After seeing Gu Ye and the children off, Bao Ni boiled water, and Grandpa and Grandma finished washing up and prepared to rest.
Bonnie and her friends' courtyard house has a drainage system; it's unclear whether it was originally there or was added later.
Bonnie sat in the living room chatting with her parents. They hadn't seen each other for over a year, and they had a lot to say and many people wanted to know more about them.
Bonnie's dad brewed himself a pot of tea, and after taking a nap in the afternoon, he wasn't sleepy yet.
"Don't make it too strong, or you won't be able to sleep tonight."
Bao Ni's mother gave a word of advice, as if she was just used to it and wouldn't feel at ease if she didn't say something.
"Ni, are you doing well here? Every time I ask you, you say you're fine, but I don't know if you really are or if you're just pretending."
Bao Ni's mother could tell that her daughter was doing well, but she wouldn't feel at ease unless she asked her about it.
“Everything is really good. Although Gu Ye is very busy and sometimes he doesn’t come back for several days, whenever he’s home, he takes the initiative to do all the things at home and outside.”
The children are well-behaved and I don't have to worry about their studies. Sanqi can even cook, and Liujiu and Xuanyi can lend a hand. Who else has such a good life as me?
Bonnie counted them all and realized she was a really lucky person.
"That's true, there's no one or anything in your family that causes you any worry. My daughter looks younger, and her skin is fairer than before, not as dark as it used to be."
Bao Ni's mother was also very happy. Bao Ni was her only daughter and held an important place in their hearts. Moreover, her Bao Ni knew how to care for them and always put them first in terms of food and other necessities throughout the year.
"Do Gu Ye's father and stepmother live in the same compound as you?"
Bonnie's father remembered that Gu Ye still had a biological father who was alive, although he had never met him.
“We live in the same compound, but we don’t keep in touch, and we don’t greet each other when we meet. Everyone in the compound knows about the Gu family’s affairs, and everyone understands what’s going on, so no one says anything.”
Bonnie and Gu Xiangdong's family are now keeping to themselves, living separate lives. All she and Gu Ye can do is pray that one day they will be taken away by God.
"That's alright, otherwise it would be too uncomfortable. You're fine, but Gu Ye is different from other stepmothers."
Bao Ni's mother knew a little bit about it and looked down on Gu Ye's stepmother in her heart. Why did she have to do something so wrong and break up someone else's family?
"How has Lin Hui been doing since he left the military? My third aunt must be happy now, her son is finally back."
Lin Hui had been living in Northeast China for a long time. Every year, he would send Bao Ni some local specialties from the Northeast, such as hazel mushrooms, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and even a ginseng root, saying that his father-in-law's family had picked it themselves.
"He did a good job. His wife is from Northeast China. She's very honest and warm-hearted. Every time we meet, she calls him 'Auntie' and is always smiling."
Your third aunt is luckier than me; she got such a good daughter-in-law.
When Bao Ni's mother thought about her daughters-in-law, she had no words to express her feelings.
"You're lucky too, you still have me, your good daughter!"
Bonnie tried to cheer her mother up and tell her not to think about anything unpleasant.
"That's right, no one on the entire island can compare to that. It's a source of pride for your father and me."
Bonnie's father nodded in agreement; his Bonnie hadn't been spoiled for nothing.
"How is my sister-in-law? I heard she's doing quite well?"
"Yes, they're good at working and managing a household, and they're good at helping us too. But they're a couple who married later in life, and they don't have any children of their own. It's more like they're just living together as a couple."
Your older brother doesn't plan to have any more children. Da Bao is going to take the college entrance exam this year, and Da Bao and Xiao Ya are also in school, so the burden is quite heavy.
Bonnie thought to herself, "It's right not to have children, otherwise there will be your child and my child, and they'll both beat our child."
As long as they're doing well, we don't need to worry about them. It's just that, how should I put it, there's always a certain something missing; we just treat each other with polite formality.
Bao Ni's mother didn't know there was a phrase called "treating each other with the utmost respect," otherwise it wouldn't have been so difficult to describe.
“My older brother is good to other people’s children, and he also keeps an eye on his own children. If he does both well, he can live a good life like this.”
Bonnie wasn't worried about her older brother doing something like having a stepmother and then a stepfather; there were plenty of Lin family members on the island, all watching.
"She's alright. Your sister-in-law was originally married off from the island, and her family is also from the island. She's a good person."
It's Da Bao. He was quite obedient and clever when he was little. I don't know if he inherited it from his maternal grandmother's family, but the older he gets, the less I understand him. I don't know what he's thinking; he's still thinking about his mother.
Bao Ni's mother gets angry whenever her eldest grandson is mentioned. He was the family's first grandchild, and the whole family doted on him until he was five or six years old. Who knew that now he's not close to anyone, and they're all distant from each other.
“He’s all grown up now, he’s an adult. He chose this path, and he has to walk it to the end, even if he has to crawl on his knees. Just don’t let it affect Erbao too.”
Bonnie couldn't understand what Da Bao was thinking either; his mother was nothing like a mother.
"Erbao looks simple-minded, but he's quite shrewd. He wanted to come this time too, but we came earlier than expected. Let him study hard so he can get into a university in Beijing and be with Liujiu and Sanqi."
Mentioning her second grandson made Bao Ni's mother feel a little better, as she felt that all her efforts had been in vain.
They mentioned that the reason they came early was because one of Grandpa's old friends had passed away in his sleep.
Grandpa was also afraid that he would go there too, so he thought that he had to come to Beijing at least once in his life. That way, when he went down to the city, he could brag to his old friends that he had seen the flag-raising ceremony and the places where the leaders lived.
Bonnie hadn't expected it was because of this, and she started planning to find time to get her grandparents and parents a medical check-up.
“My grandfather looks to be in good health, quite robust.”
"The elderly are getting old, and no one can say for sure."
Bao Ni's mother has a lot of experience and knows that many elderly people are still working in the fields one day, but don't get up the next day, their bodies are completely cold.
Bonnie had never experienced this before. In the past, if something was even slightly wrong, an ambulance would arrive. Most people died in the hospital, and very few died at home, except in cases of accidents.
Bonnie inquired about Haiyan's situation. Her younger brother was all grown up, and Haiyan was able to live her own life now.
"Haiyan is a good girl, she gets along well with Lin Hai, and they are getting married soon."
Her two younger brothers are now able to support themselves, and they can help with their wedding arrangements in the future.
Lin Hai is clever, and Haiyan is also resourceful and capable; their future together looks bright. Her two younger brothers seem fine now, but it's uncertain what will happen after they get married.
This is a real issue. After marriage, you have to live your own life. If you have a reasonable and grateful partner, you'll be grateful to your sister. But if you have an unreasonable one, it's possible that things will become estranged.
"That depends on what her brother does. It all comes down to Haiyan's brother's attitude."
"That's true, just like the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, it all depends on what role the son plays in the middle."
Bao Ni's mother may not know any grand principles, but she has accumulated a lot of experience in life.
Seeing that it was getting late, Bonnie told her parents to go and rest, and that they could talk about it tomorrow. They weren't leaving anytime soon, and there was plenty of time.
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