"Bonnie, do you know the new neighbors?"
In the morning, after seeing off those going to work and school, Aunt Zhang from next door called out to Bao Ni from over the wall, saying that she had seen the new neighbor having dinner at Bao Ni's house yesterday.
“Yes, he’s my Gu Ye’s childhood friend. We lost contact afterward, but we recognized each other as soon as we met yesterday.” Bonnie didn’t hide anything; it wasn’t some military secret.
"Oh my god, what a coincidence!" Zhang's wife exclaimed excitedly, slapping the wall.
"Sister-in-law, does it hurt?" Bonnie heard the noise.
"It's alright, I'm used to it. We have a habit of slapping our thighs when we get excited while talking. I just forgot to stand in front of the wall!" Aunt Zhang shook her hand; thankfully, there was no cut.
"Baoni, do you have time? I need to ask you something," Deng Yingzi said as she walked to the door of Baoni's house.
"Sister-in-law, come in, I'm fine." Deng Yingzi pushed the door open and came in.
"Sister-in-law, this is Sister Zhang, who lives next door. Her husband is Political Commissar Xu of the Marine Corps. Sister Zhang, this is Staff Officer Deng, who is also the wife of my childhood friend Gu Ye." Bao Ni introduced the two women, emphasizing that since they lived close by, they could visit each other.
"Hello, sister-in-law!" the two greeted each other in unison.
"Sister-in-law, what do you want to ask?"
"Ask about the children's schooling. My Shengnan is ten years old and in the third grade. My two younger children are five years old. Can they go to school?" Deng Yingzi is a staff officer in the combat unit and is always on missions.
"They can go to school. My child is 376 years old. We sent him to school when we came last year. He is currently in preschool education and will start first grade in the second half of the year." Nowadays, schools are not as specialized as in later generations. There are only nurseries and preschool classes.
"I understand now. I'll look into it and register a few children later. I have to go back to work tomorrow, and the children's father's leg hasn't fully recovered yet." Deng Yingzi had always aspired to be a soldier since she was a child, and she never wanted so many children after getting married.
After their eldest daughter was born, the couple decided they would only have one child, so they named her Shengnan (meaning "victorious son"). Unexpectedly, she became pregnant, and by the time they found out, she was already several months along, so there was nothing they could do. Surprisingly, she ended up with twins, which was quite miraculous, as there was no precedent for twins in her family.
"Just let us know if you need anything in the future. We're not that busy. Even though Gu Ye and Wen Ze have known each other for so many years, ordinary neighbors would help each other out."
Bonnie understood; her husband Gu Ye could also just leave whenever he wanted, sometimes for ten days or half a month at a time.
Aunt Zhang chimed in, saying, "Just say the word if you need anything; a shout will do the trick."
Deng Yingzi was in a hurry to complete the procedures for the children, so she left without staying long. She went home, got the certificates, and took the children to school.
Bonnie started washing and cleaning, doing the same things every day, which was quite boring. Fortunately, she could go to work on weekends, which allowed her to take a break, change her environment, and adjust her mood.
The next day, Staff Officer Deng went to work, and his three children started school.
Liu Jiu would wait at the door of his house for his neighbors on both sides, Xu Hongxia and her siblings, and the three children from the Cao family.
"Let's go. From now on, we can go to school together and go home together. If anyone bullies you, come find me in Class 2-1. Don't call me Liu Jiu. My name at school is Gu Yun Chu. Most people know me." Liu Jiu explained some basic knowledge to the new students.
"Liu Jiu, you have new friends?" Li Xiaoshan and Zhou Haiyang and a few others happened to walk over and greeted Liu Jiu from a distance.
"Li Xiaoshan, Zhou Haiyang, these are my new neighbors next door, and also my friends. They've just arrived, so please take care of them and don't let anyone bully them."
Liu Jiu looked at Cao Shengnan and felt that this young lady was quite capable. He decided to go to the playground after dinner to test her skills and see how good she was.
"Hello, my name is Cao Shengnan. I am in the third grade."
The underlying meaning is that I am older than you, so you should call me "older sister".
A group of children chatted and laughed as they arrived at the school gate, mainly because it was close by.
They dispersed, and Sanqi took the two younger brothers to their own classroom.
Wow, two people who look exactly alike!
“They are twins; I’ve seen them before.”
"So cute! If they wore the same clothes, it would be impossible to tell them apart!"
Inside the room, about twenty children were chattering away, like a flock of ducks.
The teacher knew these were new students, so she led them into the classroom and arranged for them to sit in front of the third and seventh students.
Cao Shengnan is already in the third grade. She is very independent. When her mother is away on a mission or her father is working overtime, she takes care of her two younger brothers.
The children are doing well at school, and Staff Officer Deng is also doing her job well. She has a good reputation, and she got to where she is today not through connections, but through her own abilities.
At home, Cao Wenze began to tidy up the house. The furniture was all in place, and his personal belongings were neatly arranged. His three children were very self-reliant, so he didn't have to worry about them much.
The leg injury was caused by an accident during the last mission; I broke my leg. It should be healed in about ten days to two weeks.
By then, the children will be familiar with the residential compound, and the parents can work with peace of mind. Unfortunately, both he and Yingzi are very busy, and the children have basically grown up taking care of themselves, especially now that they've come here; they really need to take care of themselves.
When I was in Shanghai, my mother-in-law's family helped me out, but now I have to rely on myself.
After finishing her own business, Bao Ni called Zhang's sister-in-law, Qu Hong's sister-in-law, and a few others, and they went to the mountains together.
Bonnie told them that she would have to work on Saturdays and Sundays from now on, and that they should avoid picking vegetables on those days.
"Baoni, that's amazing! You'll be a full-fledged worker now, congratulations!" Sister Qu Hong never expected that someone who could scuba dive could find a job; it's so enviable.
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