Chapter 54  

When she returned home, Yin Xiaoman could no longer care about any taboos. She took out a small silver tweezer from her space, intending to remove the stingers from Dami.  

She was unsure whether hornets left their stingers behind after stinging someone.  

However, she remembered that when a little girl had once been stung by a bee while playing in the garden, Old Momo had first helped remove the stinger.  

She instructed Dami to sit in the courtyard where the light was best, then ran to the kitchen, fetched a basin of water from the vat, and grabbed a bar of soap.  

By the time she returned with everything prepared, she found the boy standing beside the stool, looking awkward and reluctant to sit down.  

One glance at his backside, and she immediately understood.  

Pretending as if she had seen nothing, she placed the basin of water beside her, sat down on the stool, and pointed in front of her. She said to Dami: “Squat here.”  

This time, the little brat obediently crouched right in front of her.  

Yin Xiaoman first wiped the dirt off his face and neck with water before carefully using the small tweezers to remove the stingers embedded in his flesh.  

Logically, the best course of action would have been to take Dami to a hospital for treatment.  

But there was no hospital on the island!  

With no other option, she had to rely on herself.  

Fortunately, there were not many stingers in the wound, and the few that were there were scattered around the injury rather than hooked deep into the flesh.  

That gave Yin Xiaoman some relief.  

She used a towel dipped in water to clean the stingers away. However, she soon noticed that each sting site had a small black dot at the most swollen part of the wound, making it look somewhat terrifying.  

Yin Xiaoman prodded at it with the tweezers and found that the thing was stuck tightly to the flesh. She forcibly pulled one out, examined it closely, and suspected it was the hornet’s venom sac.  

This definitely could not be left inside!  

So, instead of simply removing the stingers, she began extracting each of those black venom sacs one by one.  

Even though she tried to be as gentle as possible, using tweezers to probe and scrape at wounded flesh was bound to be painful.  

Fortunately, at that moment, Dami showed remarkable endurance. He clenched his teeth silently and did not let out even a single whimper.  

The little boy had been stung mainly on the inner sides of his arms, neck, and chest—areas where the skin was the softest.  

Naturally, stings in such places appeared more severe than elsewhere. Some areas were swollen to the point of being nearly translucent.  

Yin Xiaoman worked carefully, her muscles tense with nervousness.  

She was afraid of hurting the child’s wounds and equally afraid of not cleaning them properly. Before long, a fine layer of sweat covered her forehead.  

From the moment she started treating Dami, Da Bao and Erniu had been standing nearby, unwilling to leave no matter what she said. In the end, she had no choice but to allow them to watch from a distance.

The two little ones held hands, not daring to step forward. As they watched their mother’s tweezers dig into their older brother’s flesh again and again, their tiny faces scrunched up, filled with both distress and horror.  

Glancing at them, Yin Xiaoman suddenly felt that this situation was quite good.  

Although it could not exactly be called “killing the chicken to warn the monkeys.” still—  

Having experienced the harsh lessons of reality, one could always learn how to behave faster.

After thoroughly cleaning out the venom sacs, Yin Xiaoman applied soapy water to Dami’s wounds.

Then, she held out the white paper covered with those tiny black dots right in front of the little boy’s eyes.

Dami took one glance at it before quickly turning his head away. He bit his lip but did not dare to say a single word.

Seeing that her intended warning had taken effect, Yin Xiaoman decided not to press the matter further with the children.

In truth, she was extremely worried. She felt that Dami needed some kind of medicine—if something really went wrong, it would be a huge problem.

Just as she was fretting over what to do, Shen Qingyun pushed open the courtyard gate and stepped inside.

The moment they saw him, all the children immediately stood up straight, looking as if they were preparing for battle.

Erniu glanced up at her two older brothers, pursed her little lips, and timidly walked over to her father. Tentatively, she reached out and lightly touched the back of his hand.

The little girl had been frightened enough by everything that had happened today. She hadn’t said a single word yet, but her eyes had already turned red.

Shen Qingyun lowered his head to look at his daughter, but unlike usual, he did not pick her up or comfort her.

Instead, he placed his large hand on top of her head and, with a slight push, moved her aside.

With a dark expression, he gave the two boys a once-over from head to toe. Then, with a cold snort, he turned on his heels and strode toward the room where they slept.

Dami and Da Bao exchanged a glance before lowering their heads and following behind him. Both boys straightened their necks and stiffened their backs, looking as if they were marching toward their doom.

Yin Xiaoman stood silently behind them, watching. It wasn’t until the door to the inner room slammed shut with a loud bang that a trace of amusement flickered in her eyes.

She had caught sight of the small bottle of medicinal oil hidden in the man’s palm. There was no need to ask—Grandpa Hua must have gone to the base.

Only then did she truly feel relieved.

Soon, agonized howls erupted from inside the room—far more miserable than when they had been beaten earlier.

Erniu was terrified. She immediately ran toward the door, but no matter how hard she pounded on it, her father showed no intention of letting her in.

“Mom!” Erniu suddenly rushed out of the house.

Her big eyes were brimming with tears as she desperately tugged at Yin Xiaoman’s clothes, trying with all her might to drag her inside.

But how could Yin Xiaoman possibly undermine the man’s authority at this moment?

Who was Shen Qingyun? A man from the Military Unit, someone who dealt with unruly boys every single day.

When it came to educating sons, his sense of discipline was undoubtedly far better than hers.

She understood this, but Erniu didn’t!

Hearing her two older brothers screaming like that inside, the little girl’s tears started falling in big, heavy drops.

And so, there were wails inside, sobs outside—the small courtyard had never been this lively before.

No one knew how long the commotion had lasted when suddenly, a teasing voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

“Oh? What’s going on in here? Putting on a performance? It’s quite the lively scene!”

Hearing this voice, Yin Xiaoman was momentarily stunned.

She turned her head and saw someone she had never expected to meet in this place!

“Liu Chang? What are you doing here?!”

Yin Xiaoman quickly pried Erniu off her and rushed forward to greet him, her voice filled with genuine joy.

Liu Chang was a doctor from the Vanguard Camp’s clinic and had once been quite close to Yin Xiaoman.

He had always called her “Sister-in-law” in the sweetest way, dropping by their home every few days to freeload meals.

When he found out they were leaving, the kid had even teared up.

Now, encountering an old acquaintance in a foreign place, Yin Xiaoman was naturally overjoyed. For a moment, she even forgot about the troubles at home.

But while she might have wanted to put them aside, the wailing inside the house was still ongoing!

Before Yin Xiaoman could explain, Liu Chang had already burst into laughter.

“These two brats definitely needed a good lesson. And for what? Risking their little lives over something like this?”

As he spoke, he swung the arm that had been resting behind his back forward and placed something onto the stone slab beside him.

The sight of it nearly made Yin Xiaoman jump in shock.

She hadn’t noticed before, but Liu Chang had been carrying an enormous hornet’s nest behind him!

The thing was as big as a basketball, oblong in shape, with a rough, uneven surface. There was no doubt about it—it had to be the one Dami had knocked down from a tree.

It seemed that after Shen Qingyun had learned the full story, he had deliberately sent someone to retrieve it from the back mountain.

How it had ended up in Liu Chang’s hands, however, she had no idea.

“So, they got stung and beaten all for this? What were they even thinking?”

Liu Chang clicked his tongue in disapproval and shoved the hornet’s nest further onto the stone slab.

“They were hoping there’d be honey inside.” Yin Xiaoman explained with a chuckle.

She didn’t want to dwell too much on the matter, so she quickly shifted the conversation to the thing that intrigued her the most.

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here. Did you come alone, or is someone else with you?”

As she spoke, her eyes couldn’t help but dart toward the entrance, scanning for familiar faces.

Liu Chang grinned. “Sister-in-law, no need to look. Sister-in-law Cui didn’t come with me. Vanguard Camp only sent me—I arrived an hour ago with the second batch of personnel. The island needed a resident doctor, so I volunteered.”

Yin Xiaoman knew that the second batch of personnel was scheduled to arrive on the island these past couple of days, but she hadn’t expected Liu Chang to be among them.  

Though she felt a slight disappointment upon learning that Cui Yan’s family hadn’t come along, Liu Chang’s arrival was already a pleasant surprise for her.  

After all, Zhongshan Island wasn’t a place just anyone could come to.  

To encounter Liu Chang here was something she hadn’t even dared to dream of before. She wouldn’t ask for more.  

“Sit for a bit. I’ll go stir-fry a couple more dishes—you’re staying for dinner! I still have some eggs stored up; I’ll make you scrambled eggs!”  

Excited, Yin Xiaoman pointed to a small wooden stool beside him. After speaking, she turned to head toward the kitchen.  

“No, no, no, Sister-in-law! Don’t trouble yourself. I just got here and haven’t even reported to the base yet. My brother saw me and asked for some medicinal oil, so I came over to check on things. I have to go back now.”  

“Eat before you leave!”  

“I really can’t.”  

Just as the two were still arguing over it, the door to the inner room suddenly opened.  

Shen Qingyun stepped out first, carrying his little daughter, who had been lying against the door.  

The two boys followed behind him, dragging their feet.  

He handed the still-sniffling Erniu over to his wife before casting a glance at Liu Chang, who was clearly enjoying the spectacle.  

Then, he said: “He’ll eat lunch with me at the canteen. Make a couple more dishes for dinner—I’ll bring him back then.”  

With new personnel arriving, Shen Qingyun would undoubtedly be busy for a while.  

Since he had spoken, Yin Xiaoman naturally wouldn’t insist otherwise.  

After sending the two men off, she finally turned her attention back to the two boys.  

Their pants had been changed, and the strong smell of medicinal oil clung to them—evidence that they had already been treated inside.  

She set Erniu down and then pointed at the hornet’s nest Liu Chang had tossed onto the stone slab.  

“Your precious treasure—go put it away yourselves.”  

Da Bao’s eyes suddenly lit up upon hearing her words. His previously wrinkled little face instantly relaxed.

He took a few quick steps to the stone slab and reached out to grab the honeycomb. However, the moment he pried it open, his expression immediately collapsed.  

“Where’s the honey? No honey?” He turned to look at Dami, his eyes filled with grievance.  

Dami leaned in for a closer look, and his expression also turned strange. Clearly, he had not expected this outcome either.  

After hesitating for a while, he finally used his hands to break apart the honeycomb and pointed inside, saying: “There are larvae here. These are good to eat too.”  

But these words obviously did not comfort Da Bao.  

The thought that he had endured scolding and beatings, and was even roughly handled by his father—all for this thing—only to end up with not a single drop of honey…  

The child was utterly disheartened.  

His small mouth quivered in grievance. He no longer paid attention to the honeycomb but instead silently walked to a corner of the courtyard. Squatting down with his back to everyone, he seemed lost in thought.  

---

That evening, Liu Chang and Shen Qingyun returned together.  

He did not come back empty-handed—he carried a sausage, which must have been brought from outside the island.  

Sausages were a rare treat.  

Zhongshan Island had many things, but the heat was unbearable.  

Although everyone had meat tickets in their supply booklets, it had been a long time since anyone had eaten meat.  

It was not that meat was unavailable for purchase, but the supply ship could not deliver it in time.  

Reportedly, it took over ten hours to drive from the nearest county town to the port.  

If one bought meat, transported it to the port, and then shipped it to the island along with other supplies, the fastest it could arrive was in about two days.  

No meat could last that long without spoiling.  

As a result, all perishable and fragile items—including meat, tofu, and eggs—had not been seen for a long time.  

The few remaining eggs at home had been brought over shortly after arriving on the island, transported along with the first batch of experts.  

On the surface, she had placed them in a basket hanging from the roof beam, but in reality, she had stored them in her space, which was the only reason they had lasted until now.  

Yin Xiaoman took the sausage and turned into the kitchen under the heated gazes of the group. Before long, a plate of stir-fried celery with preserved sausage was served.  

Although the celery far outnumbered the sausage slices, the aroma alone made everyone’s mouth water.

Yin Xiaoman put great effort into preparing dinner that evening.  

In addition to the leek and egg stir-fry she had promised Liu Chang in advance, there were also braised fish cakes and spicy stir-fried clams. Moreover, to make up for the children’s emotional “wounds.” she had actually picked out the bee larvae from the honeycomb, soaked them in salt water, and pan-fried them until they were golden and fragrant.  

Besides these hearty dishes, she also prepared a local specialty—lemon juice mixed salad.  

With the addition of tomato, seaweed, and shrimp soup, as well as the plate of stir-fried sausage, this meal was truly of a high standard.  

Sure enough, upon seeing the table full of dishes, Liu Chang was the first to cheer.  

“I knew I made the right choice! With little Sister-in-law’s cooking, I wouldn’t just come to Zhongshan Island—I’d be willing to be exiled to a deserted island!”  

Hearing this, Shen Qingyun let out a cold snort and, without hesitation, struck back: “Exiled to a deserted island? And you expect your Sister-in-law to go there and cook for you? What kind of wishful thinking is that?”  

Liu Chang chuckled at the remark.  

For once, Yin Xiaoman did not let the children sit at the table. Instead, she set aside some food for them and sent them back to the bedroom.  

After finishing up, she eagerly sat beside the men and poured each of them a cup of Yellow Wine from her storage.  

“This is all that’s left. You two brothers drink it. Since it’s nighttime, a little wine won’t hurt.”  

This wine had been openly acknowledged in front of Shen Qingyun before—he had always believed it was something his wife had brought from her hometown and treasured it greatly.  

Usually, he was reluctant to drink it himself.  

But now, seeing Yin Xiaoman take it out without hesitation, it was clear that she was also in high spirits upon seeing people from the Vanguard Camp.  

Liu Chang had never drunk this wine before, but he had eaten the drunken crab that little Sister-in-law had made using it. The moment he caught a whiff of the wine’s aroma, his mouth started watering.  

He squinted his eyes in satisfaction, but as he recalled past events, a hint of melancholy appeared in them.  

“Brother, did you know that Lin Hui and Liu Chuang got married?” He blurted out the statement without any preamble, as if it had suddenly popped into his mind.  

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingyun showed no reaction, but Yin Xiaoman was visibly startled.  

“Who did you say?” she asked in disbelief.  

“That…”  

Liu Chang glanced at Shen Qingyun, then gave a mischievous chuckle. “That Lin Hui who used to be in a relationship with my brother.”  

Before he could even finish speaking, Shen Qingyun smacked him on the head.  

“What relationship? Relationship my ass! Say that again, and I’ll beat you to death!”

“Hahahaha!”  

Even after getting smacked, Liu Chang was not the least bit angry. Instead, he collapsed onto the table, laughing uncontrollably.  

The lingering gloom that had been shadowing his brows finally eased a little.  

“What exactly happened? That Officer Lin is just a young girl, isn’t she? Liu Chuang… that guy, he could be old enough to be her father, right?”  

Yin Xiaoman, however, did not care about whatever had happened between them in the past.  

Not only had there been nothing substantial between them, but even if there had been some vague entanglements, from the moment that woman tried to harm her, the man had already come to hate her to his core.  

She knew this very well.  

“He can’t exactly be her father, can he? Liu Chuang only looks old—he’s probably not even forty yet. And Officer Lin should be at least in her twenties, right?”  

As Liu Chang spoke, he even nudged Shen Qingyun with his elbow, clearly enjoying the gossip. “Brother, how old is Officer Lin?”  

Back when their match was arranged, the person who introduced them did mention the woman’s age. But at this moment, Shen Qingyun had no interest in talking about it.  

He shot Liu Chang a cold glare, his eyes practically radiating killing intent.  

Liu Chang instinctively shrank his neck in fear and no longer dared to joke around.  

“Ah, who cares how old she is? Just tell me how this all happened!”  

Yin Xiaoman was not the type who loved gossip, but life on the island was simply too dull.  

Every day, aside from cooking and tending to vegetables, she was either looking after the children or doing nothing at all.  

Even gathering seafood from the shore had become unnecessary since Ren Ping’an had started delivering supplies regularly.  

A person with too much free time naturally became curious about anything new.  

And besides, the main characters of this story happened to be the two people she despised the most since arriving in this world!  

Lin Hui and Liu Chuang… married?  

To Yin Xiaoman, this was something even the most outrageous drama scripts wouldn’t dare to write. These two had absolutely nothing to do with each other.  

How did they even end up together?  

Seeing the flames of curiosity burning brightly in his Sister-in-law’s eyes, Liu Chang was tempted to drag it out a little longer.  

But before he could, Shen Qingyun gave him a swift kick to the shin.  

With a yelp, Liu Chang immediately abandoned the idea of teasing and obediently spilled everything he knew.  

“Lin Hui was transferred to the publicity department later on, handling external relations. Somehow, she and Liu Chuang started getting closer and closer. At one point, they were practically the county’s version of a wolf and a jackal—anyone who mentioned them gritted their teeth in anger.”  

“But if you had told me that they would end up getting married, that’s something nobody could have predicted.”  

“I remember not long after you two left, the two of them even made a trip to our regiment.”