Chapter 202: All I can say is that with a step‑mother comes a step‑father

If you take a short cut from someone's hand, you become soft‑mouthed when eating from them.

Shen Man left the meal with her brother and sister‑in‑law, and then her brother, feeling very responsible, went to split firewood.

Jiang Ye collected the black watermelon seeds, then arranged a plate of fruit from the second bedroom, placed it on the table, signaling his daughter‑in‑law and sister‑in‑law to continue while he went to the kitchen to make lunch.

In this weather, the pregnant woman's appetite isn't very good.

Jiang Ye plans to use scrambled eggs with tomatoes as a topping—sweet‑and‑sour and appetizing—and to make hand‑pulled noodles.

He and his elder brother‑in‑law eat seafood noodles.

The seafood that Grandpa and the others sent, after turning part of it into small dried fish for Tangyuan's rations, left some clams, crabs, and sea shrimp that no one cared about.

It's oddly novel: in his previous life, although he held the highest rank and enjoyed noble lands, he rarely ate seafood, let alone so many varieties of fruit.

In this life he's just an ordinary person; after arriving on Sea Island, he has indeed seen many different kinds of seafood and fruit.

Strictly speaking, only now does he realize that the vast world truly holds endless wonders.

Clap—clap—clap.

In a corner of the yard, Lu Xiu Bai brandished his fire‑axe and began a bout of chopping.

This is far easier than dragging practice in a mud pit; even these two bundles of firewood aren't enough for him to finish.

"Brother‑in‑law, where did you get this firewood? I'll go cut some more."

"The mangrove forest, you go cut the fruit trees; I heard that dried fruit‑tree firewood makes good food when roasted."

Jiang Ye, while handling the seafood, muttered in response.

He wasn't lying; the duck, fish, and meat roasted over fruit‑tree wood all carry a faint sweet fruit aroma, though ordinary people seldom notice.

"Alright, I'll finish splitting this bundle and head over right away."

Lu Xiu Bai didn't think much, noted the address, and kept laboring, panting.

Sweat drenches his back; he wipes it away casually and keeps going.

Sweating is what makes a real man; nowadays only pretty‑faces shy away from work!

Anyone who frequently makes seafood noodles knows that clams need to be purged of sand; if you're impatient, you can luxuriously add a spoonful of oil to the basin.

Crabs require removal of shells, shrimp gills, hearts, livers, and a thorough scrubbing of the limbs.

Those who like their large shrimp clean will split the backs and remove the vein; the careless just stir‑fry them whole.

Jiang Ye is undoubtedly meticulous; after preparing all the ingredients, he finally went to the kitchen to knead the dough.

In the main hall, Shen Man wasn't idle; she let her sister‑in‑law leaf through medical texts, and the two women began discussing clinical cases.

Pei Yan Ting probed her younger sister's condition, found that she ate thoroughly and had no issues with the texts, so she should move on to the next stage of study.

"Suturing."

"Hmm, you've basically finished the basic part of the Military Medical Examination, so just review now; next you can learn suturing needles and the hands‑on practice of wound suturing..."

This falls under the Western‑medicine surgical assessment scope of the Military Medical Examination, and is the most basic suturing subject.

"Tomorrow I'll go to the hospital and request a set of replacement suturing tools; then you can practice with them first."

"As for the suturing subjects, hmm, let me see."

Pei Yan Ting glanced at the fruit platter on the table, saw these two fruits, lit up, and suggested:

"The banana peel and the dragon‑fruit rind can both serve as reference objects for practice..."

"Alright, could you, sister‑in‑law, get me the practice needles?"

Having taken anatomy classes, Shen Man is no stranger to suturing lessons.

According to her current character profile, she obediently studies for a while, gradually transitioning to a steady and precise hand.

"Just a trivial matter; once you pass the Military Medical Examination, perhaps you can join my department and become my colleague..."

Anyone who commutes alone knows that loneliness is not a pleasant feeling.

It's rare that my sister is naturally suited for this line of work; whatever she says, I must fully support.

Studying medicine is hard; if the Pei family weren't a generations‑of‑physicians medical clan, and she being the eldest daughter of the main branch, her parents wouldn't support her studies.

Unfortunately, this generation of the Pei family consists only of girls; there are no male heirs.

If she doesn't study, won't the Pei family's medical legacy be buried?

Fortunately, the second branch's younger sister Pei Yao has voluntarily studied medicine alongside her since childhood, making her childhood and teenage years less lonely...

"This year's Military Medical Examination is much the same as previous years; as for physical fitness, don't worry—once we see the specific test items, we'll figure it out."

Pei Yan Ting muttered softly; in fact, if she ranks high in the comprehensive subjects, the examiners will open a green channel for special circumstances.

"Hmm, I'll work hard!"

Shen Man nodded heavily; with about two more months, she's confident she can ace the professional‑field exam items!

If it concerns physical fitness, her obvious baby bump then would make intense exercise impossible.

If she fails the Military Medical Examination this year because of that, she won't be discouraged; she'll try again next year.

What she learns will become muscle memory and won't be forgotten in the short term!

She enjoys her current state—busy and fulfilling.

After finishing the business talk, Pei Yan Ting shifted the topic to her sister Pei Yao.

Her sister has now smoothly returned from advanced training at Jinling First People's Hospital to the Capital, where she shone brightly in a surgery at Capital First People's Hospital, earning the leaders' high regard and a promotion, basking in a glorious moment.

"I have to thank that Lu family adopted daughter, Lu Manman; if she hadn't stirred the waters, my sister wouldn't have become the youngest attending surgeon in the department so smoothly."

Pei Yan Ting sighed with emotion, which surprised Shen Man.

"Darn, I didn't tell you—it's that Lu Manman, who previously worked at the same hospital as my sister Pei Yao..."

Pei Yan Ting chatted casually, telling her sister about how her cousin was almost bitten by a snake a few months earlier.

Although there's no evidence, various clues all point to Lu Manman.

Later, the other party quit outright, further confirming the suspicion.

As the saying goes, if you don't want others to know, then don't do it.

If Lu Manman didn't do it, why would she quit her job?

It's a good unit job—others fight tooth and nail to get in, yet still can't.

What else could it be but a guilty conscience?

Shen Man broke out in goosebumps—Lu Manman's misdeeds are truly numerous!

No wonder her mindset is dark—everything had left traces all along.

Fortunately, in this life she transmigrated into a book, didn't follow the original plot, and only three years later returned to the Capital Lu family to recognize kin.

Pei Yan Ting also learned from her husband why he gave up the stable path arranged by his grandfather in the Capital and ran all the way to the Sea Island to become a soldier.

All that can be said is, where there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather.

As for that father-in-law she barely knows, she also feels quite awkward about him.

Who takes care of a comrade's widow and ends up in bed with her—what a weirdo!

Aren't you afraid the comrade will, in a midnight dream, chase after him to kill him?

Fortunately, they all settled on the Sea Island as a big family; with no mishaps, they won't return to the Capital, nor have to face that father-in-law.