Chapter 437: Hotpot Feast

Chapter 437: Hot Pot Dinner

Hai Yan didn’t want to trouble others. "The islanders are more complicated than you think. If this backfires, others might get dragged in."

Ye Xiaoxiao: "You mean the island's local leaders? Since you’re in trouble now, you should be able to ask them for help. They wouldn't openly take your brother's side, would they?"

Gao Tianyang pounded his chest confidently. "I can’t promise much, but I can definitely make sure Hai Yan’s brother won’t dare to mess with her little store again."

But that was a problem to solve later. First things first, we needed to help Ye Xiaoxiao build the chicken coop.

With extra hands, the task seemed simple. In no time, the chicken coop in the yard was finished, complete with a partial roof to protect against rain.

Ye Xiaoxiao tried to offer them some snacks, but Gao Tianyang shook his head and refused, dashing off with his two buddies before she could insist.

"Sis-in-law, we’re heading out now."

They didn’t give her a chance to invite them for a meal.

Now that they were gone, Ye Xiaoxiao turned her attention to her chickens.

Even Hai Yan was surprised. "Where did you get these chickens?"

Though some islanders sold chickens, they didn't part with them easily—after all, these birds were shipped in by boat, and deliveries weren’t frequent.

And with disasters or diseases, chickens were likely to die easily.

"A patient paid me in them."

Ye Xiaoxiao couldn’t say Mayor Cao had given them, or people might suspect some shady deal.

Hai Yan chuckled. "I forgot—everyone in this compound is military family, not like us islanders."

At the very least, those who came as dependents were platoon leaders' families.

Ye Xiaoxiao seemed to read Hai Yan’s thoughts. "Don’t think small places are bad. My hometown was even poorer than this island, but my brothers still managed to earn enough to feed themselves through their own efforts."

This wasn’t just pep talk—Ye Xiaoxiao genuinely believed Hai Yan was doing great and shouldn’t be discouraged further.

Hai Yan, however, was skeptical. "Really? You look like a rich young lady."

That wasn’t entirely wrong, but Ye Xiaoxiao was a "rich young lady" from many years later.

"So, if you’re willing, you could leave the island for a while. There’s no need to stay here forever."

Hai Yan: "That’s an option. If I can settle my family issues smoothly this time, I’ll consider it."

Ye Xiaoxiao didn’t push further and focused on catching the chickens.

The others were manageable, but the two roosters were a real handful. Without A Bang’s help, Ye Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have stood a chance.

"I really regret not killing one of them for the hot pot broth."

These weren’t just roosters—they were practically fighting cocks.

Hai Yan: "Roosters are all like this. These are actually pretty tame. Even if you wanted to slaughter one, they’re still too scrawny now—better to fatten them up first."

After finally moving the roosters, Ye Xiaoxiao went to the yard to gather and wash vegetables for the hot pot.

"What did you buy?"

Ye Xiaoxiao hadn't taken a close look at what Hai Yan had brought earlier—probably just some condiments, but she hadn't seen what was in the basket.

"Seafood—some crabs and shrimp. A hot pot isn’t just about vegetables. There's also a piece of mutton, which we'll slice later."

Since Ye Xiaoxiao paid well, Hai Yan wasn’t stingy.

Seafood wasn’t expensive on the island; you could even scoop up a bunch just by hitting the beach in the morning.

But beef and mutton were very pricey, so she had only bought a piece from a local island butcher.

"Slicing the meat? We’ll have to wait for Lu Hanchuan to come back. I can’t do it."

Besides, it needed to be cut into thin slices, which was way beyond Ye Xiaoxiao’s skills.

Hai Yan gave her a skeptical look. "Really?"

Ye Xiaoxiao: "Dead serious."

Though if she could use a scalpel, she’d probably ace slicing meat.

The cleaver was clunky, and since Ye Xiaoxiao rarely used it, she couldn’t get the hang of the pressure.

Hai Yan went into Ye Xiaoxiao’s kitchen. "I’ll handle it—I’ve got knife skills."

Ye Xiaoxiao stood up. "No way, you’re a guest!"

"We’re here to mooch a meal—we should at least help out."

Hai Yan noticed that Ye Xiaoxiao’s kitchen was tidy, with unopened condiments stored in the cabinets.

The pots and kitchen gear were all complete, showing that Ye Xiaoxiao had bought many things after moving in—though there were no signs of use.

Hai Yan took out the cutting board and knife, washed the mutton, and sliced it thinly, laying them out neatly on a porcelain plate.

The vegetables Ye Xiaoxiao had washed were also placed in a basin on the table.

The wooden table was set on one side of the living room, normally seating seven or eight people without crowding. It wasn’t a big crowd today.

By the time everything was ready, Kong Xuelan had also got off work.

School ended early on the island, with the last class finishing around four in the afternoon.

When she arrived at Ye Xiaoxiao’s yard, Ye Xiaoxiao was hollering over the fence to ask Gao Yanfei if she wanted to come over for dinner.

Gao Yanfei was picking vegetables. "No, no, I’ve got rice going at home. I’ll just stir-fry a dish later."

Besides, her family had four people—they couldn’t all crash someone else’s dinner.

"Alright then, we’ll eat together another time." Ye Xiaoxiao knew the other woman was just being nice. Maybe they could try again when they were more familiar.

As soon as Kong Xuelan entered the yard, she felt the good vibes in Xiao Xiao’s home. "Do you need any help?"

"No need, take a seat—we’re all set."

Only then did Kong Xuelan notice Hai Yan and a guy she didn’t know.

"This is Hai Yan, and this is A Bang—they’re part of today’s crew."

Kong Xuelan nodded to them both. She recognized Hai Yan from previous runs to the corner store.

"No wonder the convenience store was empty when I came back. So Hai Yan is here as a guest."

Hai Yan smiled but didn’t explain the trouble she had encountered today.

When Lu Hanchuan returned home, he found many more people in the house.

Lu Hanchuan didn’t know Hai Yan and A Bang, so Ye Xiaoxiao introduced them to him.

Lu Hanchuan also noticed the injuries on A Bang but didn’t ask further, simply extending his hand to greet him.

A Bang gave a stiff reply, not out of rudeness but because that was his nature.

It was Hai Yan’s first time meeting Commander Lu. Though not particularly approachable, he was undeniably handsome.

The happiest of all was Deputy Li. Li Linghui grinned widely, saying, "No cafeteria food today—we’re switching it up!"

The cafeteria food’s decent, but you get sick of it after a while.

Kong Xuelan shot her husband a glare. "You’re so embarrassing!"

"Nah, this is just appreciating good food!"

Ye Xiaoxiao motioned for everyone to sit. Everything was set—they were only waiting for the copper pot and charcoal Lu Hanchuan had brought back.

Lu Hanchuan handed the copper pot to Xiao Xiao. "It’s clean. Just fill it with water. I’ll get the charcoal going."

Ye Xiaoxiao nodded. She poured hot water into the pot, and once the charcoal was placed beneath it, the ingredients in the pot were boiling in no time.