After leaving the Children's Palace, Bonnie went to the grocery store and bought some pastries for the two children, as well as some seasonings that were missing at home.
"Bonnie, Bonnie, over here."
Bonnie had just turned onto her bike at her house when she heard Aunt Zhang calling her from the front door. "Auntie, what's wrong?"
Bonnie parked her bicycle in front of Aunt Zhang's house and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Your new neighbor should be arriving soon. I heard from the other women that he'll be here this afternoon. Did you go to the department store or the grocery store?" Zhang's wife didn't know much; she just heard it from the other women. The new advisor would arrive this afternoon.
"I went to the grocery store to buy some snacks for the kids. Sister-in-law, I have some good news to tell you, I found a job." Having already completed the onboarding process, Bao Ni wasn't worried about things changing. She got along well with Sister Zhang, and Bao Ni wanted to share this good news with her.
"Really? That's great! Where does she work?" Although Zhang's wife was surprised, she was also happy for Bonnie. Finding a job at this time was something to celebrate.
"I'm working as a diving instructor at the Children's Palace. I just started the job today, and I didn't tell you guys because I was afraid things might change." Bonnie felt that sharing happy things with friends would double her happiness.
"Oh, then this is a technical job, like you said, a special skill, something that ordinary people can't do."
Sister Zhang remembered that her two younger children were learning special skills at the Children's Palace, so she decided to ask Bao Ni about it.
"Baoni, I heard you say yesterday that you're sending Liujiu and Sanqi to the Children's Palace to learn a skill. I also discussed it with my husband, Lao Xu, and we're thinking of sending the two little ones there to learn something too. I don't know anything about this, so can you help me figure out what they could learn?"
Bonnie didn't expect that Aunt Zhang would take this matter so seriously; in this day and age, there are relatively few people who can afford to send their children to learn special skills.
“The Children’s Palace has opened a lot of classes. On Sundays, I take my two children to check them out and see what they like. That way, they won’t feel tired of learning and will be more willing to go.” Bonnie doesn’t understand the thoughts of most children in this era. She remembers that decades later, most children will hate talent classes because their parents enroll them in too many and they can’t learn them all.
Bonnie remembers that back then, most of the kids in her compound had to learn five or six different skills. They were incredibly busy on Saturdays and Sundays, with classes scheduled from morning till night, even more tiring than when they were in school.
“Okay, that works too. We’ll go with you this Sunday. You can help me out, I don’t know where I am at all. Let’s see what Hongxia and Zheng Tao like and sign them up for those.”
They'd talked enough, so Bonnie pushed the stroller home. The sun was too strong; the two of them had been talking in the sun for ages, and I wonder if their faces had gotten even darker.
After having a simple lunch, Bonnie wanted to go to a nearby fishing village or brigade to exchange some fruit.
There's no shortage of fruit in Guangdong; it's available year-round. There are wild and cultivated varieties, but the cultivated ones don't taste as good. Bonnie usually goes to the nearby village or fishing village to exchange her produce, enough for two or three days at a time; any more and it spoils. The distance isn't far, and it's easy to get there by bike.
"Sister Zhang, I need to go to the fishing village down there to exchange for some seasonal fruit. Do you want to come?"
"Wait for me, I'm going too. We're out of fruit at home." Influenced by Bonnie, Aunt Zhang isn't so frugal with her food and drink anymore. Bonnie is right; good health and fewer illnesses are also ways to save money.
Instead of carrying a basket on her back, Bao Ni took a bamboo basket and hung it on the handlebars. Zhang's sister-in-law sat on the back of the bicycle with the basket on her back, and the two set off.
Seeing the two of them go out with bamboo baskets again, the people gathered in the family compound gossiping started to feel envious again.
"See that? Commander Gu's wife doesn't know how to manage a household at all. She goes out every day, doesn't go to work, and rides her bicycle in and out several times a day." This was the older sister-in-law, pouting. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Bao Ni was spending her family's money.
"That's right. Zhang's wife used to be such a decent person, but now, she's been influenced and has learned to be extravagant. I also heard that Zhang's wife is going to send her two young children to... I can't remember... ah, the children's palace, to learn a trade."
I heard that Commander Gu's two children enrolled, and Sister Zhang is following suit, wanting to send her child to learn too. They're wasting money; they don't know how to manage their finances.
The woman speaking looked quite young, but her clothes were poorly dressed and had many patches.
There are always people like that who say "sour grapes" because they can't have them.
Bonnie had no idea that she had become the talk of the town in the family compound once again.
Bonnie and Aunt Zhang found the home of their fellow villager, who had inherited a skill from his ancestors: growing fruit trees and making dried fruit.
"Comrade Lin is here again. There are some fruits on the trees that are ripe." The old lady in the family was straightforward and knew that they were military dependents, so she was happy to interact with them.
Bonnie selected several ripe fruits and ordered several kinds of dried fruit.
Sister Zhang also ordered some, enough for two or three days, but she didn't order the dried fruit, as it was more expensive. She doesn't have many relatives visiting her hometown, and she couldn't afford it. Besides, she didn't order the dried fruit because it's not practical in the countryside.
The two paid the corresponding amount and received the receipts they wanted, then went home happily, another day filled with purchases.
Bonnie didn't want to pay any attention to those idle sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law. She rode her bicycle, with Sister-in-law Zhang on the back, and whizzed past them, riding her 26-inch bicycle with the flair of an off-road motorcycle.
Before the person who wanted to strike up a conversation could even speak, Bonnie and the others had already moved on, leaving only a gust of wind blowing on their face and their outstretched hands that hadn't had time to retract.
"That brigade commander's wife rides her bike really fast. Before we could even say a word, she was gone."
Bonnie didn't have time to pay attention to those people's sarcastic remarks; she was looking at her new neighbor with great interest.
To be honest, it was shocking. Bonnie had just parked her car when she heard the sound of brakes. Her neighbor had arrived.
The first to jump down was a woman in military uniform, in her thirties, with short hair, a straight posture, and an imposing presence.
Bonnie wasn't unfamiliar with female soldiers, but most of them were either in civilian positions or performing arts troupes. The one who just jumped out of the car, however, was definitely from a combat unit; Bonnie sensed a similar aura to Gu Ye.
The female soldier habitually straightened her uniform, opened the driver's side door, and helped a male soldier out. She didn't see his face clearly, but the first thing she noticed was his hand that was using a cane.
With his buzz cut and imposing presence, he's a formidable character.
Finally, three children came down: a girl who looked a little older than Liu Jiu; and two identical boys, about the same age as San Qi.
The main characters have all appeared, and Bonnie knows that her new neighbors are a family of five, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
The army sent soldiers to help with the move, but Bonnie didn't go up to help.
Many hands make light work, and in no time all the things were moved. The soldiers who came to help saluted the female soldier and then left.
Bonnie's new neighbor is shrouded in mystery; there's no need to rush into getting to know him.
Bonnie lost her curiosity and went about her own business.
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