Chapter 286: Feeding

Yun Chen Nan did look a bit thinner than before.

Wang Mei’s heart ached for him, and she insisted on making him a big meal.

"All those sea urchins and crabs Jiaojiao brought back yesterday are still here. I’ll go steam some eggs with the sea urchin."

Wang Mei added, "Let’s cook those two big blue crabs, too."

"Lin He, keep two of the lobsters. Take the rest and sell them."

Although the family was now willing to eat such delicacies themselves, they still sold what they could for cash. Having a daily source of income brought them peace of mind.

With Yun Chen Nan’s return, the two housewives got busy in the kitchen.

Before long, a table overflowing with delicious food was ready.

They even stewed the cured pork leg they had smoked earlier.

Yun Chen Nan smiled. "Wow, I’m getting the royal treatment."

Wang Mei said, "This is all thanks to Jiaojiao. If it weren’t for her, our family would never be able to eat things like this."

Those big prawns weren’t easy to buy, even down at the docks.

"Oh, right. I stopped by the post office on my way back," Yun Chen Nan said. "There was a letter and a package for us. I think it’s from Jiaojiao’s godfather. There was another package I didn’t recognize, but it was also addressed to our family."

Yun Chen Nan untied the items strapped to the back of his bicycle.

"Let’s eat. Eat first."

With so much delicious food on the table, everyone dug in without looking up.

Yun Jiao didn’t even have to serve herself. The moment her bowl was nearly empty, the circle of people around her would quickly fill it up again.

Peeled shrimp, crab meat, deboned fish, and the best cuts from the pork leg...

Yun Jiao ate three full bowls of rice, and that wasn’t even counting the other dishes.

For a child her age, that was definitely a huge amount.

But clearly, the Yun family was used to it.

’Jiaojiao is so strong, isn’t it only natural she eats a lot?’

"Are you full?"

Yun Chen Nan took out a can of fruit.

"I bought this on my way back. Want some for dessert?"

Yun Jiao nodded vigorously, took it without hesitation, and twisted off the lid with ease.

Of course, Yun Jiao didn’t keep it all for herself. She shared some with her brothers and the adults.

In the end, she sat on a small stool, holding a large piece of yellow peach and eating it with great relish.

Two dogs lay at her feet. She had deliberately chosen a spot close to the fan.

The fan’s head oscillated from side to side. When the breeze hit her, it sent her hair flying and made her squint.

Seeing that Yun Jiao had finished the yellow peach and even drunk all the syrup from the can, Yun Chen Nan asked, "There’s also a watermelon. I bought one, want some?"

"Yes!"

Yun Jiao answered without a moment’s hesitation.

Yun Chen Nan was already full. He took his bowl to the kitchen and came back out with a knife to cut the watermelon.

He only cut half, leaving the other half hanging in the well to stay cool.

"Jiaojiao, come here. This piece from the center is the sweetest."

Not only was it the sweetest piece, but the biased Yun Chen Nan also saved a huge slice for her.

He let his other younger brothers fight over the rest.

They didn’t complain. After all, if it were them, they would have also saved the biggest piece for Jiaojiao.

Seeing his third brother shower their sister with so many treats right after coming home, Yun Xiaowu suddenly felt a sense of crisis, as if he was being outdone.

He immediately ran to get the snacks he had stashed away.

"Jiaojiao, Fifth Brother has some White Rabbit creamy candy for you. Quick, have some."

Yun Xiaoqi: "I have candy too, and half a cookie!"

Yun Xiao Ba: "..."

He had nothing left.

Yun Xiaojiu: "Jiaojiao, you can have my hawthorn leather."

Yun Jiao ate one thing after another, her mouth never stopping. Finally, with a round, full belly, she let out a loud burp.

"No more, I can’t eat another bite."

She stood up, walked around a bit, and then pulled her third brother toward the backyard.

"Third Brother, I want to show you something."

Yun Chen Nan’s eyes widened when he saw the half Conch Shell.

"This... where did you get this?!"

Yun Jiao lifted her small chin slightly. "I found it."

"Brother, you said we can’t catch live ones, but the one I brought back was already dead."

Yun Chen Nan knew that, of course. Just from the moss and thick layer of mud on the Conch Shell, he could tell it had been dead for a long time.

"Can we keep it? It’s so big, it could be a nest."

Yun Jiao wanted a beautiful little shell nest, one she could fill with her favorite pretty gems and pearls.

Yun Chen Nan: "We have to ask."

"Let’s go to the police station and ask Uncle Zhao. We’ll see if we can register it or something. That way, even if someone finds it later, we’ll have a record at the station to prove it’s ours. If we can’t, we’ll have to hand it over."

Yun Jiao nodded, and being a girl of action, she was ready to take her brother and the Conch Shell to the police station right away.

"Jiaojiao, where are you going? We got news from your godmother. Our boat is sorted out!"

Hearing this, Yun Jiao immediately abandoned the Conch Shell and trotted over to her dad.

"Really? Really? Let me see!"

Since she started studying medicine, combined with her photographic memory, Yun Jiao had learned more and more characters. Reading a letter was naturally no problem for her.

It was indeed a letter from her godmother and godfather. It said they had already contacted a shipyard about the boat the family wanted. The yard had a semi-finished steel-hulled fishing boat, a relatively large one about twenty meters long, but if they wanted it, they would have to wait until next year to get it.

The fishing boat had originally been custom-ordered by someone else, but they had canceled the order due to some problems in their family.

The fishing boat was new, and the materials used were excellent. The shipyard had a very good reputation.

He had bought a second-hand large cruise liner from abroad. Because parts of it were damaged and needed renovation, the shipwreck salvage operation would also likely have to wait until next year.

Yun Jiao’s eyes sparkled. "Our family is getting a boat!"

Yun Linhai and Yun Linhe were also overjoyed. "That’s right! And it’s a new boat, and so big! It can hold so many fish, and we can sail to farther places."

A rowboat has a limited range. Relying on rowing is physically demanding and exhausting.

A steel boat can be fitted with a diesel engine. Not only is it fast, but it’s also much less tiring for the crew.

They had looked for a shipyard around here before, but there were no second-hand steel boats available, and the order queue for new ones was backed up for three years.

After all, building a steel-hulled boat is quite a complicated process.

Besides the letter from her godfather and godmother, there was also one from Sun Yaoqin. It was filled with day-to-day things, like events she encountered at school.

In addition to the letters, they had also sent many things to eat and wear, like pineapple cakes, chocolate, and cookies.

The clothes included pretty little dresses for Yun Jiao, and a set of clothes for each of the other children like Yun Xiaowu. It was clear they had been very thoughtful.

Yun Jiao declared that she wanted to write a letter to Sister Sun, too.

"Mom, do we have anything we can send as a gift?"

The polite Little Yun Jiao expressed her desire to send a gift in return.

’Relationships get better when there’s give and take.’