Chapter 13: Arriving on the Island

Ye Fan and Geng Zhiye were on a passing train, one with many people getting on and off. Ye Fan was worried that, if she wasn’t careful, someone might take the child in her arms, so she didn’t notice Geng Zhiye’s unusual expression.

The golden sun was setting in the west, and the sea and sky blended into one. A family of four boarded a fishing boat to the island.

The fishermen on the island all knew each other. When the boat owner saw Geng Zhiye, a stranger with large bundles of baggage, he guessed he was from the military. The boat owner, well-versed in discipline, was curious but didn’t ask a single question. Instead, he directly took the family of four to the nearest ferry dock by the military housing area.

It was the time for dinner, and the smoke from cooking fires rose everywhere. Ye Fan frowned slightly, thinking it looked like a rural area.

With this thought in mind, Ye Fan reached the door of their house. The building was only one story, but it was half a floor above ground, probably due to the damp seaside environment, so the builders had deliberately added an extra half-floor. The flat roof had another half-floor, like an attic for storing things. It looked quite old, probably about twenty years old. But none of this mattered; the most important thing was the standalone courtyard, which Ye Fan was very satisfied with. “Captain Geng, this is spacious!”

“Let’s go inside first.” Geng Zhiye handed her the keys and couldn’t help but lower his head and smile bitterly.

Ye Fan opened the door, and a strange smell immediately hit her. She thought it was because no one had lived there for over ten days, so she opened the window to let in some fresh air. Then she noticed that the living room only had a small dining table and four stools—brand new, as if Geng Zhiye had bought them recently.

Geng Zhiye had only gotten transferred here for three or four months, and this was all he had gotten so far. Could it really be true, like Chen Xiaohui said, that he had someone he cared about? All his actions in the capital were just to keep her in place or to show his family? If that were the case, he must be out of his mind.

Ye Fan saw three more doors in the living room and a staircase leading to the attic. There was another door on the north side, so she headed there first. She opened the door and exclaimed, “A kang?”

Geng Zhiye grabbed the two children who were eager to explore the stairs. “It used to be inconvenient to get in and out. Aside from the military canteen, the people on the island all use the kang. Even earlier, the military used to cook with firewood.”

“If I buy a stove, do I have to find a boat to buy coal balls too?”

Geng Zhiye replied, “We can ask the cooking team to bring a few bags, or we can make our own coal balls.”

Ye Fan had never made coal balls in either of her two lifetimes, and seeing that all the pots and dishes were on the counter, she asked, “No cabinets?”

“Mom, there’s no rolling pin!” The older child was being mischievous. Tao Chunlan often waved a rolling pin to scare him, which made him instinctively look for it.

Geng Zhiye didn’t dare look at Ye Fan. “I’m still making it, it’s not ready yet. The locals don’t seem to use rolling pins.”

“Don’t they eat noodles?”

Geng Zhiye replied, “Not many people eat wheat noodles. They eat fine and coarse rice flour noodles. For things like pancakes, they mix the dough soft and put it on…”

On the flat pan, they spin it around, and a pancake is ready. They also press the freshly made rice cake flat with their hands and wrap it with various vegetables. Rice flour can also be stir-fried.

The reason Geng Zhiye knew all this so well was because he had searched the entire island to find someone who could use a rolling pin. During the search, he discovered that, despite not having wheat, the locals’ dining tables were just as rich as those in the capital.

“No one here grows wheat, and going out to buy some flour won’t take too much time,” Geng Zhiye said. “But there are beds, quilts, and wardrobes.”

Ye Fan opened the window in the south-facing room. The bed was new, the wardrobe was also new, and as soon as she entered, she could smell the scent of new furniture. She opened the window and the wardrobe to air them out. “You must have toilet paper, right?”

Geng Zhiye was caught off guard by the question.

Ye Fan was relieved that she still had some toilet paper in her bag. “I’ll use the bathroom first. You can unpack, the kids must be tired.”

“Wait.” Geng Zhiye hesitated for a moment and called out to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan asked, “Are you going too?”

“There’s no toilet in the yard, we have to go to the public restroom.” Geng Zhiye rubbed his nose, not waiting for her to react before quickly explaining, “I’ve bought bricks and tiles. It’s just that the military’s been busy since we arrived, and there hasn’t been time to build yet.”

Ye Fan said, “Are we going to put the spittoon in the bathroom and empty it in the public restroom every morning and night?”

“You do the same at home, don’t you?” Geng Zhiye blurted out.

The older child covered his eyes with his hand and then covered his sister’s eyes with the other.

Ye Fan hit Geng Zhiye lightly on the arm. “Is this what you meant in your letter when you said everything was ready except for the wife?”

“Wherever you are, that’s home.”

Ye Fan was instantly speechless. “Lead the way!”

“Dabao, I need to pee,” the older child said.

Ye Fan picked up the younger child, and upon seeing this, Geng Zhiye immediately picked up the older one.

When they stepped outside, they saw someone carrying water from a distance. Ye Fan paused in her steps, and upon noticing, Geng Zhiye quickly ran off, causing the older child to clutch his father’s neck and shout, “Slow down, slow down—!”

Ye Fan was so angry that smoke seemed to rise from the top of her head. “I’ll deal with your dad later. Such a big courtyard and there’s not even a water well.”

“Deal with him!” The younger child chimed in loudly.

Ye Fan, in a bad mood, snapped, “I’ll deal with you first!”

Geng Erbao quickly covered his mouth, frightened. Mom was furious, and she’d scold anyone she could catch!

Ye Fan wasn’t exactly losing her mind, but she was very close.

Geng Zhiye’s point was that the humidity in Jiangnan was high, and by the seaside, it was even worse. If things weren’t used or eaten within ten days or half a month, they would start to mold. That’s why their house had no rice or oil.

Fortunately, before coming here, they had stopped by the Friendship Store. Ye Fan had bought a few bottles of cola, some snacks, and Tao Chunlan had stuffed a few packs of calcium biscuits and two boxes of milk powder into her bag. But when Ye Fan returned from the public restroom, wanting to wash her hands, drink some cola, and eat some biscuits, she found there wasn’t a single drop of water in the kitchen barrel.

Before she could get angry, Geng Zhiye quickly grabbed a carrying pole and water buckets and ran outside. On the way, someone greeted him.

Geng Zhiye didn’t dare linger.

Ye Fan’s face was icy, and the two little ones, trying to be obedient, didn’t dare open the cola or grab any bread. They leaned against their mom’s leg, waiting for their dad to return.

Geng Zhiye came in carrying two buckets of water. He smiled at Ye Fan, but when she glared at him, he was unbothered and went to the kitchen. After cleaning the washbasin, he poured half a basin of water in front of Ye Fan. “I’ll go make the bed.” He was careful not to stay in front of Ye Fan to avoid being scolded.

The well water was cold and refreshing enough to wash her face and hands, but not enough for a bath. “I’ll boil some water first.”

“Okay!” Geng Zhiye turned and went to the kitchen to scrub the pots and wash the ladles. He poured a bucket of water into a pot, laid down a burlap sack, and took out some rice straw given by the nearby fishermen to start a fire. Only after the straw was burning did he add the firewood.

The firewood had been chopped by Geng Zhiye the night before he left for home. Piled up in the kitchen by the window for over half a month, it had become very damp. Geng Zhiye added a few more bundles of rice straw to dry the wood before it could catch fire.

The firewood was in the stove, so there was no need to watch it for now. Geng Zhiye washed his hands and then went to the bedroom.

He made the bed for himself and Ye Fan, then went across the room to make the bed for the children.

Throughout it all, Ye Fan said nothing, quietly watching Geng Zhiye come and go, busily managing everything.

In his letter, Geng Zhiye had praised their new home so much that Ye Fan could just show up and move in. But now, it seemed they had nothing. He was worried Ye Fan might leave with the children, so he didn’t dare ask her for help.

When the water was ready, Geng Zhiye gave the older child a bath. The older child grabbed onto Ye Fan’s arm and said, “I don’t want Dad to bathe me.”

Geng Zhiye was too rough. He thought he was being gentle, but when he scrubbed the older child’s body, it turned red all over. When he wiped the older child’s face, the little face was rubbed so hard it turned bright red. The older child stomped his feet in frustration and complained. Geng Zhiye thought he was more delicate than the younger one.

Ye Fan glared at Geng Zhiye. “Mom will help you wash.”

“I’ll go get water.” Geng Zhiye poured the water from the basin outside and then went to the kitchen to scoop hot water.

While Ye Fan was bathing the younger child, Geng Zhiye used the two buckets of water he had fetched, making sure they were used completely. Before it got dark, he went to get two more buckets, one for the pot and one for cool water to keep for later.

Two days and one night, alone, was exhausting, especially with a child to look after. Ye Fan was relying solely on her willpower. After washing up, she lay on the bed and relaxed. In that instant, she felt completely drained, her limbs heavy and weak.

Geng Zhiye made sure both children were fed and content, watched them fall asleep, tucked them in, locked the room door, and quietly climbed into bed. As he lay down, he saw Ye Fan’s body move slightly. Geng Zhiye propped himself up. “Still awake? Are you still angry? You really got mad at me, is it worth it?”

“Is it still my fault?” Ye Fan opened her eyes.

Geng Zhiye nodded repeatedly. “It’s my fault.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms, but Ye Fan pinched his restless arm. Geng Zhiye gasped in pain but didn’t dare let go. “Actually, I can explain. I thought I wasn’t as perceptive as you, so I was waiting for you—”

The muscle on his arm was too hard. Ye Fan twisted his waist, and Geng Zhiye couldn’t stand it. He grabbed her hand. “Really, really.”

“How much ‘perception’ do you need for oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar?” Ye Fan let go, and Geng Zhiye took her hand. “It’s red now, right? Hurt yourself to hurt me, are you stupid?”

Ye Fan kicked him hard in the leg. Geng Zhiye, caught off guard, nearly fell off the bed and immediately stopped joking. “Is there anything else the house needs? Just tell me, I’ll buy it.”

Not wanting to eat dry, tasteless food or drink cold cola, Ye Fan temporarily spared him. “I said I needed a toothbrush, a towel, and some toothpaste. Why didn’t you stop me?”

“Your stuff is at home, but no one uses it.”

Ye Fan couldn’t help but glare at him.

Geng Zhiye quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, let’s not be angry. I promise I’ll have everything we need for the house ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Is there a supply and marketing cooperative here?”

Geng Zhiye replied, “It’s a fishing village plus my reinforced unit. With so many people, there should be a supply and marketing cooperative, but if we didn’t have one, buying things every day from the sea would require a lot of diesel. Although the supply and marketing cooperative has existed for a while, before we arrived, there wasn’t much in it—mostly just daily necessities.”

“You all?” Ye Fan asked.

Geng Zhiye nodded. “There used to be a camp on the island. At the end of last year, something big happened. It was mentioned briefly in the newspapers, but you might not know about it. At that time, there were dozens of warships directly involved in the battle in the south. They quickly deployed troops to support the south. The war ended quickly, but it really scared me.” He paused for a moment. “For almost half a month after that, any little sound at night could wake me up.”

“Weren’t you on the battlefield in the ’60s?” Ye Fan asked.

Geng Zhiye replied, “Ground combat isn’t scary. I’m not lacking in experience. But sea-based equipment isn’t as good, and I didn’t have much experience. If you fall into the sea, you might never be found. Even now, talking about it still feels complicated.” He paused, “In land combat, as long as there’s blood left in my body, I still have a chance of being rescued. There’s a chance I could see you all again.”

“Have you ever considered changing careers?” Ye Fan asked.

“No!” Geng Zhiye answered firmly.

Ye Fan was caught off guard by his straightforward response but wasn’t surprised—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been stationed on this island at such a critical time. “And then did they send more troops here?”

Geng Zhiye thought for a moment. “Well, there have been too many people in recent years. Parents who don’t want their children to go to the countryside are doing whatever they can to send them to the army. This year, our military strength has reached a new peak, and some areas at headquarters are nearly overcrowded.”

“If they cut the military, they wouldn’t start with you, right?”

It was cool at night, and Geng Zhiye wrapped her up with a blanket. “If I were reassigned, I could still go to Yong City’s Public Security Bureau and become a criminal police team leader. You don’t have to worry about not being able to support you, Dabo, and Erbao.”

“Where are your hands going?”

“Just checking if you’ve lost weight.”

Ye Fan looked at him sideways. “Did you figure it out?”

“No experience, my hands aren’t precise. I’ll just keep looking.”

Ye Fan kicked his leg, but she was too exhausted to put much force into it, soft and limp. Geng Zhiye smiled and hugged her leg. “Alright, no more teasing, let’s sleep. I know you’re tired.”