Chapter 26

Yin Xiaoman felt a chill run down her spine as she was stared at with such eager eyes. After a brief pause, she finally managed to speak, “Well, it’s time to eat.”

Then, in the blink of an eye, she saw a flash, and in that moment, the entire group surged into the kitchen.

“Oh my god, Sister-in-law, have you taken out your family’s entire yearly food budget? This is really extravagant!”

“Is this all cooked by our Yin Sister-in-law? Now I know that Gao Chong wasn’t just boasting about her cooking skills every day. After tasting this, I could brag about it for a whole year!”

“Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law, you should sit at the main seat, you should! Colonel? Hey, Colonel, Instructor, you guys sit over there for now. The main characters today are the two Sister-in-laws, they should sit at the head of the table!”

…

Yin Xiaoman was a cold person by nature. Back when she was at the Imperial Kitchen, she had hosted meals with subordinates before, and had even been the center of attention at those gatherings.

But with her personality, no one had ever spoken to her like this, nor had any meal been so chaotic.

For a moment, she really didn’t know how to respond.

As a few people came over and pulled her to try to make her sit at the head of the table, Yin Xiaoman finally began to panic. She couldn’t help but cast a helpless glance at Shen Qingyun.

Since they had entered the kitchen, Shen Qingyun’s eyes had been glued to Yin Xiaoman. He hadn’t looked away once.

He thought that with each day he spent with his little wife, he discovered even more things about her that made his heart flutter.

For example, he knew Xiaoman was a good cook, but he hadn’t expected her to be able to prepare such an impressive spread, to single-handedly manage such a large meal.

She was incredibly capable.

But then, when he thought of her fragile figure, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of concern. How tired must she be to have done all this?

He even regretted agreeing to Qi Feng’s idea of this gathering.

He hadn’t realized that all these dishes would be prepared by his wife!

His mind was filled with these thoughts, but in the blink of an eye, time had passed.

When he caught the helpless look his wife had thrown him, Shen Qingyun didn’t even think. Almost instinctively, he strode over, grabbed her hand, and pulled her behind him.

“Whoa, so protective already? Hey, wait a minute, Colonel, what are you protecting? We just want Sister-in-law to sit at the main seat. Isn’t it right for her to sit there today since we’re welcoming her?”

The thin, dark man was the loudest one.

Hearing him go on and on, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but move closer to her man, edging even closer to him.

As she felt the familiar faint fragrance behind her grow nearer, Shen Qingyun felt as though his entire back was about to go numb.

A sense of responsibility surged within him.

He cleared his throat and waved his hand at Liu Chang, who was hopping around in front of him, and scolded in a feigned tone of impatience, “Go, go, go! What nonsense are you talking about? We’re all revolutionary soldiers, where’s the distinction between primary and secondary? What main seat are you talking about? My wife is definitely sitting with me! Don’t make a fuss! If you keep making noise, I’ll have you all go back to the cafeteria to eat!”

Hearing him, the others couldn’t help but laugh.

Everyone exchanged a glance and then cast teasing looks toward Shen Qingyun.

Protecting his wife was fine, but why did he need such a lofty excuse to justify it?

However, when their gazes shifted to the shy, docile Yin Xiaoman behind him, their teasing turned instantly into blatant envy.

Well, they weren’t wrong when they said Colonel Shen was born with good luck. He could even bring a wife home after sending a kid back, and not just any wife—one who was so capable!

It was enough to make anyone jealous just thinking about it.

Shen Qingyun didn’t care what they were thinking. He took Yin Xiaoman’s hand and sat down first at the inner side of the table. Even after sitting down, he didn’t let go of her hand, as if he had forgotten about it entirely.

Yin Xiaoman gently tried to pull her hand away, but couldn’t break free.

It looked like he wasn’t gripping tightly, but no matter how much she moved, she couldn’t pull her hand out.

Frustrated, Yin Xiaoman kicked the man under the table with all her might.

But he just grinned so widely that the corners of his eyes crinkled, his eyebrows not even furrowing as he tightened his grip on her hand.

A flush of red slowly spread from behind her ear, quickly coloring her entire face.

In front of so many people, Yin Xiaoman didn’t want to make a scene and could only endure his grip, acting as if she didn’t notice it at all.

In her heart, however, she cursed him a hundred times over!

As the regiment instructor, Qi Feng naturally had a good sense of reading the room. Watching his brother act so shamelessly, he was both angry and amused but couldn’t help but smooth things over.

He hurriedly called Cui Yan to sit in the main seat before the others’ attention turned toward them.

Once the two officers had settled, everyone else naturally followed suit.

At the entrance, the delicious smell that had wafted out earlier had already made everyone’s mouths water. Despite the earlier commotion, everyone’s eyes couldn’t help but keep glancing at the dining table.

Now that they had all seated, no one spoke, and no one moved their chopsticks. They all stared at the various dishes, many of which they hadn’t seen in years, and were left dumbfounded.

Not to mention the others, even Qi Feng was taken aback.

The night before, when the couple had discussed hosting guests for the day, his wife had already planned things out with him. She mentioned buying a piece of meat, some tofu, and even told him that she had made arrangements with the cafeteria to help her get a chicken.

He had thought that with chicken, meat, and tofu, plus a vegetable dish, they would have four large bowls of food—this was already a gesture full of sincerity.

But who could have imagined that in just one afternoon, these two women managed to produce so many dishes!

Could it be that his wife, taking advantage of her good relationship with little Yin, had convinced them to dig into their old family reserves to bring out so many things?

He gave Cui Yan a deep look, his gaze filled with unmistakable reproach.

Cui Yan choked up, angered by his look, but couldn’t defend herself. Looking at the spread on the table, she too felt a little uneasy. She thought the ingredients she bought wouldn’t have been enough to create such a feast.

However, as the female Master of the house, she had to keep up appearances, so she could only smile and direct the scene. “Don’t just stare, let’s eat. Don’t let the dishes get cold, that would be a waste of your little Yin Sister-in-law’s efforts.”

As soon as she spoke, the atmosphere suddenly became lively, with everyone picking up their chopsticks. Compliments and exclamations of astonishment filled the air, as everyone praised the meal.

Shen Qingyun picked up a piece of braised chicken gizzard and popped it into his mouth, immediately raising his eyebrows in surprise. The rich aroma, the crisp texture, and a slight hint of spiciness as he chewed—it was a flavor he hadn’t tasted in years, not even since his childhood!

He turned to glance at his wife, casting her an appreciative look.

But that glance made him frown. He noticed that Xiaoman’s bowl only had a single piece of pickled cabbage, and she was slowly nibbling on a steamed bun with it.

Suddenly, the image of their family meals flashed before his eyes, and he realized he had overlooked something important.

That was—Xiaoman was particular. At home, she always used serving chopsticks!

Glancing around at his comrades, who were eating like wolves, barely pausing to talk, Shen Qingyun felt a sudden unease in his chest.

Without saying a word, he grabbed the bowl in front of Yin Xiaoman, and without hesitation, began serving her the best dishes, one by one, until her bowl was nearly full. He placed it back in front of her, saying, “Eat.”

The table fell silent for a moment before erupting into a burst of laughter.

Everyone began to tease and poke fun at him, ignoring the fact that he was the commander of the first regiment. They all started criticizing Shen Qingyun, one after another.

No one had ever seen someone dote on his wife this much.

Even Qi Feng, who usually helped him out, wasn’t willing to intervene. He sat off to the side, grinning and enjoying the scene, occasionally adding fuel to the fire.

Shen Qingyun wasn’t embarrassed in the slightest.

What’s more, all these people around him were his brothers—men who had shared life-and-death experiences together, the ones he could trust with his back. Being teased by them didn’t bother him in the least. In fact, he felt proud and content.

He just wished the whole world could know how satisfied he was with his new wife.

But Yin Xiaoman, on the other hand, had never seen anything like this. She was completely stunned by the scene unfolding before her.

She tried again to pull her hand free, but this time, not only did the bastard refuse to let go, he even stopped eating altogether. He placed his other hand on top of hers, tightly securing her small hand in his palm.

Yin Xiaoman felt her face heating up, and she clenched her teeth, lowering her head as she focused on the bowl of food in front of her, trying to act like a wooden figure.

It seemed like this was the only way she could ignore what was happening, to not see, hear, or feel how far he was pushing her embarrassment.

She hadn’t dared to serve herself food earlier, not because of the serving chopsticks issue. She had been here for a few days now, and actually, she had already started correcting some of her habits from her previous life.

After all, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

However, while she could gradually change her habits, it would take some time.

At this moment, she still couldn’t quite adapt to the situation of eating at a table full of big men, most of whom were complete strangers.

Even though she didn’t want to show it, her awkwardness and unease were impossible to hide.

But she never expected Shen Qingyun to do something like this in front of everyone. It made her feel… embarrassed and awkward, but she couldn’t truly get mad at him.

This was a feeling Yin Xiaoman had never experienced before.

Seeing her face turning even redder, her lips nearly bitten through with tension, and her eyes clouded with unshed tears, Shen Qingyun finally realized—though a bit too late—that he might have messed up again and completely upset his little wife.

He finally let go of her hand.

After thinking for a moment, he awkwardly picked up a small crab from the plate and placed it in her bowl, giving her an apologetic smile. “Wife, how do you eat this? Can you teach me?”

As Shen Qingyun was being teased, the others didn’t stop eating, their chopsticks never paused. In the blink of an eye, the dishes were nearly half finished.

The chicken, the meat, all of it was devoured without a second thought, even the clams stewed with tofu and shredded mustard greens were quickly eaten, leaving barely any trace.

The only thing untouched was the drunken crab on the side.

It was just—well, that thing didn’t exactly look like something anyone would want to eat!

Only then did Yin Xiaoman lift her head.

Though she knew he was offering her the crab, it still surprised her that no one had touched it.

It made her realize that even though they were stationed by the sea, these men seemed to know very little about how to prepare and eat seafood.

Suddenly, Yin Xiaoman had a new thought.

She suppressed her shyness and extended her slender, white fingers to pick up a small crab from the bowl. She held it up and showed it to everyone before speaking.

“This type of crab is small, and eating it can be a bit troublesome, but its taste is excellent. You only need to remove its back shell and the gill glands, and the rest is edible. Its shell is very soft, so if you like, you can even chew it up and swallow it without any problem.”

As she spoke, she boldly demonstrated how to eat the crab right in front of the table of people.

This was Yin Xiaoman’s first time eating in front of so many people, especially with so many men present. The sense of embarrassment and discomfort inside her was, of course, indescribable.

But she gritted her teeth and persisted.

Over the past few days, while chatting with her sister-in-law and occasionally coaxing information out of Da Bao, Yin Xiaoman had learned that the food in the military unit was entirely different from what Gao Chong had told her back then.

Gao Chong had claimed that they ate meat every day, but in reality, it was just salted fish with rice, as she had imagined.

Apart from the beginning of the month, when they could occasionally have one or two meals with refined grains, the officers and soldiers mostly ate coarse grains with vegetables.

Even tofu and bean sprouts were rare and not something they ate often.

If this lifestyle had been in the inland, it would have been understandable, but they were stationed by the sea!

From Cui Yan, Yin Xiaoman had learned that their regiment was originally part of the army but had been relocated here due to the needs of the war.

The regiment was mostly made up of northerners, and when they first arrived, there were hardly any soldiers who could swim.

Onboard the ship, they all ended up seasick.

Later, they recruited a lot of local soldiers and brought in some experienced military officers from other units to help with training. After about a year, they finally managed to overcome their fear of water.

But the regiment was still mostly made up of northerners, and even though they had gotten over their fear of water, their living habits still followed a northern pattern.

Before eating the stew of mixed fish that Yin Xiaoman had sent, Cui Yan had mentioned that she never would have imagined that such small things could be cooked so deliciously!

At today’s gathering, although Shen Qingyun acted irresponsibly, making Yin Xiaoman feel like she wanted to kick him to death every second, she could tell that everyone here seemed to be very close to him.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so relaxed.

Since that was the case, she was eager to try teaching these people how to eat seafood.

Only by learning how to eat would they develop a desire to learn how to catch it. And only by catching more seafood would the food for the officers and soldiers improve.

Yin Xiaoman had grown up in the palace, so she had been influenced by the belief that a strong country must have a strong military.

In the dynasty she belonged to, through the reigns of several generations of kings, there had never been any mention of a ruler who dared to withhold rations from the soldiers. That was why their dynasty had flourished, continuing through the generations.

No matter how cold-hearted she was, since she had arrived in this place, she still hoped that this country would grow strong, that the soldiers would have the strength to stabilize the court, and that the common people would live in peace.

Moreover, at this moment, she and her family were also living here.

As for whether the increased number of people fishing would affect her harvest, Yin Xiaoman didn’t even consider that.

As Uncle Li had said, the sea belongs to all; no one person could monopolize it. Besides, she was very confident in her own ability to catch seafood. Whenever it came to hard work and quick thinking, there was no one who would go hungry.

Yin Xiaoman’s fingers danced swiftly as she skillfully disassembled a small crab, explaining as she worked. She then picked up a crab leg, placed it in her mouth, and sucked on it.

The familiar, long-missed taste of the fresh meat made her close her eyes in pleasure.

It had been many years since she had tasted something like this.

Although she was in charge of the Imperial Kitchen, the palace was located in the plains, so she rarely had access to seafood like crabs, which could not be transported. Only on rare occasions, when someone went to the street and saw local people catching small river crabs, would they bring a few back for her, but such opportunities were extremely rare.

With this one bite, Yin Xiaoman suddenly forgot to continue her explanation and simply buried her head in her food.

The group of people had been listening to her with great interest, but when she suddenly stopped speaking and began eating, they couldn’t help but exchange puzzled glances.

Was this little crab really that delicious?

So much so that even the little sister-in-law, who had been trying to maintain her composure in front of them, had forgotten her shyness?

Maybe they should try it too?

The several of them exchanged glances and, at the same time, reached their chopsticks toward the plate.

But someone was even quicker than them.

As Yin Xiaoman was putting the first crab leg into her mouth, Shen Qingyun had already grabbed one for himself.

Unlike his wife, who was meticulous, Shen Qingyun was impatient to eat one little crab leg at a time. After learning how to remove the crab’s heart and lungs, he simply shoved the entire thing into his mouth.

He chewed once, and…

Shen Qingyun shuddered, his back straightening.

This was… so… delicious!

“Up, head!!!”

The crab’s shell was indeed as soft as his wife had said, and it broke open with a single bite. Then, a sweet, salty, fresh, and slightly spicy juice immediately flooded his mouth. At the same time, a rich, fragrant alcohol scent spread through the air.

The taste made his head buzz, as if for a moment, even his breathing had stopped.

Shen Qingyun didn’t dare move, as if even the slightest movement would make the sensation disappear like a dream. But before he could savor it further, the juice involuntarily slid down his throat.

Soon, a warm feeling spread throughout his stomach.

His stomach, which had been craving alcohol for a long time, seemed to wake up all at once, crying out loudly as saliva uncontrollably filled his mouth, making him afraid to open his lips.

Shen Qingyun suddenly recalled yesterday, when he had mentioned bringing the crab as a gift, the way his wife had looked at him with those slightly resentful eyes. What did that really mean?

He was regretting it now, feeling like swearing at someone!

As he saw the group of men about to reach for the plate, Shen Qingyun quickly grabbed it and pulled it in front of himself.

Looking down with a solemn expression, he spoke in a heavy tone, “This is the flavor from my hometown, it’s too salty and too spicy, it’s not suitable for you. Never mind, I’ll take it back and ask your sister-in-law to cook something else for you to eat later.”

Everyone looked up at him with shock, their expressions utterly amazed, as they watched him—act.

The look on his face was so… convincing. If not for the fact that he was gripping the plate with all five fingers spread wide, desperately holding it in place, his true thoughts would have remained hidden.

Liu Chang, the doctor from the health clinic, though working in the camp, was not directly under Shen Qingyun’s command, so he felt more at ease in front of him.

He quietly glanced at Qi Feng, and the two exchanged a subtle look.

Then, just as everyone was too stunned by their commanding officer’s shameless act to speak, Qi Feng suddenly jabbed under his arm. As Shen Qingyun instinctively went to retaliate, Liu Chang swiftly dashed over and grabbed the plate from the other side before Shen Qingyun could react!

Shen Qingyun never expected that these people would actually pull off an ambush at the dinner table.

He was absolutely furious, feeling like they had completely thrown him off balance!

He suddenly stood up, ready to rush over and grab the plate back, when he heard Liu Chang shout and run out of the kitchen, still holding the plate.

It turned out that this guy didn’t even care to remove the crab’s gills or glands—he shoved one into his mouth first, then was so stunned by the taste that he wanted to claim it all for himself!

What chance did Liu Chang, a civilian from the health clinic, have in front of a group of real frontline soldiers?

He hadn’t even gotten two steps away before he was yanked back, plate and all, and the kitchen erupted into chaos.

The children, who had never seen such a scene, immediately forgot about eating and crowded around to watch, excitedly shouting and causing a ruckus, joyfully cheering and laughing.

The adults, too, seemed to have forgotten their age and lost all sense of dignity, scrambling over each other like a heap of people trying to get the best of the situation.

Yin Xiaoman sat there, stunned, her hand still holding a half-eaten crab. She was so frozen in place she could hardly move.

She never imagined that a few drunken crabs would actually spark a “battle” like this?!

Cui Yan, who had been laughing at the spectacle, laughed even harder when she saw Yin Xiaoman’s expression. She found it far more amusing than the antics of the others.

After a long while, Cui Yan finally managed to stifle her laughter, rubbing her cheeks to calm herself. She reached out and patted Yin Xiaoman’s shoulder. “Did I scare you? Don’t worry, they’re fine. Soldiers just have too much energy. Once they’ve had their fun, everything will be back to normal. Don’t worry, no one will get hurt. They’re tough enough to handle it.”

Yin Xiaoman was still a little uncomfortable. Furrowing her brows, she asked hesitantly, “Is it because I brought too few crabs? There are still some left at home. Should I…”

“Don’t!” Cui Yan quickly interrupted her.

She looked at Yin Xiaoman with a tone that was both helpless and somewhat reproachful. “These people have bottomless stomachs. No matter how many you bring, it won’t be enough for them! Xiaoman, I’m not criticizing you, but the things you brought from home will only get fewer and fewer. And in the future, you might not even be able to bring more back. So, don’t be too generous, save some for later.”

Yin Xiaoman nodded in agreement.

She knew that Cui Yan was speaking from the heart.

Cui Yan must have noticed that she had added oil and seasoning to the dishes today.

Although Yin Xiaoman had been very careful not to add anything inappropriate to the meal, most of the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar she used were from her own stock. Without it, she wouldn’t have been able to create the flavors that were currently on the table.

The men present would definitely enjoy the food, but it was impossible for them to pinpoint what exactly had been added.

However, Cui Yan was different. As the housewife, even if she couldn’t taste the exact ingredients added, she could easily tell if the seasoning wasn’t from her own kitchen.

Yin Xiaoman knew that Cui Yan truly cared for her, and so she wanted to return the favor.

She moved a little closer to Cui Yan, looked her in the eye, and said seriously, “Sister-in-law, I want everyone to eat better, and I can make sure they do.”

Cui Yan was momentarily stunned by her words.

This was the first time in all their time together that Yin Xiaoman had spoken so directly to her. Looking into her clear, black-and-white eyes, Cui Yan instinctively chose to trust her.

She couldn’t help but stop smiling, and her tone grew more serious. “What do you want to do?”

“I want to teach everyone how to eat seafood.”

Seeing that Cui Yan had clearly furrowed her brows, Yin Xiaoman quickly added, “If you want to make seafood taste really good, it’s all about using enough seasoning to bring out the flavor. But if it’s just about making it edible, there are plenty of ways to do that too.”