Chapter 26

Qiao Yu praised the Women’s Federation director all the way to her own yard, and the two of them worked together to cultivate the front yard and plant seeds.

The director of the Women’s Federation who had finished her work said: …

Shouldn’t she be sitting in the office with an enamel pot, occasionally brewing a few tea leaves to relieve her boredom? Why did she let this girl trick her into coming to work?

Her arms and legs were old, and she only felt the pain in her body after she finished her work.

The pleasure of chatting with Qiao Yu before was gone.

Qiao Yu saw the director of the Women’s Federation come back to her senses. She didn’t feel guilty, but just couldn’t bear it: “Director, how about staying for a meal?”

“No need! No one has enough food these days, just keep it for yourself!”

The familiar spirit came back, and Qiao Yu followed with a sonorous and powerful voice: “With a leader like the director, the Women’s Federation will surely go further and further in the future! Set a good example for the Women’s Federation! And also a role model for the people!”

The director of the Women’s Federation was very moved. After being discharged from the hospital, she saw that the sun was still shining, so she went back to the office and called Mr. Zhang.

“Commander, your granddaughter is incredible…”

For dinner, Qiao Yu prepared rice flour and vegetable dumplings. After letting the children take a bath, she also prepared a bowl of malted milk.

She had no shortage of malted milk during these three months. She bought several bottles and placed them in the master bedroom. She also copied a spoonful of it every day in the space and added the copied spoonful to the malted milk. This was equivalent to one extra bottle of malted milk in a month. What was originally enough to last her two and a half months could now last her three months.

If there weren’t many kids in the family, an average family would need to eat so many cans for at least two years.

Slept all night.

Qiao Yu didn’t stay in bed and got up early in the morning.

The children are still sleeping.

He packed up his things, put the money and bills in the space, and went to look for Wang Zhaodi with a big backpack on his back.

The backpack was covered with a dark black cloth to prevent anyone from peeping along the way and to facilitate her to move the things she had exchanged to the space. The dark black cloth was made by sewing the rags of the original owner’s clothes.

Wang Zhaodi happened to go out and bumped into Qiao Yu.

“I was just coming to find you.”

Qiao Yu smiled and said, “What a coincidence.”

Xiao Zhao is not leaving the island today, so they have no ride and can only walk to the pier.

After walking for an hour or two, we finally saw the ship.

The dock was also heavily guarded. After looking at Qiao Yu and the other person’s ID, the soldier saluted in a standard military salute: “Hello, sister-in-law!”

Wang Zhaodi didn’t say anything, as if she was used to it.

Qiao Yu smiled and said, “Hello, comrades. Thank you for your hard work!”

After boarding the boat, Wang Zhaodi said, “Your behavior…”

Qiao Yu pretended to be nervous: “What’s wrong, sister-in-law? Is there something wrong? The person before me told me that I can’t be stage-frightened anywhere, otherwise I will be looked down upon. Sister-in-law, you also know that I am from the countryside… Hey, so if there is anything wrong, sister-in-law, please give me some advice.”

What could Wang Zhaodi say? She could only shake her head.

Of course Qiao Yu did nothing wrong.

It’s just that she, a military wife, behaves like a leader… which makes the soldiers feel uncomfortable.

Before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, fishermen along the coast made a living by fishing. Although private business is not allowed now, fishermen can run legal markets by “exchanging money for things.”

Coastal cities were key development areas in the early days of the People’s Republic of China, especially in the 1980s. Time passed quickly like a flash, and people living here could most clearly feel the changes from bungalows to high-rise buildings.

Qiao Yu and Wang Zhaodi walked for an unknown amount of time before they finally arrived at the so-called market.

What are the benefits of living along the coast?

There is no need to have nothing to eat in a famine.

But food prices remain high.

Seafood is cheap, including dried kelp, dried shrimp, dried squid, and dried scallops…

The prices are still very cheap, especially for dried kelp and dried shrimp, which can be bought for just a few cents per pound. Dried squid, scallops, and abalone are rarer and more expensive, at a few dollars per pound. No one is interested in buying the expensive ones, but Qiao Yu is the one who is not short of money.

Wang Zhaodi saw that she was generous and said, “I’ll go look somewhere else. There are fresh goods over there. After we buy some, we’ll meet at the market entrance?”

“Yes, auntie!”

She bought dry goods by the pound. There was another street around the corner. She emptied her backpack, pretending that she had not bought anything before, and went on a shopping spree again.

There were many people at the market, and everyone was walking in a hurry. No one looked at each other, so Qiao Yu acted bolder.

When she arrived at the fresh food market, she saw hairy crabs, live shrimps, and marine fish…

Qiao Yu swallowed his saliva and said, “I can’t take this with me.”

As soon as the stall owner saw her attire and green eyes, he knew there was something fishy going on and immediately promoted his wares: “Are you the wife of a soldier who just came to join the army?”

Qiao Yu was a little surprised, “Is it obvious?”

“Hey! All the military wives here have this kind of temperament.” The stall owner gave a thumbs up.

What I actually think deep down is: It’s just the temperament of being superior and looking down on ordinary people.

But the girl in front of me is not arrogant, her eyes are clear, and her behavior is generous…

Not like an ordinary person, nor like an ordinary military wife.

Qiao Yu just listened to the stall owner’s words and said, “I like your thing, but it’s a big problem that I can’t take it away.”

“How much do you want?”

“I want both.”

“You want all of them?!”

“Um.”

“Well, since you want a lot of stuff, I can ask my son to help deliver it to the island, but it can only be delivered to the entrance of the army. They can’t get in, so you have to ask someone to carry it.”

“Okay, that’s it.

It’s a deal!”

Qiao Yu was not worried that someone would go back on their word these days, especially when the other party offered to pay half first and the remaining half after the goods were delivered.

Qiao Yu carried his things to the market entrance to meet Wang Zhaodi.

Wang Zhaodi took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off her face. “It’s already this late. If we rush back, we’ll have to cook a new meal. Why don’t we go to the state-owned restaurant and have a bowl of seafood noodles?”

Qiao Yu: No problem.

No tickets required for seafood noodles!

Qiao Yu felt very happy. After splitting the bill with Wang Zhaodi, he ate a bowl of hot seafood noodles and replenished the energy he had consumed in the morning.

“The food cooked by the chefs at the state-owned restaurants is delicious. What I cook tastes like pig food, but it’s a good thing the kids don’t despise me.”

“No, the sweet potato pancakes you brought are delicious.”

Qiao Yu: “Of course it tastes better if it has sugar and milk powder. As for making sweet potato cakes, I can guarantee that my skills are definitely not as good as yours, sister-in-law.”

Wang Zhaodi felt relieved after listening to this and became more talkative with Qiao Yu on the way back.

After landing on the island and returning to the troops, Qiao Yu put the dried seafood in a space, but not in the black box.

There was not enough space in the black box to copy the scarce materials, and it would be redundant to copy these seafood that could be bought everywhere. She had enough money, so it was more cost-effective to buy than to copy.

At noon, I cut potatoes and sweet potatoes and steamed them, which became the staple food.

The dish is a large cabbage, stir-fry it with oil, add hot water to make it milky white, then throw in a few handfuls of washed shrimps, and you will have a pot of delicious cabbage and shrimp soup.

When the children came back, Qiao Yu yelled at them, “Go wash your hands!”

Several children went to the faucet to wash their hands, and then came to serve the dishes.