To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Mornings on the island are different.

The sky was a deep, clear blue. Stepping outside, the damp air hit her face, and coming from the north, she could keenly sense the faint saltiness in the air.

The yard had been tidied up early in the morning; there were signs of sweeping on the ground. The bougainvillea flowers all over the yard were trembling, looking like they had drunk their fill of water. I wonder who was so diligent early in the morning.

Standing in the courtyard, Lin Qingping suddenly felt as if her life had come to a standstill.

Suddenly, I went from being busy to having nothing to do. Without the hustle and bustle, life seemed to consist only of spacing out.

Having a yard and flowers is a life that many people yearn for.

She had thought about it in her past life, but she couldn't achieve it because she had to keep making money non-stop. She lived a whole life and made a lot of money, but she never truly had an easy time.

Now, suddenly it can be achieved...

She spaced out for a while, then smiled. She still had to think about what to do today. For someone who was always busy, whether in her past life or after her rebirth, this was a bit unusual.

She plans to take a break for a while and get used to island life. She'll put her career and other commitments aside for now!

It was almost noon, and the weather was very hot. Lin Qingping was thinking about what to cook.

Just as I was about to go back inside, a commotion came from outside, mixed with Zhiyuan shouting "Mom!"

"Mom! Mom!" Zhiyuan came running over in a flash, carrying a large net bag. "Mom, something big has come!"

Big guy?

what?

"They're here! They're here!" Zhiyuan pointed to the people coming towards the gate.

Lin Qingping looked closely and realized it was Gu Juncheng.

Upon closer inspection, the large object Gu Juncheng was carrying on his back looked like a refrigerator.

No wonder Zhiyuan was so surprised. His family had never owned a refrigerator before, and refrigerators were still a rarity at that time. Gu Juncheng carrying it over attracted many family members on the island to come and watch.

Gu Juncheng placed the refrigerator in the dining room converted from the kitchen, plugged it in, and turned to ask her. The family members on the island all came to watch, and they were all curious.

"What is this? What is it used for?" the family members asked one after another.

Zhiyuan eagerly asked, "If we have this, won't leftover food stay fresh?"

"Yes." Gu Juncheng glanced at him, as if to say: You're quite pleased with yourself, aren't you?

Zhiyuan chuckled; his little scheme couldn't be hidden from his father, Gu.

Lin Qingping was actually very happy. As someone who loves food, a refrigerator is extremely important. Back in the capital, it wasn't that she didn't want one, but rather that she had already made preparations to bring it with her to the military, so there was no need to buy too many big things. Moreover, at that time, a refrigerator had to be imported, so when Wu Tianjiao asked her, she didn't want one because it was too troublesome.

She walked around the refrigerator. It was a well-established domestic brand. The first refrigerator she bought in her previous life was also from this brand. Although it couldn't compare to later models in terms of appearance or capacity, she still felt a sense of familiarity the moment she saw it.

"I'll cook you something delicious tonight!" Lin Qingping whispered to Zhiyuan.

Seeing Zhiyuan's eyes light up, Lin Qingping was also happy. The happiest thing for a food maker is having someone who likes to eat.

"Mom, are you making these?" Zhiyuan raised the large net in his hand.

It turned out that it contained shrimp, shellfish, and a few baby abalone.

"Okay!" Lin Qingping smiled and took the net.

As it was approaching noon, the family members, who needed to go back to cook, took their leave after admiring the large refrigerator.

"Come back this afternoon, I'll cook something delicious for you," Lin Qingping called out to them.

"Want to have afternoon tea again?" Lei Sufang asked expectantly, taking the lead.

Lin Qingping smiled and said, "Sure!"

The family members then happily dispersed, and Lin Qingping led Zhiyuan into the kitchen.

"Mom, teach me how to cook, I can learn now," Zhiyuan said, following her.

Lin Qingping smiled. "Didn't you want to be a pilot? What? You've switched to the mess hall?"

"No, I just want to learn."

"Okay, you'll come with me!"

Lin Qingping planned to use the seafood that Zhiyuan brought back—a seafood dipping sauce, spicy stir-fried baby abalone, and two side dishes—for their lunch.

Zhiyuan watched the whole time, helping out while talking about school, "Chen Lei said we're going to go to school off the island, Mom, does that mean I'll be living at school from now on?"

Lin Qingping looked at Gu Juncheng, who was engrossed in cleaning the baby abalone, and asked, "Is that so?"

Lin Qingping had initially assumed the children were attending school on the island, but after asking, she realized that the island was still in its early stages of development, and the school probably hadn't been built yet. Besides, there weren't many children accompanying the military at the moment...

Gu Juncheng nodded, "Indeed, the school has already made arrangements. I'll be staying at the school with Chen Lei and the others."

Lin Qingping glanced at Zhiyuan, who had grown quite a bit taller, but no matter what, he was still a primary school student!

"Can we not stay at the boarding school?" Lin Qingping recalled the past few years and how she had gotten used to Zhiyuan's presence. She felt quite uneasy without him at home.

"You can't bear to part with it?" Gu Juncheng asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lin Qingping snorted, "Over the years, Zhiyuan has spent far more time with me than you have!"

Gu Juncheng glanced at Zhiyuan, lowered his voice, and whispered in her ear, "From now on, I'll have more time."

Zhiyuan overheard most of their conversation, put down the washed water spinach, wiped the water droplets from his face, and said, "Mom, I'll take good care of myself, it's just... I heard the school food isn't very good, so I'm planning to cook for myself."

Lin Qingping's eyes widened. "Cooking for yourself?"

Zhiyuan nodded, "Yes!"

"You've really grown up! The school lets you cook? Dream on!" Lin Qingping tapped him on the head.

“Teach me! What will I eat if you leave the island one day?” Zhiyuan knew that although her mother had come to the island, she held many positions and might have to go on a business trip at any time.

Gu Juncheng was displeased upon hearing this, "Do you think I'd let you go hungry?"

Zhiyuan pursed his lips.

"Speak! Are you trying to hide something?" Gu Juncheng shouted.

"You're the one who told me to say that!" Zhiyuan snorted. "Some people's cooking is worse than not eating it at all!"

“Li Zhiyuan!” Gu Juncheng recognized him; this “someone” referred to him.

"Anyway, I want to learn. Mom, you teach me, and I'll learn now. I can make it for my younger brother and sister later!" Zhiyuan said.

Upon hearing this (with an expression that says, "You're making me wide awake again"), Gu Juncheng asked, "What younger brother or sister?"

"You and Mom had a baby! Hurry up and have another baby so I can play with my little brother and sister!" Zhiyuan said happily.

Actually, I wasn't that happy.

Back in the capital, it was no secret that he was adopted. More than one person had said that once his parents had their own children, they wouldn't want him anymore...