Chapter 61

As Yin Xiaoman had said, Cui Yan really picked up a piece of yellow soft candy and put it in her mouth. It was soft and chewy, and after she bit into it, a rich, never-before-experienced fruity fragrance rushed up to her nose.

“Delicious!” she nodded in approval.

Yin Xiaoman smiled and said: “Sister-in-law, try the white one next.”

But this time, Cui Yan didn’t do as she was told. She shook her head. “Can we keep eating without stopping? Just tasting one is enough.”

With that, she closed the lid of the box and put it back in its place. Then she asked: “How is this candy made? I’ve never even seen it before. Also, Xiaoman, you can even make molds yourself? How do you know how to do everything?”

She thought about the shell and the little rabbit-shaped molds.

“Not at all, you’re overestimating me.” Yin Xiaoman chuckled.

“I didn’t carve them, it was Erniu who saw a mold for making flower buns at the Kitchen Unit. She knew it was carved by Ren Ping’an, and insisted that he make one for her too. As it turned out, Ren Ping’an is quite skillful with his hands, and within a few days, he made several and brought them over.”

“Sister-in-law, the ones you saw were just a few? There are also stars, moons, little monkeys, and many other shapes!”

Ren Ping’an—Cui Yan remembered him as the little Squad Leader from the Kitchen Unit who had been staring at Yin Xiaoman intently, as if he was afraid someone would steal his chicken.

Thinking of his silly appearance, Cui Yan couldn’t help but laugh. “There are quite a few talents on this island.”

“Indeed, there are crouching tigers and hidden dragons!” ^[1]Chinese idiom “臥虎藏龍” which describes a place or situation that is full of unnoticeable masters.

Seeing that Cui Yan was interested, Yin Xiaoman didn’t hide anything. While she was making coconut milk cakes, she explained everything in detail.

“This is Shi Hua Cai, and the water boiled from it is sticky. Both the fruit-flavored candy you just tried and the coconut milk cake we’re making now need it as a setting agent.” ^[2]a species of red algae, commonly known as “Umutgasari” in Korean, that is found in shallow coastal areas of East Asia. It’s an economically important species, harvested for its … Continue reading

Yin Xiaoman placed a yellowish, seaweed-like lump into the pot and simmered it over low heat.

“Xiaoman, who did you learn all this from? I’ve spent more time by the sea than you, so why didn’t I know any of this?” Cui Yan couldn’t help but click her tongue in amazement.

“Because you’ve never cared about making food.” Yin Xiaoman replied.

Yin Xiaoman smiled and gave her a side glance. “I didn’t know about Shi Hua Cai either. I only noticed it when I saw the Kitchen Unit occasionally using it to make jelly. You know, when the weather gets hot on the island, they can’t bring in fresh meat. To improve the soldiers’ meals, sometimes they use this, along with some of the preserved smoked meat, to make soup and jelly.”

Cui Yan agreed with what Xiaoman said about her not caring much about making food.

She felt that it wasn’t important whether she cared or not. Even if she did care, she wouldn’t necessarily follow through.

Just like with the coconut milk cake, she had originally thought it was just a bit complicated, with a lot of chopping and grinding involved. But after seeing how much sugar and milk powder Yin Xiaoman had added, she lost any desire to learn. 

Why bother learning if she wouldn’t be able to make it anyway?

There were so many good things to eat—couldn’t she just savor them slowly instead of consuming it all in one sitting? Just thinking about it made her feel a tight pang in her heart.

But Cui Yan also knew that Xiaoman was doing this out of goodwill.

If they hadn’t come, she probably wouldn’t have made such precious food so frequently.

Cui Yan was grateful for that.

They had eaten steamed buns for lunch, and by mid-afternoon, they were served coconut milk cake. The members of the Research Team were momentarily dazed, feeling like it might as well be New Year’s Day.

Since arriving on the island, their lives had been timeless, but receiving two surprises in one day had managed to stir even their tired, numb nerves.

Engineer Ning paused from his work and approached Elder Hua, holding the coconut milk cake in front of him and waving it. “What’s going on with Xiaoman today? Is there some good news at home?”

Elder Hua had already heard about Qi Feng and his family arriving and had agreed to gather with them in the evening. When Engineer Ning asked, he smiled and winked at him. “Well, there is some good news! A big celebration! You want to come join the fun?”

Hearing this, Engineer Ning became curious. “Oh, what’s the occasion? Tell me, I want to get in on the joy!”

But after Elder Hua explained that it was because the Qi family had arrived and they would be having dinner together that evening, Engineer Ning’s smile slowly faded, and he became quiet.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like Qi Feng coming?” Elder Hua asked, puzzled. In his impression, the old friends had always had a good relationship with Qi Feng and his group.

“No, it’s not that.” Engineer Ning shook his head.

“I was just thinking… has it really become this chaotic outside? Even Qi Feng has been forced to hide away here?”

As soon as these words were spoken, Elder Hua’s smile faded, and both of the old men fell into silence.

Although no one said it outright, both of them knew that, in the beginning, choosing to send Shen Qingyun and Xiaoman to the island was actually a reluctant decision.

While the island was relatively peaceful, it allowed them to escape many of the outside disturbances. However, the downside was that they would lose many opportunities as well.

For example, if Shen Qingyun had been able to join the new ship as planned, he could have easily become its commander, and his future would have been filled with bright prospects.

But now, he had ended up in this remote place, spending his days blowing up mountains, smashing rocks, and digging warehouses.

No one would bother him here, but as a soldier, and one with great ambitions, wouldn’t his career, in the prime of his life, be completely wasted here?

No one could answer this question.

Because no one knew how long they would stay on this island. No one could even say if, when they returned to the mainland, Shen Qingyun would have the same opportunities as before, opportunities that were so good.

But no matter what, Shen Qingyun’s decision to come to the island was partly due to his own reasons, as he needed to protect his wife and family.

Xiaoman’s background did, indeed, weigh him down.

But what about Qi Feng?

Qi Feng’s situation was different from Shen Qingyun’s.

His wife came from a respectable family, and his own background had no weaknesses that anyone could exploit. As a Political Officer, he had excellent insight and was very sharp when it came to sensing shifts in power. He was not someone who couldn’t protect himself.

Coupled with his work abilities and the respect he earned from his superiors in the military, this kind of person should, by all accounts, have a promising future. In fact, one could say he was destined for success. Yet, now even he had been forced to seek refuge here…

So, what kind of world had it become outside?

Both of the elderly men had weathered many storms in their time. While they couldn’t claim to predict everything, their sense of alertness was certainly sharp.

After a long period of silence, Elder Hua let out a soft sigh and spoke to Engineer Ning. “When work ends this evening, call a meeting for everyone. Have them go back and think things through carefully, then come up with a list to submit tomorrow. See if there are any suitable candidates from their families to send to the island. List them all out, and I’ll take it to the higher-ups for discussion.”

As soon as these words were spoken, Engineer Ning suddenly looked up, and the two men exchanged a silent, knowing glance.