Huo Jingyuan first called his grandparents to let them know he was safe.

Listening to the elderly on the other end of the line inquire about the Jiang family’s daughter, Huo Jingyuan paused for a moment before calmly replying, “She’s a bit different from what I imagined. She’s quite lively and speaks boldly.”

The elderly on the other end of the phone couldn’t stop smiling as they listened to their grandson talk about his wife. Huo Jingyuan had always been a reserved person.

They had originally thought he might never marry or have children. To fulfill his late grandfather’s wish, he had married a woman he had never met before. The elderly couple had been worried that the two might not get along.

But now, it seemed Huo Jingyuan was quite satisfied with the marriage.

When Wen Ci returned to the Huo household, she saw Huo Jingyuan on the phone. Not wanting to disturb him, she placed the enamel bowl in the kitchen and poked at the dough with her finger.

“If you’re hungry, I can make something for you now.”

“Let it rest for a bit longer.”

Wen Ci also knew that dough becomes more chewy after resting.

“Who were you calling just now?” Wen Ci asked.

“My grandparents.”

Wen Ci made a sound of acknowledgment, then suddenly realized that, as Huo Jingyuan’s wife, she should probably visit them as their granddaughter-in-law.

“Should I go with you to see them?”

Huo Jingyuan shook his head. “It takes two days by train to get there, and then another four or five days to travel from there to the northwest. We don’t have enough time off.”

After saying this, Huo Jingyuan smiled. “We’ll visit them during the New Year holiday.”

Wen Ci did some mental calculations. There were still six months until the New Year, which gave her some time to prepare herself. As the old saying goes, an “ugly” daughter-in-law must eventually meet her in-laws.

After half an hour, the dough had rested. Huo Jingyuan sprinkled some flour on the cutting board, boiled water, and began cutting the dough. The process was extremely simple.

In just a few moves, he had cut and stretched all the dough, setting it aside to wait for the water to boil.

Huo Jingyuan took out two bowls and added some basic condiments.

Once the water boiled, he dropped the knife-cut noodles into the pot. Huo Jingyuan scooped some of the boiling water into the bowls, pouring it over the lard, which instantly released a fragrant aroma.

Wen Ci swallowed her saliva.

She couldn’t wait to taste the knife-cut noodles.

Huo Jingyuan used chopsticks to pick up the cooked noodles, adding the dishes brought back from the canteen on top. After mixing everything together, the entire room was filled with a delicious scent.

Huo Jingyuan carried the two bowls of noodles and turned around to see Wen Ci leaning against the kitchen doorway, smiling. “The noodles are ready. Let’s eat.”

“Mm-hmm!” Wen Ci nodded eagerly.

At the dining table, Wen Ci held the bowl of noodles topped with scrambled eggs and tomatoes, looking at Huo Jingyuan with admiration. She gave him a thumbs-up. “You’re amazing. Just the smell alone tells me these noodles are going to be delicious.”

Huo Jingyuan blushed slightly at her praise.

Wen Ci took a bite of the noodles. The knife-cut noodles were chewy, and the lard added a rich aroma. She looked up curiously and asked, “Besides making noodles, can you cook anything else?”

“No.”

Huo Jingyuan answered honestly.

Usually, he was too busy in the northwest to learn how to cook. The reason he knew how to make noodles was because they were simple and convenient. He could prepare the dough in the morning and let it rest.

“So, in the northwest, do you only eat noodles?”

Huo Jingyuan shook his head. “Not really. Sometimes I go to the canteen.”

“I see.”

Wen Ci felt it was a bit of a pity. A man like Huo Jingyuan, who could make noodles this delicious, would surely create amazing dishes if he knew how to cook other things.

“Do you plan to take a nap this afternoon?”

There is a two-hour lunch break in the Northwest Military Region, and Huo Jingyuan has also developed the habit of taking a nap, but he wanted to see if Wen Ci had any plans.