"Are we washing all of these?" Si Youqin asked, gesturing at the fruits and vegetables for confirmation.
’Even with so many of us, isn’t it a bit wasteful to use this much food all at once?’
’If we’re careful, this could last us at least two or three days!’
"Yep, wash it all!" Lu Jiamei confirmed with a nod.
Left with no choice, Si Youqin and the others, still in shock, began washing the fruits and vegetables. As they started, another wave of astonishment hit them.
The prickly skins of the cucumbers, the green stems still on the peppers, and the fresh roots clinging to many of the vegetables—it was as if they had been plucked from the earth just moments ago and given a quick rinse.
Everything pointed to one undeniable fact: these fruits and vegetables were freshly harvested!
The others who came over to help after finishing their baths were just as stunned by the sight.
Once Lu Jiamei saw that all the women had finished bathing, she immediately called Ren Yuanyang and his men.
"Boss, they’re all done showering!"
"Alright, we’re heading over!" Ren Yuanyang led Qin Haonan and the others toward the yacht.
Ren Yuanyang and his men were also eager for a proper shower.
When Ren Yuanyang and his men reached the yacht and saw the group of women in the cabin dressed in maid outfits, they all froze on the spot.
"The other clothing options were limited. We had the most of these, and they’re suitable for working in," Si Youqin explained.
Ren Yuanyang nodded. "Hmm, not bad at all."
He glanced around and noticed that only Jin Ziyu wasn’t in a maid outfit. She was over to the side, washing Cherry Tomatoes while secretly stuffing them into her mouth.
Someone noticed Ren Yuanyang’s gaze fixed on Jin Ziyu and quickly tugged on the corner of her shirt.
"What are you pulling on me for?" Jin Ziyu asked, looking quizzically at the woman beside her.
The woman coughed in resignation and shook her head.
But Jin Ziyu didn’t understand her meaning at all. By then, Ren Yuanyang had already walked right up to her.
"If you keep eating like that, we won’t have enough Cherry Tomatoes left for even one dish."
Hearing Ren Yuanyang’s voice, Jin Ziyu finally realized she’d been caught in the act.
"I-I-I was just so hungry! Helping make those iron boxes earlier was exhausting!" Jin Ziyu began making excuses. "At worst, I’ll pay you back for this food with my future labor!"
"You said it, not me," Ren Yuanyang replied with a smile. "So from now on, you’ll have to listen and work hard. Otherwise, you won’t be able to afford it."
"As long as it isn’t anything evil and you let me eat my fill, I’ll do whatever you say!" Jin Ziyu thought for a moment before adding a condition.
Ren Yuanyang was taken aback for a second. ’I didn’t expect this goofball to have such a strong sense of justice.’
’Then again, it makes sense. If she didn’t have a sense of justice, she wouldn’t have risked hijacking a yacht from Dawn Base.’
’Jin Ziyu is a Gold-Type Evolver. It would have been much safer and easier for her to escape alone.’
"No problem. From now on, you’ll get to eat your fill, but you have to obey my commands completely," Ren Yuanyang agreed with a nod.
"Eat my fill? Are you sure?" Jin Ziyu pressed immediately. "I can really eat a lot!"
"Now that you mention it, I’m quite curious to see just how big your appetite is," Ren Yuanyang replied with a smile. "Everything you all are preparing is for Xin Wan to cook with, so leave some for her. We’ll get to see your ’performance’ at dinner!"
"Deal!" Jin Ziyu beamed.
Seeing how reasonable Ren Yuanyang was, Si Youqin and the others felt a surge of relief, their hearts filling with hope for the future.
Qin Haonan and his men also took turns showering, feeling completely refreshed afterward.
Once everyone was done, Ren Yuanyang went into the largest room, drew a bath, and sank into the tub for a comfortable soak.
Qin Haonan stood guard at the door, forbidding anyone from entering.
Meanwhile, Xin Wan had already started preparing dinner.
They had already harvested several batches of soybeans and had even managed to produce some soybean oil using primitive methods like grinding, steaming, and pressing.
Due to limited tools and technology, the oil yield was quite low. But that wasn’t a problem—as long as they had enough soybeans, a low yield was nothing to worry about.
The galley on this luxury yacht was fully equipped, allowing Xin Wan to unleash her culinary skills.
As plate after plate of aromatic dishes emerged from the kitchen, Si Youqin and her group found themselves swallowing hard.
Back at Dawn Base, they had barely managed to stay alive, never once eating their fill.
And all they had eaten today were the few Cherry Tomatoes Ren Yuanyang had given them.
Jin Ziyu’s face was practically glued to the dishes. Genuinely worried she might dive in face-first, Si Youqin quickly pulled her aside.
But Jin Ziyu’s eyes were completely captivated by the food. Even after being pulled to the side, she couldn’t tear her gaze away.
「An hour later」
Ren Yuanyang finally finished his bath. Having changed into a fresh set of clothes, he emerged from the room.
By then, Xin Wan had also finished cooking dinner.
"Boss, dinner is ready. When should we start?" Xin Wan asked.
Before Ren Yuanyang could even answer, a chorus of stomach growls erupted from Si Youqin’s group.
Meeting Ren Yuanyang’s gaze, Si Youqin and the other women blushed, but they couldn’t control their protesting stomachs.
"Let’s start now. We can talk while we eat," Ren Yuanyang declared. The moment he gave the word, a figure shot toward the dining table and started piling food onto her plate with a pair of stainless steel tongs.
Ren Yuanyang took a closer look. Of course, it was Jin Ziyu.
He shook his head in amusement and called out to the others, "If you all just stand there gawking, Jin Ziyu’s going to clean us out!"
That snapped everyone else out of it, and they hurried to grab their own plates and get some food.
The yacht must have been used for buffet-style parties before, as it was equipped with all the serving dishes and utensils one would find in a buffet restaurant.
It was because of this equipment that Ren Yuanyang had decided on a buffet-style dinner in the first place.
Si Youqin and the other women each scooped up a large bowl of rice and then picked two or three dishes they liked, piling their plates high.
At this moment, no one was worried about a carb overload.
As Si Youqin ate the fragrant, fluffy rice along with various vegetables, chicken, and fish fillets, tears streamed down her face.
’How long has it been since I’ve eaten a meal like this?’
’Before, every day felt like a year. Now, after all that bitterness, things are finally looking up. There’s hope!’
The others were similarly moved to tears by the meal—all except for one person.
While everyone else was just starting their first helping, Jin Ziyu was already going back for seconds, piling both meat and vegetables onto her plate without prejudice.
"What kind of stomach does she have? She finished that huge plate of food and her belly hasn’t expanded at all," Lu Jiamei said in astonishment.
Xin Wan nodded in agreement. "Boss, this isn’t some kind of Evolver ability, is it?"
Ren Yuanyang shook his head. "I have no idea, but Evolvers do burn more energy than ordinary people, so it’s normal for them to have bigger appetites."
As they spoke, Jin Ziyu effortlessly polished off her second plate and started on her third.
Xin Wan couldn’t help but remark, "Good thing I set some of our portions aside. Otherwise, we might not have gotten to eat at all!"
"Watching her enjoy her food so much is making me hungry," Ren Yuanyang said with a laugh and a nod. "Let’s eat."
At his words, Hua Wen eagerly grabbed a chicken foot from his own bowl and started gnawing on it.
"Mmm, delicious!" Hua Wen’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction as he savored the flavor from the chicken bone.
Ren Yuanyang smiled and shook his head. He was about to start eating when he noticed that the large drumstick, the drumette, and the wingette had all been placed on his plate.

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