Having just arrived, Feng Mingshu was unfamiliar with the customs of the islanders.
Seeing that Sister Qin was dressed in a simple jacket and seemed to particularly like her soap, one could guess that the people here, including the families of soldiers, lived a relatively simple life.
Not daring to reveal herself, she casually mentioned that the soap was a gift from someone else.
Sister-in-law Qin had just finished lathering the soap when she heard this, so she quickly put the soap back in the box and laughed, "If you had told me earlier, I wouldn't have wasted your soap. But it smells really good."
As Feng Mingshu rinsed her with water, he laughed and said, "How is it wasteful for a sister-in-law to use it? This stuff isn't rare, it's just a bit hard to buy."
"That's right, the military service center on our island doesn't sell them."
“Zhou family, are you from a big city? I notice your clothes are different.”
"Sister-in-law, you can just call me Xiao Feng. My hometown is Bincheng, which isn't a big city."
"Oh, you're from Bincheng. How can it not be considered a big city? It's right next to the capital."
"Mom, we're hungry! We want to eat!"
Several children darted to the gate of the Zhou family compound. These were the same kids who had climbed over the wall earlier, and they shouted that they were hungry.
Sister-in-law Qin turned her head and scolded, "Are you all reincarnated starving ghosts? It hasn't been long and you're already complaining about being hungry again. Your father's meager salary isn't even enough to feed you!"
Although Aunt Qin was grumbling, she still took the child and left, telling her to come over to her house to play when she had time.
Feng Mingshu smiled and agreed, but a chill ran down his spine.
The Qin family next door had five children, all of whom were very thin and their clothes were not very clean. Moreover, Qin's wife did not look like a military wife at all; she looked more like a rural woman.
If she has a child with Zhou Jinshan like this, will she end up like Sister Qin?
After going upstairs and lying on the newly made bed, Feng Mingshu's mind was still churning with this question. So much so that when she fell asleep, she dreamed that she was carrying a baby on her back, holding another in her arms, and having another in her belly.
Looking in the mirror, she saw that it was Qin's sister-in-law.
She was startled awake and sat up abruptly.
"What's wrong, Mingshu?"
She heard a man's voice in her ear, and turned her head to see Zhou Jinshan placing the lunchbox on the table beside the bed. But she had no appetite at all and just stared at him.
Zhou Jinshan noticed her unusual behavior, sat down on the edge of the bed, took her hand, and asked, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Feng Mingshu shook her head, stared at him, and asked, "How many children do you want?"
Zhou Jinshan was stunned for a moment, then hugged her and laughed: "You want to have my child?"
Feng Mingshu nudged him: "I'm asking you a serious question."
Seeing the girl's serious and nervous expression, Zhou Jinshan kissed the corner of her lips and smiled, "As long as you give birth to them, one or two is not too few, three or four is not too many, it's up to you."
Feng Mingshu breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, but still had one question: "What if one doesn't give birth, or can't give birth at all?"
Sure enough, the man's brows immediately furrowed.
In this day and age, almost no man doesn't want children.
Feng Mingshu forced a smile and said, "If I can't have children in a few years, we'll get a divorce... um..."
Before she could finish speaking, the man bit her lip and pressed her onto the bed.
At first, the man was a bit fierce, but he gradually became gentle.
When the kiss ended, Feng Mingshu's eyes were filled with tears, the corners of her eyes were red, she was breathing heavily, and her body was too weak to get up.
Zhou Jinshan braced his arm against her side, his high, straight nose brushing against her nose, his voice slightly hoarse: "Ming Shu, don't talk nonsense in the future. If you don't want to have children, then don't. You can just adopt a nephew from my older brother. But if you're not feeling well, we'll go to the hospital to get you treated."
After hearing his words, Feng Mingshu was still a little dazed. Staring into his eyes, she asked, "What you mean is, even if there's nothing wrong with my body, it's okay not to have children?"
“Yes, you can have children if you want, or not if you don’t,” Zhou Jinshan affirmed.
A strange emotion welled up in Feng Mingshu's heart, but she still asked, "You lied to people on the train and said I was pregnant. Didn't you want a child?"
Seeing the little girl's stubborn expression, Zhou Jinshan sighed, sat up, pulled her up and hugged her, saying, "I want a child, but only a child you give me. If you leave me because of the child, then it's better not to have one."
Feng Mingshu's nose suddenly stung, and tears fell. She quickly turned her face away, but a large hand pulled her back.
While wiping away her tears, Zhou Jinshan said, "Mingshu, are you feeling unwell? There's a hospital on the island; let's go see a doctor after we finish eating."
Feng Mingshu shook her head to indicate that she was not feeling unwell, but the man did not believe her and took a lunchbox to feed her.
Having no other choice, Feng Mingshu recounted Qin's situation and her dream to the man.
Zhou Jinshan finally put down his lunchbox and stared at her.
Zhou Jinshan's stare made her scalp tingle, and he finally made a move, raising his hand to rub her forehead: "From now on, if you have anything on your mind, just tell me directly. Don't beat around the bush like this. You scared me half to death, you know?"
Feng Mingshu initially felt guilty, but then the man grabbed her right hand and dragged it downwards, trying to make her understand what he couldn't do.
Feng Mingshu's face flushed instantly. She tried to break free, but the man pressed her back onto the bed. She hurriedly cried out, "I'm hungry."
My stomach rumbled twice, just like the occasion.
Zhou Jinshan reluctantly stopped her and pulled her up, saying, "Okay, let's eat."
The temperature on the island was higher than on land at the same latitude, and the food was still warm after the two of them joked around for a while.
Feng Mingshu was genuinely hungry. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating, then came to the conclusion: "You did a better job."
Zhou Jinshan's tense face finally showed a hint of a smile as he picked up a piece of meat and put it in her bowl: "I'll cook for you from now on."
Feng Mingshu shook his head: "You're new here, so you must have a lot to do. I'll do it from now on, or you can go to the cafeteria for food. It may not taste as good, but it's still edible."
This time, Zhou Jinshan didn't insist, because he was indeed busy. After lunch, he pointed out the locations of the canteen and the military service center to her, and then turned around and went to the barracks.
To understand her future living standards, Feng Mingshu joined the military service center.
She discovered that some of the items inside were not even comparable to those in rural supply and marketing cooperatives, but there was one thing that even Bincheng couldn't match: seafood.
Clams, mussels, abalone, and other similar items are not only much cheaper than meat, but also don't require coupons.
Feng Mingshu isn't very good at cooking seafood, but it doesn't cost a ticket!
She and Zhou Jinshan just arrived on the island today. She hasn't received the monthly ration coupons from the military yet, and all she has in her pocket is money.
So she picked out two or three kinds of seafood.
Just after paying the bill, a young woman with curly hair greeted her from the side: "Comrade, are you the new one in the family compound?"
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