Chapter 103

Xu Wen said that they had been away from the island for more than a month, and there was indeed nothing to eat at home. They had been cleaning up all day and had no time to prepare anything. She hesitated, "I have to ask Lu Yuanzheng."

Song Baoying waved her hands, "Then there's no need to ask. Our Lao Shi will definitely bring Lu Ying to my house. Otherwise, why would I go home now? It's because Lao Shi said Lu Ying agreed to invite you again. I didn't see you when I went to your house, so I thought I'd look for you at the beach, but I didn't expect to run into you here."

She took Xu Wen's arm affectionately and said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you just come back with me now?!"

Xu asked: "..."

Xu Wen still refused.

She always had to go home to put her things down first, and also had to call Dongsheng.

Song Baoying expressed her understanding and said that she would go home to prepare dinner first and asked her to call Dongsheng to come over quickly.

Xu Wen agreed, but seeing that it was still early, he made a dish of double skin milk and ice porridge as souvenirs, and then went to Doudou's house and called Dongsheng to go to Shi Lei's house together.

Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng did not bring much food back with them. Firstly, the journey was long and it was not convenient to store food, so they could only bring some snacks. Secondly, their Weizhuang Commune did not have any special products.

The houses of the permanent family members on Rainbow Island are in the first two rows, and the sisters-in-law who come to visit temporarily live in the back rows of houses.

Regardless of the front row or the back row, the cabins are all the same, either with one bedroom and one living room or with two bedrooms and one living room.

The hardware configurations of all the wooden houses are the same, but Xu Wen discovered that during their return to their hometown, the wooden houses had added electric lights and bathrooms in addition to the original beds, tables, chairs and wardrobes.

The freshwater lake on the island is already fully usable again. Previously, Lu Yuanzheng had arranged for people to dig a large artificial lake deep in the rainforest to prevent the possibility of a sudden war and the enemy cutting off the water supply.

Now it is slowly filling up with water.

Moreover, while the research team was working on wind power generation, they also improved Xu Wen's seawater desalination device.

In other words, at present, fresh water for life on the island is no longer a problem.

Moreover, the waste water flows through a separate pipe, and after filtering, it can be used to water flowers and vegetables without any waste.

The cabins are all the same, but there is still a lot of free space for the sisters-in-law who come to the island to decorate them themselves.

Most sisters-in-law wouldn't be so hardworking as to transform the cabin into a holiday home.

Ordinary sisters-in-law may not enjoy life so well. They usually just keep the house clean and make it more cozy.

Although Song Baoying has not been on the island for long, the wooden house is decorated very warmly and has a homely feel.

There was no yard in front of the wooden house she and Shi Lei lived in, but there was a small vegetable garden in front of the house, with some flowers and plants planted around it, like a natural fence.

Some gravel was laid at the entrance and exit to serve as the main gate.

Xu Wen carried the dessert with Dong Sheng to the door and shouted, "Is sister-in-law home?"

Song Baoying responded and came out to greet Xu Wen.

She was still wearing an apron and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, obviously she was cooking.

After Xu Wen entered the room, he looked around curiously.

In the center of the living room is a standard square table and bench, and the furnishings in the room are neat and tidy and very clean.

Xu Wen is already very clean, but still not as good as Song Baoying.

Song Baoying must have some obsession with cleanliness. Xu Wen stood at the door and asked, "Sister-in-law, do you need us to take off our shoes?"

You can only take off your shoes. There is definitely no standard for changing shoes on the island.

"No, no." Song Baoying said, and ran quickly to the kitchen in the back, where she must have been cooking. "Sister-in-law, you cook first. I'll finish cooking this dish."

When Xu Wen saw that she was not being polite, he really did not take off his shoes.

Xu Wen asked Dongsheng to sit at the square table for a while, then he went to the kitchen and asked Song Baoying, "Sister-in-law, is there anything I can help you with?"

Song Baoying shook her head, "No, no, just sit and wait for a while, I'll be there soon."

Xu Wen glanced at the dishes on the long table in the kitchen and thought there was really no need for help, so he nodded and returned to the living room.

Lu Yuanzheng and Shi Lei also arrived at this time.

There was a little girl following Shi Lei, who looked older than Dongsheng.

Most of them look like Song Baoying, gentle and quiet.

She should be their daughter.

Wen Jing was not timid. Under Shi Lei's teaching, she called Xu Wen "Auntie" in a very confident and confident manner.

Xu Wen opened the lid of the double skin milk and ice porridge he made.

Shi Lei hurried to the kitchen to get a few bowls to help Xu Wen divide the food into bowls, giving each person a portion.

Without waiting for the adults to speak, Dongsheng rushed to introduce it to the little girl: "Sister, this is made by my mom, it's delicious! Try it!"

The girl looked up at Shi Lei first, and only started eating after Shi Lei nodded.

Lu Yuanzheng tapped Dongsheng and said, "Look how well-behaved Sister Wenwen is. Learn from her!"

Shi Lei was still quick-tongued, "If the top beam is crooked, the bottom beam will be crooked; like father, like son."

What you mean is that you don't behave yourself when you're on a long journey, and you expect your son to behave yourself?

Xu Wen laughed and shook his head. It was hard for two grown men, enough to retire at the age of 15, to speak so childishly.

Xu Wen looked at Shi Lei carefully and praised him: "I haven't seen you for more than a month. You look much better! You look so happy."

Shi Lei touched his face, looking proud: "Isn't it? I think so too. No wonder people say 'a wife and children make a warm bed'! Before they came, I always felt that the days passed very slowly, but since they came, time has passed very quickly. This island still doesn't see outsiders all day, but I feel a lot more relaxed. No wonder those soldiers have to retire. It's natural to miss home when the country is stable."

When talking about retirement, the two officers' faces obviously lost their smiles.

Although it is acceptable intellectually, most of these veterans who are retiring have experienced life and death together with them.

The new recruits will still be comrades in the future, but they will have lost a lot of the same experiences, and the feelings they cultivate will be different from before.

It was seen that Shi Lei and Lu Yuanzheng were both in a bad mood, especially Lu Yuanzheng, who was very excited when he first arrived on the island, but now he was obviously a little depressed.

Xu Wen raised his eyebrows. He wanted to ask something but was afraid that it might involve confidentiality, so he didn't open his mouth.

Shi Lei helped Song Baoying bring the food to the table.

"I wonder if you can handle spicy food?" Song Baoying pointed at two of the dishes and said to Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng, "These are specialties from our hometown."

Xu Wen took a look at the plate full of red peppers, swallowed his saliva, and asked her: "Sister-in-law, are you from Sichuan or Hunan?"

Song Baoying nodded and replied in dialect: "Sichuan people."

"Your Mandarin is really good." Xu Wen praised sincerely.

Song Baoying and Shi Lei both speak Mandarin very well, and no local accents can be heard.

Especially Song Baoying, with her clear pronunciation, she is qualified to be a host.

Shi Lei's accent was not so pure in comparison. As he often hung out with Lu Yuanzheng and the others, his southern accent was gone and he had a northern accent, or to be more precise, a northeastern accent.

Maybe it’s because the Northeastern accent is stronger.

"As a teacher, there's nothing I can do." Although Song Baoying looked very calm, her ears still blushed when she was praised.

She speaks in a very gentle way, which makes people feel comfortable listening to her.

After Dongsheng failed in his attempt to strike up a conversation with Wenwen, he took a few bites of his rice and then twisted around on the stool.

Seeing him like that, Lu Yuanzheng knew what he was going to do, so he waved his hands and said, "Go play!"

Dongsheng immediately jumped off the stool and ran out.

Song Baoying looked at Dongsheng's back and sighed: "This boy is so lively!"

Xu Wen heard a hint of envy in her voice, raised his eyebrows, and swallowed back the words "What a naughty child!" that were about to come out of his mouth.

Her intuition told her that no matter whether she was talking about Dongsheng or Qianxu, it would seem like showing off in front of Song Baoying.

Song Baoying is an excellent cook, especially those two Sichuan dishes, which are very authentic.

Xu Wen likes spicy food but can't eat it, so he was sweating after a while.

Lu Yuanzheng once again placed the cool water in Xu Wen's hand, took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat off Xu Wen's forehead, then shook his head and chuckled, "Why bother?"

Xu Wen took a big gulp of water, but the food was still too spicy and he hissed. "You don't understand this, do you? My sister-in-law is a good cook and her food is so authentic. Besides, Sichuan cuisine is so charming that even if it's so spicy that tears come out, you still want to eat it."

Song Baoying asked curiously, "Is your sister-in-law also from Sichuan?"

"No, a northerner."

"Since you know so much about Sichuan cuisine, I thought you were from the north."

Xu Wen's heart skipped a beat. Oh no, he had let the cat out of the bag.

Lu Yuanzheng picked up a piece of green vegetables for her with his chopsticks and said lightly: "A relative in the family has been to Sichuan and learned how to cook Sichuan cuisine. She likes to eat it."

Song Baoying didn't think much about it. She watched the two of them interacting and praised them: "No wonder Lao Shi always says that you two have a very good relationship! It's really enviable."

Xu Wen casually replied, "I always hear Instructor Shi say that he misses you and the kids. He was so happy when you came! You two must have a good relationship."

This is indeed what Shi Lei said.

Unexpectedly, Song Baoying was stunned for a moment after hearing this, looked at Shi Lei, and said nothing.

The atmosphere at the dinner table suddenly felt a little strange.

Xu Wen blinked blankly, not understanding what he had said wrong, and looked at Lu Yuanzheng.

Lu Yuanzheng patted her hand on the table to comfort her, then he put down his chopsticks and clinked glasses with Shi Lei.

Shi Lei pointed at him: "You are on duty tonight, don't drink!"

Lu Yuanzheng: "..."

He squinted at Shi Lei and said, "As I recall, my vacation ends tomorrow."

It means he is on vacation today, so why is he on duty now?

"Watch for me."

Lu Yuanzheng looked at Shi Lei and then glanced at Song Baoying, then poured the wine in Shi Lei's glass and replaced it with a glass of water.

Xu asked: "..."

Is Lu Yuanzheng so easy to talk to?

It's not that they can't help each other, it's mainly because they are partners at work and always sabotage each other in private.

In a situation like this where Lu Yuanzheng was needed to take over, Shi Lei usually had to say all the nice things he could, but today he actually agreed so readily?

Xu Wen lowered his eyes and thought for a while, and roughly guessed that the problem lay in the relationship between Shi Lei and Song Baoying.

But it's completely invisible on the surface.

Shi Lei was still the same, and followed Lu Yuanzheng through all kinds of poverty.

Song Baoying has a temperament like water, gentle and soft, chatting quietly and softly with Xu Wen.

"I heard that you got into a very good university but you didn't go?"

"No, I still go." Xu Wen shook his head, "I just don't go to school very often."

When the final exam results came out, she ranked first in their foreign language department.

Now the school had no reason to let her go back, so her name was hung on the bulletin board and she became a legend in the school.

What's even more outrageous is that even though she is not in school, the legend remains.

She was named the most beautiful girl in the Foreign Languages ​​Department.

It is said that some people think she should be the campus belle of Kyoto University. Unfortunately, she has only appeared a few times in the school, and most people who have seen her are people in their department. So there are no photos and no truth, and her popularity is too low due to word-of-mouth recommendations.

"It's good to be young." Song Baoying's eyes flashed with envy, "You can do whatever you want for love."

Xu Wen didn't know what to say for a moment. After what happened just now, her intuition told her that love seemed to be a minefield for her and Shi Lei.

After thinking for a while, Xu Wen spoke, "The main reason is that I don't have much ambition, and being on the island suits me quite well. I just eat, drink and have fun in different ways every day."

Song Baoying shook her head, "It looks like that on the surface, but talented people will not be buried there."

She pointed at the ceiling fan made by Rainbow Island. "I heard that you invented this? And we can use electricity thanks to you?!"

Xu Wen waved his hands quickly, "I don't deserve the credit! I didn't invent the ceiling fan, but I did make it on our island. Electric fans are too expensive, and you need a ticket. It's cheaper to make them yourself, and you don't need an industrial coupon. Wind power generation is mainly the work of the scientific research team, and I just provided a few small ideas."

She pinched her thumb and index finger together, meaning that she was really only providing a little help.

"Sister-in-law, you are too modest!" Song Baoying had a good impression of Xu Wen, "How many women envy you for your look?"

But it's just envy.

Not everyone can get into Kyoto University, and not everyone who gets in has the courage to leave the school and study on their own.

Even fewer women would be willing to give up their beautiful college life to live on this border island.

"Since you said that, sister-in-law, then you are greater than me!" Xu Wen picked a safe topic and complimented Song Baoying, "I heard from Instructor Shi that you are a teacher. You teach and educate people all over the world! I have heard a saying, 'The most difficult thing in the world is to put what is in your head into other people's heads, and to take the money in other people's pockets into your own pockets.' Sister-in-law, you have already completed one of the two most difficult things in the world."

"Ah!" Song Baoying heard this for the first time, her eyes widened in surprise, and it took her a long time to figure it out. She laughed, "No wonder the adults and children on the island like you! Sister-in-law, you are so good at talking!"

Isn't her teaching to teach the children the knowledge in her head? !

Xu Wen was about to say something more when he heard Shi Lei say to Lu Yuanzheng, "By the way, the notice for the rotation has come down!"

Xu Wen exclaimed, "Are we leaving the island?"

This is good news for others, but a little sad news for Xu Wen.

After asking the question and reacting, Xu Wen added: "If it's inconvenient to say, you don't have to say it."

I almost forgot they were always keeping secrets.

Shi Lei waved his hands and said, "You can say that. Keeping it a secret from the outside world, such a long-term change of residence, in theory, can't be hidden from my sisters-in-law."

Xu Wen nodded and thought so too.

In the end, take them away.

"Besides, the sisters-in-law who have been with the army for a long time are also considered half soldiers. They all know what they should say and what they should not say." Lu Yuanzheng added.

Song Baoying listened quietly, like an outsider, as if it had nothing to do with her.

"When will we change? Where will we change to?" Lu Yuanzheng asked.

"Ah?" Shi Lei wondered, "We? If you mean you and me, then we won't switch."

Xu asked: "..."

Lu Yuanzheng: "..."

"What else can you say?" Lu Yuanzheng said unhappily.

"I said we won't change, I didn't say they won't change."

The journey was long and he raised his eyebrows, waiting quietly for the next words.

Xu Wen also looked at Shi Lei eagerly.

Song Baoying was obviously not very interested, but seeing that Xu Wen was listening attentively, she did not disturb her by talking to her anymore.

"Partial rotation. Half of the people will rotate with the brother units. This year, half of us will go ashore, and half of the brother unit will go to the island, and we will switch back next year.

Keep half of the old ones to avoid the enemy taking advantage of the situation when all the players are unfamiliar with each other. Moreover, some of the old ones should be kept to guide the new ones.

If the chief officer does not move, then you and I will not move."

Xu Wen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Shi Lei glanced at Xu Wen and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you are probably the only sister-in-law on the island who doesn't want to leave."

Many sisters-in-law secretly call Rainbow Island "Prison Island" and feel like they have no freedom like prisoners.

Lu Yuanzheng tapped the table with his fingertips, "What should we do with this half of the people? Do we decide? Do the higher-ups decide? Or do they choose voluntarily?"

"The advice from the higher-ups is to split the difference in the two groups. For example, 1st, 3rd and 5th will stay, 1st, 4th and 6th will go. We'll switch back next year. But they also said we have the autonomy to decide, and we can discuss it together, so what do you mean?"