Chapter 45

Yin Xiaoman didn’t know when she had fallen asleep, but she was woken up by the heat.

It was then that she realized she was tightly held in a man’s arms, their bodies pressed together, both of them covered in sweat, their clothes soaked with it.

There was an empty bed right across from them, yet he insisted on squeezing into her bed. How frustrating!

Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but feel annoyed and pushed the man away.

“Get up.”

But Shen Qingyun didn’t even move his eyelids. Instead, he pulled her even closer.

“Get up! Aren’t you hot?”

The man’s body was scorching, like a small furnace. She hadn’t felt it when they were at home, but here, it suddenly became unbearable.

This place was just too hot!

The front-line camp was actually already in the tropical zone. In April and May, the midday sun was already scorching.

But since the camp was by the sea, the temperature was still quite pleasant in the early mornings and evenings.

It was nothing like here. She hadn’t even fully woken up, and it was already stuffy and hot, making it hard to breathe.

Yin Xiaoman simply couldn’t lie down any longer. She pushed the man away with force and sat up.

She glanced out the window. The sky had already brightened, and the bright sunlight was streaming in through the window, almost blinding her.

What time was it?

She froze for a moment, then turned to look at Shen Qingyun in surprise and asked: “Don’t you need to go for morning exercise?”

Although they had just completed a long journey, from what she knew about the man, he was very disciplined.

Unless he wasn’t at home, if he was at the Military Unit, no matter how late he stayed up the night before, he would never skip his morning exercise the next day.

Hearing her question, Shen Qingyun let out a frustrated sigh, too lazy to even open his eyes, muttering: “Here, don’t look at the sky, look at the clock!”

After saying that, he fumbled around on the table next to him, grabbed the alarm clock, glanced at it, and then exclaimed, handing it directly to Yin Xiaoman’s face: “It’s not even 5:30 yet!” 

Yin Xiaoman was completely shocked!

She looked at the alarm clock; it was just after 5:10. Then, she glanced outside in disbelief—the sun was shining brightly.

Just as she was about to ask something else, Shen Qingyun suddenly sat up, pulling her into his arms, pressing her small face against his chest, effectively silencing all the questions she had yet to ask.

Then, in a voice that sounded like he was coaxing a child, he said: “Xiaoman, be good, stay with me and sleep a little more. I’m so tired.”

Before his words even finished, his breathing became deep and slow, and he actually fell asleep like that.

Listening to the man’s steady breathing, Yin Xiaoman stopped moving.

She knew he had truly been exhausted from the journey.

A long trip might not seem like a big deal for Shen Qingyun, but being constantly on edge, not daring to relax for even a second—that was the real test.

Now that they had finally arrived, he must have felt a little more at ease. Maybe that was why he could finally sleep soundly.

Yin Xiaoman lay in his arms, not sure when she drifted back to sleep.

When she woke up again, he was gone, and the sound of soldiers training could be heard outside.

For a brief moment, she was confused about where she was, and it took her a while to fully wake up.

She got up and went outside to fetch water and wash up. Holding a basin, she stood at the door for a long time, but couldn’t find the water well.

She turned around and went to the kitchen.

At least on the kitchen table, she found a thermos with half a bottle of hot water left.

She poured out a little and made do with that to wash up. After gathering her hair, she grabbed a bucket from the corner of the table and headed outside.

In front of the house was a training field, and there was a row of soldiers training there.

There was no water there, so she turned and headed towards the back mountain.

Last night, when they got off the boat, it had been so late and everything was pitch black, so Yin Xiaoman hadn’t been able to see anything clearly.

Now, as she turned around and looked at the unique shape of the mountain in front of her, she was a bit taken aback.

In front of her stood a towering mountain.

Although she was now halfway up the mountain, she could still feel the steepness of the terrain.

She knew this was a volcano, having seen it in a picture when she was at the front-line camp.

But when something from a picture turned into reality, it still had a profound impact.

Looking at the towering, conical mountain that stretched into the clouds, its grandeur and magnificence made Yin Xiaoman feel a momentary suffocation.

This volcano was clearly dormant, having been quiet for many, many years.

But the lava it once erupted had solidified into black rocks, forming ridges that extended from the summit all the way down to the surrounding coastline.

The volcanic ash from long ago had turned into fertile soil, nurturing countless forms of life, making the place lush and green.

The entire mountain was surrounded by dense greenery, with vibrant, emerald-colored vegetation everywhere.

Yin Xiaoman walked up the only small path through the mountain. Not far along, she noticed a small stream nearby. The stream was flowing rapidly, and the water was crystal clear.

She filled her bucket with water but had no intention of returning home immediately. She left the bucket by the stream and continued slowly walking up the mountain.

It was evident that the mountain had not been developed much. Even the branches that had been cut along the roadside still had fresh marks, many of them raw stumps that looked like they had only been cut recently by soldiers passing through.

On either side of the mountain path, various trees and vines grew thickly. The most abundant were palm trees, and there were also very large banyan trees.

These were also present at the front-line camp, and Yin Xiaoman had seen them before.

However, she had never seen them in such a lush state.

Because the mountain was mainly made of rock with very little soil, the roots of the banyan trees were exposed on the ground, interwoven and twisted into various strange shapes.

Some trees were even covered in vines, and small white and purple flowers bloomed on them. From a distance, it looked very beautiful.

In addition to these, the mountain was also home to many fruit trees.

The most common along the path were trees that bore golden fruits.

These trees gave off a faint, pleasant fragrance. The scent was light, but the concentration of trees made the surrounding air smell sweet and refreshing.

The trees weren’t very tall. Without needing to stretch on tiptoe, one could easily reach the fruits, which were about the size of a child’s fist. They were oval-shaped, with a small pointed protrusion on one side, and looked especially beautiful against the backdrop of green leaves.

Yin Xiaoman casually plucked one from the tree.

Having never seen anything like it, Yin Xiaoman naturally wouldn’t dare to eat it right away. Instead, she gently held it to her nose and sniffed.

Immediately, a refreshing citrus-like fragrance filled her senses, making her feel relaxed and rejuvenated.

Yin Xiaoman plucked two more and put them into her pocket.

There were many small birds chirping in the woods. A bright green parrot with a long tail flew back and forth above her head.

The parrot’s vibrant colors shimmered, its feathers faintly glowing with golden hues. It reminded her of the brightly colored parrots that foreign visitors used to present to the concubine in the palace, although these didn’t compare.

Although the weather was still hot and humid, the forest was damp and steamy, Yin Xiaoman wasn’t bothered by it at all. She was too captivated by all the new things around her.

She continued walking for a few more minutes, and then, not far off to the right, she saw a large patch of banana trees.

The banana grove looked wild, with the trees growing haphazardly, packed tightly together.

But every tree was heavy with large clusters of bananas, yellow and green, their size impressive!

Yin Xiaoman rubbed her eyes.

For a moment, she was stunned by the huge surprise that seemed to have fallen from the sky. She could hardly believe it was real!

She had seen bananas before, occasionally sold at the county’s grocery store.

At one and a half yuan per pound, there weren’t many bananas in each pound.

She had once specifically bought some for the children when she went to the county.

But those bananas that made it to the county store, sold without a receipt, were of poor quality. Some were overripe, with dark spots, while others had been picked too early, still green and shriveled, nearly impossible to ripen properly.

They were dry, tough, and lacked flavor when eaten.

Yet, for a community with scarce fruit, even such poor bananas were a rare delicacy, and the chances to grab them were few and far between.

Yin Xiaoman quickly ran to the banana grove, eagerly counting the trees. There were at least twenty!

Every tree had at least a dozen bunches of bananas hanging from it, and each bunch was large, with dozens of fruits on it!

“Oh my God, what kind of magical place is this?!”

Yin Xiaoman’s excited face turned red, and she was almost spinning in circles on the spot.

If, when she had woken up in the morning and couldn’t find any water, she had felt a little discouraged, now, all those negative emotions had disappeared without a trace.

For a chef, what could be more thrilling than discovering oneself surrounded by food?

The other difficulties and troubles suddenly became insignificant in comparison!

Yin Xiaoman wanted to continue walking forward, to see if there were any new treasures waiting for her to discover.

But reason told her it was time to go back.

She took off her coat, wrapped two large bunches of bananas that had already turned yellow, and picked a few more of those yellow fruits. Then she returned to the stream.

Looking at the things she was holding, she reluctantly poured half of the stream water back into the stream before carrying the water and fruits with difficulty back home.

However, before she reached her door, someone suddenly grabbed the water bucket from behind.

“Sister-in-law, let me carry it.”

The person spoke, and as if realizing the weight of the water bucket was off, they paused to weigh it, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Sister-in-law, wait! I’ll fill it up for you!”

Without waiting for Yin Xiaoman to reply, he grabbed the half-full water bucket and ran back in the direction he had come from.

“Hey!” Yin Xiaoman tried to stop him, but how could she possibly stop him?

She watched the young man’s figure gradually disappear and a thought crossed her mind—the empty water vat in the kitchen… She helplessly pushed open the yard gate.

Wasn’t half a bucket of water still water? At least it could have been poured into the vat!

But for the young man in his twenties, that half-bucket of water really didn’t count as much water.

Just a few minutes later, the young man returned, carrying a water bucket that was now full.

That wasn’t all. After entering the house, he poured the water into the water vat, and without even greeting Yin Xiaoman, he went straight into the kitchen, found another bucket and a carrying pole, and within no time, he had filled the water vat to the brim.

Seeing Yin Xiaoman’s grateful expression but not knowing how to respond, the young man gave a simple, honest smile. Only then did he remember to introduce himself.

He said: “Sister-in-law, my name is Ren Ping’an, and I’m the team leader of the Kitchen Unit at our garrison camp. You can call me Xiao Ren. I came today to teach you how to start a fire.”

“Start a fire?” Yin Xiaoman asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Yeah, how to use the stove.”

At this, Ren Ping’an walked straight to the stove at the far end of the kitchen.

Pointing to it, he explained to Yin Xiaoman: “Earlier this morning, Commander went to inspect the mess hall and found that we were using coal stoves, which is different from what you’ve used at home before. Since you are in charge of the experts’ meals, you need to learn how to start the fire ahead of time. The Commander asked me to come and teach you, and he said you must have it fully mastered before the experts arrive on the island next week.”

Hearing Xiao Ren’s explanation, Yin Xiaoman, who had been observing the new stove, became more serious.

Now, she was officially a staff member of the Military Unit, and her work was under the garrison camp’s jurisdiction.

So, after work hours, Shen Qingyun was her husband, but during work hours, he was her direct superior.

She had to follow his orders.

The stoves used at the Pioneer Camp were the same as the ones used in Shuanggui Village—those that burned firewood.

This was similar to what Yin Xiaoman had used in her previous life, so she didn’t need to learn and quickly got the hang of it.

However, the stoves on Zhongshan Island were all newly built and had been modified to use coal stoves, which were more common in cities now.

These coal stoves didn’t burn firewood, but instead used coal cakes. Thanks to Xiao Ren’s explanation, Yin Xiaoman learned that these coal cakes were made by mixing loose coal with yellow clay and water, shaping them into lumps, and drying them under the sun.

In Xiao Ren’s words, these coal cakes were much more efficient than firewood—longer-lasting, with stronger flames, and once you got the hang of it, you could seal the stove at night and wouldn’t need to start the fire again the next morning.

Yin Xiaoman immediately became interested.

However, when she actually started learning, she found that it required skill.

Coal cakes were not as easy to ignite as firewood. In addition to needing dry twigs to start the fire, they also required a long, round fire tube. Without that, it could take forever to get the fire going.

On Zhongshan Island, there were plenty of twigs, but very few that were dry. Moreover, because of the humid climate, the coal cakes could easily absorb moisture if not handled carefully.

The ones stored near the kitchen stove at her home had already become damp.

As a result, at the beginning, not only did Yin Xiaoman struggle, but Xiao Ren also spent a long time trying to get the fire started, almost failing.

Instead, it caused a lot of smoke, making everyone cough and cry. Even the two little ones still sleeping inside the house were driven out by the smoke, coughing so loudly that it sounded like a storm. Yet, the fire still wouldn’t catch.

“Sister-in-law, how about we go to the mess hall for lunch first? I’ll leave these coal cakes out in the sun to dry, and we can come back later to try again.”

Ren Ping’an wiped his face with his hands, which were covered in coal soot, turning his face into a black-and-white mess, like a cat with three colors.

His disheveled appearance immediately caused the two little ones standing nearby to burst into laughter.

The stove at home couldn’t be lit, and it was also just the right time for lunch at the mess hall. Since Xiao Ren suggested it, Yin Xiaoman naturally didn’t refuse.

After all, the meal expenses would eventually be deducted from her husband’s salary.

Back when she was at the Pioneer Camp, Yin Xiaoman had gotten used to going to the mess hall just like going home—it was very familiar.

She had heard Wang Jun boast countless times that their Pioneer Camp had some of the best food standards in the entire military, with very high meal allowances.

But when she arrived at the garrison camp’s mess hall, she was surprised by the stark difference in meal standards between different camps!

Though it was still coarse grain, the breakfast at the garrison camp was mostly a mix of fine and coarse grains.

At this time, coarse grains actually came in two types: one was the most common and roughest, like sorghum flour, sorghum millet, dried sweet potatoes, sweet potato noodles, and wheat bran, called ordinary coarse grains.

The other type was relatively finer, like fine cornmeal and millet, known as fine coarse grains.

At that moment, in the garrison camp’s mess hall, all the steamed buns served were made from cornmeal, and the porridge was a mixture of rice and millet, cooked into a two-grain congee.

In addition, the breakfast side dishes included tofu mixed with chopped green onions and cold shredded potatoes.

Each of these items, back at the Pioneer Camp, would have only appeared during a special upgrade to the food supply.

Seeing Yin Xiaoman’s surprise, Ren Ping’an’s eyes gleamed with pride as he explained loudly: “We are a frontline Military Unit, the most advanced.”

Hearing this, Yin Xiaoman fell silent.

Having spent a long time in a Military Unit, she naturally understood many things by now.

The most advanced Military Units were essentially stationed at the outermost border defenses of the homeland. They were the sharpest, enjoying the best treatment, and every member chosen was an elite.

But they were also the ones who faced the most danger directly.

In the event of an incident, they would be the first to bear the brunt.

When Yin Xiaoman and the children arrived, Shen Qingyun and his subordinates had already finished eating.

After she and the two children had finished their meal and left the mess hall, they saw the man leading a group of young soldiers, pushing a wheelbarrow and carrying machetes, shovels, and other tools, marching in formation up the mountain.

Yin Xiaoman stood there, slightly stunned.

Perhaps noticing her confusion, Ren Ping’an explained: “Before, this island was only used for guarding, and there were no other residents. The facilities were basically non-existent.”

“When the experts come, they’re supposed to bring a lot of specialized equipment, and there are high requirements for the workplace and the research labs. So, we must finish all the preparatory work before the experts arrive.”

“So, are they going to fix the road?” Yin Xiaoman asked.

“Yes!” Ren Ping’an nodded with a smile.

He then glanced toward the kitchen, where several members of the Kitchen Unit had already cleaned up and were coming out with tools in hand.

He turned back to Yin Xiaoman and said: “Sister-in-law, I’ll come help you with the fire at noon. But now we also have to go do our work. If you have anything to do, we can talk about it when we come back at noon.”

Yin Xiaoman quickly nodded, stepping aside with the two children to make room.

As she watched the soldiers, carrying shovels and walking in neat formation up the mountain, Yin Xiaoman found herself unable to express the emotions she felt inside.

She suddenly had the urge to contribute something to everyone’s efforts.