When Xin Wan saw the exquisitely crafted bamboo table and chairs, her face lit up in pleasant surprise. She immediately brought the food over, examining the set closely.
"Alright, go call Lu Jiamei over for lunch," Ren Yuanyang said with a smile.
Xin Wan nodded and walked toward the military speedboat.
"Jiamei, wake up. It’s time for lunch!" Xin Wan called softly.
Lu Jiamei immediately sat up and replied, "Okay!"
She straightened her clothes a little before stepping out. When she saw the empty table outside, she looked confused.
"I thought you said it was time to eat? Where’s the food?"
Xin Wan picked up the rice cooker at her side and replied, "We’re eating over by the shipping container today."
With that, she headed outside, and Lu Jiamei hurried to follow.
"The shipping container? Are we supposed to eat standing up?" Lu Jiamei asked, her brow furrowed.
"You’ll see when we get there!" Xin Wan said teasingly, hugging the rice cooker.
When Lu Jiamei arrived at the shipping container, she immediately spotted the vibrant green table and chairs.
"Did Elder Hua finish the table and chairs already?" Lu Jiamei asked, pleasantly surprised.
"Come on over and have a seat! See how they feel!" Ren Yuanyang called out.
Hua Lingfang brought out the bamboo bowls and chopsticks he had made. There were six sets in total, one for everyone.
"We’ll be eating with these today!" Ren Yuanyang announced with a smile.
Xin Wan took the bamboo bowls and chopsticks, rinsed them with fresh water, and began to serve everyone rice.
"Elder Hua, your craftsmanship is incredible. I want to learn, too. Then I can build myself a bamboo bed!" Qin Haonan said while shoveling rice into his mouth.
"Since no one has to go out for a while, this is a good opportunity. Everyone can learn from Elder Hua, which would also help lighten his workload," Ren Yuanyang suggested.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"After lunch, Elder Hua, you can have your phone back," Ren Yuanyang continued.
Upon hearing this, Hua Lingfang was instantly delighted. It wasn’t that he was particularly eager to follow the conversations on the regional channel, but rather that Ren Yuanyang’s gesture signified trust.
"Thank you, Sir!"
Seeing his grandfather get his phone back, Hua Wen couldn’t help but ask in a small voice, "Sir, what about my phone?"
"What’s a little kid like you need a phone for?" Qin Haonan said in a patronizing, grown-up tone.
"I’m almost thirteen! I’m not a little kid!" Hua Wen retorted immediately.
"Hmph. Thirteen is still just a kid," Qin Haonan scoffed, curling his lip.
Lu Jiamei couldn’t help but laugh. "Aren’t you only sixteen yourself?"
"Sixteen doesn’t count as a kid!" Qin Haonan said, with a strange sense of pride.
Ren Yuanyang just shook his head and smiled, ignoring their bickering. He turned to Hua Wen and said, "You can have your phone back, but you must use it under Elder Hua’s supervision."
At his words, Hua Wen’s eyes lit up. "Thank you, Sir! Please don’t worry, I absolutely will not reveal any information about our base!"
Clearly, he understood Ren Yuanyang’s concerns.
Ren Yuanyang paused for a moment, then gave him a thumbs-up. "Good. It seems I was worrying for nothing."
"Sir, your caution is warranted, not excessive. A child still needs supervision," Hua Lingfang immediately said, shaking his head. "Xiaowen certainly wouldn’t reveal anything intentionally, but I worry someone could trick the information out of him."
Qin Haonan immediately began an impromptu lesson: "Just don’t get into private chats with anyone. On the regional channel, you can talk about whatever you want, as long as you don’t mention our base."
Hua Wen nodded emphatically.
After lunch, Hua Lingfang retrieved his phone. He hurriedly turned it on and checked the messages on the regional channel.
"The wind is really getting stronger. Anyone near the edge of the Second-level Wind Sea Region needs to be careful. It’s easy to get swept into other regions!"
"Damn it, I almost ended up in the Fourth-level Wind Sea Region just trying to salvage some supplies!"
"My Second-level Wind Sea Region is right next to a Seventh-level Wind Sea Region. I’m really worried the Level 7 winds are going to blow right over!"
"Don’t worry, the map app is pretty accurate! I used it to find the Aircraft Carrier Base without any problems."
"The wind and waves outside look terrifying! I want to go to the Aircraft Carrier Base, too!"
"Forget it for now. The winds have already picked up. If you accidentally stray into a high-wind area on the way, you’re finished."
"I just want to know if the Peach Blossom Base is taking fish meat. All I want is to eat something vegetarian for a change. I’ve been eating fish every single day; I feel like I’m going to turn into one!"
Just then, Qin Haonan replied directly to that person on the regional channel: "Our base isn’t taking fish meat at the moment, but if you have any other plants or animals, feel free to contact me."
"Sigh... looks like it’s going to be fish for a long time to come."
"I feel like this is all I’m ever going to eat again!"
"You should be grateful you have anything to eat at all. Have you all forgotten what it felt like to starve?"
"We’re not starving anymore, but the waves are huge. It’s like sleeping in a rocking cradle every single day!"
"I’m so jealous of people on big ships. At least they can get a peaceful night’s sleep!"
"A peaceful night’s sleep? You’re dreaming! The way things are now, no one can drop anchor. It’s impossible to stay in one spot. You have to constantly monitor your boat’s movements. If you drift into a sea region with Level 7 or higher winds, you’re in deep trouble!"
"Exactly. And more importantly, everyone is low on fuel. Trying to keep the boat steady burns a ton of it. It’s such a headache! Now I actually envy the people with small boats they can just row by hand."
"Ah! It seems everyone has their own set of problems!"
Reading the other survivors’ constant complaints on the regional channel about all the problems they were facing, Hua Lingfang felt incredibly fortunate.
While others couldn’t eat or sleep well, here with Ren Yuanyang, he had food, drink, and a cozy little nest to call his own.
Meanwhile, Qin Haonan was slowly sifting through his private messages, saving the useful ones and deleting the rest.
He was also planning the route for their next trip. After all, the survivors who had plants were scattered across different Second-level Wind Sea Regions. A well-planned route would save both time and fuel.
For the next few days, Ren Yuanyang and the others remained at the Peach Blossom Base, constantly planting and harvesting, as well as building houses and furniture.
They had built rain shelters not only over the original planting areas but also over the dozen or so newly cleared ones.
The shelters were roofed with Indocalamus bamboo leaves, layered from the bottom up like fish scales and weighed down at the top by bamboo stalks split in half.
They were exceptionally waterproof, completely protecting the crops inside from the rain.
Lu Jiamei and the others’ bamboo house was also built near Ren Yuanyang’s. It wasn’t large, but though small, it was perfectly formed, containing all the necessary amenities.
They also built a huge kitchen for Xin Wan right next to the shipping container, moving all the kitchen equipment over.
They even took a hammer to the extra generator on Xin Wan’s speedboat, removed it, and installed it in the kitchen. Cooking needs electricity, after all.
Although Qin Haonan’s brute-force disassembly left the interior of Xin Wan’s speedboat a complete mess, it thankfully didn’t affect the craft’s basic functions.
By now, the wind in the sea region of the Peach Blossom Base had reached Level 7.
The radius of the Banyan Forest had expanded to over 120 meters.
Fierce winds and massive waves raged outside, but within the Banyan Forest, the waters were perfectly calm.
"Boss, Xiaowen and I are heading out for a patrol," Qin Haonan said, grabbing the automatic rifle beside him as he stood up.
"Alright," Ren Yuanyang nodded. "Be careful."
Qin Haonan gave an "OK" hand gesture and led Hua Wen out.
This time, they didn’t take a speedboat, instead making their way into the Banyan Forest.

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