her grandma and grandpa were looking forward to it.
"Bonnie's back?"
"Hmm, why didn't you come to work today, brother?"
Bonnie didn't take Brother Lin and the others' matter seriously. She wasn't embarrassed; it was others who were embarrassed.
"I went to your sister-in-law's family home. There are some things that need to be clarified. It's been so long, it needs to be settled, doesn't it?"
"Yes, that's good. It saves Grandpa and the others from worrying. You go ahead with your work, I'm going inside."
Bonnie had no desire to ask any questions and went straight inside.
Brother Lin was left behind with a complicated expression; he sensed that something was amiss.
well!
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