Chapter 97 : Whether or not to stay in the army is still a question

Cao Zhifang was a straightforward man, so he didn’t immediately notice that Yan Yixing was in a bad mood.  

Shen He assumed it was because of what had just happened, so he remained silent and simply called out to the two of them, “Let’s go.”  

Yan Yixing nodded without saying a word and walked ahead.  

Seeing his behavior, Cao Zhifang suddenly sensed that something was off.  

He quickly caught up, patted Yan Yixing on the shoulder, and asked, “Old Yan, what’s wrong with you?”  

Yan Yixing, known for his ever-present smile, was like a “smiling tiger.” But ever since Liu Hong arrived on the island, his smile had become less frequent.  

“Did you argue with Liu Hong again?” Cao Zhifang guessed.  

Hearing this, Yan Yixing seemed to snap back to reality, forcing a bitter smile. He replied, “It’s her first time on Pingzhou Island. She’s never experienced such a big typhoon before, so she was frightened.”  

Although Shen He had witnessed what happened earlier, Yan Yixing still didn’t want to let anyone else know the details. He couldn’t afford to lose face like this!  

Cao Zhifang, however, didn’t believe that Liu Hong was simply scared of the typhoon. There had to be more to it.  

But since Yan Yixing clearly didn’t want to talk about it, pressing the issue further would only be inappropriate.  

Thinking of this, Cao Zhifang decided to change the subject with a laugh.  

Meanwhile, Yan Yixing was overwhelmed by an irrepressible sense of regret. If only he hadn’t married Liu Hong, but instead…  

The thought flashed through his mind once again, but he quickly suppressed it.  

Regret is a bitter pill to swallow.  

Before long, the three of them arrived at the military camp.  

Inside, the soldiers had already gone to bed. But upon hearing the assembly horn, they reflexively got up without question.  

Even though they didn’t know why they were being called so late at night, discipline was their top priority, orders were to be followed, not questioned.  

When they found out they were going to dig a hydroponic pool to grow vegetables, excitement spread through the camp. They didn’t fully understand the concept, but if it was important enough for the higher-ups to mobilize so many men, it had to be something big.  

The thought of having fresh vegetables in the future thrilled them.  

They were eager to get started and wished they could finish the hydroponic pool immediately.  

Once the assembly was completed and orders were given, the soldiers grabbed their hoes, shovels, and dustpans and got to work.  

In just one night, they had dug out a hydroponic pool the size of a swimming pool.  

The next day, news about the hydroponic water spinach spread to the family compound, causing quite a stir.  

“Have you heard? Sister Su is going to grow water spinach using just water!” Sun Hongmei rushed to gossip with Li Lanru early in the morning.  

“Of course, I’ve heard! The troops have already dug the pool, it’s in the open space next to the South Island base,” Li Lanru replied.  

She had gone to the South Island base before dawn to check on her sweet potatoes and had seen an entire regiment of soldiers returning to the barracks.  

Next to them was a large pit filled with water.  

After asking around, she discovered that it was for Su Ranran’s hydroponic water spinach experiment. Hearing this, Sun Hongmei’s face was full of disbelief.  

“Just water? No soil at all?”  

The idea completely challenged her understanding of farming. To her, growing crops without soil sounded ridiculous.  

Before long, the entire family compound was buzzing with discussions.  

Curious, Zhong Juhua and a few military wives who were close friends went straight to Su Ranran’s home to get the scoop.  

“It’s true,” Su Ranran confirmed with a smile. “I’ve already started germinating the seeds, and I’ll need your help later.”  

By then, Su Ranran had already taken the seeds out of her special space, wrapped them in wet cloth, and spread them across the kitchen.  

When Zhong Juhua lifted the cloth to take a peek, her mouth fell open in shock.  

“Ran… Ranran, where did you get so many seeds?” she asked in astonishment.  

Su Ranran smiled modestly and said, “I’ve known about the island’s food situation from my old Shen for a long time. It just so happens that my mother has a professor friend who specializes in this field, so I started collecting water spinach seeds early on.”

Hearing this, Zhong Juhua suddenly understood.  

No wonder they were able to grow chrysanthemums as soon as they arrived, it turned out that Su Ranran’s mother was a professor, and she had been surrounded by knowledgeable people since childhood.  

“If I put in more effort, won’t I be much better than them?” she thought to herself.  

The military wives who had come along looked at Su Ranran with newfound admiration.  

“Ranran, can water spinach really be grown directly in water?”  

Some of them still found it hard to believe and asked for confirmation once more.  

Su Ranran didn’t hide anything and explained the hydroponic technology to them in detail.  

The more they listened, the more their eyes lit up!  

“So, in the future, we can grow it at home using just water?”  

This was fantastic news for them.  

Although Pingzhou Island was full of sand and reefs, fresh water resources were abundant.  

If water spinach could really be grown with just water, they wouldn’t have to worry about having fresh vegetables in the future.  

“The theory is sound, whether it works or not, we’ll find out in a few days.”  

Although Su Ranran remained cautious in her words, the military wives were already convinced that her method would succeed!  

“Ranran, I’ll go help you collect thatch!”  

Zhong Juhua couldn’t wait to see the results of the experiment.  

“And me! I’m really good at weaving things.” Cao Yuhong eagerly volunteered.  

The other military wives didn’t want to fall behind and enthusiastically offered their help as well.  

Standing at the doorway, Wang Chunmei watched Su Ranran being surrounded like a star in the sky, her eyes full of admiration.  

In this new world, women could freely showcase their abilities without fear of judgment.

This was something Wang Chunmei had never dared to dream of before.  

Since arriving here, she had been in a constant state of awe and disbelief. Apart from Zhang Xinrong, there was nothing about this place that dissatisfied her.  

Seeing everyone raising their hands to volunteer, Wang Chunmei mustered the courage to step forward.  

“Sister-in-law… Ranran, I want to help too.”  

The military wives turned to her in surprise.  

Wang Chunmei had been acting strangely these past few days. She not only greeted them but even engaged in small talk from time to time.  

And now, she was taking the initiative to participate in group activities.  

She was completely different from the timid, withdrawn person they used to know.  

Seeing their surprised expressions, Wang Chunmei stiffened, afraid she had given herself away again. But she couldn’t keep hiding and living like the old Wang Chunmei.  

Since there were no such rigid expectations here, she no longer wanted to be a woman trapped inside the house.  

“That’s great! I was worried about not having enough manpower!” Su Ranran responded with a warm smile.  

Hearing this, Wang Chunmei breathed a sigh of relief.  

The other military wives soon recovered from their surprise and warmly pulled her into their conversations.  

There had never been any real conflict between them, she had simply avoided them in the past.  

Now that Wang Chunmei was finally willing to step forward, they were more than happy to welcome her.  

While the group of military wives headed out to gather straw, over in another part of the compound, Lu Haiyan stood in her empty kitchen, frowning. Two days had passed since the typhoon, but she still hadn’t found the items she had lost on the road. The only two bags Chen Weidong managed to retrieve contained nothing but clothes, not a single penny was left.  

To make matters worse, her husband’s leg injury was severe, and it was uncertain whether he could continue serving in the army.