"Bonnie, we need to go back to Beijing."
"What's wrong? What happened?"
Bonnie was startled, thinking that something had happened to Brother Gu or Grandpa Gu.
"Gu Lan is getting married. My brother wants us to take this opportunity to go back home. There are some things that he can't explain over the phone or in a letter."
Bonnie understood that mail entering and leaving the military base was inspected, and phone calls could be tapped.
How many days off can you take?
“I haven’t taken a long vacation in over three years, so I can take more than half a month off.”
Bonnie calculated that the train journey would take more than two days, and she could stay in Beijing for more than ten days, so she didn't need to bring too much. It was the end of June now, and the weather was getting hotter and hotter.
Time was short, and Bonnie hadn't prepared to bring much; she'd just recently sent some dried seafood. This time, she'd just get some sea snails and the like for the children, which Xuanyu liked.
Bonnie went back to her parents' home and told her family about the situation. Her grandfather told her to visit her second brother when she had time, as he hadn't been back since joining the army. They only corresponded by letter, and he didn't know how he was doing.
Lin Tao is over twenty years old and has made great progress in the past few years, already becoming a platoon leader. His mother is more worried about his marriage; she wonders when he can take a vacation to come home and meet potential partners.
Bonnie was powerless to help with this. Her second brother was 25 years old, which in later times would probably mean just graduating with a master's degree. In this era, people who married young usually already had several children.
As Gu Lan's older brother, they should prepare a gift for his wedding. However, Bao Ni and Gu Lan didn't get along, so she didn't bother. What Gu Ye wanted to do was his business; as for Bao Ni, well, they weren't on that level.
Of the three family members, the most excited was Liu Jiu, the little girl, who was going on her first long trip. Although she didn't understand what was going on, she was just happy.
The family entrusted the care to Zhao Yuan, who said it was no problem; it was just two chicks and vegetables from the yard. Bao Ni told her to take the eggs and vegetables home to eat, otherwise they wouldn't keep. Zhao Yuan hesitated for a long time, then remained silent.
"Are you missing your family? After I get to Beijing, I'll try to find out more about them for you. If possible, I'll go and see them. But if the situation is tense, I won't be able to help. I can't let Brother Gu Ye get into trouble."
Bonnie knew that her husband missed his family, but she couldn't take on everything herself. Her own safety was the priority, and she couldn't risk her in-laws' or her own family's lives.
“I understand, thank you Bonnie. I just wanted to know the truth about them.”
"Okay, I'll do my best."
"Baoni and Gu Ye carried the child onto the boat. Liu Jiu felt like she couldn't see enough. How could there be so many people and so many birds?"
Bonnie doesn't get seasick, but she doesn't know if Liu Jiu will. She took some ginger slices, just in case Liu Jiu gets seasick.
Until disembarking, Liu Jiu was full of energy and felt no discomfort whatsoever. He ate and drank as usual without any delay.
Once on the train, Liu Jiu became even more excited, as the carriage was packed with people.
This time, Gu Ye couldn't get a sleeper berth because of the special circumstances; he didn't want to cause any trouble, so he bought a hard seat instead.
There weren't many people on the train. It's not easy to go out at this time of year; you need a letter of introduction, and the ticket isn't cheap.
The three of them sat down, and Liu Jiu couldn't wait to go out for a stroll.
"Dad, go out."
"Liu Jiu, let's wait a bit, and go out after the train departs, okay?"
"good!"
After listening to her father's words, Liu Jiu calmed down and started eating the dried fruit.
Clang, clang...
The train started moving!
"Mom, the car is moving!"
"Yes, the train has started moving, we're leaving."
"Dad, let's go outside!"
Gu Ye took his daughter and went on an adventure.
Bonnie ignored the father and son, packed her things, and realized she needed to get Liu Jiu to sleep that night. Fortunately, the train wasn't crowded, and there were plenty of empty seats so Liu Jiu could lie down.
Bonnie looked around and, finding nothing unusual, felt relieved.
After playing for a while, Liu Jiu was carried back by her father. "Mommy, I'm hungry!"
What would you like to eat?
"I want to eat."
Liu Jiu is strong and has a big appetite, and he has to eat staple food at every meal, otherwise he won't be full.
"You and your daughter wait here. I'll go to the dining car to buy food and find the lunchbox for me."
Gu Ye is a doting father to his daughter. He will basically fulfill any wish his daughter has within his means.
Bonnie found two large lunchboxes and handed them to Gu Ye. Liu Jiu knew at a glance that they were going to buy food.
Back when they lived in the family compound, sometimes when they didn't cook, Bao Ni would take Liu Jiu to the cafeteria to get food, and Liu Jiu would carry the lunchbox. Bao Ni was quite familiar with this kind of thing.
Gu Ye packed two large boxes full of food and steamed buns, and they tasted pretty good. After eating and drinking their fill, Liu Jiu and her father went for a stroll in other carriages to digest their food.
At night, the two took turns sleeping and watching over the child and belongings. Although they didn't take too many things, there were still quite a few, mainly items belonging to Liu Jiu, which made up the majority of the load.
And so, the family of three endured more than two days of bumpy travel in the car, finally arriving in Beijing on the third day.
"Sixty-nine, we've arrived."
These past few days, the children have been getting restless, and Liu Jiu has also started to get irritable and a bit fussy.
The child is a bit feverish, and in the car, besides giving her more water, there's nothing else we can do.
"Mom, what tall buildings! And so many cars!"
Liu Jiu peered out the window, while Gu Ye held her, afraid she might fall out in her excitement.
The train stopped, and passengers, carrying their belongings, squeezed out. It was the final stop; no one seemed to be in such a hurry. Bonnie finished packing, and Liu Jiu, also anxious, cried out, "Daddy, let's go!"
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