Tang Qiyue covered her mouth, glaring at the man who had disappeared behind the door. She couldn't chase after him or beat him up, so she could only close the door and return inside.
Back in her room, she didn't bother turning on the lights—the moonlight was bright enough. She placed the first-aid kit on the table, picked up the thermos, poured herself a glass of water, and gulped it down.
Only this could dilute the lingering taste of Zhan Zeyi from her mouth.
Lying on the bed, Tang Qiyue stared at the dark ceiling, unable to sleep for a long time.
She had thought about being honest with Zhan Zeyi. After all, she needed his complete trust in the coming years, but she didn't know how to start.
Should she tell him she had lived three lifetimes? Or that she had witnessed the apocalypse hundreds of years in the future? Or that she possessed a system?
No matter what, she was certain Zhan Zeyi wouldn't believe her.
Fortunately, her experience from two lifetimes told her it was best not to reveal everything. It was wiser to trust herself than to rely on someone else's conscience.
Suppressing the thoughts, she checked the trading system.
She sighed. The points she had just exchanged were gone again—the medicines were ridiculously expensive.
She could have exchanged for enhancement potions, but those involved genetic modification. Tang Qiyue might dare to use them on Zhan Zeyi, but not on the wounded—the effects were too unpredictable.
On the other hand, medicines for ordinary people were exorbitantly priced.
Fortunately, life was relatively comfortable now, and there were few urgent needs for the system. Tang Qiyue wasn't in a hurry; the ocean was nearby, and the high tide was coming soon—good things were bound to appear.
She calmed herself, yawned, and, assuming Zhan Zeyi would be busy all night, didn't wait for him. She quickly went to sleep.
Sure enough, Zhan Zeyi didn't return that night or the next morning. Instead, he asked Hu Peng to relay a message.
"Sister-in-law, Brother Zhan left the island early this morning with Political Commissar Wu and the wounded. He might be back in two or three days. He asked me to tell you so you don't worry!"
Hu Peng, carrying a child on his back, saw Tang Qiyue getting up and relayed the message through the fence.
Tang Qiyue thanked him and was about to head to the canteen for lunch when a cook appeared with a lunchbox.
"Sister-in-law, Battalion Commander Zhan asked me to bring this to you!"
The cook blushed, avoided Tang Qiyue's gaze, handed her the lunchbox, saluted, and ran off.
Tang Qiyue didn't even have time to thank him.
Hu Peng grinned. These young lads were completely powerless against a beauty like Tang Qiyue.
Tang Qiyue returned inside to eat. Today's breakfast was egg drop soup, fried dough sticks, and pickled vegetables. Simple, but slightly different each day.
She admired the one-eyed uncle for his dedication, making the best out of limited ingredients.
After breakfast, Tang Qiyue tidied up and prepared to head to the bamboo forest, hoping to find something unexpected for her family. But as soon as she entered, she overheard voices.
She didn't usually eavesdrop, but the conversation seemed to concern her, so she paused.
"Have you heard? The lover that Battalion Commander Zhan brought is a difficult person to deal with!"
Tang Qiyue didn't recognize the first voice.
"How could that be? Little Tang is a very nice person. Where did you hear that? Don't be fooled!"
Tang Qiyue vaguely recognized the voice—it seemed to belong to a military wife from the family compound.
"Tch, no way! I heard Battalion Commander Zhan was originally with Doctor Qin. Doctor Qin came here for him, but then he went back and brought a wife. Apparently, she's been taken advantage of!"
"We don't know the details, so let's stop talking. It's getting late, let's go back!"
The military wife clearly didn't want to gossip further, and the other woman lost interest.
Although Tang Qiyue overheard this, she didn't take it to heart. It would be strange if no one gossiped about her.
She guessed they had entered the bamboo forest for the same reason she had earlier. Tang Qiyue decided not to linger, afraid of accidentally stepping on a landmine.
Bypassing the bamboo grove, she headed toward a cliff near the fishing village, planning to collect seabird eggs.
Halfway up the cliff, she saw Xiao Yang, with several seabirds hanging from his back, coming down.
"Sister Qiyue, what are you doing here?"
Xiao Yang ran excitedly, offering her two of the fattest seabirds from his waist.
Tang Qiyue refused, asking why he was on the cliff. She trusted her own strength but worried about the child climbing sharp rocks barefoot.
"My sister is sick and doesn't like fish, so I thought I'd catch seabirds for her stew!"
Xiao Yang wiped his nose and grinned sheepishly, oblivious to the danger.
Tang Qiyue checked on Xiao Yang's sister. She likely had a common cold. They had prepared herbal medicine, but it hadn't worked.
"This is cold medicine. Give it to your sister three times a day after meals. She should recover by tomorrow!"
Tang Qiyue carried a small compressed space bag containing common medicines her mother had prepared for emergencies.
Xiao Yang, believing Tang Qiyue had cured the fisherwoman before, knelt excitedly and kowtowed.
Tang Qiyue stopped him. Such gestures couldn't be accepted so easily.
"Alright, go give your sister the medicine. Make sure the seabird meat is thoroughly cooked before feeding her!"
After giving instructions, Tang Qiyue told Xiao Yang to leave. She didn't continue climbing—the cliff wasn't in season for seabirds to lay eggs.
Since she was already in the village, Tang Qiyue went to visit the fisherwoman.
Before reaching the house, she saw a group of people making a scene. Several women were dragging the fisherwoman outside.
"You filthy slut! You conspired with outsiders against your husband! I'm being lenient by not killing you! You want the house? Keep dreaming!"
The fisherwoman's mother-in-law raised her foot to kick her—but she never imagined the consequences.