For dinner, Sanqi finally got to eat the Shandong steamed buns she had been craving!
"Ah, this is still the most comforting to eat." Gu Ye also liked steamed buns. He was originally from the north and liked wheat-based foods. He had also spent more than ten years on the island and had become accustomed to the local diet. But soldiers are very adaptable to their environment and would get used to it quickly.
"Mom's cooking tastes weird, but when it comes to steaming buns, Grandma is number one, Mom is number two, and no one else can do it." Liu Jiu's evaluation is very high.
"Yes, it's delicious!" Sanqi ate with a beaming smile.
A few scattered vegetables grew in the yard, but I don't know how they were planted; they were thin and the leaves weren't very vibrant. Bonnie managed to pick out a few, enough for two stir-fries, but the rest were basically inedible.
"Mom, I like this dish, it's sweet."
Sanqi ate a steamed bun and a vegetable bite at a time, enjoying it immensely.
"Okay, tomorrow Mom will turn over all the vegetable garden in the yard again and plant more of these greens. I heard that people in Guangdong like to make soup, so I'll learn how. There are several small stoves of various sizes in the storage room, so I'll go and buy two clay pots."
Gu Ye thought about it and agreed. The dishes here are much lighter, and with Bonnie and Liu Jiu working together, it should be fine.
“This is good, we can give it a try. I’ll be very busy starting tomorrow and won’t be able to take care of you for a while. Thank you for your hard work, Bonnie. Liu Jiu and San Qi, please help Mom set up the new house.”
"No problem, we'll complete the mission!" Liu Jiu and San Qi answered in unison. They were used to their father's busy schedule, and he would spend time with them after he finished.
In modern terms, Gu Ye was capable of providing effective companionship. Whenever he was home, he would help his wife with chores, cook, make toys with the children, and play games with them. Therefore, even though he was often away on missions, the children still loved their father dearly.
Being together as a family, even in unfamiliar surroundings, makes us feel happy.
Gu Ye started getting busy. He had just started a new job and had a lot to do. Sometimes he was so busy that he couldn't come back for several days.
Bonnie started tidying up the yard, first pulling up all the existing flowers and plants—not any rare or expensive species, just common wildflowers. At this time, planting a few roses or peonies might be labeled as capitalist behavior.
Bonnie pulled up the flowers, weeds, and withered vegetables, turned the soil over deeply, and added humus to increase fertility. Since they didn't raise chickens, they had no farmyard manure. Crops depend entirely on fertilizer, and at this time of year, manure is a valuable resource; in some places, it even requires ration coupons.
After two busy days, the vegetable garden in the yard has more than doubled in size. Once planted, it will be enough for their family of four to eat.
Bonnie took out the Shandong-style steamed buns she had made. They weren't made with pure white flour; they were a mixture of cornmeal and wheat flour. They looked a bit yellowish. Bonnie had only used one-third cornmeal; since she was giving them away, they couldn't be too unappealing.
"Sister Zhang, are you home?" Bao Ni carried a small basket containing three large steamed buns, Shandong-style steamed buns, each bigger than an adult man's fist.
"Baoni, come in quickly." Aunt Zhang came out of the house, busy with something, wearing an apron and wiping her hands on it.
"Sister Zhang, these are steamed buns I made myself. They're the big, blooming steamed buns from my hometown in Shandong. Have a taste." Bao Ni handed over the plate.
"Oh, I can't accept this! Look how big this steamed bun is!"
Aunt Zhang could tell that Bao Ni genuinely wanted to give the gift. She knew that newly arrived military wives often brought local specialties to help them get acquainted. She accepted the steamed bun and really liked it.
"Alright, I'll take the steamed bun. If you need anything in the future, just let me know. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. We men are all busy and can't be relied on for anything. It's always the neighbors who help each other out." Sister Zhang has been with the army for more than ten years and has been transferred to many places.
“Sister-in-law, what you said is true. When something happens, we have to help each other. That’s why I need your help today.” Bonnie wasn’t one to beat around the bush and stated her purpose directly.
"What is it? Tell me." Mrs. Zhang was probably from Northeast China; she spoke loudly and was very enthusiastic.
"I wanted to ask my sister-in-law if she had any extra vegetable seeds, especially some local leafy greens. I've turned over the vegetable patch in the yard again, but I don't have any leafy greens." Bonnie also brought some vegetable seeds, which her grandmother had prepared for her, but none of them were common local varieties.
"Oh dear, I thought it was something serious. You wait here, I've saved a lot of seeds, I'll go find them for you right away."
Aunt Zhang was in a hurry. After speaking, she went inside and returned a short while later with a small bamboo basket.
"Come here, take a look. I have a complete range of vegetable seeds. What do you want?"
"Sister-in-law, I have seeds for persimmons, eggplants, and cucumbers, but we don't have any of the local vegetable seeds. Could you give me some?" Bonnie wanted to plant some common leafy greens like bok choy, water spinach, and rapeseed.
"Yes, I have them all." Aunt Zhang took out several notebooks that the children had written in, and packed some of each for Bao Ni. They were all seeds she had saved herself, and they weren't worth much.
"That's enough, sister-in-law. I'll just plant a little of everything, but I'll choose the best ones to keep for seed, and that'll be enough." Bao Ni quickly stopped her when she saw that Sister Zhang had packed a lot of each kind.
"It's okay, I kept these for myself, they're not worth much. We can grow vegetables all year round here, unlike back in my hometown, where we can only grow one crop a year."
I've been away from my hometown for over ten years, and I miss everything about it, even the biting northwest wind.
"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law. I feel particularly connected with people surnamed Zhang. My former neighbor was also surnamed Zhang, and she was a very nice woman, just like you. It was very comfortable to be around her."
Bonnie really misses Aunt Zhang; without her, things are much less fun. Aunt Zhang and Aunt Zhou are both know-it-alls; there's nothing they don't know.
“I also think we’re kindred spirits, we say what we mean and don’t beat around the bush. I just don’t understand those people who can’t speak properly. Things that can be explained in one sentence have to be explained in roundabout ways, making my head spin.”
Aunt Zhang also had many complaints. The area where they lived was mostly populated by brigade commanders and regimental commanders, and most of their families had jobs, especially the younger ones who were educated. Unlike her, she was illiterate. When the literacy campaign was underway, she was too busy working to participate.
"Yes, I also prefer to speak my mind directly. There's no need to beat around the bush; it's exhausting."
The two got along quite well and found kindred spirits.
After talking for a while, Bonnie remembered that she still had to plant vegetables, so she prepared to say goodbye.
Aunt Zhang had a great time talking, so she went home with Bao Ni to help her plant vegetables and gave her some pointers on how to plant them, since the methods for planting these different vegetables were different.
The two of them then went from Zhang's house to Bao Ni's vegetable garden, their topics ranging quite far. Finally, they could listen to some gossip to their hearts' content. How could life be without gossip!
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