Chapter 59

Speaking of coconuts, Yin Xiaoman had never eaten one before, and she had never even seen one.

If it weren’t for Dami, who came back from the mountain with Da Bao and Erniu, bringing a few coconuts, she would never have noticed the fruit growing high up in the tree.

But after she cracked one open and tasted it, she was immediately captivated by its refreshing sweetness.

Originally, she thought that the fruit was just for drinking its juice, but then she saw Dami using a small knife to scoop out the coconut meat and feed it to the two little ones.

The two little ones were like hungry puppies waiting to be fed, obediently circling around Dami, mouths open, looking at her with a completely new sense of obedience and understanding that they had never shown before.

Seeing this, Yin Xiaoman couldn’t help but laugh.

She walked over to Dami and asked for a piece as well. After chewing a few times, several ideas for dishes that could be made with the coconut quickly appeared in her mind.

After that, coconuts became quite a commonly used item in their household.

Yin Xiaoman’s cooking skills were impeccable. Although Cui Yan had no idea what the large fruit in the child’s hands was, he still unhesitatingly agreed when she asked him about it.

The two of them chatted and walked toward the Kitchen Unit.

Because of the arrival of Cui Yan’s family, Yin Xiaoman had been so excited earlier that she completely forgot to check what supplies the supply boat had brought.

When they arrived at the Kitchen Unit, they found that the shipment from the group was quite a lot!

Although it was still hot outside, it was much better than in July and August. While there was still no fresh meat, there were eggs this time, along with a large bowl of tofu soaked in cold water.

In addition to that, they had received some preserved meat, sausages, and milk powder specially for the Researchers, as well as many more varieties of seasonal vegetables than usual.

What surprised Yin Xiaoman the most was that she had actually spotted several live chickens in the corner!

She walked over, pointing at the chickens, and asked: “Are these also sent by the Regiment for everyone to eat?”

Ren Ping’an quickly shook his hand and smiled, saying: “No, no, sister-in-law, you can’t take these and stew them! These are specially sent by the Regiment for us in the Kitchen Unit to try and see if we can raise them. I’m hoping they’ll lay eggs!”

“You weren’t saying every day that the sound of explosions would make it impossible to raise chickens?” Yin Xiaoman looked at him with a bit of surprise.

“Let’s give it a try, who knows? Maybe these chickens aren’t afraid of the explosions and can still lay eggs.” Ren Ping’an replied, his expression one of helplessness.

Yin Xiaoman pursed her lips, saying nothing.

She thought Ren Ping’an’s idea was good, but reality might differ greatly from the plan.

She wasn’t sure if the chickens would be frightened to death by the loud noises, but she was almost certain they wouldn’t be able to lay eggs if they were too scared.

She stared at the chickens for a while, already considering how she could take one back to slaughter after Ren Ping’an had completely given up…

But she was afraid that by then, the chickens would have become too thin.

Thinking of this, she clicked her tongue in slight regret.

Perhaps her gaze was too direct, as she saw Ren Ping’an looking at her with wariness in his eyes.

He quickly shoved a large basket into Yin Xiaoman’s arms. “Sister-in-law, this is what the Battalion Commander had the Supply ship bring back. It’s your family’s things. You should take it back right away.”

Hearing it was their own things, Yin Xiaoman finally snapped back to reality and stopped staring at the chickens. She began to look down at the basket.

As soon as she pulled it up, a wide smile appeared on her face.

Inside the basket, almost everything that was available on the outside was included.

Smoked meat, eggs, milk powder, fresh vegetables, and even sugar, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Looking at these items, Yin Xiaoman felt like her heart was blooming with joy. She thought her man was becoming more and more considerate.

He knew better than anyone what she liked the most.

For Yin Xiaoman, at that moment, receiving these things was far more exciting than if he had bought her a bunch of floral fabrics, hair oils, or a few outfits.

“Wow, Little Shen bought you all this food?” 

Cui Yan leaned over, taking a look and couldn’t help but click his tongue. “You two must have spent all your money on food?”

Although she had just arrived, she had learned about the situation on the island during the group’s training. She knew that the Supply ship came once a month, and each time it would bring some essential items.

If anyone wanted to buy personal items, they could prepare the money and supply slips in advance and have the crew bring them back. The next time the ship came to the island, it would bring those items with them.

The items in the basket clearly indicated that all the supply slips and money had been handed over to the crew to make the purchases. That’s why the contents were exactly the same as those delivered to the Kitchen Unit.

Yin Xiaoman smiled but didn’t say anything.

Now that their whole family was on the island, no one knew when they would be able to leave. Aside from buying some necessities from the outside, there were practically no expenses on the island.

What was the point of keeping all that money?

Whenever she thought about this, her mind would bring up the image of a wooden box in her space, filled with silver ingots and various pieces of jewelry.

Was she supposed to just keep the money, letting it gather dust after her death?

She couldn’t help but have such thoughts—it was just that, whether in her past life or this one, she had never seen any hope for the future.

Since that was the case, she decided to live well in the present.

Before coming to the island, Lu Ping had told them that it was not allowed to send letters out from the island. If they needed to send money home, they could specify the amount, and a designated person from the Regiment would deduct it from Shen Qingyun’s salary every month, sending it directly from the Regiment.

No personal handling, and no addresses would be involved.

So, for Yin Xiaoman, doing a good job and taking care of her family was her most important task now.

She handed the basket to Dami, picking out some of the things she needed and then left the Kitchen Unit.

The new warehouse had already begun to take shape. Although it couldn’t officially be used yet, it worked fine as a temporary storage room.

The temperature there remained at a constant 10-odd degrees Celsius, so while it couldn’t store ice, it was much cooler for keeping food than the outside.

Now, Yin Xiaoman usually didn’t take too much. Most of the items were taken by Ren Ping’an and the others to the warehouse.

What she took were mainly milk powder, eggs, sugar, and flour.

With so many little children in the house now, she wanted to make a dessert today—coconut jelly.

No child could resist a good snack, especially one they hadn’t had before.

Since she was making it, she thought she might as well make a lot, and treat the Researchers as well to adjust their appetites.

When she returned home, before Yin Xiaoman could give any instructions, Dami had already rallied the group of little ones and taken them to the back mountain to chop down some coconuts.

Qiangzi and Huzi had never lived this way before. Suddenly having an older brother who was willing to take them to play filled them with such excitement that their eyes practically sparkled.

They had been on the boat for such a long time, but they weren’t tired at all. They shouted loudly and eagerly followed Dami up the mountain.

Seeing their backs as they left, Cui Yan smiled for a long time before washing her hands, walking over to Yin Xiaoman and saying: “Let me see if I can help with anything. I can’t make coconut jelly, but any of the heavy work, just tell me. I’m absolutely fine with that.”