Chapter 36.2

As Yin Xiaoman and Cui Yan chatted, they arrived at the vegetable plots. At the very moment Yin Xiaoman laid eyes on the scene, she paused, momentarily stunned. Then, it hit her—she finally understood what Cui Yan meant by “every inch of land is precious.”  

The vegetable plots extended even right up to the sides of the running tracks, with no transitional spaces in between.  

The edges of the roads, the bases of walls, the spots under trees… every inch of available space had been diligently cultivated by the Kitchen Unit’s young soldiers. Crops like water spinach, which didn’t demand much from the soil, were planted in every possible nook and cranny.  

There wasn’t a single patch of empty land in sight.  

Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but turn to Cui Yan with a defeated look and ask: “Sister-in-law, where are the wild vegetables?”  

Forget wild vegetables—after looking around for a long while, she couldn’t even spot a single wild weed.  

“Search!”  

Cui Yan waved her hand dramatically and shouted at the children: “Go find some! Shepherd’s purse, amaranth, wild garlic, whatever you can get! If you find enough, we’ll make dumplings when we get back!”  

The mention of dumplings instantly energized the kids. Without needing any more encouragement, they all cheered loudly and scattered in all directions to start searching.  

Cui Yan pointed to the ridges between the fields and said to Yin Xiaoman: “Let’s stick to the edges and look around. Be careful not to step on the crops; as long as we’re careful, it’ll be fine. We should be able to find at least a little something.”  

Seeing Cui Yan’s confidence, Yin Xiaoman obediently followed her lead.  

This wild vegetable digging trip turned out to be exactly as Cui Yan had said—more of an outing to entertain the children than anything else.  

According to Yin Xiaoman, relying on these vegetables to eat would starve the whole family.

There were six of them, big and small, digging and foraging for almost two hours, and they only managed to fill the bottoms of two baskets. 

Even then, Yin Xiaoman’s basket was only full because Cui Yan, unable to bear the sight of her struggling, grabbed a handful from her own basket and tossed it in to cover the bottom.

— And they had talked about making dumplings! With this amount, it wouldn’t even be enough to pinch together two tiny steamed buns.

Although they hadn’t gathered much wild vegetables, the children were still happy because their mother had come along to play with them. They had been busy for an entire morning, but none of them felt tired. They hopped and skipped around, chattering non-stop. None of them even noticed their mouths getting dry.

Of course, no matter what they talked about, it always circled back to food. Cui Yan’s earlier mention of “making dumplings” had stirred their appetites, and all of them were working hard to recall the taste of the dumplings they had eaten before.

Cui Yan was from the north, where people naturally ate more wheat-based foods. Plus, being the only girl in her family, with many brothers, she was pampered both before and after marriage. 

Not only did she not need to contribute financially to her family, but whenever there was something good, her family couldn’t wait to give it all to her.

As a result, her family’s economic conditions were not bad, and her children lived much better lives compared to other kids in ordinary households.

On the other hand, Da Bao and Erniu, with their birth mother’s neglectful ways, hadn’t even known that dumplings existed before Yin Xiaoman came into their lives.

The only time they had eaten dumplings was after Yin Xiaoman had arrived in Shuanggui Village and made some for them.

But just that one time had become an incredibly cherished memory for the two children.

When faced with the boasting of Qiangzi and Huzi, Da Bao and Erniu held their ground confidently. Especially Erniu, who, despite being the youngest, had the sharpest tongue among the four children. She boasted endlessly, saying: “The dumplings my mother makes are the best in the whole world!”

“My mother made them with white flour! The filling was made of eggs! And there was meat, lots and lots of meat, all meat!”

“Really? All meat?” Huzi, being younger, couldn’t help but swallow hard at the mention.

“Yes, all meat, with huge chunks of meat, so big and juicy, they made your mouth greasy!” Erniu lifted her chin, her face full of pride.

Erniu’s exaggerated expression amused Cui Yan so much that she couldn’t stop laughing. She teased Yin Xiaoman, saying: “How much does Xiao Shen send you in living expenses every month? You made dumplings stuffed entirely with meat for these kids?”

Her tone and expression were dripping with mockery, as if to say: “You’re such a spendthrift, completely clueless about how to manage a household.”

Yin Xiaoman felt so frustrated that her stomach began to ache.

At that time, she had just arrived and wasn’t fully aware of the situation. She simply thought that the two kids had sharp tongues and that she really hadn’t skimped on food for them.

The pork from the year-end pig that Zhang Jinfeng and her husband had given them? Yin Xiaoman had indeed used half of it to make those big, meaty dumplings for the children. 

But even if it were true, she couldn’t admit it now, could she?

Awkwardly, she replied: “You actually believe what kids say? Erniu’s just bragging.”

With just a few words, she managed to brush the matter aside, but their endless talk about dumplings left Yin Xiaoman craving meat herself.

In her previous life in the palace, whether she liked it or not, there was no shortage of all kinds of meat on the table every day. But since coming here, aside from seafood and that large chunk of pork her in-laws had brought early on, she hadn’t tasted fresh meat in a long time.

People really shouldn’t dwell on things, because once they do, the craving becomes unbearable. And at that moment, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t stop thinking about it. Her mind was flooded with images of *braised pork*, *steamed pork with rice flour*, *bamboo shoot-stewed pork*, *sweet and sour pork*…

Her mouth began to water uncontrollably, and she couldn’t swallow fast enough to keep up.

Suddenly, she remembered the shrimp she had given to Li Chun yesterday. Had she cooked them yet? Yin Xiaoman decided she had to drop by and check in the evening.

When she got home yesterday, the first thing Yin Xiaoman did was bring the shrimp to Li Chun.

Worried that the shrimp might die once removed from her space, she had specially gone to the Imperial Kitchen to get a large soup pot. She poured the shrimp along with the seawater into the pot.

After placing the shrimp in Li Chun’s wooden cabinet, she left a note as she always did. However, this time, she didn’t mark a price. Instead, she directly requested a chicken, specifically writing: “One fat chicken!”

The chicken soup Cui Yan had made that day had smelled so heavenly, but with so many people sharing, Yin Xiaoman barely got to taste any.

Several months had passed, yet Yin Xiaoman still couldn’t stop thinking about it.  

However, no one in the camp raised chickens, and relying on others to buy one was a matter of luck. So far, she hadn’t managed to get her hands on one. That’s why, after handing over the shrimp to Li Chun, her first thought had been, *chicken!*  

But now, she suddenly regretted it. If she had known, she would have also asked for a piece of fatty pork.  

Thinking of this, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but swallow another mouthful of saliva, realizing how much she had changed.  

The former “Aunt Xiaoman.” who used to demand perfection in her food, wouldn’t even have looked twice at fatty pork, let alone craved it. Back then, she had grown tired of even the finest delicacies.  

*Sigh… environment truly changes people.*  

With her mind wandering, she and the group finally arrived home.  

After bidding farewell to Cui Yan, Yin Xiaoman instructed Da Bao to take his younger sister inside to work on their schoolwork. Then, she headed straight to the kitchen to get busy.  

The grouper she had bought yesterday had to be steamed today. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to explain how it had stayed so lively for so long.  

The wild vegetables they had gathered also needed to be cooked. No matter how little there was, it was still the result of their hard work for half a day, and it shouldn’t go to waste.  

By lunchtime, the two little ones would surely want to show off to their father. If there was nothing to show, those little rascals would surely feel upset.  

With these thoughts in mind, Yin Xiaoman’s hands didn’t stop moving.  

The wild vegetables they had brought back included three types: shepherd’s purse, wild amaranth, and a small handful of wild celery. Since there wasn’t much of each, it didn’t make sense to sort them. She simply cleaned them all, chopped them finely, and mixed them together.  

To the chopped vegetables, she added white flour, cornmeal, and cracked in two eggs. After mixing everything thoroughly, she set it aside, planning to fry a few vegetable pancakes later.  

Then, she began preparing the grouper.  

The groupers she had bought from Xiao Tao this time were all quite large, with each fish weighing at least a pound and a half.  

They were truly big and plump!  

Such delicious fish had to be steamed to fully bring out their natural flavor.  

With fish and vegetables ready, she decided to make a simple kelp and shrimp broth to go with them. While steaming rice, she also threw in some potatoes and pumpkin.  

In less than an hour, three dishes and a soup were on the table.

Just as Yin Xiaoman finished washing her hands and was about to head inside to call the two children, the sound of the courtyard gate opening echoed outside. Moments later, Shen Qingyun entered, and as always, Engineer Ning and Elder Hua followed closely behind.  

If Shen Qingyun had looked completely unwilling when he returned yesterday, today his face showed only resignation.  

The two elderly gentlemen, on the other hand, appeared somewhat embarrassed.  

As soon as she saw them, Yin Xiaoman didn’t ask any questions. Instead, she quickly stepped forward to greet them. “Engineer Ning, Elder Hua, please wait a moment. I’ll whip up another dish, and we’ll start eating!”  

With that, she turned and headed back to the kitchen without another word.  

Her thoughtful and understanding response only made the two older men feel even more self-conscious.  

Elder Hua nudged Engineer Ning and gave him a meaningful look. Engineer Ning immediately followed Yin Xiaoman into the kitchen.  

“Xiaoman.” he called out as he caught up to her: “we brought a piece of meat. Why don’t you cook it along with the other dishes?”  

As he spoke, he lifted the coiled hemp rope he was carrying. Sure enough, dangling from it was a piece of pork belly, about half a pound or so.  

Yin Xiaoman froze mid-reach as she was about to grab some vegetables. Turning around, she looked at Engineer Ning.  

She still didn’t ask any direct questions, but her expressive eyes were filled with curiosity.  

Engineer Ning didn’t beat around the bush. Instead, he spoke to her candidly. “Xiaoman, I know you’re a straightforward person, so let’s not dance around this. You know me—I don’t have many hobbies, but I do love good food.  

If I didn’t know you, it’d be one thing. But now that we know each other and live so close, if you don’t let me join your household meals or let me occasionally mooch off your cooking, I’ll feel like a cat with its heart clawed at every day. I wouldn’t even be able to focus on my work!”

At this point, the elderly man himself began to feel embarrassed. He hurriedly tried to explain: “Xiaoman, don’t worry too much. I know it’s tough for you, taking care of the children, doing all the housework, and cooking. You don’t have to go out of your way to take care of us. Just add a little more rice when you cook, enough to cover me and Elder Hua… and, um, we’ll pay for our share of the meals.”

Before Yin Xiaoman could respond, Engineer Ning, fearing she might refuse, frantically waved his hand to cut her off, rushing to stop her from speaking.

“We don’t eat much at all. Besides, we’re on a special nutritional plan. We get a meat and egg allowance every month, much higher than the average person’s. So just bring it over, and we’ll all eat together. Da Bao and Erniu need a little extra nutrition, too.”

Seeing the elderly man flustered, sweating as he anxiously tried to continue, Yin Xiaoman could no longer bear to let him go on.

She quickly interrupted: “Engineer Ning, we’re more than happy to have you and Elder Hua join us for meals! Whether or not you pay for your share doesn’t matter at all. As you said, how much could two elderly people eat? It’s just an extra scoop of rice. I just wanted to ask—would it be okay if I made *bamboo shoot braised pork* with this meat?”

“Sure, sure… Ah, no, no! Wait, *bamboo shoot braised pork* is fine, but not paying for your share is absolutely out of the question!”

Engineer Ning must have never expected Yin Xiaoman to be so easygoing. He was so surprised that he couldn’t even figure out what he wanted to say. It took him a while to gather his thoughts and finally clarify: “Xiaoman, just the fact that you’ve agreed to let us two old men join your meals is enough for us. Not accepting payment for meals is simply out of the question.”

Realizing something, Engineer Ning paused. He remembered that Yin Xiaoman’s trips into the city were no easy task.

She was already busy every day cooking and taking care of everyone’s meals. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to go into the city for groceries, too. 

As soon as he thought about this, he immediately reconsidered and quickly came up with another suggestion.

“Xiaoman, how about this? I’ll have Xiao Shen notify the Kitchen Unit to send over our grains. I’ll give them the money and the tickets, and they can deliver the meat, eggs, and oil that are allotted to us directly to your home. Does that sound okay?”

In fact, Yin Xiaoman had never planned to agree to having the two elderly men join them for meals.