In March, Lin Hai and his group enlisted in the army, and Bao Ni's seaweed planting team did not recruit any new members.
Although we plan to double the amount of kelp this year, we still have enough manpower, mainly because we have diving suits, which makes underwater operations much easier.
"Sister Bonnie, you have no idea how amazing Haiyan is. Her diving skills are far superior to ours!" Han Weidong led the team members to the beach for training. Before starting work, they had to warm up their bodies.
"Really? That's pretty good. It's a skill that can make a living." Bonnie knew that the girls on the island were very good swimmers, and she had originally planned to recruit a few girls this year. However, Teacher Gao's spore cultivation was not yet mature, so they didn't need that many people.
"Alright, Haiyan is young, so be careful during your training. Also, there are a lot of idle people on the island who sometimes gossip, so keep an eye on them. If they go too far, find a way to teach them a lesson." Bonnie was annoyed by these gossipy aunties and grandmas. They only cared about their own happiness and didn't care whether it would hurt others. They just wanted to have the most fun.
"Understood, Sister Baoni. We're not just some nobody in Beijing; we have our tricks up our sleeves." Li Gang felt that Sister Baoni looked down on them; after all, they were the local bullies of Beijing!
"Oh, how glorious!" Bonnie was speechless. What was there to brag about?
"Li Gang, you'd better keep your mouth shut from now on!" Zhou Chen covered her eyes, really not wanting to admit that she knew him; it was so embarrassing.
Zhang Yuanchao looked helpless; what an idiot!
Li Gang was inexplicably disliked and hadn't figured out what was going on. "Brother Han..." Han Weidong also left him with a cold back view.
Bao Ni ignored them and went to her parents' home to pick up Sanqi (a traditional Chinese medicine) before heading back to her family home.
"Bonnie, I need to talk to you about something."
Sister Zhang was perched on the wall, calling out to Bao Ni.
"Sister-in-law, what's wrong?" Bonnie hadn't heard anything about anything lately.
"Commissar Wang's wife is dying?" Sister Zhang whispered.
"Which Political Commissar Wang?" Bonnie didn't react for a moment.
"It's that Political Commissar Wang from the Political Department who was newly transferred here the year before last, the one who likes to hold meetings." As soon as Aunt Zhang reminded her, Bao Ni remembered.
After the movement began, the local areas were impacted, and the military was not entirely spared either. The islanders fared somewhat better, holding out for several years. In 1970, a political commissar, Political Commissar Wang, was transferred from outside the island.
Commissar Wang is in his forties and is said to be quite experienced, but he likes to make a big deal out of things and is stubborn about everything.
After arriving on the island, he occasionally clashed with Commander Yang. He especially liked to hold meetings and give ideological reports, which annoyed the people on the island.
"His wife isn't that old, so why is she impotent?" Bonnie was so busy every day that she hadn't really paid attention to Commissar Wang's wife. She had seen her a few times from afar, and she seemed to be a little older than Commissar Wang.
"She was three years older than Political Commissar Wang and was a child bride. She had no status at home. Political Commissar Wang was always in meetings, big and small, spouting righteousness and morality, but in reality, he was very chauvinistic and would beat and scold his wife. His children were all afraid of him, and his wife treated him like a king."
One of Zhang's sisters-in-law, who was on good terms with her, lived next door to Political Commissar Wang and knew the situation quite well.
"A child bride? Why didn't she get a divorce?" Bao Ni thought that someone like Political Commissar Wang fit the stereotype of getting rich, promoted, and dumping his wife.
"How could there not be any trouble? It's said that he brought it up, but the elders in the family didn't agree. In those years, he wasn't home, and it was his wife who took care of the elders and raised the children."
Since the matter didn't go through, he let his wife and children stay in their hometown to take care of the elderly, and didn't allow them to accompany him to the military base.
Later, the elderly couple passed away one after another. He felt his opportunity had come and wanted a divorce, but before it could be finalized, trouble broke out outside. Fearing it would affect his official position, he dropped the matter and even brought his wife and children to live with him while he was away at his post. "Sister Zhang really lives up to her reputation as the gossip queen of the family compound; she even knows such confidential information."
“Bonnie, let me tell you, according to rumors, he had a girlfriend before, but nobody knows for sure who it was, and then nothing happened.”
"I didn't realize Political Commissar Wang was such a womanizer. What happened this time? What illness does his wife have?"
Bonnie's curiosity was piqued, and she leaned over the wall to chat with Aunt Zhang.
"It seems to be some kind of malignant disease or something, I don't understand, it just can't be cured."
Aunt Zhang was completely confused; she didn't understand either.
"Malignant tumor?"
Bonnie had no idea that there was a deadly malignant tumor at that time; she really didn't know.
"Yes, yes, that's it. Bonnie, you're amazing, you know everything." Aunt Zhang admired Bonnie very much, thinking she could do everything.
"I've heard that this disease is really hard to cure." Not to mention now, even in later generations, the mere mention of malignant tumors would send chills down their spines.
How many children does she have?
"There are three. The eldest joined the army last year, and the two younger ones are studying on the island. You know, men usually complain about women to no end, arranging marriages and saying the woman is three years older than them, but at night they still do everything they're supposed to do. If they're so disgusted, why have children? They might as well just keep it to themselves."
Aunt Zhang was furious, saying, "What kind of garbage is this?"
Bonnie thought Aunt Zhang was right; if you don't like it, why have a child?
The two complained to each other for a long time over the wall until Liu Jiu came home from school. Only then did Bao Ni and Aunt Zhang stop talking and go home to cook.
That evening, Bonnie complained to Gu Ye about Political Commissar Wang's inhuman behavior and was quite angry.
What could Gu Ye do? She was his wife. He comforted her and also complained a bit.
In the following days, Bao Ni learned from Sister Zhang that Political Commissar Wang's wife had passed away.
"Oh dear, you have no idea. I went to check, and apart from a few children crying their eyes out, Political Commissar Wang didn't shed a single tear. What a heartless man. No matter how much I dislike him, I've been with him for over twenty years, borne him children, and taken care of his parents."
Zhang's wife was furious, wishing she could scratch Political Commissar Wang's face a few times.
“It’s only natural. He’s been waiting for this for so long, and he’s finally single. It’s good enough that he didn’t laugh out loud. Just you wait and see, it won’t be long before he has to get a new wife.” Bao Ni said confidently, but Aunt Zhang thought it couldn’t be that fast; it would have to be at least a year or two.
"It's hard to say. Once a person is free from constraints, they are difficult to control. He has wanted to change wives for so many years, and now that he finally has the opportunity, how much longer can he wait?"
Bonnie wasn't underestimating Political Commissar Wang; he wouldn't be slow in finding a wife.
Not to mention that he's only in his forties, a high-ranking military officer, and quite good-looking, there are plenty of people who want to take shortcuts; it all depends on his own choice.
Political Commissar Wang didn't disappoint. Two months after his wife left, he submitted his marriage application; he was getting married. No one knew who the bride was, but everyone could see it clearly: Political Commissar Wang was overjoyed, happily tidying up the house every day.
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