Bonnie kept her job search a secret; she didn't want to make a big fuss and be gossiped about by everyone.
After the last incident, the environment in the family compound improved slightly, but only slightly.
They don't say it openly, but behind the scenes, they still form cliques and factions.
There were waves in the city, waves in the countryside, waves from a single region, waves from a group, waves from a brigade... they were divided into several waves, large and small.
Each small team had a leader, and they operated independently, clearly separated from one another. Bonnie and her friends, however, didn't participate in any of these teams and didn't associate with either side.
I rode my bike into the residential compound and greeted people I knew, but I didn't know many of them.
"Bonnie, you're back?"
Just as Bonnie parked her bicycle, Aunt Zhang appeared on the wall, arriving just in time.
"Sister Zhang, what's the situation over there? Is anyone moving in?"
Bonnie enjoys chatting with Aunt Zhang because Aunt Zhang has strong boundaries and doesn't pry into everything or insist on getting to the bottom of things. Moreover, Aunt Zhang doesn't spread lies; everything she says is true.
"Hmm, you've been out a lot these past few days, I haven't heard anything. Apparently, it's a newly transferred chief of staff, supposedly someone with quite a background, coming from Shanghai. The logistics team came over today, and they've been busy all day."
Bonnie knew immediately that this relationship was unusual; no new house had ever caused such a commotion.
Bonnie didn't ask any further questions. Whether the relationship was strong or not didn't concern her much. If they got along, they could stay in touch; if not, it was best to keep to themselves.
Bonnie, are you going out again tomorrow?
Remembering what Qu Hong and the others had said, Sister Zhang hurriedly asked, but her memory was bad and she forgot again in a moment.
"Why aren't you going out? Is there something wrong?"
Bonnie looked on with curiosity, wondering what Aunt Zhang was going to say.
"Qu Hong and the others came looking for you, but you weren't home, so they asked me to pass on their message, asking if you're going to the mountains tomorrow. She wants to dry bamboo shoots and make some pickled bamboo shoots."
"Sure, sun some more and send some to your relatives and friends. They're not worth much here, but they're quite rare in the north."
Bonnie thought about the packages she received before the New Year. Not to mention her sister-in-law's, the others' packages were also quite large. Bonnie felt embarrassed; the things she sent back weren't worth much money, and Gu Ye and his childhood friends had also sent a lot.
"That's true, your relatives really treat you like dirt."
Sister-in-law Zhang recalled the numerous packages, big and small, that Bao Ni's family received before the Lunar New Year.
"It's alright, we get along quite well with everyone. Whether they are relatives or friends, there has to be give and take. If it's all just taking and no giving, it won't last. Everyone has their own sense of right and wrong."
This is the premise for Bonnie's interactions with others: they must be good friends.
"I agree with that. Even though I'm illiterate, I still understand the principles of life."
"Sister-in-law, this has nothing to do with whether you can read or not." After agreeing on the time for tomorrow's trip, Bonnie went inside.
Gu Ye will be back tonight. I'll make some dough later and steam some buns for dinner, as Sanqi and Liujiu requested.
I checked the time; it was almost noon. When Bonnie came back, she had eaten noodles at the state-run restaurant, so there was no need to cook lunch.
Bonnie, who had just returned, changed into a set of work clothes, picked up her basket, and went out again.
They rode their bicycles and soon arrived at the beach; Bonnie was there for the seafood.
The beach was incredibly comfortable at this time of year. The seawater was clear, and there were no crowds of tourists or various entertainment facilities. It was clean and tidy. Standing on the beach, listening to the sound of the waves, and with seabirds flying by from time to time, it was extremely pleasant.
Bonnie not only has to collect seafood, but also practice diving. Since moving here, Bonnie hasn't been in the water at all, with one thing after another.
Bonnie warmed up first, loosened up her body, and then carried the basket toward the rocks.
Bonnie asked Gu Ye, and he said there were no undercurrents in the reef area, so the safety level was acceptable.
After wading through the reefs, Bonnie's destination was the shallow waters adjacent to them.
Set up the basket and tie the cloth bag tightly around your waist to prevent it from falling off while diving.
Bonnie took a deep breath and slowly descended to observe the underwater situation. Visibility was good, the seawater was crystal clear, and the depth was limited. Small fish and shrimp swam around, keeping their distance from Bonnie, this outsider.
Bonnie looked around and understood the situation. She floated up to catch her breath.
On her second dive, Bonnie had a target: she caught several sea fish, two large octopuses, and a few large sea snails...
Bonnie went back and forth several times, and her basket was almost full. Sigh, there's no way around it, she's addicted, once she starts scooping it up, she can't control herself.
They've already been fished out, so there's no way to put them back. We'll give some to Sister Zhang later, and then we can eat the rest. Her family has several big eaters, so they can really eat a lot.
Bonnie returned home soaking wet and took a shower first, as the wet clothes were uncomfortable to wear.
After washing and drying the dirty clothes, he poured the seafood into a large basin, leaned over the wall, and called out to Sister Zhang.
"Bonnie, what's wrong?"
Sister Zhang came out carrying a half-finished pair of cloth shoes.
"Sister-in-law, bring me a basin. I've caught a lot of seafood. Take some of it with you."
"When did you go out? I thought you were sleeping." After finishing lunch, Aunt Zhang came out and didn't see Bao Ni in the yard. She assumed Bao Ni was taking a nap and didn't call her to chat.
"I went out again shortly after I got back. I had lunch outside before I came back."
Aunt Zhang brought over a small basin and was surprised to see the seafood in Bonnie's large basin.
"My goodness, where did you find this? How come there are so many?"
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