Chapter 15 – Island Home (Part 2)

They say “food is everything in Guangzhou,” and that wasn’t just talk.

Even the small state-run eateries by the street served dishes that made your mouth water.

Still, Ye Zhi wanted to save money to buy daily necessities. So when they reached the restaurant, she only ordered a bowl of tingzai congee (a boat-style seafood rice porridge). Lu Wei ordered a plate of cheong fun (steamed rice rolls), and Ye Xiaoding, after watching a crowd of kids gather around the steaming baskets outside, insisted on having char siu bao (barbecue pork buns).

He didn’t understand what the kids were saying—just something-something “bao.” But he heard the word bao (bun), and that was enough.

If so many kids liked it, it had to be good!

And it was.

As soon as he bit into the soft bun, the sweet, savory scent of barbecue pork exploded in his mouth. His eyes widened in delight. Even the sauce that dripped onto his wrist—he licked it clean.

“So good! This is so good!!” he exclaimed with a grin stretching ear to ear.

Ye Zhi’s congee came in a clay pot, still bubbling when it was served. The steam rolled up in thick, fragrant waves. She asked for two small bowls and shared some with Lu Wei and Ye Xiaoding.

Lu Wei returned the gesture, placing a portion of his cheong fun in her bowl. “This one’s really good, try it,” he said.

Ye Zhi looked at his plate. There wasn’t much left—just a small portion.

He was a grown man; that little plate clearly wouldn’t be enough.

“You eat it. I’m fine,” she told him.

“If it’s not enough, I’ll just order another,” Lu Wei said.

“No need! I can’t eat much,” she insisted.

Though she said no, when Lu Wei slid the rice rolls over to her side, she didn’t stop him.

She had to admit… the cheong fun was irresistible—smooth, bouncy, and silky-soft.

In the end, she even bought a youtiao (fried dough stick).

It was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and the kind of snack that left a lingering craving behind.

As Lu Wei watched her eat, he noticed that while she enjoyed the congee, she picked out every piece of scallion and ginger with almost surgical precision.

He quietly filed that away.

Ye Zhi doesn’t eat scallions or ginger.

Because they had to catch an early ferry the next morning, Ye Zhi didn’t plan on going back to the guesthouse to rest. Instead, they headed straight to a state-run supply store to buy daily goods.

Even though Lu Wei’s mother couldn’t meet them in person, she had sent someone with a thick stack of cash and ration coupons—grain coupons, meat coupons, daily essentials, and even luxury food stamps. There were also some national coupons that could be used all over China.

She said they were a welcome gift for her new daughter-in-law.

Some things she couldn’t send in person had already been mailed to Lu Wei’s corps station.

Ye Zhi was overwhelmed with gratitude.

They hadn’t even met yet, and here she was accepting such generous gifts.

Before leaving the guesthouse, she had asked Lu Wei to help her place a phone call—she wanted to thank his mother personally. But he told her his mom was probably already on the road.

They would have to wait until next time.

Whenever that would be.

On the train ride, Ye Zhi had asked Lu Wei about life on Qiongzhou Island. She learned that nearly everything—from daily goods to food—was shipped in from the mainland.

That meant prices were higher on the island and many essentials were often out of stock.

On the way to the store, Lu Wei said, “Don’t try to save for my sake. Buy what you need. Once we’re on the island, it’ll be hard to find these things.”

“My salary book—I’ll give it to you once we’re back. Didn’t bring it this trip.”

Ye Zhi looked up at his serious expression and nodded. Then she smiled and teased, “So, how much have you saved all these years?”

Lu Wei grinned and gave her a number.

Ye Zhi’s eyes widened. “That much?!” she gasped, shocked.

Lu Wei chuckled and said, “Maybe my family’s just afraid I’ll starve to death on the island.”

He’d spent most of his years in military school or in the barracks. No drinking, no smoking—saving money came naturally.

Still, she hadn’t expected him to have so much!

In this era, Ye Zhi had learned that anything over one yuan felt like a fortune. And people who could pull out a full ten-yuan note were basically walking tycoons.

Looks like she’d landed herself a golden husband!

A proper “gold turtle son-in-law.”

With money and coupons in hand, Ye Zhi officially leveled up to “wealthy woman” status.

Back in the guesthouse, she had already listed out everything she needed. Now, at the store, she just had to follow the list and pick things off the shelves.

The department store they went to had three floors, and she could basically buy everything in one go.

The focus was on kitchen supplies and seasonings.

Though the army had a cafeteria, they were building a real home now. Lu Wei deserved a proper hot meal—they needed a little taste of daily life.

Then there were dishes, bowls, pots, and utensils. Lu Wei might have had his own on the base, but Ye Zhi and Xiaoding still needed their own set.

Lu Wei had just mentioned that all these items could be sent to the ship in advance, and when they arrived at the island dock, they could just show the registration slip to collect them.

Although Ye Zhi was now considered one of the wealthy herself, when it came to actually buying things, she still couldn’t help but calculate the price carefully.

Sure enough, people become stingier after getting married.

Just like now—Ye Zhi was staring at a large mirror. She felt like she hadn’t looked into a mirror properly in ages and couldn’t move her feet.

Back in Xitang Town, because there were many women, mirrors were always being fought over, and eventually got smashed to pieces.

Later, everyone ended up sharing a small corner each. The parts of the mirror that were still intact only showed a nose or a mouth. It had been a long time since Ye Zhi had seen her full face.

Now that she had the chance, she couldn’t take her eyes off it. Her appearance seemed exactly the same as in her previous life.

She missed this face.

But then she looked at the price—two yuan!

Just as she was about to put it back, Lu Wei picked up the very mirror she had just used and handed it to the shopkeeper. “Comrade, I’ll take this one.”

Ye Zhi walked over to him and asked, “Why are you buying such a big mirror?”

Lu Wei smiled, “Didn’t you want it?”

Ye Zhi’s expression clearly said, “I did not.”

Lu Wei replied, “I saw you looking at it twice just now. I figured you must want it.”

The shopkeeper, overhearing their conversation, felt like her heart had just taken a critical hit.

Ye Zhi only smiled and let him pay for it.

After leaving the state-run store, both Lu Wei and Ye Xiaoding were carrying quite a few things, while Ye Zhi, apparently not finished shopping, headed toward the specialty food shop.

She turned back and said to them, “Let’s get some chicken cakes and walnut pastries, and also two bottles of soy sauce and sugar.”

With kids around, you definitely needed to have some snacks prepared.

Of course, Ye Zhi also had cravings.

Once they got to the island, it would probably be hard to find such things.

But the island was damp and humid, so she couldn’t buy too much or it would spoil easily.

Ye Xiaoding looked at her curiously and asked, “Auntie, can chicken cakes… be eaten?”

“Why not raise the chicks until they’re big enough to lay eggs? Why make them into cakes while they’re still so small?”

His face was full of pity and sorrow.

A nearby auntie, with a headscarf wrapped around her head, overheard him and burst into laughter. “Little one, they also sell ‘wife cakes’ here! Do you know why they’re selling wives too?”

Ye Xiaoding’s face instantly turned pale. “Grandma said there are many human traffickers in the big city. I didn’t think it was true! They’re actually selling wives!”

“Auntie, maybe we should report this to the police. Selling chicks is one thing, but how can they sell wives too?” He genuinely believed the woman’s words and quickly distanced himself from her.

Ye Zhi glanced at Lu Wei beside her and smiled, saying, “Your uncle is a soldier. Reporting to him works too.”

Seeing Ye Xiaoding nearly scared to tears, Lu Wei said, “The auntie was just teasing you. Chicken cakes don’t contain real chicks, and wife cakes don’t have wives in them either. It’s just what they’re called.”

Ye Xiaoding’s expression changed like a spilled paint palette. After a moment of thinking hard, he muttered, “Isn’t that false advertising then? Why call it a wife cake if there’s no wife in it…”

Ye Zhi couldn’t help but laugh—it was actually quite fun bringing Ye Xiaoding along.

Plus, he could help carry things.

The auntie who saw them buying so much asked, “Judging from your accent, you’re not from around here. Are you heading to Qiongzhou Island?”

Ye Zhi nodded, “Yes, we’re not locals. We’re going to Qiongzhou Island tomorrow.”

The woman smiled and asked, “First time? Following your husband after marriage?”

With such fair skin and delicate features, she clearly didn’t look like a local islander.

“Yes, aunty.” Ye Zhi also noticed the woman’s accent didn’t sound like someone from Yangcheng either. She was carrying a big backpack, so Ye Zhi asked, “Are you heading to Qiongzhou Island too?”

The auntie nodded, “Yes, I’m visiting relatives and picking up a few things to take back. I overheard the little guy saying your husband is in the army? Mine too—his name is Chen Baoguo, the battalion commander of the Eighth Battalion. If you get to the island, come find me for a chat.”

Ye Zhi smiled brightly. “Sure, aunty. I’m Ye Zhi, and my husband is Lu Wei. Once I’m on the island, I’ll find you.”

The auntie paused when she heard “Lu Wei”—the name sounded familiar, but she just couldn’t place it.

Then she added, “It’s your first time going to the island, right? You know you’ll be on the ship for over 30 hours? You better get some sour plums and seasickness medicine now, or it’ll be rough.”

Seeing how Lu Wei carried all the bags and kept glancing over worriedly at Ye Zhi talking to a stranger, it was clear he really cared about his wife.

He probably had already prepared everything.

Ye Zhi had been so focused on buying household supplies that she forgot the trip would take more than 30 hours by ship. The woman’s reminder brought her back to reality.

“Thank you, aunty. You’re so kind.”

The woman waved her hand. “No need to be polite. If fate allows, maybe we’ll meet again on the ship tomorrow. I’ll go buy some fermented bean curd now. Let’s chat another time.”

Ye Zhi nodded, “Alright.”

Once the woman left, Lu Wei came over and asked, “What did she say?”

Ye Zhi picked up a jar of chili sauce and set it on the counter. “She said she’s going to buy some fermented bean curd. Do you eat that?”

Lu Wei replied, “No. If you want to, buy it.”

Ye Zhi thought for a moment—stir-fried water spinach with fermented bean curd actually sounded pretty good.

Maybe she should get a jar.

She added, “That aunty also suggested we get seasickness medicine and sour plums. Where can we find those?”