Seventy-six years have passed, and everything seems different now!
In the spring of 1977, the sunshine felt exceptionally bright!
Bonnie didn't care what would happen outside; it wasn't something an ordinary person like her could change. She was just a grain of sand, an insignificant grain of sand.
In the evening, the children ran out to play, and Bonnie and Gu Ye cleaned up together in the kitchen.
"Baoni, how will our life be in Beijing from now on?" Gu Ye thought of his older brother's news; he might be transferred back to Beijing in the next year or two.
"Did Big Brother say something? Is it settled?" Bonnie was quite surprised. Has everything been settled now?
"Not so soon, at the earliest next year. My brother's job will probably change, he'll no longer hold a military post. He used to work for a high-ranking leader, and his job was quite varied, but he might be going into politics in the future." Gu Ye knew that his brother had sacrificed a lot over the years.
"With a new leader taking office, will my brother be affected? After all, every new emperor brings a new court, and every generation is fresh and old." Although Bonnie didn't know much, after all, in Jiang Jiaojiao's twenty-odd years, she was just a miserable student who had only escaped her misery for two years.
"No, our mother left behind a network of connections, not just one or two, but many. The current short leader also has a certain relationship with my mother. As long as my older brother and I don't do anything reckless, the road ahead will be quite smooth."
Bonnie was stunned. What kind of amazing person was her mother-in-law? The wealth she left to her children was all intangible. This was the real cheat code, the golden finger!
Gu Ye looked at Bao Ni, who had an incredulous expression on her face, and thought she was so cute.
"My mother, no, my maternal grandfather, was a very famous Shanxi merchant. His headquarters were not in Beijing at all. The houses and shops there were all prepared as dowry for my mother."
Later, my mother joined the revolution and persuaded my maternal grandfather to donate all his family's wealth to support it. My maternal grandfather only had my mother as his daughter; the others were distant relatives. At that time, my mother and her colleagues helped at least ninety, if not a hundred.
Later, my maternal grandparents passed away one after another, and my mother donated all her wealth to support the country. Although she passed away, she left us with enough resources; otherwise, why would my grandfather have been so angry back then and transferred Gu Xiangdong away from Beijing?
During my mother's illness, she gradually handed over all the resources and connections to my eldest brother. Even my grandfather didn't know how much my mother controlled.
Gu Ye admired his mother the most in his life, which is why he could not forgive Gu Xiangdong; he was a stain on his mother's life.
“Parents plan far ahead for their children. Mom is a great mother. You and your older brother should feel lucky to have a mother who loves you so much.” Bonnie didn’t know how her mother-in-law had painstakingly planned for her young children in the last few years of her life. After all, the greatest concern for her children wasn’t that great.
"Although I only had twelve years of maternal love, I don't feel like I lacked it, because my mother gave me so much." Gu Ye sometimes feels very fortunate to have accompanied his mother through the years when she was sick. He feels really lucky.
“Bonnie, after we had children, we could understand what Mom was thinking. She endured her illness and wanted to live a few more years so that her children could grow up a little more.”
The doctors all said that Mom had created a miracle. No one expected that she could hold on for five years, until her eldest brother was fifteen and able to take over everything.
As for Gu Lan, her mother was also powerless to help. She used her last bit of strength to teach her eldest brother. She no longer had the energy to look after Gu Lan, who knew nothing, which gave Xu Fang the opportunity to win Gu Lan's heart.
In the end, Mom didn't have the strength to regret it, because if she didn't raise my eldest brother well, none of the three of us would have a good life.
Therefore, I have mixed feelings about Gu Lan. I resent her but also pity her, because she never had the chance to experience her mother's kindness and love.
So, after she got married, she lived her life quietly, and I didn't cause her any trouble. I don't know how to get along with her; there were too many unpleasant things between us." Gu Ye pulled Bao Ni aside and talked on and on, even mentioning how he was naughty as a child and got whipped with a belt.
Bonnie felt that if they didn't know how to get along, it was fine to just maintain the status quo and let everyone be well.
There is a sense of fate between people. If they are destined to be siblings in this life, but not to be close siblings, there is nothing that can be done and there is no need to force it.
The two talked for a long time until Liu Jiu and San Qi returned, at which point they ended the conversation.
"Mom, can we have red bean popsicles tomorrow?"
Liu Jiu shook the sweat off her head. With her dark face and big round eyes, she was a pretty little girl, just too tanned.
"You and Sanqi each take one, no more than that." Liujiu is 11 years old, and will be an adult in a few years. He should be careful not to eat anything too cold, otherwise he will experience menstrual cramps later.
No matter how hot it is, Bonnie doesn't allow Liu Jiu and San Qi to take cold showers; there's no room for discussion about it.
Sanqi also beamed with joy, no longer acting like an old cadre, but like a child.
The family of four took turns showering.
Speaking of showering, we should also mention the simple solar water heater that Bonnie suggested.
Gu Ye searched many places and finally found a torn rubber water bag. He brought it back, cleaned the inside, found some glue, and glued it back together. This kind of rubber bag couldn't be used on the ship, but it would still work at home.
A spacious bamboo shed was built in the yard, complete with a sturdy bamboo door.
They placed the rubber water bag on the roof and then attached a rubber hose to it. That's how a makeshift shower was made. Every morning, Bonnie would carry a bucket, climb the ladder, and fill the rubber water bag with water.
Bonnie is strong and can easily carry buckets to fill the buckets with water, but most women couldn't do it; it's too difficult. Therefore, in the entire residential compound, only Bonnie's family has someone like her.
Every time, Bonnie and Liu Jiu were together, and Guye and Sanqi were together. Because the hose didn't have a water valve, they would quickly place the hose with the opening facing upwards after washing to prevent the water from running out.
After taking a shower, everyone went back to their rooms to sleep.
The following days passed uneventfully. Bonnie continued to stockpile supplies, as the previous stockpiles had already been used up.
If Gu Ye is transferred back to Beijing in the next year or two, she will need to stock up on more dried goods. It will take several more years before she can achieve freedom in buying and selling, as supplies will still be relatively scarce.
Bonnie had also considered that at thirty-two years old, even if she could register for the college entrance examination after it was reinstated, she had no intention of taking it. She didn't want to spend another four years in university, graduating at forty.
When Gu Ye returned to Beijing, they still had to live in the military compound. Their own house and shop were still there, and they could collect rent. What could she do on her own? She didn't have the talent for business, so she decided against it.
Now that she's back in this slower-paced era, Bonnie doesn't want to be too busy. She wants to enjoy a slower pace of life, find something she's interested in to do, and watch her child grow up slowly.
Bonnie turned over the mushrooms on the bamboo strips again, shook her head, and decided not to think about it anymore. There's always a way out, and things will work themselves out.
After finishing with the mushrooms, Bonnie went off to tend to the vegetable garden.
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