Yin Xiaoman knew about this not because anyone told her. Instead, she suddenly realized that the whole family was not at home for dinner.

First, Shen Qingyun said that he was busy in the camp and decided to eat in the cafeteria instead. Then Dabao and Dami also said they had to help the kitchen staff pick fruits and would not be back in time, so they would not eat at home.

Cui Yan and her two sons, who used to eat with them when they were busy, ran away after delivering the meal, as if they would miss something if they left a step later.

When it was time for dinner, she and Erniu were the only ones left at home.

Not only that, she also found that even when cooking for the expert group, Da Mi and Cui Yan began to be perfunctory, and the time they spent was less than half of what she had done before.

Because she seldom goes into the kitchen now, she doesn't know what they cook every day.

The two people seemed to intentionally not let her see. They cooked and delivered the food very quickly. Often, just as she smelled the food, they had already packed the lunch boxes and were ready to deliver it.

But precisely because they were too deliberate, people could clearly feel that they were hiding something from them, and Yin Xiaoman couldn't help but take it seriously.

The rain continued to fall, accompanied by strong winds from time to time.

In such weather, the children of the Zhongshan team, now led by Dabao, still insist on going up the mountain to pick fruits every day. Often when I get home, my clothes are soaking wet.

She said it several times and mentioned it to the man, saying that it was too dangerous for the children. But everyone laughed it off with her, and no one gave up.

All these circumstances combined made her feel increasingly depressed.

Finally one day she couldn't bear it anymore, so she sneaked out while Cui Yan and Dami were cooking in the kitchen and Erniu went to help.

Because she was pregnant and because it had been raining and everything was slippery, Shen Qingyun strictly forbade her to go out.

This is Yin Xiaoman's first child and she has no experience. Plus, there is no obstetrician or gynecologist on the island. If anything happens, there is no possibility of sending the child to the hospital.

So she is very careful and doesn't dare to joke about her body easily.

But at this moment, she really couldn't hold it anymore.

It was still raining outside, so Yin Xiaoman took a raincoat and quietly left home. As soon as she went out, she found something wrong.

It was lunch time, but there was no smell of smoke in the kitchens of every household along the way, and it seemed as if all the doors were closed.

She didn't even see anyone in the dormitory area.

On the contrary, the closer you get to the canteen, the more people there are on the road, most of them with their families, and it’s obvious that they’re in a hurry to eat.

Yin Xiaoman had seen such a scene only when the first group of family members arrived on the island, but he had not seen the same scene for a long time.

She was secretly frightened.

Because nowadays raincoats are big and black, suitable for both men and women, and can cover the whole body when worn.

In addition, it was raining and everyone was in a hurry to get on their way, so even though there were people coming and going around her, no one recognized her.

Yin Xiaoman followed the crowd into the cafeteria.

As soon as she entered, she found that meal tickets were no longer required for meals, and that they could not choose their meals; everyone ate the same food.

From the moment we entered the cafeteria, we lined up in an orderly manner and walked slowly along the line.

At the front of the team, where people usually got their meals, the large basins for steamed buns were no longer there. Instead, they were all replaced with small bamboo winnowing baskets.

The people who were getting the food should have brought their bowls from home in advance, so the whole family would get the food together.

The head of the family would come forward and report their names, and then the little soldier who served the food would check the list and take out the steamed buns and other food that had been placed in the winnowing basket and give them to them.

Yin Xiaoman stood in an inconspicuous corner and looked at what those people were carrying.

Only then did they realize that everyone’s food was the same, and there was no longer any distinction between who paid more and who paid less.

Each person was given a steamed bun the size of a child's fist, a mango, two small kumquats that were not fully ripe, and a large bowl of soup.

The soup was also very clear and watery, with only a few green leaves and some seaweed in it. A few pieces of shellfish meat could be vaguely seen at the bottom of the bowl, and you could see the bottom at a glance. There was not even a speck of oil in the bowl.

But with these things, the people holding them were very careful, as if they were afraid of spilling even a drop.

The children following behind the adults had eyes full of desire, and it was obvious that they were extremely hungry.

After seeing this, is there anything Yin Xiaoman doesn’t understand?

She quietly retreated from the cafeteria.

When she got home, Cui Yan and her family had just finished cooking and didn't even notice that she was not there.

Now that we know that Cui Yan and the others have to rush to the canteen after delivering the meal, Yin Xiaoman naturally will not cause them trouble at this time.

She quickly took off her raincoat, changed her wet shoes, and then pretended to have just walked out of the house and went into the kitchen.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry about the lunch at home today, I'll make it. It's just me and Erniu eating, so I'll just make some noodles and send them off. Don't run back and forth anymore."

Hearing her say this, Cui Yan hesitated for a moment: "Are you not feeling uncomfortable anymore?"

"Much better." Yin Xiaoman smiled and said, "Didn't you hear that I haven't vomited much in the past few days?"

Cui Yan recalled it and it seemed to be true, so she nodded and agreed.

"Okay, if you really feel uncomfortable, just let Erniu cook. She has almost learned it now, so she should have no problem cooking noodles."

Hearing her say this, Erniu immediately rushed forward and nodded to Yin Xiaoman: "Mom, I can do it, I'll do it!"

After saying that, he ran out and brought a small stool. He stood on it and tiptoed to take out the white noodles that Cui Yan had rolled and dried when the weather was fine from the cupboard, and then placed them carefully on the table.

Yin Xiaoman pretended to glance at it casually, and then he found that his daughter only took out a small handful of noodles. It seemed that she was preparing to eat it alone.

Only then did she suddenly remember that Erniu's appetite had decreased a lot compared to before. Every time I asked her, she said she wasn't hungry and that she had eaten too much fruit and was bloated.

Now it seems that even the little girl is saving food on her own initiative.

The whole family is eating alone.

Yin Xiaoman's eyes suddenly became warm.

She quickly lowered her head to hide the tears that flashed across her eyes, and reached out to take the food box on the table to cover it up: "You guys go quickly..."

"Aunt, I'm coming!"

Before she could pick it up, Da Mi rushed over and took the box from her.

Cui Yan was so angry that she started to nag her: "You can't lift heavy objects now! Why are you so careless? Okay, okay, just lie down in the room, and let Erniu do the kitchen work."

Having said that, regardless of whether she was willing or not, he grabbed and forcibly pulled Yin Xiaoman back to her bedroom.

But what Cui Yan didn't know was that just by lifting it just now, she had already discovered the difference -

There was no smell of food oil in the lunch box at all.

In order to ensure the quality of the experts' meals, and also to prevent the rice from being as bad as Cui Yan's, she was reluctant to add seasoning and made the dishes tasteless.

Yin Xiaoman had already quantified the amount of oil, salt and sauce for each dish.

As long as you follow the proportions she requires, even if there is no surprise, at least it won’t be bland and unpalatable, making people lose their appetite.

But just now, she was so close to the box of vegetables, but she didn't smell any fragrance of vegetables at all, and she couldn't even smell what vegetables were in the box.

What does that mean?

The only thing that can be explained is that even the food standards of the expert group have begun to decline.

Yin Xiaoman sat in the room, letting Cui Yan nag without arguing.

She didn't even go to help Erniu cook noodles, but went into the imperial kitchen when everyone was busy with their own things.

This is the first time Yin Xiaoman comes here at mealtime.

In the past, she was always afraid that she might be discovered when she went in and out, which might cause trouble, so she always chose to come after the palace servants had finished work and when there was no one in the imperial kitchen.

But she couldn't care less at the moment.

The panic of suddenly realizing that her nightmare had come true made her feel uneasy.

Fortunately, this is the busiest time in the imperial kitchen. The meals for the masters should have just been distributed, and now they are cooking for the higher-ranking stewards and maids in each palace.

Although the food for these people may not be as exquisite as that for their masters, there are more of them!

So at this moment, everyone outside was busy, and there was no one in the small room.

Yin Xiaoman breathed a sigh of relief and quickly put the note he had written earlier into the cabinet.

Also, because she came less often during this period, she was worried that Lichun might not look into the cabinet, so she deliberately moved the brush on her desk so that the tip of the brush was pointing in the direction of the cabinet.

After doing all this, she didn't stay long, but went back to her own little house.

This small house contains almost all the food that she finds inconvenient to take out.

There were exquisite pastries sent on the beginning of spring, fruits that were not common on the island, seasonings, rice wine, milk, and some bottles and jars for skin care.

In addition to these, there was also some food she had saved over the years.

Although the diet is mainly composed of refined grains, there are also some coarse grains such as cornmeal, buckwheat flour, and brown rice, which are suitable for the palace.

Yin Xiaoman packed all of these out, then went back home and pulled out a box from under the bed.

The box was the one they had brought from the pioneer camp, and it contained thick clothes for the whole family. Of course she couldn't wear these on the island, so she put them away.

She took out the clothes and put them temporarily in the space, and then put the food that had been packed in the space into the box. Then went to the kitchen.

At this moment, Da Mi should have gone directly to the cafeteria to eat, so Er Niu is the only one in the kitchen.

Sure enough, the little girl only cooked a small bowl of noodles and put a poached egg on it.

Those were laid by the chickens she raised, and Ren Ping'an allowed her to keep one every day. The little girl treasures it very much and usually doesn’t want to eat it.

Seeing Yin Xiaoman coming in, Erniu ran over and grabbed her hand with a show-off look on her face, dragging her to the dining table, still showing off: "Mom, do you think the noodles I cooked are good? Are they better than those cooked by Big Brother Rice?"

Yin Xiaoman followed her wishes and walked to the dining table and sat down. He looked at the noodle soup in her bowl and asked, "Have you eaten again?"

The little girl nodded repeatedly and rubbed her belly with her hands.

Then he looked at her and smiled, "I ate it. I was a little hungry just now, so I ate a bite first. Mom, are you angry?"

Yin Xiaoman said nothing. He divided the noodles in his bowl into two and put half of it into Erniu's bowl.

He also gave her half of the fried egg: "Let's eat together."

Erniu's face suddenly turned red. She stood up from the stool in a hurry and picked up the bowl to pour it back for her.

"Mom, this is yours. I've finished mine! Really, I'm full and not hungry at all."

Yin Xiaoman reached out and touched his daughter's head, and said gently, "Eat quickly, and then go to the canteen to call back the two brothers.

Let them move the food from the inner room to the dining hall, and we'll go there to eat starting this afternoon. ”

As soon as she said this, Erniu was stunned.

The little girl was still young after all, and she was so anxious that tears were about to fall: "Mom, you knew? How did you know? I didn't tell you?!"

"Because I'm your mother."

Yin Xiaoman didn't explain too much. He knocked on the table with his hand and said, "Eat quickly. When you're done, go call your two brothers back."

Seeing that her mother was in a bad mood, the little girl didn't dare to bother with her anymore. She finished the noodles in the bowl in a few bites, wiped her mouth, and ran out.

Even then, he did not forget to shout at her: "Mom, don't move the dishes. They will come back to wash them after I shout."

Before the voice had died down, the man had already run far away.

Seeing his daughter leave, Yin Xiaoman walked to the rice jar where grain was stored at home.

Although she was in charge of cooking for the experts, in order to avoid suspicion, the food and vegetables at home were kept separate from those of the experts.

As an expert, she set aside a small room in the almost unused dining hall to store the rice, while her own rice was placed in a large ceramic rice jar in the kitchen.

When I opened the lid of the rice jar, as expected, there was almost no food left inside.

It seems that because I rarely go to the kitchen, the men or Rice took the opportunity to hand over their rations to the kitchen staff.

That's why they are finding all kinds of excuses not to go home for dinner. They want to leave all the fine food in the house to her and Erniu.

Yin Xiaoman stared at the food for a while, then reached out and took out everything in the jar.

Everyone has paid their dues, there's no reason why she should be the only one to be treated specially.

Even though she is pregnant, she actually has too many advantages over others.

The cakes and fruits that had been stored in the space were enough for her to ensure her child's nutrition.

The thought of keeping these grains makes me feel uneasy.

She had left a note for Lichun, asking her to prepare the relief food and she would pick it up in three days.

It’s not that she is not in a hurry, but she has to give her apprentice some time to act.

Even if Lichun was the manager of the imperial kitchen, it was impossible for him to keep such a large amount of food in the palace. Yin Xiaoman had tried, but she couldn't go anywhere except near the imperial kitchen.

So she had discussed it with her apprentice beforehand that as long as she asked for it, Lichun would find a way to temporarily transport the grain into the palace and store it in the large warehouse next to the imperial kitchen.

It contains rice, flour, grain and oil needed by the palace. It is usually opened once or twice a month. They are all grains, so if you keep them there for a day or two, no one will notice.

And that was the farthest place Yin Xiaoman could reach.

She was not worried about leaving this matter to Lichun, as she knew that her apprentice would be able to prepare everything she wanted.

Just wait three days and pick it up.

What Yin Xiaoman is most worried about now is actually——

What to do after receiving the food? How would she get them out then?

She couldn't just turn into a pile of food out of thin air in front of everyone, right?

But somewhere else...

She could tell from the time she went out for a walk that the man had probably gathered all the soldiers, military workers, and even the children who had to stop working on the island because of the rain to find food.

Even the kumquats that were not fully ripe on the mountain were picked. Doesn't that mean they have already visited all over the island?

In this situation, the biggest challenge for Yin Xiaoman at this time is to find a way to make these grains be discovered by everyone in a natural way without causing any doubts.

While she was still thinking about where to find a place, Da Mi and Da Bao had already run back panting with Er Niu.

Following behind them was Ren Pingan.

There was rejection written on the faces of several people. It seemed that Erniu had already told them what she wanted to say.

As soon as Dabao entered the door, he rushed over without waiting for Yin Xiaoman to speak and pressed the lid of the rice jar.

"No, Mom! That's for my little sister to eat. My little sister can only grow well if she's well fed!"

I don't know what he was thinking, but he insisted that Yin Xiaoman was pregnant with a girl, and kept calling her "sister" all the time. This made Erniu, who had always wanted a younger brother, so angry that she wanted to fight with him every day.

And Da Mi also followed over, frowning like an adult, and used Shen Qingyun to scare her.

"Aunt, my uncle already knows about it. He said he will be back soon, so don't make any rash decisions."

Ren Ping'an's face was wrinkled into a ball, and he looked as bitter as a bitter gourd.

"Sister-in-law, I really can't take your rations. If I take your share, everyone on the island will spit at me and I will be drowned!"

So far, Yin Xiaoman is the only pregnant person on the entire Zhongshan Island, so she has always been treated with kindness by everyone.

This is something Yin Xiaoman has always known, but she didn't expect that everyone would treat her so well.

But think about it, if everyone hadn't collectively decided not to give her food rations, with Shen Qingyun's personality, even if he was reluctant, he would not make special arrangements for his wife.

This is what Yin Xiaoman had just thought of.

Because she had thought it all through, she was not moved at all when she saw them like this.

She pointed to the grain bag next to the rice jar and said to Ren Ping'an, "Xiao Ren, you came at the right time. You and Dami can carry it. Dabao is still small and it will be difficult for him to carry it."

As he spoke, he led him into the house.

"I still have some food in my room that I saved up. You can take some of it. When the supply ship arrives, remember to return it to me."

Upon hearing that his sister-in-law not only had to hand over the food rations, but also the life-saving food stored at home, Ren Ping'an refused to go into the house.

He was so anxious that he was sweating and he held on to the door frame tightly and refused to let go.

"Sister-in-law, you can't do this. You are pregnant. If you don't eat enough, it won't work. Doctor Liu has already said that you must eat well this month, otherwise it will be dangerous if the baby doesn't grow well."

As he spoke, his eyes turned red.

"It's all my fault. I didn't take good care of the food in our camp. I am the sinner of our camp! Sister-in-law, please don't add to my guilt. If I took your life-saving food, I would never be able to live with it!"

His voice was choked with sobs. He was such a grown man, but he wiped away his tears as he spoke.

The other three, including Da Mi, stood in a row with Ren Ping'an, all standing against her, and showing with their actions how much they resisted what she said.

But Yin Xiaoman always has the final say in this family, and even Shen Qingyun can't do anything about what she says.

The three children could see that she had made up her mind and did not dare to confront her. They kept looking towards the door anxiously.

That look clearly showed that Dami had not lied before and they had really informed Shen Qingyun.

Yin Xiaoman had already thought of all this when he asked Erniu to go and notify everyone. This time she didn't argue with them, but went into the house and took out a small flour bag.

The bag was not big, and it contained half a bag of grain, about six or seven pounds.

She brought the flour bag to them, untied the rope, and half a bag of golden millet appeared in front of everyone.

This scene is very shocking when even coarse grains are now supplied on a per capita basis.

Several people raised their heads.

"I have stored food. I was afraid of famine in the past, so I would take out some food and save it every month after buying it. I will keep this millet and cook a small meal for myself every day. I will never waste food on the baby in my belly. So you don't have to worry about it."

As Yin Xiaoman spoke, he looked at Ren Ping'an with disdain and said to him, "Hurry up and wipe your face. You are such a grown-up, and you are crying and crying. Aren't you ashamed?"

These words made Ren Ping'an feel even more embarrassed.

With that half bag of millet in place, although Ren Ping'an still felt a little bit reluctant, the camp was really short of food, so he didn't dare to say that he didn't want food anymore.

He and Da Mi walked into the bedroom together and saw the half-full wooden box.

I was so shocked that I couldn't even speak.

Instead, Dabao and Erniu were surprised to see so much food and shouted out loud.

Yin Xiaoman asked them and Dami to carry the things out first, and called Ren Ping'an to the living room to ask about the details.

This question made her heart even heavier.

At the beginning, Ren Ping'an only left enough food for the entire battalion for three days in the small warehouse of the kitchen squad, and now seven days have passed.

There were only about 20 to 30 households on the island who were fighting alone. How could the little food they had be enough to feed the 700 to 800 people on the island?

No matter how careful he was in his calculations, he was about to collapse.

After eating the last dry meal at noon today, everyone can only drink porridge from the evening onwards.