Xia Qinghe had many flowerpots at home, and she brought several back for Gu Mingyue.
The flowerpots weren't expensive, but there were so many of them that it felt awkward for Gu Mingyue to pay her directly. So she could only reciprocate by giving her money in other ways.
After all, nobody's money grows on trees.
In the days that followed, Gu Mingyue focused on taking care of the flowers and plants at home, and occasionally went beachcombing with the women in the family compound.
The island is rich in resources and seafood, and Gu Mingyue wanted to prepare some to send back home.
During her time on the island, her family in Beijing sent her a lot of things, so she wanted to prepare some seafood to send back to them.
The items aren't expensive; it's the thought that counts.
That day, she went to the beach with her sisters-in-law as usual. The weather was gloomy, and in the distance, the sea was covered by a dark cloud, giving the impression that a storm was about to break.
Is it going to rain?
Gu Mingyue looked at the distant sea with some worry. She wondered where Lu Lin was going on his mission. If he was at sea, what if he encountered a storm?
Qin Hongmei straightened up and saw that the dark clouds were drifting in their direction. She quickly called Gu Mingyue to go home.
"The weather on the island is like that, it changes so quickly, sunny one minute and cloudy the next. You'll get used to it after a while."
Gu Mingyue nodded.
As soon as the two entered the residential compound, they heard a loudspeaker in the distance announcing: "Attention family members, a typhoon is coming. Please take precautions."
Qin Hongmei: "A typhoon is coming, so we'd better pack our things early."
Seeing Gu Mingyue standing there in a daze, Qin Hongmei assumed she was frightened by the typhoon and quickly comforted her.
"The typhoon looks scary, but as long as we stay at home and don't go out, we'll be fine. If there's anything in your yard that needs to be packed up, bring it inside."
"The chicken coop is covered, but I see that your chickens and geese are still a bit small. It would be best to move them indoors. Although it's a bit dirty, it's safer."
"There's a chance the power might go out in the family compound when the typhoon hits. Since it's still early, go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy some candles, and prepare some food and drinks. The typhoon could last for days, and judging by the current situation, it'll probably rain soon."
Although nature brings disasters, it also has its mercy, giving people time to prepare and resist them.
"Okay, thank you, sister-in-law. I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative right away."
Gu Mingyue hurriedly went home to put her things down, but then, fearing it might rain, she took the umbrella from home with her.
There weren't many people heading to the supply and marketing cooperative, probably because everyone had been on the island for a long time and had made preparations in advance. However, there were also some like Gu Mingyue who were caught off guard as soon as they arrived.
"Comrade Gu."
Gu Mingyue looked up when she heard the voice and saw that it was Aunt Li.
Since the two of them came to the island together, they haven't seen each other much. Aunt Li lives in a building on the other side of the family compound.
The family compound currently consists of only this one small building, a tenement-style building, and quite a few people live there.
The place is usually quite far away, and Gu Mingyue hasn't been there much. The two of them came to the island together, and their first impression was quite good.
Hearing that Gu Mingyue was also going to the supply and marketing cooperative, the two traveled together.
"The candles I stored a while ago got damp and became unusable. With the typhoon coming, I didn't even have a single candle stored."
Aunt Li then hurriedly went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy candles.
“Who can argue with that? I only found out from what the other women in the family said.”
Gu Mingyue speaks softly and gently, the kind of voice that elders like. Aunt Li felt much more at ease listening to her speak.
The two chatted and laughed as they went to the supply and marketing cooperative. They arrived just in time and managed to grab the last candle.
Gu Mingyue bought some snacks and malted milk powder, and hurried home before the storm arrived.
After arriving home, I quickly put my things down, then took the chickens and geese and put them in bamboo cages, then moved them to the storage room to keep them.
The newly planted vegetables in the yard are just sprouting, and it's unknown how long they can survive the wind and rain. All Gu Mingyue can do is make sure the drainage ditches are properly prepared to prevent the vegetable garden from being flooded.
After tidying up the house, Qin Hongmei came over to see how Gu Mingyue was doing.
"How's it going? Are you done cleaning up?"
Gu Mingyue straightened up. "Sister-in-law, I just finished cleaning up."
Qin Hongmei helped check and found that everything that could be put away had been brought inside. She reminded her to remember to close the doors and windows.
Not long after Qin Hongmei left, Zhao Xiulan and an aunt walked over side by side.
"Comrade Gu, is your home ready? Director Wu and I will come over to take a look."
Behind her was Director Wu from the Women's Federation, whom Gu Mingyue and Lu Lin had visited when Gu Mingyue first arrived on the island.
Director Wu was holding some eggs in his hand and asked with concern, "Is everything alright at home? Are you scared at home all by yourself? Why don't you come to my house?"
Gu Mingyue quickly invited them into the house and said gratefully, "Thank you for your concern. I'm fine, and I've finished tidying up the yard."
Zhao Xiulan looked around and saw the chicks and goslings huddled together in the corner. She couldn't help but smile. "You've taken good care of these little guys."
Director Wu nodded, "It's not easy for you to be home alone. If you have any difficulties, just tell us."
They had other places to visit, so they didn't stay long, just exchanged a few words of concern and left.
Before leaving, Director Wu left a few eggs behind, saying, "These are from the organization for the families; you can take them."
After seeing Zhao Xiulan and Director Wu off, it gradually got dark. A strong wind howled outside, and soon large raindrops fell with the wind.
The sky was low and heavy with dark clouds, with occasional flashes of lightning streaking across the clouds, followed by a deafening roar.
The wind grew stronger, and the branches of the trees in the yard were blown about, making snapping sounds.
Gu Mingyue didn't sleep well that night. She was woken up by thunder in the middle of the night and glanced at her watch. It was only 3 a.m.
She got up and checked to make sure there were no leaks in the house, then went back to sleep.
When I woke up again, the sky outside was still overcast, and the rain was still falling.
I don't know when the typhoon will pass.
This was her first time experiencing a typhoon. She used to live in the north, where typhoons rarely passed through.
Being so close to the coastline, you can clearly hear the sound of the waves crashing.
Amidst the raging storm, Gu Mingyue's worry for Lu Lin grew even stronger.
She paced back and forth inside the house, constantly looking out the window, hoping the typhoon would pass quickly and that Lu Lin would return safely.
Unable to go out on a rainy day, she stayed at home and dug out Lu Lin's old books, but they were all military books, completely unsuitable for her reading interests.
Gu Mingyue looked at it for a long time, and finally calmed down and sat down at the desk.
Rainy days are the best time for her to create art, and she takes advantage of this time to paint more pictures. Her collaboration with the garment factory continues.
She spends several hours each day drawing, and even when she doesn't collaborate on some projects, she still draws them whenever inspiration strikes.
Occasionally, he would also draw some short comics, which are now called comic strips.
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