Chapter 51.1

Yin Xiaoman made dried shrimp. It was not the usual kind that fishermen made by laying fresh shrimp on stone slabs to dry for preservation.

She made it meticulously so that the experts could have some on their desks—something to eat when they were tired, hungry, or fatigued, replenishing their energy and nutrition.

She had asked Ren Ping’an and the patrolling soldiers to keep an eye out and bring back more shrimp for her.

Since the waters near Zhongshan Island were off-limits to fishermen, there was an abundance of seafood compared to the coastal areas, and the quality was much better. So, this was not an issue at all.

When the shrimp arrived, Yin Xiaoman, along with a few children, selected the largest and plumpest ones. After cleaning them, she peeled off the shells, removed the shrimp veins, and then blanched them in hot water.

Seeing her method, Dami was quite unimpressed. Standing beside her, he kept mumbling about how she was wasting coal briquettes.

Even though he was talking to himself, his voice was loud enough for her to hear—clearly, it was meant for her.

Yin Xiaoman could not be bothered to argue with the little rascal.

After getting familiar with them, this child had somewhat regained his natural childishness and no longer wore a perpetually sullen face.

However, this change had taken him from being silent and reserved straight into the “even dogs would find him annoying” phase.

He was restless every single day.

No one knew where he got so much energy from—climbing walls, scaling trees, and leading the other two little rascals on wild chases all over the place. He would never come home unless the adults went around shouting and hunting him down.

Sometimes, Yin Xiaoman got so frustrated that she actually missed the obedient and sensible boy he had been when he first arrived.

Sure, he was stubborn back then, but at least he wasn’t so troublesome!

Watching Dami purse his lips and act like he was the most knowledgeable person in the world, pointing and commenting at everything, Yin Xiaoman gritted her teeth in annoyance.

She decided to give him and Da Bao a “heavy” task—borrowing a few large stone slabs from the Cooking Squad and carrying them to the stream to be washed clean.

—If they had too much energy, they might as well go burn it off outside instead of staying around and causing trouble.

Hearing this, Erniu got even more excited than her two older brothers. She patted her chest and declared: “I can do it too!”

Yin Xiaoman impatiently waved her hand and drove all three little ones out.

The world instantly became peaceful.

She knew that most people did not boil shrimp or peel them before drying.

But these were for the experts, so safety and hygiene had to come first.

Besides, Engineer Ning and Grandpa Hua were both elderly. Though they never said anything, after spending so much time with them, she naturally knew that the two old men preferred softer foods.

Boiling and peeling the shrimp would likely suit their tastes better.

After blanching the shrimp, she spread them out to cool, then began preparing the seasoning.

Green onions, ginger, garlic, sugar, salt, soy sauce… She mixed the various seasonings in a small bowl, then poured them over the shrimp, tossing and massaging them to absorb the flavors.

By the time she finished preparing the ingredients, the two troublemakers had already returned, each carrying a freshly washed stone slab.

Following Yin Xiaoman’s instructions, the two boys placed the stone slabs on stools and set them in the sunniest spot in the courtyard. Then, they carefully arranged the marinated shrimp meat one by one in neat rows on top of the slabs.

Yin Xiaoman went back inside and brought out a food cover she had made by repurposing an old mosquito net. After covering the shrimp to keep flies and mosquitoes away, she assigned Da Bao and Erniu the task of keeping pests at bay.

As for Dami, she pulled him back to help clean the fish.

Besides the dried shrimp, she also planned to make some fish cakes.

The island’s hot weather made everyone crave something light and refreshing, so she had been cooking fewer stir-fried dishes lately.

Moreover, although the experts received a much higher food allowance than the average person, the supply of cooking oil each month was still limited. It was impractical to use it up by constantly frying and stir-frying dishes.

Fish cakes, on the other hand, were mild in flavor and nutritious. They could be reheated in a pot whenever needed or tossed into a soup with some greens—just a few minutes of cooking, and they were ready to eat. Convenient and delicious.

Making fish cakes was not difficult, but the most troublesome part was mincing the fish into a fine paste.

Every day, Ren Ping’an brought them fresh fish. Bass and mandarin fish were nothing rare.

This time, Yin Xiaoman planned to use the two large mandarin fish, each weighing over two catties, that he had delivered that morning.

Using a knife, she filleted the boneless portions from the fish’s back and handed the fish meat along with a spoon to Dami.

Since they had worked together before, Yin Xiaoman only gave him a few brief instructions, and he skillfully began scraping the fish into a fine paste with the spoon.

He worked quickly and efficiently.

This child was dependable when it came to tasks like this.

Even now, without an adult watching over him, he still carefully picked out any tiny fish bones or stray bits of cartilage while scraping.

He required no supervision at all.

While Dami worked on the fish paste, Yin Xiaoman began preparing the seasonings.

To highlight the natural freshness of the fish, fish cakes did not require many spices—just a bit of salt and white pepper would suffice. However, one ingredient required extra effort: ginger juice.

She finely minced the ginger, soaked it in water to extract the flavor, then strained out the solids, keeping only the infused ginger liquid.

When Dami finished scraping the fish paste, he handed it over with a proud gleam in his eyes.

Yin Xiaoman glanced at the small bowl he offered, gave him a approving ruffle on the head, but then poured the fish paste back onto the cutting board and began mincing it even finer.

Dami’s jaw dropped in shock, his eyes full of doubt.

The meaning in his gaze was clear— I already minced it so finely. Why do you still need to chop it?

When he was with the two siblings, he was completely at ease and would sometimes chatter endlessly.

But for some reason, whenever he was alone with Yin Xiaoman, he always became inexplicably reserved.

Just like now—he was obviously full of questions, yet he did not ask a single one.

Yin Xiaoman knew that it was because he still had not fully let his guard down. The child was not yet able to completely relax around others.

Since she noticed his curiosity, she decided to explain while working. “The fish meat must be minced finely—so fine that you can’t see even the slightest trace of its original texture. The finer it is, the more elastic it will become in the end.”

“Once it’s minced properly, slowly add the seasoning—yes, just like that, adding little by little while kneading it by hand. Make sure to knead in one direction, and you should feel it becoming sticky.”

At this moment, Dami’s eyes were filled with focus, and he listened with complete seriousness.

When he noticed that Yin Xiaoman was getting tired from kneading, he said nothing and simply took the bowl from her hands, taking over the task himself.

Despite his small arms and legs, he had remarkable strength for his size. Before long, the fish paste had been kneaded to the perfect consistency.

Watching him, Yin Xiaoman was momentarily dazed. For some reason, she suddenly thought of Li Chun when he was a child and had just started apprenticing under her.

Back then, wasn’t Li Chun about the same age as Dami?

Gradually, her gaze toward the child softened. She even stepped back voluntarily and began guiding him step by step to complete the rest of the process on his own.

The fish cakes were steamed to perfection.

Since Dami had done most of the work himself this time, Yin Xiaoman specifically called in the two who had been outside shooing away flies, letting all three children each have a piece.

“This was made by your big brother Dami. Try it and see how it tastes.”

Hearing this, a rare flush of embarrassment appeared on Dami’s face.

Meanwhile, the siblings showered him with exaggerated praise, almost lifting him up to the heavens with their compliments.

The excitement lasted for quite a while. Even after Yin Xiaoman finished cooking the rest of the meal, the children were still brimming with enthusiasm. One after another, they eagerly volunteered to deliver food to the Intellectuals.

Yin Xiaoman glanced at the day’s meal—steamed fish cakes, cold salad, and mantou. There was nothing too fragile or scalding hot. So, with a casual wave of her hand, she entrusted the delivery task to the little ones.

Watching their lively figures dash into the distance, she shook her head with a smile.