Chapter 86

"Yeah! I have to go back to take the exam in two months." Xu Wen asked, "I really don't want to leave here."

"It's not like you won't be back after the New Year." Lu Yuanzheng touched Xu Wen's head, "Don't you miss home?"

Xu Wen nodded: "I thought so."

How could he not miss home? Although the Xu family had been sending him letters all the time, the distance was too far and the letters could only be sent back and forth once a month.

Although Xu Wen had only been with the Xu family for two years, he truly regarded them as family members. In fact, even if their hearts had changed, they were still related by blood.

She missed her grandmother who was relatively open-minded because she had experienced hardships in life.

I miss Xu Meizhen, who had a hot temper like a firecracker and could be ignited at any time.

She missed Xu Qiushi, who was silent but always gave in to his principles for her.

I miss her from time to time, but I treat her well with all my heart.

I also want to be like my older sister Xu Wang who is like my mother.

Even Sang Xiaoqing, who can be a little petty at times, wants to do it.

I was also thinking about my little nephew whom I had never met and the new house that Xu Wen had built.

Thinking of this, I can't wait to go home.

Xu Wen sighed: "It's so fast! I've been away from home for almost a year."

Lu Yuanzheng stroked the shell ring on her hand: "It was pretty fast. We've been married for more than a year."

"Luying! Sister-in-law!"

There was a shout from behind.

The two people turned around at the same time. It was Song Xueqin's correspondent.

"Lu Ying, sister-in-law, our regiment leader asked you to come to the regiment headquarters for an urgent matter."

Lu Yuanzheng: "I just came back from the regiment headquarters. What's the matter?"

When he went there, Song Xueqin was sitting in front of an ice bucket, drinking tea and reading a newspaper, looking quite comfortable.

"The head of the group just received the telegram as well."

Lu Yuanzheng nodded and called Dongsheng: "Dongsheng, go back to your Uncle Song."

When they went to lead the cow, the young man was still waiting there. When he saw them coming, he quickly handed them the reins and pointed at the cow's butt: "I put a frame on it to prevent it from pooping and dirtying the road."

It was obvious at first glance that Xu Wen and Lu Yuanzheng were not farmers, so they were afraid that they would find the land dirty.

Before leaving, the young man also gave some instructions on how to raise cattle.

Xu Wen thanked Lu Yuanzheng, and Dongsheng grabbed the cow and said he couldn't wait to go back to the island to herd cattle. He also named the cow Xiaobai.

As soon as Song Xueqin saw Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen come in, he couldn't wait to tell them the good news.

The wind power project has finally been approved. The construction team and raw materials will come to the island in the near future.

However, there is only equipment on one island, so we will experiment first to see if it works. If it works, we will then spread it to all the islands.

Lu Yuanzheng guessed: "The first island is ours?"

"Yes! Because we only went to your Rainbow Island for research. If you succeed, we will promote it on the islands." Song Xueqin was happier than winning a battle, and insisted on keeping Lu Yuanzheng for lunch. "I'm very happy today, let's have a drink together."

Lu Yuanzheng shook his head and refused: "I can't drink alcohol when I'm on duty at night."

Song Xueqin didn't even try to persuade him: "Then I'll drink while you watch."

Lu Yuanzheng: "..."

Song Xueqin was really happy and was beaming with joy while eating.

Lu Yuanzheng chatted with him while chewing peanuts.

The boat from Central Island back to Rainbow Island leaves at 3pm every day.

Because Lu Yuanzheng and his wife got a cow and could not take the boat back to the island, after dinner, Song Xueqin arranged a big boat to take them back.

Before leaving, he said that the journey was long: "Are you really going to live on the island?"

Buying a cow?!

Lu Yuanzheng told him about the purchase of the cow, "Just consider it as helping the old man. Besides, this milk is good for children's growth, so it's not bad for them to drink more. Both adults and children can drink it."

"Then you can ask the battalion to pay for it, and then everyone will have something to drink."

"Don't think that you can do whatever you want. We have hundreds of people in our camp! Even if we work ourselves to death, this cow can't provide milk for so many people."

Song Xueqin threw some peanuts at Lu Yuanzheng and said, "Then you can keep it for yourself! What a waste!"

Lu Yuanzheng said smugly: "It's useless for you to complain. As long as my wife doesn't think I'm a spendthrift, that's all."

It took quite a bit of effort to get Xiaobai on board.

It didn't like this shaky and unstable boat, and it tried its best to back away but refused to get on board.

I could see red all around the nose ring.

Dongsheng felt so distressed that he protected Xiaobai and stopped them from pulling him.

Finally, they had no choice but to find a dozen warriors to carry Xiaobai onto the boat.

Although Xiaobai was very reluctant to get on the boat, he was very happy to get off. He jumped into the sea as soon as the boat stopped without any instructions, and swam to the shore with everyone else.

Dongsheng clapped his hands in amazement: "Mom, look, Xiaobai can swim!"

Xu Wen nodded: "It's really amazing."

The praise is a bit heartless.

It was not the first or second time that she had been herding sheep and cattle in the production team, so I had seen her before.

Normally cattle are reluctant to go into the water, but they will do so if necessary.

For example, there are grasses in the water that it likes to eat.

For example, Xiaobai hates riding in a boat.

There is another problem after buying the cattle. How and where to raise them is also a problem.

Lu Yuanzheng walked around twice and decided, "Put it with the cows in the camp for now. I'll build a cowshed for it later."

During the last few days of the National Day holiday, Xu Wenlu did not go anywhere.

Xu Wen continued to make batteries, Lu Yuanzheng built a cowshed, and Dongsheng went to herd cattle.

Dongsheng treated Xiaobai as a big pet, brushed its fur, took it to eat grass, and even taught it to milk.

Xu Wen boiled some of the milk and drank it, and used the rest to make desserts.

In addition to work, Xu Wen also tried to make whipped cream and cheese.

The method of making whipped cream given by the magic mirror only requires three things: milk, sugar and gelatin.

Gelatin is edible gelatin that can be extracted from animal bones and skins.

It's on the fish. There's no shortage of fish on the island, it's just a bit troublesome.

Xu Wen took a lot of effort to extract it successfully.

First, decalcify the fish scales with an acid solution, and then degrease the fish skin with an alkaline solution.

The defatted fish skin and the decalcified fish scales are mixed, and then water is added and heated to obtain fish gelatin extract.

The method is very simple and the steps are very clear. But it is not so easy to do. Not only did it cost several fish, but even after several days of fishing, the fishy smell on Xu Wen's hands could not be washed off. Now I feel sick when I see fish.

Fortunately, fish gelatin does not smell fishy.

The method of making whipped cream is not difficult, but it is a bit time-consuming and laborious.

Heat the milk and sugar until they are melted, but do not boil. Add gelatin when it is not too hot to touch, let it cool, and freeze.

Although there was no refrigerator, making ice was not difficult for Xu Wen.

Freeze it for a while and then continue beating. It is too demanding on your hands without a whisk. Using two chopsticks will make your hands cramp.

Seeing her shaking her wrists constantly, Lu Yuanzheng couldn't help feeling distressed. After listening to Xu Wen's description of the egg beater, he made one for her.

It was not a difficult task. I found a thin wire, divided it into pieces of about 20 centimeters each, crossed them in half, and then used wire to tie them together with a thicker wire. Then I made a small motor to make it turn.

A simple egg beater was made.

With a whisk, the efficiency of beating cream is significantly improved.

Repeat the freeze-whipping step until the cream is formed.

This kind of cream tastes refreshing but not as fragrant because it contains less fat.

To be precise, this is not cream, it can only be called cream mousse.

Even so, it is a particularly rare thing on this island in this era.

Xu Wen made several fruit bowls, which were similar to fruit boxes with a layer of cream and a layer of fruit.

Lu Yuanzheng wasn't very interested in this, but since Xu Wen made it, he ate a bowl of it out of support.

After all, this is not real whipped cream and cannot be kept overnight, so let Dongsheng share it with the children himself.

Because the supplies are limited, Dongsheng can decide for himself who he wants to give it to.

However, I didn't expect that this sharing would cause so much trouble to Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen.

Dongsheng never came back after he went out.

Every night at around nine o'clock, Lu Yuanzheng and his friends would call the roll, so Lu Yuanzheng had to go to the camp headquarters as well. Occasionally, Dongsheng would follow him back after playing late.

Everyone on Tianlu's expedition has returned, but Dongsheng has not yet returned.

"Where is Dongsheng?" Xu Wen poked his head behind Lu Yuanzheng.

"I didn't see him. Didn't he come back?"

"No!"

Both of them looked unhappy instantly.

Xu Wen was anxious: "Where did Dongsheng go? He has never come back so late before, and he never runs around."

Lu Yuanzheng was also worried, but he couldn't panic at this time, so he comforted Xu Wen: "Don't worry. Maybe he's just playing around. Let's go look for him first."

The two men acted separately, and Xu Wen went from house to house in his neighborhood to ask if anyone had seen Dongsheng.

Lu Yuanzheng arrived at the camp and asked people to search for him on the island.

However, everyone said they had never seen Dongsheng. It’s not that they had never seen Dongsheng. The children who received Dongsheng’s gifts had indeed seen Dongsheng, and they played together on the beach. After that, everyone went back to their own homes.

Xu Wen had never experienced such a feeling before. It was as if his tears had broken off and he couldn't stop them from flowing.

Feeling flustered and shaking.

She also ran towards the island, calling Dongsheng's name as she ran.

Mrs. Li and the others followed him out to look for him. Seeing Xu Wen panicking, they comforted her, "Maybe she just forgot while playing. Little boys are naughty. Don't worry."

Xu Wen wiped his eyes hastily, shone the flashlight around, and choked up, "But Dongsheng is very good! He wouldn't stay away from home for no reason."

Although Dongsheng is young, he is very sensible and has done almost nothing to cause Lu Yuanzheng and Xu Wen's blood pressure to soar.

Otherwise, they wouldn't just let Dongsheng run around and play by himself.

Moreover, as Xu Wen had just asked from house to house, all the children were at home except Dongsheng.

Only he was missing.

Lu Yuanzheng was really anxious at this moment and arranged for people to look for him.

Except for the soldiers on guard duty, all the soldiers in the battalion went out to conduct a blanket search of the island.

All the searchlights were turned on, illuminating the entire island.

No matter how big the island is, it can be as big as a smaller commune. So many people searched for several hours but still couldn't find Dongsheng.

As time passed, Xu Wen almost collapsed, his mind full of negative thoughts.

Could Dongsheng have fallen into the sea?

Was Dongsheng abducted by people who smuggled onto the island?

Will Dongsheng encounter a wild beast and be taken away?

…

Terrible thoughts came one after another, and Xu Wen became more and more scared the more he thought about it.

The journey was long and Zheng was anxious, but he was a commander after all. He could not panic even on the battlefield, and he could not panic now, no matter how anxious he was.

He arranged for all the boats in the camp to be deployed to search the sea. He put his arm around Xu Wen's shoulder and comforted her: "Don't panic! Dongsheng will be fine. I will definitely find him and bring him to you. Can you go home first?"

Xu Wen grabbed Lu Yuanzheng's arm, unconsciously exerting force, and shook his head: "I don't want it! I won't feel at ease if I can't find him and go back."

"Xu Wen, calm down! I know you are anxious and I am anxious too. But if we lose our composure, we will have no way of finding him, right? You go home first, what if he has gone home?" Lu Yuanzheng held Xu Wen's shoulders, trying to calm her down, and even called her by her name.

Xu Wen bit her lip, nodded, turned around and ran towards the cabin.

When he was almost there, he saw a child who looked like Dongsheng standing at the gate. Xu Wen was delighted and shouted loudly, "Dongsheng! Dongsheng!"

But the child didn't respond.

Xu Wen quickened his pace and ran out of breath.

When I saw the child's appearance clearly, my heart, which had just been filled with joy, fell back to the bottom.

It’s not Dongsheng, but a new little girl on the island, about the same age as Dongsheng, named Doudou.

Xu Wen's eyes darkened, but he still managed to cheer himself up and forced a smile, "Doudou, why are you here so late?"

The little girl was trembling all over, and it was obvious that she was scared to be here alone, but she still insisted on waiting here, probably for Dongsheng.

Dongsheng and Doudou have been inseparable recently, and they say they are each other's best friends.

Seeing that Doudou didn't say anything, Xu Wen spoke again: "Doudou, are you here to see Dongsheng?"

Doudou nodded.

Xu Wen felt upset, but he forced a smile and said, "He...is not home at the moment! How about I take you home first?"

Doudou's parents must have gone to look for Dongsheng, leaving Doudou alone at home.

It was already early morning, and she couldn't let Doudou run around alone anymore.

"I know he's not home." Doudou said with tears in his eyes, "He went to look for his parents."

Xu Wen thought she was talking about what Dongsheng said when they separated, and shook his head and said, "His father and I have been at home the whole time! He hasn't come back."

Doudou glanced at Xu Wen, opened his mouth, then closed it again and stopped talking.

Xu Wen realized that Doudou must know something.

She opened the door first, brought Doudou back to the room, and squatted in front of Doudou, "Doudou, Dongsheng is missing now, and Auntie is very worried. If you know where Dongsheng went, can you tell me?"

Doudou still shook his head, "I really don't know where Dongsheng went. I also want to find him."

Xu Wen sighed, let Doudou sit on the sofa, and brought her some fruit. He thought that she would be sent back home when her parents came back, otherwise it would not be safe for her to be alone at home.

Doudou didn't eat the fruit. He sat there awkwardly, glancing at Xu Wen from time to time.

Xu Wen didn't care about Doudou. He stroked his hair back with both hands, forcing himself to calm down and think about whether Dongsheng had any abnormal behavior.

But no matter how hard I thought about it, it didn't seem like that.

Dongsheng has been following Xiaobai around these days.

Several children, including Doudou, followed him.

Dongsheng has the potential to be the leader of the kids on the island, and everyone likes to play with him.

Get up on time every day, eat on time, herd cattle on time, and go home on time.

There was no change in mood.

Children under five years old cannot lie, and it is easy to tell whether they are happy or unhappy.

No matter how hard Xu Wen tried to recall, he couldn't find anything abnormal about Dongsheng.

The population structure of Rainbow Island is very simple, consisting of either officers and soldiers or military dependents, so it is impossible for people to be trafficked.

As for being stolen by someone sneaking onto the island, that is impossible. The sentries on the island can cover the entire island and take turns to stand guard 24 hours a day. It is impossible for someone to sneak onto the island and take Dongsheng away quietly.

Then there is only one answer, Dongsheng hid himself, which is the so-called running away from home.

Why? Xu Wen couldn't figure it out.