Chapter 95 : You Married a Baby for Our Pingzhou Island

It turned out that the book Su Ranran had read a few days ago contained information about the hydroponic cultivation of water spinach.  

Just as she was about to try it, the typhoon hit, forcing her to put the idea aside.  

Su Ranran briefly explained the hydroponic method to Shen He.  

Hearing her words, the usually composed Shen He couldn’t sit still. He knew that his wife was exceptionally skilled in plant cultivation. Her success in growing chrysanthemums on the island alone was proof of her abilities.  

Since she could explain hydroponic techniques so confidently, it meant the method was likely feasible.  

“Ranran, thank you on behalf of the people of Pingzhou Island,” Shen He said sincerely.  

He saw how hard his wife worked, spending all her time researching different planting techniques, except for when she was eating or sleeping.  

If the hydroponic water spinach experiment succeeded, it would have a massive impact on the entire island.  

Hearing his words, Su Ranran couldn’t help but give him a playful glare.  

“Thank me after it succeeds,” she said.  

She hadn’t actually tried growing it before and had only studied the theoretical aspects.  

But to Shen He, her teasing expression made his heart soften even more. He was already touched by her dedication, how could he resist her adorable pout? His Adam’s apple moved slightly as he swallowed.  

After a brief pause, Shen He said, “You eat first. I’ll go write a report.”  

Su Ranran was a bit surprised.  

“Is it that urgent? Can’t you finish your meal first?”  

“It takes time to process the report the sooner, the better,” Shen He replied.  

Without waiting for her response, he hurried out again.  

Su Ranran: …  

—

On the other side, Liu Hong, who had just endured the terrifying Level 18 typhoon, was still shaken.  

Last night, instead of staying with the main group, she had been at another shelter.  

Unexpectedly, the door had been blown away, and she was struck by flying tiles from who-knows-where. Her shoulder was still bruised black and hurt whenever she moved.  

Meanwhile, Yan Yixing had been busy repairing the roof but hadn’t paid much attention to cleaning up the house.  

The yard was somewhat tidied, but the interior remained a mess.  

Even the quilts and clothes had only been briefly dried, without time to properly wash them. The family of three had been living like this for a day now.  

At the moment, they were eating the food Yan Yixing had brought back from the army, but their faces were filled with worry.  

Yan Yixing was preoccupied with the same concerns as Shen He, if the ships couldn’t sail for a long time, food supplies, especially vegetables, would run out.  

Fishing alone wouldn’t be enough to sustain the entire population. Besides, there was no guarantee they could catch fish in large quantities every time.  

Liu Hong, however, had different concerns. Upon hearing that the vegetable supply would only last a few more days and not knowing when the next shipment would arrive, her expression darkened.  

“Then why don’t you hurry up and bring back more vegetables?” she demanded.  

She regretted coming to this miserable place. There was nothing she wanted, and now even vegetables were becoming scarce. How could she tolerate this?  

Yan Yixing’s already serious expression turned even darker.  

“Those supplies are meant for all the people of Pingzhou Island. Everyone depends on them,” he replied sternly.  

But Liu Hong didn’t see it that way.  

“You’re a leader here, right? What’s the problem with taking a little extra? If you’re too embarrassed to ask, I can get Xiao Meng to send some over.”

In her heart, she believed there was nothing wrong with leaders having better food.  

“Liu Hong!”  

Yan Yixing’s face darkened. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that!”  

As a soldier, taking supplies meant for the people, let alone even thinking about it, was completely unacceptable.  

After being scolded, Liu Hong, already shaken by the typhoon, burst into tears out of grievance.  

“You’re being mean to me! How dare you treat me like this! You were the one who insisted on bringing me to this godforsaken place, and now I have nothing. I was doing just fine at home. If it weren’t for you, would I have to suffer like this?”  

Hearing her complaints, Yan Yixing felt a throbbing pain in his forehead.  

But in the end, he held back his frustration and tried to console her patiently, “There will be vegetable supplies soon. If we ration them properly, they’ll last for several days.”  

However, Liu Hong was in no mood to listen.  

Thinking about all the hardships she had endured on the island, coupled with her injury, made her feel even more wronged.  

She cried even harder.  

Yan Xiaoxiao, who was standing nearby, looked back and forth between her parents and started crying too.  

“Dad, Mom, don’t fight. Xiaoxiao will behave,” the little girl whimpered.  

With both his wife and daughter crying at the same time, Yan Yixing felt like his head was about to explode. Despite his headache, he remained firm in his stance.  

In the end, Yan Yixing ignored Liu Hong, picked up Yan Xiaoxiao, and walked out of the yard to calm her down.  

Just then, Shen He arrived at the Yan household and saw Yan Yixing trying to soothe the crying child.  

Seeing Shen He, Yan Yixing immediately shifted his attention away from Xiaoxiao.  

“What’s the matter?”  

He knew Shen He too well, he wouldn’t come over without a good reason.  

“I’m here to report on the hydroponic water spinach project,” Shen He said directly, not wanting to waste any time on pleasantries.  

Hearing this, Yan Yixing almost thought he had misheard.  

“Hydroponics? What do you mean?”  

Shen He handed him the report. “This is a planting method my wife has researched. It allows water spinach to grow directly in water.”  

Although Yan Yixing was from the north, his years in the military had taken him across the country, and he knew what water spinach was.  

He had considered introducing it to Pingzhou Island before, but despite several planting attempts, it never sprouted in the island’s salty soil. Eventually, he abandoned the idea.  

And now Shen He was talking about growing it in water?  

“Old Shen, are you kidding me?” Yan Yixing’s voice changed in disbelief.  

Growing vegetables directly in water?  

If this worked, wouldn’t it completely solve the problem of vegetable shortages on the sandy soil of Pingzhou Island?  

“The report is right here. Take a look.”  

Yan Yixing put Yan Xiaoxiao down and quickly skimmed through the report Shen He handed him.  

The more he read, the brighter his eyes shone.  

“Old Shen, you didn’t just marry a wife, you married a treasure for Pingzhou Island!”  

Even though the report was somewhat brief, as a layman, he could still see the potential of the technique.  

“What are we waiting for? Tomorrow? No, I’m going to talk to Old Cao right now and get people organized to build a hydroponic pool tonight!”  

The army had plenty of manpower, if they worked fast, they could have it done in one night.  

Meanwhile, Liu Hong, who was still crying in the kitchen, overheard her husband repeatedly praising Su Ranran outside. Her face turned even darker.  

“Yan Yixing, have you no shame? Praising another man’s wife like that?”