Although he had already prepared a lot of delicious food at noon and in the afternoon, Yin Xiaoman still put a lot of effort into preparing dinner.

Cold jellyfish, garlic cucumber, red oil potato shreds, green onion tofu; braised hairtail, braised octopus, steamed scallops and steamed potatoes with bacon; plus a large bowl of loofah soup.

This makes a total of eight dishes, four cold and four hot.

Everything else is fine, but the steamed bacon is a rare commodity on the island, and it really makes one’s mouth water just by looking at it!

The bright red bacon is cut into slices thinner than paper, placed on bright yellow potato cubes and steamed in a pot. As the heat rises, the fat in the bacon melts and seeps into the potatoes, making them soft and fragrant.

The color and taste make you drool even before you eat it.

Because they had the advantage of following Qiangzi and Huzi, the children basically never stopped eating all day long. They had steamed buns, snacks, candies and all kinds of delicious fruits. The five girls and boys could be said to have satisfied their appetite.

So even though the food tasted so good that they were drooling, they just stared at it with envy and no one came forward.

The brothers all followed behind Da Mi obediently, helping the adults move tables and chairs. They were as well-behaved as angels.

Cui Yan couldn't help but marvel at the sight.

She kept saying that she would hand over her two children to Yin Xiaoman for discipline in the future.

"Why do you need me? Just let them follow Da Mi." Yin Xiaoman said with a smile.

Cui Yan thought about it and nodded: "That's right. You know what, your Da Mi really acts like a big brother."

When she came in the morning, she had already asked about the origin of the rice. After hearing about the little guy's tragic experience, she couldn't help but feel heartbroken.

But now, seeing the three children of the Shen family running around in the house, she couldn't help but looked at Yin Xiaoman worriedly.

After making sure that the children couldn't hear her, Cui Yan quietly nudged her friend with her elbow: "Man, what are you going to do next?"

"Ah? What should I do?"

Yin Xiaoman's mind was still thinking about the food and the seating arrangement at the moment, and he was completely confused by her question.

Cui Yan pointed at the children outside with her chin, looking a little worried: "The children you are raising are all other people's children. What about you? You will have to give birth to a child in the future! If you really give birth, will you be able to raise it?"

It’s no wonder Cui Yan asked this question, as she knows this good friend quite well.

In her heart, this young wife was too honest, so honest that she didn't have any ulterior motives.

When Shen Qingyun adopted Dabao and Erniu, Cui Yan was worried that his new wife would be dissatisfied with him and the children, and was also worried that she would abuse the two children.

But after getting in touch with him, she realized that she had really thought too much before.

Xiaoman is a simple girl. She is sincere to everyone and even treats adopted children as her treasures.

Not to mention that they are not biological children, even if they are biological children, how could a child be raised so pampered?

Now, there is one more in this family...

Looking at Da Mi's rosy face, there is no need to ask, she has definitely never suffered any injustice in this family.

Thinking about their family's lifestyle of not saving a penny and spending whatever they have, Cui Yan is really worried that when Xiaoman gives birth to a child, they will have no money to support her.

Hearing her suddenly mention this, Yin Xiaoman's face suddenly turned red.

She glared at Cui Yan in reproach: "Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? Why did you end up here?!"

Cui Yan didn't expect that after being married for so long, this girl would still be shy when talking about having children?

I was immediately amused by her and burst into laughter.

It was not until Yin Xiaoman saw that he was about to get really angry that he tried hard to hold back his laughter and asked, "What did I say? Wasn't I telling the truth?"

As she spoke, she pointed at the kitchen chopping board and said, "Look, this is all, fish and meat, besides refined rice and white flour... You two spend all your monthly earnings on food, right?

Now there are five mouths to feed in the family, and it is probably barely enough to eat. If you add a child to raise, are you going to let them starve? ”

Cui Yan was really anxious when she heard this. She glared at Yin Xiaoman and said, "There's nowhere to go to get a drink in this place!"

Yin Xiaoman was also amused by her words.

Of course she knew that Mrs. Cui said this because she really cared about her.

If they weren't worried, no one would speak so bluntly.

She pursed her lips, stretched out her hand to hold Cui Yan's arm and shook it: "It's not like you eat like this every day...

Isn’t the supply ship coming today? This ship only comes once a month, and it only comes during the one or two days it comes to help improve the children's lives.

Also, the seafood here is caught by the soldiers in the camp, and it’s free. Sister-in-law, you have been here for a short time, but you will understand after a long time. When eating seafood and fruits on the island, everyone eats together and there is no need to buy them with money.

Food, meat and eggs have to be bought with money, but in reality, the meat and eggs cannot even be transported here. That is today. You don’t know that before you came, we hadn’t seen fresh meat and tofu for almost half a year. ”

Her words left Cui Yan stunned for a moment.

She still really didn't know the situation on the island.

However, she was more happy than disappointed after hearing Yin Xiaoman's introduction. After all, even in the Pioneer Camp before, they didn’t have meat and tofu to eat often!

How can you not be satisfied when you can eat seafood and fruits every day for free?

Seeing that Mrs. Cui's facial expression had eased a lot, Yin Xiaoman continued, "Also, Qingyun said that I'm still young and won't let me have a baby before I'm twenty."

Hearing her say this, Cui Yan subconsciously looked up and stared at the girl in front of her for a long time before finally remembering that she was really young.

I remember she got the marriage certificate as soon as she reached marriageable age.

"Are you nineteen?"

"Just turned 11. My birthday was last month."

Hearing her say this, Cui Yan quickly pulled her arm and patted her to comfort her: "Don't worry, don't worry. Two years later will have its advantages. Women, there is no benefit in having children too early. Xiao Shen did the right thing in this regard."

She said, nodding approvingly.

Cui Yan comes from a big city and does not have the feudal idea that she has to have a baby after getting married to carry on the family line for the man's family.

She and Qi Feng lived apart as soon as they got married. They were married for several years and only gave birth to Qiangzi when she was 24 years old.

And because both families were well off, she gave birth to her child in the hospital.

When she was in the hospital, many doctors praised her for being the best age to have a baby. It is said that the healthier the mother is, the healthier the baby will be.

Unlike some families, girls at a very young age get married early and have babies as soon as they get married.

They were originally malnourished and not well developed, and as a result, the children they gave birth to were either skinny like little mice and difficult to raise, or simply died and could not grow up.

For those who are reluctant to go to the hospital, it is not uncommon to see two deaths.

So when she heard that Shen Qingyun was going to have another child after he turned 20, her favorability towards that guy increased rapidly.

"It's full, let's stay calm and don't rush."

She winked at Yin Xiaoman and said, "We are on the island anyway. Your parents-in-law can't find anyone to nag you. As long as you two discuss it, no one can do anything to you."

After hearing this, Yin Xiaoman smiled and said nothing.

She suddenly remembered the attitude of the old couple in Shuanggui Village towards their family.

She felt that even if she was not on the island now, no one would urge her to have a baby.

After all, in the hearts of those two elders, Dabao is their own eldest grandson. When they heard that she had given birth to a child, they would probably be more worried that someone would snatch their Dabao's love, right?

Thinking of this, she smiled, but was not angry. She just wondered how the two old people would feel when they learned the truth one day in the future.

Now there is no place more suitable than Xiaoman’s yard to entertain guests and friends.

You have to know that when it was originally designed, this was a cafeteria.

Ren Ping'an and his team made preparations as if all the expert group members would come together for dinner. There were four large tables for eight people in the room, and more than thirty chairs.

As a result, it has been almost a year since the canteen was built, and this is the first time it has opened its doors to entertain guests.

It was Yin Xiaoman who took advantage of his position to occupy the space and hold their private banquet.

This time, it was Mr. Hua and Engineer Ning who arrived first. As soon as they arrived, they walked around the room inside and out. The two of them couldn't help but marvel and find it a little funny at the so-called "expert canteen" that had never been used.

Only then did they realize that, let alone the cafeteria, the last time they came to Xiaoman's house to say hello was a long time ago.

A year has passed in the blink of an eye.

While the two old men were still sighing, Shen Qingyun also came back with Qi Feng and Liu Chang.

Wherever Liu Chang is, it will definitely be lively.

Before he even entered the door, Qiangzi and Huzi rushed over, one on each side, and pounced on him, pulling him and talking nonstop.

He talked and gestured, wishing he could tell him all about his experiences of the day.

Before in the camp, after Dabao and Erniu left, the two children felt very lonely.

Liu Chang was the only one who was willing to play with the two kids when he was free. Ever since he left, Qiangzi and Huzi had been feeling so lost that they were beyond words.

So when they met again, both adults and children were very happy.

Qi Feng now looked like a completely different person from when he got off the boat in the morning.

Many people seem to be in high spirits when they are happy about something, as if after going through a circle, all their previous burdens have been thrown away, and they feel much more energetic.

Yin Xiaoman didn't know if it was an illusion, but she felt that Qi Feng's back was straight.

Because the place was big, she prepared dishes for two tables of food this time, separating the adults and children.

Da Mi took the group of little kids to another room, where they ate, drank, chatted and had fun.

Without adults watching over them, there were all kinds of delicious food, and even some refreshing coconut water that had been chilled in cold water for a day prepared specifically for them as a drink. The little ones were all very cute, and no one of them was clamoring to come over and join the adults in having fun.

Therefore, adults don’t have too many concerns when speaking.

Liu Chang even brought a bottle of wine.

A bottle of Xifeng liquor that was said to have been stolen from his father.

Yin Xiaoman had never seen this kind of wine, but she had also never seen the look in those men's eyes when they faced that bottle of wine.

How to say it? His eyes turned green.

It even made her think of wolves.

Xifeng! These days, when ordinary bulk liquor is not available until the Chinese New Year, Liu Chang actually took out a bottle of Xifeng!

Looking at the golden phoenix on the big red label, the gazes of every man present were so hot that they wished they could poke a hole in the glass bottle and crawl into it without being able to get out.

Especially the three of Liu Chang, any one of them would be able to stand on their own in the camp if they left the camp. But who would have thought that in the end they almost fought over who fell more and who fell less.

Ning Gong and Hua Lao, who were both very old, laughed so hard that they fell on the table and couldn't even straighten their backs.

Cui Yan had a look of disgust and couldn't bear to look at it.

Seeing them like this, Yin Xiaoman silently stood up and went back to the kitchen to get a plate of kimchi and a dish of fried cat fish as a side dish.

I have already started to wonder in my mind - can I order two fewer hot dishes and save them for tomorrow?

Anyway, I guess I won’t be able to taste anything after drinking it for a while.

Later she realized that she was just overthinking.

How could five grown men drink just this bottle of wine?

At most, it can just satisfy the gluttony that has been dormant in your stomach for a long time, without affecting your eating and drinking later.

After a few drinks, the urge to drink was still there, but the spirits of several people were much higher.

Previously, due to various concerns, no one was willing to talk about the various worries that initially lingered in everyone's mind, but now they can all speak out. There is no need to worry about expressing all kinds of thoughts and wishes.

Especially Liu Chang.

He was originally a child from a good family. He was well protected by his family since he was young. He had no bad intentions and his mind was very clean.

In addition, my family has been practicing medicine for generations. Since I was old enough to understand, the first thing my parents taught me was to be kind and treat others with compassion.

Only if you always keep this heart can you become a qualified doctor.

But in the past two years, what has happened in society has been completely contrary to what his parents taught him since childhood. So all kinds of conflicts occurred in the child's heart. For a long time, he was in a state of anxiety and even began to doubt himself and the unwavering beliefs he had held for so many years.

It was under such circumstances that he was sent to this island by his family. It was after staying on the island for a few months that the child's inner panic gradually faded and his heart settled down day by day.

So, now he feels like he is alive again.

Now, the two families he loved and respected the most in his old unit have all come here. Everyone can work and get together as before, which makes Liu Chang so happy that he can't even control himself.

He took advantage of the alcohol and grabbed Qi Feng's hand: "Brother Qi, Brother Qi, now that you are here, don't leave again, right? From now on, the three of us will stay here and do a good job of escorting Ning Gong and Mr. Hua. From now on, we will all stay here and never go back, okay?"

Seeing that he was truly moved, Qi Feng felt indescribably moved.

He reached out and patted Liu Chang on the head, teasing him like he was coaxing a child: "There is no problem at all for your brother Shen and I to stay here. We even brought our wives and children with us, so we must be determined to stay for a long time. You can't do that."

"Why can't I do it? I'm sure I can do it!" Liu Chang was anxious.

Seeing his expression, Cui Yan beside him laughed first: "You don't even have a partner, and you're staying here all the time. Are you not going to marry or have children? If you really dare to do this, your parents will beat you to death!"

After hearing Cui Yan's words, Liu Chang was obviously stunned. Obviously the child has not thought about this level at all.

He blinked his eyes, and after a while he slowly said, "Why get married, why have children? I want to stay here. I feel at ease staying here!"

After these words were spoken, everyone present fell silent at the same time.

Isn’t what Liu Chang said what everyone really thinks? No matter how difficult the conditions on the island are, no matter how many things they have to give up, for everyone here, this place is like a paradise, a place where they can live comfortably in such a depressing environment.

They can give up a lot for it.

Shen Qingyun and his family arrived early. They were just framed when they first arrived, but they did not actually experience the scene of national frenzy and people going crazy.

But Liu Chang, especially Qi Feng's family, saw it with their own eyes and experienced it personally in the days that followed.

For them, those days were full of enthusiasm but also made people fearful from the bottom of their hearts. Every day was torment and made them nervous.

Therefore, under such circumstances, being able to come to Zhongshan Island and stay here is an opportunity that makes them feel extremely lucky and cherished.

At this time, Cui Yan finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

She first looked at her man tentatively, and then found that the man's eyes seemed to be the same as hers, as if he also showed confusion and uneasiness. She simply gritted her teeth and asked about their biggest concern.

She looked at Shen Qingyun: "Xiao Shen, sister-in-law wants to ask you something."

Suddenly being called, Shen Qingyun quickly turned her head and said, "Sister-in-law, go ahead."

"That's right," Cui Yan bit her lower lip again, "That's right, how many years can we stay here?"

No one expected that Cui Yan would ask such a question at this time, and Shen Qingyun was unable to answer it for a while.

He opened his mouth, but for a long moment, no word came out.

Cui Yan saw that his behavior was not because he didn't know, but made her feel that the questions she asked might involve areas that cannot be answered.

She was so panicked that she waved her hands at him vigorously, explaining repeatedly: "Don't misunderstand, Xiao Shen, I don't mean to ask about your internal secrets. We also took classes before going to the island. I know not to listen to what I shouldn't listen to, not to look at what I shouldn't look at, and resolutely not to ask what I shouldn't ask. I just want to ask a general idea, that is..."

At this point, her nose suddenly felt sore, and her voice was choked with sobs: "That's right, we have just settled in, and your work is over, right? If we go back again, go back..."

As she spoke, she finally couldn't control herself and started to cry.

The movement outside is in full swing, and anyone can see that it will not be over in a day or two, or in a year or two.

But no matter how passionately and inspiringly those who had experienced it spoke, Cui Yan felt that she could not empathize with them.

Especially after seeing with her own eyes that Lin Hui, who had held her head high the day before and was full of bad intentions to trick this and that, was trampled into the mud by those who had followed her the next day, and her dignity was completely lost...

That kind of contrast and shock can really arouse the fear in the deepest part of people's hearts.

Cui Yan didn't feel any pity for Lin Hui at all, and even hated her to the core.

But it's impossible not to be terrified when you see a person go through such a drastic change in such a short period of time.

Not only that, her man was also inexplicably implicated, and life at home became increasingly difficult... All these things happened at the same time, and the kind of inner despair that Cui Yan, who had grown up smoothly since childhood, had never experienced before.

She didn't say it because she didn't want the man to worry about her anymore, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid.

Now that she has finally arrived here and finally put her heart back at ease, she is really afraid that she will have to go back to that environment again before the things outside are over!

"As long as you are willing, you can stay here peacefully."

When the only sound left in the room was Cui Yan's suppressed sobs, Mr. Hua, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.

He knew that no one in the room could answer this question except him, so he didn't consider whether his ideas were mature or how likely they were to be accomplished.

He turned to look at Shen Qingyun: "I was just about to talk to you these past two days. Since we are talking about this today, I might as well tell you what we old men think in advance."

After hearing Mr. Hua's opening remarks, the men all straightened their faces and sat up straight.

Yin Xiaoman looked at them, reached out and tugged at the corner of Cui Yan's clothes, and was about to avoid them, but was stopped by Mr. Hua.

He waved his hands at the two of them and said, "It's not something that needs to be kept secret. You guys should sit down and listen."

Hearing him say this, Yin Xiaoman nodded.

But he still got up and went to the kitchen to make a cup of lemon mint tea for everyone present.

The lemons were pickled with the sugar she bought with the sugar coupons last month, and the mint was picked from the field at the door, washed and dried. Since we are going to talk about serious business, it would be most appropriate to have a drink of this to refresh your mind.

She walked back to the room with a tray carrying a few cups of tea in glass cups, and then she heard Professor Hua saying to everyone: "Our latest research project has made great progress, and it will be put into practice by the beginning of next year at the latest."