Chapter 424: The Eccentric Landlady

Chapter 424: The Quirky Shop Owner

The small shop wasn’t state-run, and the shopkeeper was a coquettish woman dressed in a red floral blouse.

Spotting Ye Xiaoxiao entering, the woman’s eyes lit up. “Comrade, you must be new to the island too. Who knew the army unit had such a beauty?”

Ye Xiaoxiao hadn’t anticipated such enthusiasm from the shop owner. “I’m an army wife.”

“An army wife, huh?” The woman rested her chin in her palm, leaning against the glass counter, her slender waist arching into an alluring curve.

Unfortunately, Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t a man, so this pose left Xiao Xiao completely unfazed.

“Living here all these years, I’ve never seen an army wife as pretty as you. Who’s your husband? He’s one lucky guy.”

Ye Xiaoxiao was startled by her nosiness and chose not to answer.

“Do you have rice or flour here?”

Ye Xiaoxiao figured she should keep some basics at home.

The shop owner introduced herself, “I’m Hai Yan, a native of the island. Feel free to ask me anything.”

Ye Xiaoxiao sighed. “I’m here to shop.”

Hai Yan pulled out a bundle of red candles from somewhere. “The island often has blackouts. It’s best to keep some candles handy.”

Ye Xiaoxiao had a flashlight at home, but candles would indeed be necessary if blackouts were frequent.

“Oh, alright. I’ll get some.”

Then she caught herself. “Wait, I was asking about rice and flour.”

Hai Yan gave her a slightly scolding look. “We have them, but I’d suggest buying less. You military dependents can use meal tickets to eat at the mess hall. If you don’t cook often, ten pounds will last you quite a while.

The island’s climate is humid, so buying too much might go bad.”

Noticing Ye Xiaoxiao’s irritation, Hai Yan quickly straightened up and switched to businesslike mode.

“Fine, I’ll take ten pounds each of rice and flour.”

Ye Xiaoxiao looked around the cramped shop. “Do you have electric rice cookers here?”

The place didn’t look big, and she wasn’t sure if they carried household appliances.

Hai Yan felt this comrade had some misconceptions about their island. “Of course, but you’ll need coupons. We don’t have many household appliances in stock.”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “As long as you have them.”

She had no intention of cooking with a wood-burning stove, nor did she have enough firewood at home.

With no gas supply on the island, an electric cooker was her go-to solution for preparing meals.

“Besides rice cookers, do you have anything else? Like kettles or stir-fry pans…”

Hai Yan calmly reminded her, “Comrade, I meant what I said about the frequent power outages here. Even if you buy these appliances, they’ll mostly gather dust.”

Ye Xiaoxiao: “There’ll still be times when they’ll be useful.”

Hai Yan: “Right now, I only have electric rice cookers. But for the other items you mentioned,” she added, “I can bring them back for you on my next supply run.”

She pointed to the paper and pen on the table, "Leave your address or number, pay upfront with money and coupons, and you’ll get your order in about ten days."

Ye Xiaoxiao suddenly changed her perception of the shop owner. Turns out Hai Yan wasn’t just some airhead who cracked jokes—she was a decent person who actually helped folks out.

"Thank you. I’ll leave the money and coupons here."

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t think the other party would deceive her. The shop was tiny and the owner seemed flaky, but as a military dependent, she had that status. Unless they were a total idiot, no one would deliberately cheat her.

After buying what she needed, Ye Xiaoxiao also grabbed some extras that might come in handy on Hai Yan’s recommendation.

It kinda felt like a sales push, but Ye Xiaoxiao wasn’t buying blindly—she only chose things she genuinely found useful.

"You’ve bought so much stuff—no way you’re hauling all this yourself. We do deliveries, y’know.

I wouldn’t give this kind of service to just anyone, but since you’re so pretty, I’ll hook you up."

After giving Ye Xiaoxiao her change, Hai Yan instantly reverted to her flirty, loose-cannon self.

Serious one moment, playful the next—flipping between the two like a switch, Ye Xiaoxiao wondered if she’d studied face-changing tricks.

But right now, Xiao Xiao really needed the home delivery service and wasn’t about to overthink the owner’s vibe.

She gave a nod of thanks, then watched as Hai Yan swiftly gathered the items and tossed them onto a trike out front.

"Hey, need a lift?"

Hai Yan tossed her curly hair and winked at Ye Xiaoxiao.

"No need," Ye Xiaoxiao replied sternly. "It’s a quick walk to the quarters. I’ll go on foot."

Hai Yan pedaled the tricycle. "Then I’ll go ahead."

By the time Ye Xiaoxiao reached the compound gate, Hai Yan was already waiting there.

The housing area had tight security. Even though the guards recognized Hai Yan, they still had to check she was making a delivery before letting her in.

After getting Ye Xiaoxiao’s confirmation, the guard logged Hai Yan in and allowed her entry.

"So this is your courtyard? Your man’s gotta be top brass, then."

Hai Yan said with certainty after seeing which yard Ye Xiaoxiao pointed to.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the person who lived here before was a high-ranking officer."

Hai Yan shrugged. "When I was a kid, this place was dirt-poor—we were always starving. Then, outta nowhere, the Navy rolled in.

We were still poor, but it didn’t feel like the middle of nowhere anymore.

A few wells were dug, electricity arrived, and every month, some big-ass supply ship would show up.

Speaking of which, we still wonder why Commander He took off—miss the guy."

Listening to Hai Yan get all sentimental, Ye Xiaoxiao stood there, not sure what to say.

Because she had no idea who that Commander He was either.

Hai Yan came back to her senses and sighed, "You've never seen Commander He, have you? He's so handsome. If I were twenty years younger, I'd definitely chase after him."

Ye Xiaoxiao was speechless. She had met many people obsessed with looks, but someone as forward as Hai Yan was a first.

"Could you help me put these things in the living room, please? Thanks."

Ye Xiaoxiao had already started unloading the items from the cart.

Hai Yan got off the tricycle. "What a dull woman."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "..."

She wasn't Hai Yan's romantic interest—what did she care about being "dull"?

"Hai Yan, you're making a delivery?"

While Hai Yan was carrying the items, an older woman passing by the gate looked curiously into the yard.

Hai Yan wasn't her usual joking self this time. "Yeah, a new Military Dependent just arrived on the island and bought some things from my shop. I'm helping with the delivery."

"That's quite a lot of stuff..."

When Ye Xiaoxiao came back outside, she noticed the unfamiliar woman at the gate checking her out.

There was even disapproval in her look.

After a long look, the woman shook her head and just walked away.

"Who was that?"

Ye Xiaoxiao was confused.