Tang Qiyue almost burst out laughing at the scene.
Political Commissar Wu shook off Zhan Zeyi's large hand, his fingers trembling as he checked them carefully.
"If I hadn't heard about your condition from the old leader, I would've thought you'd gone and shot that old fox Tang Yaozong. How come—"
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence after noticing Tang Qiyue standing beside him.
"Don't misunderstand, sister-in-law. I still respect your father very much!"
Tang Qiyue simply smiled. She didn't know how to respond, so Zhan Zeyi solved the problem by kicking him lightly.
"Get lost! You're already so old but still have no manners."
Zhan Zeyi picked up the wooden bucket again and gestured for Tang Qiyue to follow him.
Originally, he had planned to sweet-talk his wife into helping him ask the one-eyed uncle in the canteen to cook something for them.
But Political Commissar Wu, that clingy fellow, insisted on tagging along.
The one-eyed uncle in the canteen was also a soldier.
Years ago, he had lost one eye in battle. He was supposed to retire and go home, but he had no family left, and his hometown had long been destroyed.
Fortunately, he had excellent cooking skills, so he stayed in the army canteen, training batch after batch of cooks.
Because of his age, when Zhan Zeyi was transferred to the island, he brought the one-eyed uncle with him so he could retire there peacefully.
At that moment, the one-eyed uncle had a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he directed several young cooks to prepare food.
When he saw Zhan Zeyi arrive with his wife, he completely ignored Zhan Zeyi and Political Commissar Wu. Instead, he tried to put on a gentle and friendly expression while looking at Tang Qiyue.
"You must be Little Tang. You really are a pretty girl. No wonder you managed to tame this brat!"
Despite his attempt to appear kind, the one-eyed uncle looked quite intimidating.
He had an eyepatch over one eye, stood over 1.9 meters tall, had huge fan-like hands, and a muscular body like an iron tower.
To make matters more frightening, he was bald and had a thick beard.
However, Tang Qiyue wasn't afraid of him at all. Instead, she obediently stood in front of him and listened politely.
The one-eyed uncle, who spent all day surrounded by rough soldiers, instantly softened when he saw such a sweet and well-mannered girl.
When he noticed the wooden bucket Zhan Zeyi was carrying, he immediately understood why they had come.
"Girl, do you want oyster steamed eggs?"
He snatched the bucket from Zhan Zeyi with one huge hand and beckoned Tang Qiyue toward his cutting board.
Tang Qiyue relaxed when the conversation turned to food.
She quickly explained what she wanted to make.
"It's simple—mix oysters with flour and eggs, then fry them in a pan."
Because the process was so straightforward, the one-eyed uncle immediately began cooking.
Tang Qiyue had originally planned to make it herself.
But when the one-eyed uncle saw her slender white fingers, he immediately frowned.
"Little girl, those hands aren't meant for kitchen work. Let Uncle handle it!"
He lit the stove and placed a large iron wok on top.
After heating the wok, he brushed it with oil and poured in the oyster batter.
Soon, the rich aroma of oysters filled the air.
The wok spun skillfully in his hands as the oysters slowly turned golden brown.
He grabbed a handful of chopped scallions from his apprentice and sprinkled them over the top.
Then he flipped the pan and tossed the fried oysters onto a plate.
The large plate looked tiny in his massive hands.
He placed it in front of Tang Qiyue.
"Girl, try Uncle's cooking!"
Tang Qiyue took the chopsticks he handed her and carefully picked up a piece.
The moment it entered her mouth, the freshness exploded across her tongue.
It was so delicious that she felt like her taste buds were dancing.
She immediately gave the one-eyed uncle a thumbs-up.
"Uncle, your cooking is amazing!"
The one-eyed uncle burst into hearty laughter.
He loved praise.
Those rough soldiers usually just shoveled food into their mouths without appreciating it. It was a waste of his cooking skills.
"If you like it, I'll cook for you every day from now on!"
At that moment, the one-eyed uncle's eyes were completely focused on Tang Qiyue.
He barely noticed the two restless men beside him.
Tang Qiyue only tasted a little and then stepped aside so Zhan Zeyi and Political Commissar Wu could eat too.
Under the one-eyed uncle's displeased gaze, the two men quickly divided the dish between them.
"See?" the one-eyed uncle grumbled. "Girl, you're too kind. These two eat like oxen chewing flowers. Giving them good food is a waste!"
Tang Qiyue laughed.
She didn't think so. Despite his complaints, the one-eyed uncle clearly looked pleased watching them devour his cooking.
"There are still some oysters left," she said. "Let's make another batch."
The one-eyed uncle suddenly remembered what she had said earlier.
"It would taste even better with sweet bean sauce, right?"
Tang Qiyue nodded.
"Sweet bean sauce would be perfect, but it takes time to make."
The one-eyed uncle immediately became interested.
Tang Qiyue didn't hide anything and explained the recipe.
It required soybean paste, flour, and sugar.
The first two were easy to find, but sugar was scarce.
Just then, Tang Qiyue pulled a small packet of sugar from her bag.
"Uncle, I brought some."
The one-eyed uncle clicked his tongue.
In those days, sugar was extremely precious. It required special ration coupons to buy.
Yet Tang Qiyue was willing to use it just for food.
"Alright!" he laughed. "Uncle will make the sauce for you!"
He quickly began preparing it while ordering his apprentices to watch carefully.
Good techniques shouldn't be wasted.
Meanwhile, Zhan Zeyi quietly pulled Tang Qiyue aside.
"How does your dowry contain everything?"
He wasn't suspicious—he assumed everything came from the twelve dowry chests she had brought with her.
"My mother spoils me," Tang Qiyue said casually.
Zhan Zeyi believed her.
He simply thought she was being too generous.
Soon the sweet bean sauce was finished.
Tang Qiyue hadn't brought many oysters, so after two batches, they were gone.
She herself had only eaten half an oyster before feeling full.
The rest was divided among Zhan Zeyi, Political Commissar Wu, and the apprentices.
With the sweet bean sauce, the fried oysters tasted even better.
The apprentices were so excited that they wanted to rush to the beach to collect more oysters.
Before Tang Qiyue left, the one-eyed uncle secretly gave her a jar of the sweet bean sauce.
He was afraid the greedy cooks in the canteen would steal it.
Holding the jar of sauce, Tang Qiyue followed behind Zhan Zeyi and Political Commissar Wu.
The two men were discussing arrangements for the island.
Tang Qiyue was so distracted listening that she didn't notice something rushing toward her.
Suddenly—
Thump!
Something bumped into her.
"Ahh—!"
Before Tang Qiyue could even scream, a shrill scream came from somewhere behind her.