Jiang Yanyi picked up a piece and tasted it.

The pumpkin cake had a crispy, fragrant outer layer, while the inside was soft and sticky, sweet but not overly so, reflecting the natural sweetness of the pumpkin itself.

When she mixed the glutinous rice flour, she hadn’t added sugar since there was none at home, thinking the taste might be somewhat bland.

To her surprise, the finished product was quite to her liking.

She nodded in satisfaction and turned to lift the pot lid, calling out, “Meal time, meal time.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Qiu Kui, with a piece of pumpkin cake in her mouth, went to open it.

Just as Jiang Yanyi finished serving the pumpkin rice, Qiu Kui dashed back with the cake in her mouth, looking like a little mouse that had seen a cat.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Yanyi asked her.

Qiu Kui shivered and said, “There’s someone outside.”

Jiang Yanyi thought, isn’t it just a person? Why is she so scared?

Wiping her hands on her apron, she walked through the yard to the front shop.

When she saw the person standing at the door, she understood why Qiu Kui was so frightened.

But… why was this general holding a pot of chili peppers?

Jiang Yanyi couldn’t help but glance at the peppers in his hands a few more times before looking up at him. “Great General, you…”

Feng Shuo handed the potted plant toward her, saying, “I heard you opened a shop here.”

Their eyes met, and he awkwardly looked away, his voice as clear as ever.

Jiang Yanyi was taken aback for a moment, then recalled that the governor’s office was right next door, meaning they were now neighbors.

This general had brought her a plate of peppers to congratulate her on opening her shop?

Aside from this, the general’s amiability was indeed commendable; he showed no airs of an official.

Because of this gesture, Jiang Yanyi’s opinion of him improved quite a bit.

But while sending a flower basket for an opening is nice, her shop hadn’t even officially opened yet.

Jiang Yanyi felt a bit embarrassed, not wanting to reject his goodwill, especially since he had brought her chili peppers!

She accepted the pot of peppers he offered, initially thinking that with the general’s indifferent personality, he was simply here to give her a gift.

However, after exchanging a few pleasantries, it was clear he had no intention of leaving.

Standing at the door for too long felt awkward; both of them were good-looking, and there were many people passing by, all unable to resist stealing glances at them.

Jiang Yanyi felt embarrassed under their stares, but since he had given her a gift, it was not appropriate to rush him away.

She could only politely say, “I just moved in today, and everything inside is still a mess. If the general doesn’t mind, please come in and sit.”

“Come in and sit” was just a polite expression.

She had already mentioned the place was not ready, so anyone else would understand that it was inconvenient to entertain guests.

But Jiang Yanyi didn’t know whether the general was ignorant of social niceties or simply didn’t care.

After she finished speaking, he responded with a single word: “Mm.”

If he hadn’t had such a cold expression, Jiang Yanyi would have suspected he had stood at the door for half an hour just to wait for her invitation.

Steeling herself, she welcomed him inside.

The shop had not yet set up any tables and was empty except for the counter where the previous owner used to collect payments.

Jiang Yanyi placed the pot of peppers on the counter.

She then went to the back yard to find a foldable wooden table and brought it over, setting a chair for him to sit.

The shop door had been closed earlier, but now that she had invited him in, Jiang Yanyi decided to leave it open to avoid any misunderstandings.

Having searched for quite a while without finding any tea left by the previous owner, and since she hadn’t had time to buy any herself, it wouldn’t do to let him sit there with nothing to drink.

So she returned to the kitchen and brought out a plate of pumpkin cakes. “I’m really sorry for the lack of hospitality. I just made some cakes; please make do with these, General.”

Feng Shuo coldly nodded and picked up a piece to eat.

Jiang Yanyi found the sight of his cold demeanor paired with the action of eating pumpkin cakes quite incongruous.

He ate one piece without stopping, maintaining his noble and aloof expression while taking a second piece.

Jiang Yanyi couldn’t help but glance at the sky; it was midday, so could it be that he had returned from the army, and the cooks at the governor’s office thought he would be eating there, so they hadn’t prepared his meal?

Tentatively, she asked, “There’s pumpkin rice in the kitchen; would the general like to try some?”

Feng Shuo, still maintaining his regal demeanor, replied simply, “Mm.”

Having eaten at the private kitchen in the fire team before, Jiang Yanyi knew his appetite well.

When serving rice, she specifically chose a large bowl, scooping up the golden crispy rice from the bottom of the pot along with the rice and pumpkin.

When Jiang Yanyi brought out the large bowl, she noticed that the plate of pumpkin cakes was already more than half empty.

This surprised her, as while the cakes were delicious, people of high status generally didn’t favor them; they preferred more refined and elaborate pastries.

This general, however, was not picky at all.

Jiang Yanyi thought to herself, no wonder he was a soldier.

She respectfully placed the pumpkin rice in front of him, saying, “Enjoy your meal, General.”

Seeing the bowl she used to serve the rice was nearly the size of a soup bowl, Feng Shuo hesitated momentarily, tightening the corners of his mouth.

However, seeing her expression of utmost sincerity, he still reached out to accept it.

Although his appetite was large, he always used small bowls when eating.

Thanks to royal etiquette, even if he filled a small bowl ten times, he still ate elegantly.

Receiving such a large bowl unexpectedly made Feng Shuo feel as if he were being looked down upon for his big appetite.

However, this bowl of rice smelled delicious and was very appetizing.

The rice was well-separated, fragrant, and chewy.

The oil-sautéed pumpkin was bright yellow and shiny, and it didn’t feel greasy at all in the mouth, with a hint of sweetness amidst the saltiness.

The golden crispy rice crust was perhaps the best part, crunchy and fragrant.

For the first time, Feng Shuo realized that rice and pumpkin could taste this good.

Jiang Yanyi saw him picking up his chopsticks.

Having been hungry since morning, her stomach had already sung several empty tunes, so she went back to the yard to get her own bowl of rice.

Afraid he might call her back, she moved a small stool to the eaves at the back door of the shop to eat.

When Feng Shuo casually looked up, he saw her sitting there, holding a half-sized porcelain bowl, cheeks puffed out like a hamster as she stuffed food into her mouth, her eyes squinted in pleasure.

Behind her was a wall covered in green vines, with light purple bougainvillea blooming brightly in the sun.

He suddenly thought that this little cook was quite pretty.

A secret and absurd thought arose in his heart; he no longer wanted to know her true identity, nor did he care who her fiancé was or what her relationship with Lu Linyuan was…

After finishing that mouthful of rice, Jiang Yanyi realized Feng Shuo was looking in her direction.

She peeked over and saw that his big bowl was already empty.

She thought that Feng Shuo was staring at her because he was too embarrassed to ask her for a refill, so she empathetically walked over and asked, “General, would you like some more rice?”

Startled by her sudden voice, Feng Shuo finally came back to his senses and expressionlessly nodded.

Jiang Yanyi carried the big bowl to the pot to scoop more rice.

Qiu Kui, who was prepared to have another bowl, saw that Jiang Yanyi had only brought a bowl without any chopsticks when she came in, realizing that the general wanted a refill.

She looked pitifully at the only bowl of rice left in the pot, reluctantly putting down her spatula.

Jiang Yanyi comforted her, saying, “I’ll make you something delicious for dinner later.”

Qiukui’s eyes brightened again: “Is it going to be pumpkin rice?”

Jiang Yanyi replied, “You can make whatever you want.”

Qiukui immediately said, “Pumpkin rice!”

Jiang Yanyi couldn’t help but laugh at this girl; she was just too easily satisfied, finding joy in a single dish of pumpkin rice.

After Jiang Yanyi served the rice, when Feng Shuo saw that his bowl wasn’t full, he seemed to guess what had happened.

He finished eating in silence and left two taels of silver on the table.

This meal was originally a return gift for the pot of peppers he had sent her, so Jiang Yanyi couldn’t accept his money.

She hurriedly chased after him to return it: “General, this meal was quite simple, how can I take your silver?”

Feng Shuo asked her in response, “If it wasn’t good, would you not take my money?”

Jiang Yanyi felt somewhat awkward at his question.

She thought to herself that this general really was a conversation killer.

Did he truly not understand social niceties at all?

With a stiff upper lip, she offered the silver back to him, maintaining a smile: “In the past, when I was at the camp, you took care of me. Now that my shop is next to the protectorate, I hope you will come by often to support my business in the future. I really can’t accept this meal’s payment.”

Feng Shuo looked down at her from his height.

From his perspective, the little cook’s head was slightly bowed, her eyes bright with laughter, as if she were a young wife sending her husband off.

He stared at her for a while without speaking.

He wanted to give the silver because he felt guilty for coming over without saying a word and eating all the rice, leaving nothing for her and Qiu Kui.

But at that moment, this little cook was insisting on returning it.

Feng Shuo unconsciously furrowed his brows.

To him, it was only two taels of silver.

Why would he bother to take it back?

But when she mentioned that he should come often in the future, he felt tempted.

He asked, “When do you plan to open your shop?”

Jiang Yanyi was actually still unsure.

After all, she intended to open a hot pot restaurant, but since there were no peppers yet, she would start with a clear soup base.

As the weather got colder, hot pot would surely have a market; this street was full of influential people, and wealthy families wouldn’t lack the money to enjoy hot pot.

The trouble was she still needed to find someone to arrange the shop, customize tables and chairs, and procure pots specifically for hot pot, as well as plates and bowls.

After thinking for a moment, she replied, “Probably around the next military rest day.”

The military only had a day of rest every ten days, which meant she wouldn’t be able to open until about ten days later.

Feng Shuo glanced at her still empty shop and nodded in understanding.

Jiang Yanyi then said, “You should take the silver back.”

Feng Shuo’s gaze fell on her palm; her hand was small, with slender fingers, exceptionally pale.

That small piece of silver looked like a rock protruding from the snow.

As he reached out to take the silver, his fingertip unintentionally brushed against her palm.

It felt warm and soft, almost like touching a slightly solidified piece of warm milk.

Feng Shuo felt as if something like a tentacle was spreading from his fingertips deep into his heart, creating a slight tickling sensation, making his fingertips feel numb.

He quickly withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back, saying, “I will come again next time.”

After he left the shop, turning a corner brought him back to his residence.

Xing Yao was waiting there with a food box in hand: “My lord, Old Madam Song heard you would be returning to the military camp soon and prepared some dishes for you in the kitchen.”

Feng Shuo unconsciously rubbed his fingertips behind his back, as if the warm and delicate sensation still lingered.

He replied lightly, “I have already eaten, so you may enjoy it.”

---

Jiang Yanyi was completely unaware of someone’s covert dining behavior; she was holding the pot of peppers and almost laughing herself into a flower.

Qiu Kui asked in confusion, “Why are you always hugging this pot and grinning like an idiot?”

Jiang Yanyi replied dreamily, “With this, I can make many, many of the best foods in the world!”

Upon hearing that delicious food could be made, Qiu Kui immediately treated the pot like a treasure, caring for it even more diligently than Jiang Yanyi.

To expedite the opening of the shop, Jiang Yanyi made a list in the afternoon, jotting down everything she needed to buy, planning to purchase in batches.

She intended to check the market for tables, chairs, pots, and bowls, to see which craftsmen had good skills before negotiating the details.

Now that she had established herself, she wondered how things were going in the capital.

After thinking for a while, she decided to write a letter to the Chu family in the capital.

Initially, she planned to write to her brother, asking about his and Madam Jiang’s current situation, while also letting them know she was safe.

Since she couldn’t return to the capital now, she could only find another opportunity to meet them later.

However, Jiang Yanyi was also worried about potential accidents.

If this letter didn’t reach her brother Jiang Yangu, it would be troublesome, especially since their unreliable father was definitely not trustworthy.

From the original memory, her maternal grandparents treated her quite well, especially her uncle, who had also entered the military.

After finishing the letter, Jiang Yanyi took Qiu Kui for a stroll, planning to see if there were any peppers for sale at the market and to stop by the post station to send the letter.

Letters at the post station were sent early in the morning.

Neither of them noticed that since they left, someone had been stealthily following them.

After Jiang Yanyi exited the post station, that person quickly entered, emerging with a letter in hand.