Chapter 28

“I want to go see the Stone Beach today.”

Gao Chong knew that the Stone Beach was not far from the campsite, by the seaside. However, he still didn’t understand the connection between going to the Stone Beach and wearing gloves.

But Sister-in-law said to wear them, so he did, thinking he’d understand later.

With a group of young men following, Yin Xiaoman and Cui Yan were relieved, not needing to worry about the little ones anymore. Even the little ones didn’t need to be taken care of. Erniu had become everyone’s little darling; along the way, she was either being carried by this one or that one. No matter what was said, there was always someone responding, and others kept teasing her, making her so happy that she felt like flying.

Soon, the group arrived at the beach.

They had all lived in the camp for so many years. While they may not have collected sea creatures before, they had seen others do it, so they quickly got the hang of it.

Yin Xiaoman didn’t need to teach much; she only had Da Bao demonstrate, and they immediately understood, quickly beginning to act.

In the past, they hadn’t come because they thought collecting such things was useless. But now that they knew these were all edible, they were motivated and naturally paid more attention.

Yin Xiaoman stayed by the beach for a while, collecting a few octopuses, digging up two crabs, and even pulling out some cat’s-eye snails from the sand.

The young soldiers were stunned, marveling, “I never knew these things could be eaten,” and they immediately began imitating her, trying to find their own.

Seeing that they had completely grasped the technique and were starting to gather some things, Yin Xiaoman left two soldiers behind to stay with the children and continue digging at the beach. She, along with Gao Chong and Cui Yan, went to the Stone Beach.

Since it had been agreed upon before, the three of them changed into rubber boots and put on gloves.

Yin Xiaoman wore Shen Qingyun’s rubber boots, which were large and cumbersome, making it difficult to walk along the beach. She even began to doubt whether her choice had been wrong.

But when she walked through the wet and slippery pile of stones and stepped on the sharp stone shards without feeling anything, she was immediately satisfied.

She felt that this was truly a great thing.

She even started thinking about where she could buy a pair that would fit her better.

“Sister-in-law, what are we looking for over here?”

Gao Chong looked at Yin Xiaoman, who was leading them deeper into the stone pile without speaking, and couldn’t help but ask.

This was his first time collecting sea creatures, and everything felt so fresh. Especially the feeling of digging for clams on the beach—it was incredibly enjoyable!

If it weren’t for this trip, he would never have known that those tiny holes in the sand held such treasures!

They were so engrossed in digging, and now Sister-in-law was leading them toward this stone pile. There was hardly any sand here—what could possibly be here?

“I’m taking you to find some good things, things you haven’t seen before.”

Thanks to the rubber boots, Yin Xiaoman no longer feared the rough stones or the cold water. Her mood was great, and she was in the mood to say a few playful words.

“The things you’ve found are all good, and none of them have been seen by Sister-in-law before. Anyway, we’re following you today, and whatever you tell us to do, we’ll definitely do it!”

In just a short time, the small bucket that Cui Yan had brought was already half full. The thought that all of these catches were edible meat, which would turn into delicious food once they got home, made her grin uncontrollably, almost reaching her ears.

Yin Xiaoman pressed her lips together, about to say something more, when suddenly her eyes brightened. She immediately stopped, crouched down, and without a second thought, reached out and grabbed something from a shallow water puddle between the rocks.

The two people behind her didn’t react in time; they only saw her move quickly, and before they could even comprehend what was happening, she had already lifted the object high into the air.

“My god, it’s a worm!” Cui Yan, who had almost reached her, screamed in surprise and instinctively tried to step back.

But right behind her was a pile of jagged rocks, and if Gao Chong hadn’t been quick to steady her, she would have almost fallen into the water.

“This is a sea eel.” Yin Xiaoman tightly pinched the eel’s head between her thumb and index finger, preventing its mouth from closing. The eel floundered uselessly in the air, its fat body wriggling, its tail snapping back and forth.

Seeing the eel’s sharp teeth, Gao Chong couldn’t help but shiver. He looked at Yin Xiaoman with immense admiration, then his gaze shifted to the gloves she was wearing.

He suddenly understood why Sister-in-law had insisted they remember to wear gloves.

He looked down at his own hands and imagined holding the long, slippery creature… and instantly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up.

Yin Xiaoman had no idea about their intense inner turmoil, nor did she care if she did.

The fact that they had such a catch right at the beginning was something she hadn’t anticipated, and it made her very happy.

She placed the sea eel into the small bucket she was holding and continued walking ahead.

Cui Yan’s legs were still shaky.

But even so, she understood that what Xiaoman had caught was something valuable. Not to mention, it was a huge chunk of meat!

Seeing that Yin Xiaoman was moving forward, despite the sensation of walking on cotton, she grit her teeth and followed along.

Of course, such good luck couldn’t last forever.

After that, they only found a few stranded fish and managed to pull some crabs out from the gaps in the rocks.

As for digging for crabs, Gao Chong was thoroughly enjoying it. The iron hook he used became more familiar with every use, and soon he was almost always successful in pulling them out—any crab he spotted, he could grab, and none managed to escape.

Seeing that Gao Chong and Sister-in-law were both focused on the crabs, Yin Xiaoman didn’t call out to them. Instead, she continued walking slowly along the stone beach.

The reason she came today was actually to find something that everyone would likely overlook—stone crabs.

Stone crabs were a type of shellfish, but they were the same color as the stones and were incredibly ugly. Usually, these creatures clung to rocks, and most people wouldn’t even notice them. If they did, they would never think of them as food.

Even fishermen would never bother collecting them. So, she could imagine that there were probably a lot of them around.

When Yin Xiaoman was a child, she lived by the sea with her grandmother. The elderly and the young had no fishing ability, and not every beach trip would yield delicious finds.

She remembered many times when they couldn’t find anything edible, and her grandmother would take her to the cracks in the rocks to feel for stone crabs.

At first, she resisted because they looked so disgusting, even a little revolting.

But when her grandmother brought them back, scraped off the shells on the stone slab, and stewed them, the aroma that filled the air was unforgettable.

With so many soldiers in the camp, how much could they really collect from the sea every day? It depended on luck. No one could guarantee a full harvest every time.

What if they didn’t find anything, or only found a few things?

Last night, as Yin Xiaoman lay in bed, she thought about it for a long time, and that was when she remembered these creatures.

Stone crabs were usually found in groups. Once you found one, there would likely be a whole bunch in the same area. If she could find them all and collect them, it would be enough for everyone to enjoy a good meal.

Gao Chong had caught another crab.

And this one was especially plump, with thick claws, nearly as big as the palm of his hand.

He proudly picked it up, planning to show off to Sister-in-law, but when he looked up, he saw her squatting on a distant rock, holding scissors and poking at something on the stone.

“Sister-in-law, I’m going over there to take a look.” He turned to shout at Cui Yan, who was still “struggling” with a crab not far from him.

Cui Yan acknowledged him, but didn’t even look up, clearly busy with her own task.

Gao Chong ran a few steps to catch up with Yin Xiaoman, who was squatting on the large rock, and peeked over her shoulder.

Just in time, Yin Xiaoman had just lifted a large and fat stone crab from the rock.

She held it up and examined it closely, a satisfied smile spreading across her face.

“Oh my god, what is that?!”

Gao Chong gasped in surprise, pointing at the object in Yin Xiaoman’s hand, and couldn’t even put his words together. “Sister-in-law, you… you… why are you picking up worms?!”

He recognized it—it was the same type of pest they had in their dormitory, the tide worm!

With the humid coastal climate, these worms were abundant in the corners of the dorm rooms and windowsills, endless and impossible to get rid of. They were absolutely revolting.

“Sister-in-law, w-what are you doing picking up these? Are we supposed to eat them?!”

The thought of that possibility made Gao Chong feel sick.

Yin Xiaoman glanced at him but didn’t explain. Instead, she pointed to the natural gap between two rocks and said, “Go find someone to help you, and scrape all the stone crabs out of that crack. We’ll eat this for lunch today.”

“What? What?” Gao Chong stared at her, his face full of resistance, struggling to get out a single word after a long pause.

“Quickly, don’t waste time.” Yin Xiaoman gave a calm command.

Although the sight of these creatures made his scalp tingle, Gao Chong still obeyed Sister-in-law’s instructions.

It wasn’t so much the previous things the instructor had said to him, but more of a newfound, inexplicable admiration he had for Yin Xiaoman.

He nodded in agreement and ran back to the beach, quickly bringing another soldier with him.

It seemed that Gao Chong had briefed the soldier on the way there. When the young man saw what Yin Xiaoman had been scraping out, his face twisted for a moment, but he didn’t question her. Instead, he copied her, using the iron hook just like Gao Chong to carefully scrape out the stone crabs.

Scraping for stone crabs, it turned out, required some skill. You had to be quick and precise.

Once you spotted one, you had to immediately insert a knife or sharp hook into the gap and lift it quickly. Otherwise, when the creature realized the danger and latched tightly onto the stone, it would be nearly impossible to dislodge.

After a few tries, the young men quickly got the hang of it. By the time Cui Yan, with her haul, came over to join them, the three of them had already filled nearly half a bucket.

Knowing that Cui Yan would call out once she saw what they had collected, Yin Xiaoman didn’t give her the chance. As soon as Cui Yan stepped onto the rocks, she stood up.

“Alright, this is enough for a meal. Let’s head back.”

The two young men, who had been digging with smiles on their faces, froze when they heard the words “enough to eat” from Sister-in-law. Their smiles instantly vanished.

Yin Xiaoman led the group of dazed people back to the camp. She handed the children over to Cui Yan and, under Gao Chong’s and the others’ guidance, made her way to the Kitchen Unit.

This was actually the first time Yin Xiaoman had entered the Military Camp since she had joined the army. Until now, her activities had been limited to the family compound.

Everything around her seemed so fresh and new that it made her forget her initial sense of hesitation.

The Kitchen Unit’s team leader was probably around 24 or 25 years old. He was short, dark, and thin.

It seemed like he had been waiting for a long time. When he saw the group finally walk in, he smiled so widely that the wrinkles on his face showed.

“Welcome, welcome! Welcome, Sister-in-law, to guide us in our work!”

The man took the initiative to approach, gave Yin Xiaoman a military salute, and smiled as he said, “Sister-in-law, my name is Wang Jun, just call me Xiao Wang.”

When Yin Xiaoman saw someone saluting her, she was so startled that she quickly stepped aside, not knowing how to respond to the salute. She could only smile at Wang Jun and say, “Hello, Squad Leader Wang.”

Wang Jun never expected the Commander’s sister-in-law to be so friendly.

Earlier, the instructor had specially visited the Kitchen Unit to repeatedly emphasize the importance of being polite to Sister-in-law, showing respect, and being obedient… which had put a lot of pressure on him.

He was afraid that he might encounter someone as arrogant as the female staff officers in the regiment.

But now, seeing the Commander’s sister-in-law’s kind temperament, Wang Jun immediately felt relieved.

“Sister-in-law, the instructor said that we should follow your instructions. Whatever you say, we will do.”

Hearing him, Yin Xiaoman didn’t hesitate and directly made her request, “Please get two large basins for me, then find an empty rice sack and a washboard. Also, boil half a pot of water.”

Wang Jun understood the request for the basins.

He had already glanced into the bucket earlier, where the clams were being kept to spit out sand, and he knew about that.

But why would she need a rice sack and a washboard?

However, since it was Sister-in-law’s order, Wang Jun didn’t dare to question it. He gave a quick order, and soon, a cook ran out.

Before long, everything was brought over.

Yin Xiaoman had them wash the clams and various shellfish that had been collected and placed them in a basin to keep them in water.

Then she had them add some coarse salt and a few drops of oil into the basin.

“Let them stay like this for now. Tomorrow, I will teach you how to prepare them. For today’s lunch, I will teach you something else.”

After speaking, Yin Xiaoman extended her hand to Gao Chong.

Gao Chong, with a troubled expression, brought over a large bucket of stone crabs. When Wang Jun saw what it was, his face immediately changed.

He stared at it in disbelief, his eyes wide open.

His mouth opened several times, but he couldn’t say anything to Yin Xiaoman. He just turned to look at Gao Chong.

Gao Chong, with a look of distress, met his gaze. The two of them looked at each other silently, unsure of what to say.

Yin Xiaoman didn’t intend to hide anything.

It was just that the stone crabs were truly—well—quite unappealing. Unless one saw them being cleaned and tasted them firsthand, no matter how much she explained, no one would believe they were something special.

She remembered how, the first time she saw them, her expression had been no better than Gao Chong’s and the others’.

Back then, when her grandmother asked her to help clean them, Yin Xiaoman had refused, even running far away crying, holding her mouth and shouting at her grandmother, “It’s too disgusting! I’d rather die than eat this!”

Thinking of her grandmother, Yin Xiaoman felt a moment of sadness. She lowered her gaze and took a while to compose herself before looking up again.

This time, she didn’t ask for help. Instead, she took the bucket herself and walked over to the pot with boiling water, pouring all the stone crabs into it.

As soon as the hot water touched them, the salty and fishy smell instantly filled the entire Kitchen Unit.

Though no one spoke, the expressions on everyone’s faces were far from pleasant.

Yin Xiaoman remained silent, using a slotted spoon to take the stone crabs out and return them to the bucket, then moved them to a large basin.

She picked up an empty rice sack that had been placed nearby and poured all the stone crabs into it.

As she squatted down, a young soldier immediately brought over a small stool.

Yin Xiaoman sat down, placing the half-full rice sack on the washboard, and began scrubbing the crabs as if she were doing laundry, exerting considerable force.

The others gathered around, and the scene fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone stared at her, dumbfounded, so shocked by her actions that they didn’t even know how to ask any questions!

The stone crabs had a hard shell. A few didn’t matter, but this half-full bag—both hot and tough—after only a short time, Yin Xiaoman’s palms had turned red from the effort.

“I’ll do it.”

Seeing this, Wang Jun quickly stepped forward, crouched next to Yin Xiaoman, and took the rice sack from her.

Yin Xiaoman didn’t stop him.

Indeed, a man’s strength was much greater than a woman’s. Though Yin Xiaoman had rubbed the crabs until her hands were sore, she hadn’t managed to break many of the shells. Wang Jun, using about the same amount of time, had managed to crush all the shells of half the bag.

Yin Xiaoman instructed Wang Jun to pour everything out of the rice sack, then had him and the other soldiers clean off any remaining shells and dirt from the stone crabs.

Soon, a pile of clean, white “meat” appeared before everyone.

At this point, some people finally started to believe that these things were edible!

“Use a knife to slice them into strips. Heat a pan, add a small amount of oil, and sauté the onions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant. Then, add the crabs and stir-fry them. Once they have taken on some color and the flavor has developed, add water to simmer. After about half an hour, add in other vegetables to cook together. If you have sauce, adding some will improve the flavor,” Yin Xiaoman instructed Wang Jun on how to prepare the dish.

Wang Jun listened carefully, while nearby, cooks quickly set up the stove and began to follow her instructions.

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By noon, it wasn’t yet mealtime, but many of the young soldiers on the training field were already starting to lose focus.

Especially those stationed near the Kitchen Unit.

Everyone kept zoning out, their gazes constantly drifting toward the direction of the dining hall.

When the call for lunch finally sounded, all the soldiers gathered with unprecedented speed. As they waited in the exercise field to enter in groups, many of them hurriedly tried to keep up with the song’s rhythm, singing faster than usual.

It wasn’t that they were nervous—it was just that the smell drifting from the Kitchen Unit was simply too intoxicating!

This aroma… they had never smelled anything like it before. No one could even guess what kind of dish was being prepared!

Singing now? That would be impossible!

With the dining hall being small, the soldiers of the vanguard company always ate in batches.

After the first group of soldiers entered, the second batch would gather and wait at the door.

Normally, no one would have thought there was anything wrong, but today, it wasn’t just the soldiers— even the officers standing at the front of the line felt like there was a cat’s paw scratching at their hearts.

If it weren’t for their impressive self-control, they would have been tempted to tiptoe and sneak a peek at what was in the bowls of those inside the Kitchen Unit.

What exactly had the Kitchen Unit made today?!

Not only were the soldiers waiting outside eager, but even the staff in the Kitchen Unit felt as though they were in a dream.

They gazed at the large basin filled with sea cucumber meat and potatoes; the stir-fried sea snail and octopus with leeks; and the fresh and fragrant crab meat vegetable soup…

They still couldn’t believe these delicious dishes were ones they had made themselves.

Where did Sister-in-law learn this magical culinary skill?!

Yin Xiaoman had no idea that the dishes today had nearly driven everyone mad. Even if she had known, she wouldn’t have been surprised—after all, she had been somewhat mentally prepared for it.

At this moment, she was hurrying toward the family compound as quickly as she could.

When she had come to the Kitchen Unit earlier, Cui Sister-in-law had repeatedly insisted, warning her several times that she must go to her house for lunch.

The way she said it made it seem like she thought Yin Xiaoman would run away.

Yin Xiaoman knew that Sister-in-law was waiting for her to come back and teach her how to prepare seafood!

Earlier in the Kitchen Unit, she had already seen Qi Feng.

Upon seeing their “work,” Qi Feng had smiled so broadly that his teeth almost showed. There was no doubt that he would be staying in the dining hall for lunch today.

So, even though she was in a hurry to get to Cui Yan’s house, Yin Xiaoman wasn’t nervous.

In fact, Yin Xiaoman felt that she was doing much better now than before. Whether it was forced or voluntary, after leaving Shuanggui Village, she had to face unfamiliar men repeatedly and interact with them.

This was something she had never experienced before.

From the initial nervousness when she first met Ning Gaogong and the others on the train, to now being able to mask her emotions and speak to people calmly on the surface, she knew she was adapting to this world more and more each day.

Thinking about this, she couldn’t help but remember the man who had given her this opportunity.

He should still be on the road by now, right?

She wondered where he was headed and if there would be any danger along the way.

As soon as these thoughts crossed her mind, the calm expression she had been wearing tightened, and her brow furrowed again.

She remembered the eel she had caught this morning.

Catching something like that was such a rare opportunity, and when she went to the Kitchen Unit earlier, she hadn’t taken it with her.

Sister Cui Yan was always thoughtful, and Yin Xiaoman knew she wouldn’t ask for it. A fish that large could feed them for several meals on its own.

Steamed with fermented bean paste, stir-fried with oil, braised, or simmered… Yin Xiaoman could easily think of numerous ways to cook eel without even thinking.

She could even imagine the look of surprise in Da Bao and Erniu’s eyes when they saw what she made.

It was just a pity that the man wouldn’t get to eat it this time.

At this thought, a trace of loss appeared in her lowered gaze, a feeling she didn’t even notice herself.