"Huh?!"
Tang Qiyue looked at the item in her hand and instinctively wanted to chase after the little girl to return it, but Shanhu stopped her.
"Don't go after her. That's Xiaoyang's sister, Yun Que."
With Shanhu's explanation, Tang Qiyue understood. The little girl was shy and had probably given this as thanks for the medicine she received earlier.
She lowered her gaze to examine the item.
It was a beautiful seashell, shimmering with iridescent colors. Under the light, it even seemed to reveal the faint outline of a figure—like a fairy in flowing robes riding the wind.
Shanhu leaned closer to take a look.
"It's really pretty. Little girls love things like this. She must have given you her favorite one."
Since Yun Que had picked it up herself, Tang Qiyue didn't insist on returning it.
Instead, she stared at the shell thoughtfully.
An idea was forming in her mind—though not fully developed yet. If it worked, it might even help her earn points. After all, handcrafted items could be quite valuable.
The two continued walking.
After returning home, Tang Qiyue changed the water for the fish and shrimp and placed them in the yard. She planned to head into the woods to see if she could find wild vegetables or mushrooms to enhance the chili sauce.
Shanhu had already gotten permission from her family to accompany her. It was safer to go together, and Shanhu, having grown up on the island, knew the area well.
When she heard Tang Qiyue's plan, Shanhu shook her head.
"You won't find those in the woods. If you want wild vegetables, you need to go to the valley—there's spring water there. Mushrooms grow there too, but edible ones are rare."
The island was rich in seafood, but other resources were limited. Whatever little existed was usually kept by the villagers.
Tang Qiyue wasn't disappointed. She had come out anyway—finding something would be good, but not finding anything didn't matter.
With baskets on their backs, they walked and chatted.
Shanhu talked about life in the fishing village, while Tang Qiyue shared stories from outside. Since only designated villagers went ashore to trade, Shanhu rarely left the island.
Her curiosity about the outside world was natural.
The two talked and laughed along the way. Even though they didn't gather much, the conversation alone made the trip worthwhile.
By noon, Tang Qiyue looked at the sun and decided to head back.
Shanhu usually ate only two meals a day and wasn't in a hurry, but remembering Tang Qiyue still had work to do, she didn't insist on continuing. They agreed to gather oysters together later in the afternoon.
Back home, as expected, Zhan Zeyi wasn't there.
Tang Qiyue didn't want to rely on the canteen, so she prepared lunch herself.
She took out four sea cucumbers, sliced them thinly, and steamed them with eggs to make a sea cucumber custard. A large conch was placed beneath the steaming rack.
Not knowing if Zhan Zeyi would return for a proper meal, she also steamed some leftover buns.
After adding firewood to the stove, she began cleaning the bucket of fish and shrimp.
The shrimp required little preparation, but the small fish needed to be cleaned carefully.
It didn't take long.
By the time the food was ready, everything had been cleaned. Since Zhan Zeyi hadn't returned yet and the weather was hot, she let the food cool instead of eating immediately.
Then she cleaned the pot, brushed it lightly with oil, and placed the small fish inside, letting the remaining heat slowly fry them.
Once the dishes had cooled slightly, she poured her prepared sauce over the steamed sea cucumber custard.
The fish turned golden and crispy, and after sprinkling salt mixed with five-spice powder, the aroma filled the air.
Just as she plated the dried fish, Zhan Zeyi pushed open the door and entered.
He had assumed she'd already eaten and only came back to check before returning to work. But the smell made his stomach rumble again.
"What smells so good?"
He grabbed a piece of dried fish and popped it into his mouth.
Crispy, fragrant, irresistible.
"There are buns too. Don't just eat the fish."
Tang Qiyue handed him one.
She knew he had already eaten, so this was more like a snack for him. For her, the steamed custard was enough.
Zhan Zeyi didn't say anything and sat down to eat.
The two ate quietly.
Tang Qiyue finished one bun, while Zhan Zeyi took care of the rest. She picked at the conch meat while watching him eat one piece of dried fish after another.
"If you can't even eat enough, what about your soldiers?"
She held a piece of conch meat up to his mouth.
He was slightly surprised but didn't hesitate to eat it.
Why refuse when his wife was feeding him?
"They don't get enough either," he said casually. "After training, they go fishing and gathering shellfish. Figuring out how to survive is part of their training."
Though said lightly, Tang Qiyue understood the reality behind it.
At least here, they had the sea. Inland, things would be much harder.
"I'm going to make chili sauce later and bring some to Xiaoyuan tonight. Come with me."
Zhan Zeyi had no reason to refuse.
After checking the time, he stood up to leave. Seeing her heading back to the kitchen, he picked up the remaining dried fish.
"Don't overwork yourself. Your brother won't go hungry—they have a cook."
Tang Qiyue waved him off.
As soon as he stepped outside, Hu Peng and Political Commissar Wu, who had been waiting nearby, immediately grabbed him and snatched the dried fish.
"What are you two? Starving ghosts? Didn't you already eat?"
Each of them stuffed a piece into their mouths.
"Why should you eat alone?"
The canteen food was barely edible—just cooked, nothing more.
Their wives did cook for them sometimes, but it was usually just boiled seafood with no real seasoning.
The smell from the yard had already driven them crazy.
Zhan Zeyi scoffed.
"My wife made it. Of course I'll eat it myself. Who told you not to marry someone good?"