Chapter 22

Qi Feng had mentioned following along to take a look, but how could he possibly do something so inappropriate?  

The young couple had just reunited—why would he want to ruin such a moment?  

So, as soon as they reached the gate to his courtyard, the two of them parted ways.  

When Shen Qingyun stepped into the courtyard, he instinctively took a deep breath.  

What greeted him was an aroma so tantalizing it made his mouth water.  

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he still didn’t expect the meal his wife had cooked to smell *this* good!  

The fragrance was so overwhelming that he didn’t have time to think; his feet moved on their own, leading him straight to the kitchen.  

As he walked in, Da Bao and Erniu, who had been sitting at the table, immediately broke into smiles.  

The two children quickly stood up—one fetched a basin of water, and the other grabbed a towel.  

“Dad, wash your hands!”  

“Dad, wipe them off!”  

Shen Qingyun had never experienced this kind of treatment before, and for a moment, he felt a bit overwhelmed by the attention.  

“Alright.”  

He nodded in agreement and completed the entire process of washing and drying his hands under the eager gazes of his children.  

Just as he was about to express his feelings, Da Bao swiftly took the remaining water and poured it outside, while Erniu efficiently folded the towel and put it away.  

The two of them then turned in unison to Yin Xiaoman, who was bringing dishes to the table.  

Erniu spoke crisply on behalf of the pair, “Mom, Dad’s hands are clean. We can eat now!”  

Yin Xiaoman nodded. “Take your seats.”  

The two children cheered and immediately returned to their seats, sitting properly.  

Not once did they look back at Shen Qingyun.  

Shen Qingyun: “…”  

It was Yin Xiaoman, however, who raised her head and said warmly to him, “You should sit, too.”  

Why did he suddenly feel like a guest in his own home?  

Suppressing his discomfort, Shen Qingyun took the seat next to Da Bao that belonged to him.  

And then, he understood the children’s enthusiasm completely.  

It felt like he had never eaten anything this delicious before!  

There was braised dried bamboo shoots with pork!  

Seaweed egg drop soup!  

And a perfectly cooked bowl of two-grain rice, with every grain glistening as though illuminated from within…  

Shen Qingyun suddenly found himself unable to articulate the emotions in his heart.  

“Where did you get these dishes and fine grains?”  

He finally set his chopsticks down.

Yesterday, when Shen Qingyun was retrieving the luggage, he had noticed that his wife had brought some food supplies. In the morning, he had also seen half a bag of cornmeal and a few sweet potatoes in the kitchen.  

But he never would have imagined that lunch would be so extravagant.  

Although he hadn’t stayed at home much over the years, he was well aware of how frugally his parents and elder brother’s family lived.  

Frugal to the point where calling them stingy wouldn’t have been an exaggeration.  

There was no way he believed this spread had been prepared by his parents.  

“It’s from Grandma and Grandpa!”  

Before Yin Xiaoman could reply, Erniu was the first to chime in loudly.  

“Grandma and Grandpa?”  

Shen Qingyun frowned, momentarily confused about who Erniu was referring to.  

“My parents left it for me. They left quite a bit, and I brought it all here,” Yin Xiaoman explained succinctly.  

“Grandma and Grandpa are great! They left rice and oil!”  

Even Da Bao, who usually spoke very little, added his agreement. This only deepened Shen Qingyun’s complicated emotions.  

Back when his father-in-law had decided to marry Yin Xiaoman to him, it was simply because they thought he could provide a steady life.  

Yet in the end, he had given them nothing in return. Instead, his family was now living off the food her parents had left behind.  

A sense of guilt swelled in Shen Qingyun’s chest, and suddenly, the food in his bowl didn’t taste as delicious as it had moments ago.  

“In the afternoon, I’ll go to the canteen to get my rations and bring them back. I’ll also buy some rice and flour while I’m there. As for vegetables, you can go to the canteen daily and pick whatever you want. Don’t hold back when it comes to food. If we run low on money or ration tickets, I’ll figure something out.”  

He had realized that his wife was accustomed to a certain standard of living. She likely hadn’t endured much hardship growing up and wasn’t the frugal type.  

But he didn’t mind at all.  

After serving in the military for so many years and risking his life for the country on several occasions, Shen Qingyun felt that, at the very least, he should be able to provide for his wife and children.  

Though he didn’t say it aloud, he was already considering ways to obtain more fine grains for the household.  

At the mention of food, Yin Xiaoman finally raised her head and, for the first time that afternoon, met his gaze directly.  

“This morning, Sister-in-law Cui came by the house. She said she’d take me out this afternoon to look around. I thought I might see if I can buy something to eat,” Yin Xiaoman said.  

Hearing that Sister-in-law Cui had visited, Shen Qingyun didn’t appear surprised.  

He had already anticipated her coming over after running into her at the gate earlier that morning.  

After all, there weren’t many family members in the camp, and among those who had come along with their husbands, Yin Xiaoman was the only one like her.  

Sister-in-law Cui’s curiosity about her wasn’t new. She had been curious for some time.  

“Go ahead. She’s the commissar’s wife, a good person. If you’re ever bored, you can chat with her often. Our families are close—we live right next door.”  

After a brief pause, Shen Qingyun shook his head. “But if you’re thinking of buying food, you’ll still need to go to the canteen. The county town is several dozen li away, and there isn’t a Supply and Marketing Cooperative nearby. At most, Sister-in-law Cui can show you around the camp area, but there aren’t any places to buy food nearby.”  

“Then, even vegetables need to be bought?”  

Yin Xiaoman began to fret. If that was the case, and without the small storehouse to supplement their supplies, seventeen yuan a month might really not be enough.  

“Vegetables…”  

Shen Qingyun seemed to suddenly remember something and pointed outside.  

“There’s an empty plot of land behind our house. I noticed Sister-in-law Cui’s family is already growing vegetables there. When you get back this afternoon, I’ll go and turn the soil. Then I’ll ask Sister-in-law Cui for some seeds. You can grow some yourself.”  

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoman paused her eating, looked up at him, and shook her head. “I don’t know how.”  

Shen Qingyun stared at her, momentarily stunned.  

“Really, I’ve never done it before,” Yin Xiaoman said earnestly.  

She had grown up by the seaside, living with her grandmother. They had never had a piece of land to call their own, so she’d never learned how to farm vegetables.  

It took a while before Shen Qingyun finally responded, “…I know how.”  

After a brief hesitation, he added, “I’ll do it.”  

What kind of pampered life had his wife lived to not even know how to grow vegetables?  

Back in the village, even children as young as four or five would rarely admit to not knowing how to plant vegetables!

Shen Qingyun made an effort to recall, and after thinking for a while, he realized that he and his brother had been helping their parents in the fields as far back as he could remember.  

Even if they couldn’t handle heavy work, pulling weeds or scattering vegetable seeds was something they had always done.  

He clicked his tongue, suddenly finding it amusing. It felt as though he had unknowingly stumbled upon a treasure—a precious gem nurtured and protected by her parents.  

“I’ll plant the vegetables in the next few days. The temperature here is high, so even in winter, the seeds will sprout. In less than a month, we’ll have fresh greens to eat.  

Until then, just buy what you can from the canteen. If you can’t find something, go to Sister-in-law’s garden and pick some. It’s fine; I’ll talk to her in advance. With the relationship between our families, it’s not a big deal.”  

His voice was warm and patient, and there was even a hint of indulgence in his gaze that he didn’t bother to hide.  

As Shen Qingyun predicted, that afternoon Cui Yan only took Yin Xiaoman for a stroll around the camp area.  

According to Cui Yan, this Pioneer Camp was the only place with any semblance of life within miles. Everywhere else was desolate and barren.  

“If there’s no one around, how could there be a Supply and Marketing Cooperative or a convenience center?” Cui Yan said with a shrug.  

The short tour left Yin Xiaoman feeling thoroughly disheartened.  

On the way back, she couldn’t hold back her curiosity and finally asked, “Sister-in-law, where is the canteen? Could you take me there to have a look? Qingyun said I should buy vegetables from the canteen in the future.”  

The moment she mentioned buying vegetables from the canteen, Cui Yan stumbled slightly. She turned to look at Yin Xiaoman with a sharp yet serious gaze.  

But all she saw on Yin Xiaoman’s face was an air of innocence and calmness.  

Cui Yan immediately understood—this girl didn’t know anything!  

Having just endured the famine years, even in this military camp, which was a front-line unit receiving national subsidies, the food situation wasn’t great.  

The soldiers considered themselves lucky if they could have one or two meals of pure fine grains a month.  

As for vegetables, there were occasional fish and shrimp, but those were rare.  

Most of their meals consisted of salted fish and seaweed brought by local fishermen. Even after hours of preparation, the dishes remained pungent, salty, and bitter.  

If it weren’t to accompany rice, most people wouldn’t be able to stomach them.  

Vegetables were primarily grown in fields managed by the camp itself, ensuring self-sufficiency. There was no need to buy them elsewhere.  

The canteen did indeed allow family members to purchase meals or food, but it was primarily intended for temporary visitors.

But the prices at the canteen were exorbitant.  

Since the Military Unit’s provisions were only meant for soldiers, family members could only purchase food at inflated prices.  

Even a coarse grain bun cost a penny more than outside.  

Salted fish and vegetables were priced at nearly five cents per serving. With that money, one could buy enough tofu or soybean sprouts at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to make a proper dish.  

As a result, no family members ever bought meals or ingredients from the canteen. That kind of money was better spent on buying more coarse grain. Even without vegetables, life could still go on. Spending money on overpriced food like that was painful just to think about.  

Clearly, Shen Qingyun hadn’t mentioned any of this to his wife. He likely couldn’t bear the thought of his young wife living a life so frugal that even buying vegetables would be out of reach.  

Recalling the thoughtful return gift Yin Xiaoman had given her earlier, Cui Yan could see that her family background was good, and she had likely never experienced hardship.  

Looking again at Yin Xiaoman’s delicate and charming demeanor—a sight that even Cui Yan found endearing—it became clear to her.  

Shen Qingyun was not only satisfied with his new wife but deeply cared for her as well.  

With this realization, Cui Yan paused to consider her words carefully before speaking softly.  

“Don’t go to the canteen to buy food. It’s expensive and not very good. Sister-in-law will take you to another place.”  

Yin Xiaoman didn’t fully understand what was going on, but she suddenly felt that Sister-in-law Cui’s attitude toward her had grown warmer.  

Without overthinking it, she nodded quickly. “Alright, thank you, Sister-in-law.”  

Cui Yan led Yin Xiaoman along a small path that circled the edge of the camp. After walking for about ten to twenty minutes, they arrived at a stretch of beach.  

This was the spot Cui Yan had pointed out earlier to Yin Xiaoman, saying, “This is the seaside. When it gets warmer, I’ll have Qiangzi and his brother take Da Bao and Erniu here to play.”  

However, she hadn’t brought Yin Xiaoman here earlier.  

“Just ahead, past this area, there’s a small village with only a few households. Sometimes, they sneak out to fish in the sea. If we’re lucky, we might be able to trade for something.”  

Xiaoman, don’t tell anyone about this, alright?”  

Cui Yan whispered, her tone low and urgent.  

“I really had no other choice. Adults don’t matter as much, but I had to make sure the two little ones at home got some meat. That’s why I came here. Honestly, there’s not much meat on those fish anyway.”  

As she spoke, Cui Yan leaned closer to Yin Xiaoman. Her voice became softer, almost inaudible.  

Even though they had already reached the seaside, where the surroundings were vast and empty without a single soul in sight, Cui Yan instinctively glanced around as she talked, her wary eyes scanning the area.  

Yin Xiaoman quickly nodded vigorously and said earnestly, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I understand. Thank you for trusting me.”  

She didn’t say much, but the sincerity in her gaze reassured Cui Yan, easing the tension that had been weighing heavily on her.  

This place was indeed something Cui Yan had stumbled upon by accident.  

Because she trusted Shen Qingyun’s character and, more importantly, noticed how much he valued Yin Xiaoman, Cui Yan decided to bring her along.  

After all, in these times, being reported for private trading was a serious matter.  

Though they called it a fishing village, it was really just a few makeshift wooden houses scattered far apart near the sea.  

The houses were crudely built, haphazardly thrown together without much care. They looked as if they could collapse at any moment—a mere step above being described as shacks.  

“Those people used to live on fishing boats. Later, when the boats were collectivized, they came ashore to build these houses and settled here,” Cui Yan explained in a hushed tone, noticing Yin Xiaoman staring at the houses.  

Yin Xiaoman nodded in understanding.  

This kind of life was all too familiar to her.  

Compared to Cui Yan, who had come from Capital City, she understood these conditions far better.  

Years ago, she and her grandmother had also lived on a fishing boat.  

At the time, her parents had already passed away. With one too old and the other too young, there was no way they could go out to sea. They survived by scavenging along the shore, picking up seafood to sustain themselves.  

By the time she left, their boat was already dilapidated, worn out beyond repair. It was no better than the scene in front of her now.  

She had no idea how her grandmother had managed to survive after she left.  

The thought struck Yin Xiaoman suddenly, and a wave of bitterness welled up in her chest.  

As they talked, the two of them had already reached the westernmost house in the fishing village.  

Cui Yan stepped forward, knocked on the door, and called out loudly, “Uncle Li! Uncle Li, are you there? It’s me, Cui Yan! I’ve come to see you and Auntie!”  

Yin Xiaoman was utterly astonished.  

Hadn’t they agreed to keep things low-key?  

Seeing her reaction, Cui Yan couldn’t help but laugh. She winked playfully and said, “We’re just visiting an old friend. What’s wrong with being upfront about it?”  

Yin Xiaoman suddenly understood and nodded, her expression clearing.  

The door soon creaked open, revealing the man Cui Yan had called Uncle Li—a simple, honest-looking fellow.  

Clearly, he hadn’t expected Cui Yan to show up today. Embarrassed, he rubbed his hands together and said awkwardly, “Comrade Cui, I don’t have anything for you today!”  

Cui Yan waved his concerns away nonchalantly. “Uncle Li, I’m not here to trade today. This is my younger sister. In the future, if she comes by, I hope you can lend her a hand.”  

Uncle Li was startled by her words and quickly turned to look at Yin Xiaoman.  

It was evident that when he had come out earlier, he had been so focused on speaking to Cui Yan that he hadn’t even noticed the quiet figure standing to the side.  

“Uncle Li,” Yin Xiaoman greeted him with a smile. “I hope I won’t trouble you too much in the future.”  

“Don’t say that! Please don’t say that,” Uncle Li replied hastily, shaking his head.  

After a moment of thought, he added, “Wait here for a moment.”  

Without even inviting them inside, he left the door open and rushed toward the back room.  

This sort of situation was clearly not new to Cui Yan. She casually led Yin Xiaoman inside the house, navigating the space with ease.  

However, they didn’t venture further in. They remained in the dimly lit main room, waiting for Uncle Li to return with whatever he intended to bring.  

Before long, Uncle Li emerged, carrying a dirty and tattered fish basket. Looking sheepish, he handed it over to them.  

“Just a few small trash fish from today’s catch,” he mumbled apologetically. “I doubt they’re worth your time.”  

As he spoke, he extended the basket toward them, his embarrassment evident.  

Cui Yan leaned forward to take a peek into the basket, only to quickly recoil, grimacing as the strong salty fishy odor hit her.  

“Is that it? These fish are so tiny—how are we supposed to eat them? You could spend ages picking at them and still not get a bite of meat,” she said, clearly disappointed.  

“There’s nothing else,” Uncle Li replied, gesturing toward a battered wooden basin in the corner. “Oh, there are some clams too, but I doubt you’d want those either.”  

Cui Yan glanced at the basin and wrinkled her nose. “Even worse—those things are full of sand. Completely inedible.”  

Seeing that Cui Yan had no interest, Yin Xiaoman finally spoke up. “I’ll take the small fish and the clams. How much for all of it?”  

Both of them turned to her in surprise.  

Cui Yan grabbed Yin Xiaoman’s arm, leaning in to whisper bluntly, “Why would you want this stuff? It’s all shells and bones. Forget the kids—even adults would have trouble eating it without choking. Don’t waste your money on this junk!”  

Even Uncle Li, worried about losing a potential new customer, chimed in eagerly, nodding in agreement. “She’s right. These aren’t the kind of things you’re used to eating. They’re not good. Wait for the next time I catch a big fish—I’ll save it for you.”  

But Yin Xiaoman smiled at them both, her tone resolute. “It’s fine. I’ll take it and see if I can make something out of it. How much for everything?”  

Seeing her determination, Cui Yan had no choice but to relent, turning to Uncle Li instead. “She’s new to this—give her a good price.”  

Uncle Li grinned sheepishly, nodding repeatedly. “Of course, of course. How about… ten cents for everything? I’ll even lend you the basket.”  

Before Yin Xiaoman could respond, Cui Yan cut in angrily.  

“Ten cents?! Uncle Li, we’ve known each other for years. How can you be so shameless? This pile of tiny fish and clamshells wouldn’t even get you a piece of black corn bread if it weren’t for my sister wanting them! Ten cents? You might as well ask for a dollar!”  

Uncle Li’s face turned beet red. He laughed awkwardly, clearly flustered. “Comrade Cui, there’s the basket too…”  

“The basket? You’re just lending it to us, not giving it away! Two cents. Not a penny more!”

“Five cents, five cents! At least give me that. After all, I went out early in the freezing morning to gather these. Consider it a little something for my hard work,” Uncle Li pleaded.  

Yin Xiaoman felt a slight stir in her heart.  

Seeing that Cui Yan was about to argue further, she gently tugged her sleeve and took the lead in the conversation. “Uncle Li, I’ll take everything for five cents. But could you tell me where you went to gather them?”  

At her question, Uncle Li’s brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of wariness flickered in his eyes.  

Noticing this, Cui Yan immediately frowned.  

“What’s the matter? Afraid we’ll take over your spot? Is this sea privately owned by you? Don’t forget, everything here belongs to the state! My sister just came from the city and is curious about these things. You’re the one overthinking it!”  

She scoffed and pulled Yin Xiaoman by the arm. “Forget it. If you’re going to be like this, then there’s no need to deal with you anymore. Come on, sister, I’ll take you to another place.”  

As Cui Yan tugged Yin Xiaoman to leave, Uncle Li grew anxious, realizing he was about to lose the sale entirely.  

“Wait, Comrade Cui! Why are you so quick-tempered? I haven’t even said anything yet!”  

He sighed heavily, blocking their path. “Don’t be angry. I didn’t mean anything by it. Of course, I know everything here is state-owned. Even in the past, no one ever stopped others from gathering by the sea. We all rely on the water to survive, and there’s no such thing as hoarding resources.  

It’s just that… well…” He hesitated before shaking his head. “I’m only worried that if something gets discovered and reported, it might cause trouble.”  

Hearing his honest explanation, Cui Yan softened slightly and said nothing more. Instead, she nudged Yin Xiaoman forward and addressed Uncle Li again.  

“Uncle Li, let me be upfront with you. My sister here is Colonel Shen’s wife. She just joined him recently. You know Colonel Shen—how could you not trust his wife?”  

At the mention of Shen Qingyun, Uncle Li’s expression immediately lit up. His face broke into a wide grin, and his eyes sparkled with newfound enthusiasm.  

“Colonel Shen’s wife! Oh, I see! I see!” He nodded repeatedly, now all smiles. Refusing to take any payment, he not only explained the location of his gathering spot in great detail but also insisted that they take the basket of goods for free.  

In the end, it was Cui Yan who forced Yin Xiaoman’s five cents onto the edge of the wooden basin before they turned and left, finally extricating themselves from the situation.  

After they left, Yin Xiaoman remained silent.  

The sudden shift in events had left her momentarily dazed and unsure how to process everything.  

Seeing her quiet, Cui Yan assumed that Yin Xiaoman might be upset about her revealing their identities and quickly tried to explain.  

“Xiaoman, don’t be mad. Since we’ve come this far, it was only a matter of time before our identities came out. Uncle Li is the village chief, and he’s the one who delivers the vegetables to our camp. It’s not like we could keep it a secret for long. You saw, he knew who I was.”  

Yin Xiaoman shook her head in response. “Sister-in-law, I wasn’t thinking about that. I don’t really understand these things, so just do what you think is best. Qingyun said I should only listen to you.  

I was just wondering, since Uncle Li told us where he gathers from, can we go there ourselves next time? That way, we won’t need to pay for these things again.”  

When she heard that Shen Qingyun had told his wife to listen to her, Cui Yan’s heart swelled with pride, feeling deeply trusted.  

But when Yin Xiaoman suggested they could gather seafood themselves next time without having to pay, Cui Yan found the thought absolutely adorable and couldn’t help but laugh.  

She pulled Yin Xiaoman’s shoulder in a playful, affectionate gesture and said, “Xiaoman, you’re so funny! Sister-in-law really loves you to bits!”  

Yin Xiaoman, who had been speaking seriously just moments before, was caught off guard by this sudden shift and turned to look at her, completely confused.  

Seeing her bewildered expression, Cui Yan laughed even harder.  

It took her a while to calm down, before finally pointing a finger at the fish basket Yin Xiaoman was holding. “You’re going to gather this stuff? I wouldn’t even take it for free! It’s a waste of oil and firewood. Who else would pay for it? Unless their brain’s not working right!”  

Yin Xiaoman stared at her, speechless.  

So, after all that, they thought she was the one with the problem?  

Well, fine then. She would just focus on making something delicious with it tonight.  

Of course, the “sane” ones would never willingly eat such things.  

Her mind raced, running through various recipes: stir-fried clams, braised small fish, fish soup…  

A list of dishes played out before her eyes.