Chapter 36.1

Yin Xiaoman woke up to find the day already bright.  

Sunlight streamed in through the loosely drawn curtains, piercing her eyes.  

After sitting up for a while, she remained dazed, unable to determine if it was morning or if she had just woken from an afternoon nap.  

Perhaps she had been too exhausted the previous day. From five in the morning, when she went out with Wang Jun, until almost eleven at night when she finally went to bed, she had been busy the entire day. As a result, she had slept so soundly that she didn’t wake up even once during the night.  

Reaching out, she gently pinched Erniu’s rosy cheeks while the child slept. Yin Xiaoman didn’t wake her but quietly got dressed and walked out of the bedroom.  

When she saw the small alarm clock on the table in the living room, she was startled—it was already past eight!  

In that case, Shen Qingyun must not only have finished his morning exercises but also had breakfast and left for work.  

But why hadn’t he woken her up? Yesterday, their guests had cleaned out the entire pantry. What had Shen Qingyun eaten for breakfast?  

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Yin Xiaoman stepped out of the room.  

The moment she opened the door, she saw Da Bao crouched by the firewood pile next to the kitchen wall, carefully stacking the scattered pieces of firewood into a neat pile.  

The little boy was likely feeling hot from his work. He had already removed his outerwear, leaving only an old knit sweater. Even so, his forehead was damp with sweat, and from a distance, Yin Xiaoman could feel the warm steam radiating from his small body.  

The sight warmed her heart.  

She didn’t say anything and instead turned back into the kitchen, taking a small jar out of the cupboard. The honey inside had been something she had obtained from Lichun, but she hadn’t dared to use it much until now.  

But hadn’t they just gone to the county town? Yin Xiaoman felt that she could use that as an excuse to start bringing out some of their stored treats bit by bit.  

She poured some hot water from the thermos into a small bowl, added a few drops of honey, stirred it, and carried it outside.  

“Da Bao, come over and take a break.”  

She placed the honey water on the small wooden table they usually kept outside and beckoned to her son.  

Hearing his mother’s call, Da Bao responded cheerfully and ran over.  

Before coming to her, he made sure to wash his hands and face thoroughly at the hand-pump well nearby.  

When she saw the little boy running toward her, his face still wet and his eyes curved into crescents from his wide grin, Yin Xiaoman felt her heart melt. The timid, nervous, and gloomy child she had first met was gone. The more she looked at him now, the more she adored him, feeling an overwhelming love that seemed endless.  

She reached out and pulled Da Bao onto her lap, taking out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe his face.  

Da Bao was already over six years old, and naturally, he wasn’t as clingy with his mother as his younger sister.  

Now, suddenly being picked up like this, his small body stiffened, sitting upright without daring to move a muscle.  

A slight blush slowly crept onto his small face.  

Seeing her son’s shy and awkward expression, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but chuckle.  

She poked Da Bao’s cheek with her finger and playfully teased him: “You’re still so young. What? Your mother can’t even hold you anymore?”  

As she spoke, she carefully wiped all the water off his face.  

Da Bao pressed his lips together and smiled without saying a word. Although he didn’t respond, his expression clearly showed how happy he felt inside.  

Knowing her son was thin-skinned, Yin Xiaoman didn’t make it any harder for him. Once she had dried his face, she set him down and pointed to the bowl of honey water. “Hurry up and drink it.”  

After saying that, she went back into the house to get the balm she had brought back from the palace. She returned to apply it to Da Bao’s cheeks.  

Speaking of this balm, Da Bao had been reluctant to use it at first, but Yin Xiaoman had insisted. She said she couldn’t stand seeing her child’s hands and face getting chapped and looking rough and unsightly.  

After being coaxed and persuaded a few times, Da Bao eventually gave in. Now, when she applied it to his face again, he no longer resisted.  

“What did you eat this morning?” Yin Xiaoman asked while rubbing the balm on her son’s cheeks.  

“Father went to the canteen to get steamed buns. We ate them with the soybean paste and pickled vegetables at home.” Da Bao replied honestly.  

After speaking, he pointed toward the kitchen and added: “Yours and Sister’s are still in the pot, staying warm.”  

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoman affectionately ruffled his hair and watched as he finished the honey water before she went back into the kitchen.  

Lifting the lid of the pot, she found two still-warm coarse grain steamed buns inside.  

She stared at the buns for a while before letting out a helpless sigh. Then, she took them out and diced them into small cubes.  

She cracked two eggs into a bowl, then added salt and chopped scallions, whisking them together before pouring the mixture over the diced buns.  

She lit the stove, heated oil in the pan until it was fragrant, and stir-fried the mixture into a dish of egg and bun stir-fry.  

Because of her indulgence, it wasn’t just her—both children had developed picky eating habits. Da Bao was slightly better in this regard. Even if he didn’t like something, he typically wouldn’t go against the adults’ wishes.  

If Shen Qingyun really brought him coarse-grain steamed buns, Da Bao would surely eat them.  

But as for Erniu… if the food wasn’t re-heated, her little lips would probably pout as if they were hanging an oil bottle.  

While Yin Xiaoman was busy in the kitchen, Da Bao had already woken his little sister and supervised her as she finished washing up. Afterward, the three of them sat together and enjoyed a second round of breakfast.  

The meal left all three of them feeling thoroughly satisfied.  

After breakfast, Yin Xiaoman sent the two children outside to play while she stayed behind to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. However, she hadn’t even finished tidying up when she heard Cui Yan calling from outside.  

“Xiaoman, Xiaoman! We’re going to dig for wild vegetables. Do you want to come along?”  

Yin Xiaoman wiped her hands dry and stepped out, asking: “Sister-in-law, where are you planning to dig?”  

The Pioneer Camp’s base was built by the sea, surrounded by virtually no farmland. The people from the fishing village relied on the sea for their livelihood and didn’t grow crops at all.  

Without farmland, where could they possibly go to gather wild vegetables?  

“To the camp’s vegetable plot.” Cui Yan shouted from the other side of the fence that separated their courtyards.  

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoman’s eyes lit up. How had she forgotten about that?  

Speaking of the camp’s vegetable plot, it was indeed the only piece of farmland for miles around. It was said that the soil in the field had been transported cartload by cartload from neighboring counties years ago by cadres and soldiers.  

It was precious beyond measure!  

Now it was mid-spring, the peak season for tender and delicious wild vegetables.  

The thought of such an opportunity filled Yin Xiaoman with excitement. Even before heading out, her mind was already brimming with ideas for countless dishes, and she could practically list out recipes in her head.  

Her excitement was contagious. Upon hearing that their mother was taking them out to play, the little ones were thrilled.  

They didn’t need any urging—one grabbed a small spade, another carried a bucket, and all of them dashed out ahead of the adults, running faster than anyone else.  

After all, when it came to familiarity with the Pioneer Camp, these children knew the area far better than she did.  

Yin Xiaoman, by nature, wasn’t the type to wander around much. Since arriving at the camp, the furthest she usually ventured was the mess hall. But it was different for the kids.  

The Pioneer Camp’s location was geographically sensitive, situated just across a sea from enemy territory.  

Although there was no active warfare on ordinary days, the other side occasionally took potshots or sent small squads over to stir up trouble, making the area somewhat dangerous.  

Therefore, up until now, the only family members willing to follow the troops were Cui Yan and Yin Xiaoman.  

Other families usually visited in the spring and autumn, but just as this year’s visiting season began, there had been a bombing incident.  

As a result, even visits from family members were halted.  

Thus, from last year to this year, there were only four children in the entire camp. Every cadre and soldier in the camp knew these little darlings well.  

Rarity made them precious, and the adults were indulgent with them. As long as they didn’t cause trouble, no one truly stopped them from running wild and playing throughout the camp.  

Consequently, the four children knew every fun spot in the camp better than anyone else.  

The four kids ran ahead, while the two women followed behind. Yin Xiaoman, still feeling a bit uneasy, asked Cui Yan: “Sister-in-law, is it really okay for us to go dig for wild vegetables? Will anyone in the camp have a problem with it?”  

Given the tight food supply and the fact that wild vegetables could be eaten, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but feel uneasy about doing this without explicit permission.  

Hearing her question, Cui Yan laughed and said: “Do you think your sister-in-law doesn’t know what’s appropriate? If it weren’t allowed, I wouldn’t have invited you. Don’t worry, the Kitchen Unit doesn’t care about these wild vegetables.”  

Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, Cui Yan quickly added: “Oh, Xiaoman, the reason I asked you to come along is mostly so we sisters could take a stroll and chat. Whether we find anything or not doesn’t really matter. Don’t get your hopes up too high, okay? If we come back with empty baskets, don’t cry.”  

“Huh?” Yin Xiaoman blinked, momentarily confused.  

—Taking a stroll and chatting in someone else’s vegetable plot?  

How leisurely could someone be?  

Seeing her expression, Cui Yan patiently explained for a while. Only after some time did Yin Xiaoman understand.  

It turned out that because the amount of land was so limited, the camp’s vegetable plots had been designed to make the most out of every usable inch.  

Not only were the crops intercropped, but the ridges around the fields were also made as narrow as possible.  

Other than the land needed for the soldiers’ training, every inch of space was carefully utilized and strictly managed.  

Thus, there was hardly any room for wild vegetables to grow.  

For families like theirs, even digging up enough vegetables for one meal was difficult. Sometimes, they could spend an entire morning and still not fill the bottom of a basket. How could such a small quantity possibly meet the needs of the entire camp’s soldiers?  

The Kitchen Unit only had a handful of staff, often short-handed for regular duties, let alone wasting time on tasks like this. With some staff even being reassigned to gather seafood, they couldn’t afford to bother with these meager wild vegetables.  

So, there really was no one who would say anything about them coming to dig for wild vegetables.  

Hearing Cui Yan’s explanation, Yin Xiaoman did feel a bit disappointed, but she still held on to a sliver of hope.  

Wild vegetables might be small in quantity, but there could be a variety of types, right?  

Digging a little of this and a little of that might just yield a decent amount to take home.  

Besides, there were so many of them, and the kids had sharp eyes. Who knew? They might actually end up with a bountiful harvest.