June is already halfway over, and Bonnie's little warehouse is already half full again.
In the yard, Bonnie turned over the dried eggplant, green bean strips, cucumber slices... again. She'll dry them all day today, and they'll be ready by tomorrow.
"Baoni, why are you posting pictures of vegetables again? Can you even finish them all? We have plenty of vegetables all year round!" Aunt Zhang leaned against the wall, genuinely puzzled as to why Baoni was always so busy.
In the past two years, thanks to Bonnie's connections, they have done a lot of odd jobs, working a few days each month and earning at least ten or eight yuan.
"Since we're just killing time anyway, we have plenty of vegetables all year round. But my family and my husband's sister-in-law's family are always short of them. In winter, they basically have nothing but radishes, cabbages, and potatoes."
Bonnie was also preparing for the future; these dried vegetables would last for a year or two without any problem.
If Gu Ye is transferred back to Beijing, she will need to prepare supplies for one or two years. By then, the market will gradually open up, making it easier to obtain supplies.
However, this matter cannot be announced in advance.
"Baoni, what do you think? My second child is graduating from high school soon, and I don't know what to do. Joining the army is difficult for girls, and she doesn't like it. Finding a job is too competitive these days. I was thinking of going to a worker-peasant-soldier university, but the competition is too fierce." Aunt Zhang was so worried. Having many children is always a headache, and there's never enough to worry about.
Sometimes I really envy Bonnie. She only has two children, and they're both incredibly clever. Her parents won't have to worry about them too much in the future. Even if they do, having only two saves her half the trouble compared to having her own children. Why didn't she think of having so many?
Bonnie had no idea what Aunt Zhang was thinking. Even if she had known, she couldn't say anything; it was all in accordance with the times. Decades later, let alone two people, even one would be rare. Many people wouldn't get married, buy houses, or have children.
There are also some successful women who choose to have children through sperm donation, keeping only the child and not the man.
Times are changing, and people's perspectives are changing too. It's impossible to say who is right and who is wrong; it's simply a matter of personal choice. We can only say that society is more inclusive, and there is greater diversity in lifestyle choices.
Bonnie believes that as long as one does not harm society, commit crimes, or infringe on the interests of others, everyone has the right to choose to live the life they like.
As Bonnie listened to Aunt Zhang talking about family matters, her thoughts wandered for a moment.
Bonnie couldn't just say, "Don't worry, the college entrance exam is about to be reinstated." Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhang thought she'd gone mad.
“Sister-in-law, there’s no need to rush this. Hongyun won’t graduate until July, so she doesn’t need to decide what to do right away. She can rest at home for a while, see if there are any job openings, and study more while she’s at it. There are exams for job openings.” That was all Bao Ni said. Political Commissar Xu wasn’t some nobody; he was sure he’d hear some rumors by then.
“You’re right. Things are much better for my family now. My eldest son gets a stipend, and I can earn some money from time to time. We’re much better off now. After graduation, we’ll see if there are any job openings. Maybe we’ll find a suitable one someday.” After listening to Bao Ni’s advice, Aunt Zhang put the matter aside.
Most importantly, the family's finances are not so tight anymore, and I feel more at ease.
While money isn't everything, you can't do anything without it.
To take Zhang's wife as an example, she has earned some money from odd jobs in the past two years. Although it's not much, it's all earned by herself.
Women need to have a certain economic foundation at all times, which makes a difference in their mindset.
The two women, separated by the wall, talked about their children's jobs and other interesting things happening in the residential compound. Time flies when a woman starts chatting.
It feels like we haven't been talking for very long, and it's time to cook dinner again. Honestly, the mere mention of cooking makes Bonnie anxious. She doesn't know what to do, it's so frustrating!
There are plenty of vegetables in the garden. I'll start steaming the rice first. The rest depends on whether Liu Jiu or Gu Ye gets home first. The one who gets home first will have absolute say in the kitchen.
Bonnie thought that she would be in fifth grade in September. The school system was 5-2-2, and she would soon be in junior high school, where the studies would become more intense.
With the resumption of the college entrance examination, schools should also focus on academic learning.
It's time to train Sanqi to take over the relay race; he can't just do odd jobs, he needs to learn to cook too. Once Sanqi graduates from elementary school, Gu Ye might be able to get staff, or at least hire a nanny.
Bonnie was mentally planning how to manage things in the kitchen while the children were dismissed from school.
"Mom, what are we having for dinner?" Sanqi asked habitually as she entered the house first.
“Your dad hasn’t come home from get off work yet. I steamed some rice and asked my sister what she’s making for dinner. She’s the head chef today, and you’re her assistant and apprentice.”
Liu Jiu happened to enter the house and heard her mother's words, which was not surprising at all.
Her mother was very capable in everything outside the home, but she was truly incapable of cooking, sewing, or knitting. She was the kind of person who, no matter how hard she tried, could never learn these skills.
Liu Jiu went to pick vegetables with a basket, while San Qi was called in for a talk by her mother.
“Sanqi, look, your sister will be starting junior high next year. She’ll be studying hard and won’t have time to cook anymore. Shouldn’t you start learning? I’ve tried my best, but I just can’t seem to learn. From now on, whether we eat in the cafeteria or have decent meals will all depend on you.”
After Bonnie finished speaking, she looked at Sanqi earnestly with a devout expression.
Sanqi could easily understand what his mother meant: from now on, he would learn to cook and try to take over the kitchen completely before his sister graduated from elementary school.
Sanqi looked at the stove. He's 1.4 meters tall now, and will be about 1.5 meters tall next year, which will be enough for him to reach the stove.
When Liu Jiu was cooking, San Qi would help out and learn from him.
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