At dawn, Jiang Yanyi woke up.

Her forehead wound had throbbed all night, so her sleep was restless.

Knowing she had to head to the kitchen camp soon to prepare breakfast, she decided to get up quietly.

It was then that she noticed Chunxiang’s bed across from her was empty.

The sky was still gray, so Jiang Yanyi assumed Chunxiang had gone out for some fresh air and didn’t think much of it.

She went outside to wash up.

A few large water jars were placed outside, filled daily by soldiers for the women in the camp.

She splashed her face with water, shivering as the cold autumn air bit through her skin.

It was bearable for now, but in colder weather, washing up in this icy water could easily lead to a chill.

In the military camp, brushing one’s teeth wasn’t a common practice.

But Jiang Yanyi, with her habit of cleanliness, couldn’t ignore it.

She had heard that people here used chewed willow twigs as makeshift toothbrushes, so she decided to head over to the poplar grove behind the camp to find one.

As she approached the grove, she saw Chunxiang emerging, lifting her skirts as she walked.

Her hair and clothes were disheveled, with bruises trailing from her neck down to her chest, and the edge of her skirt was stained with suspicious marks.

Jiang Yanyi froze as they crossed paths. Chunxiang’s face flushed with embarrassment.

She quickly looked away, covering her chest with her hand, and hurried back toward the camp.

Though Jiang Yanyi wasn’t one to pry, she could guess what had happened.

Wanting to avoid any further awkwardness, she took her time gathering several willow twigs before returning.

By the time Jiang Yanyi returned, Chunxiang had already changed into fresh clothes, and the other women were also beginning to wake up.

They finished their morning routines and headed to the kitchen camp, where fires were already burning.

Liu Cheng had taken the day off, so Head Zhao was the one assigning tasks.

Jiang Yanyi naturally joined Chef Li in the kitchen to assist him.

Preparing breakfast was straightforward.

Whether steaming buns or making noodles, it mostly required kneading dough—a simple but exhausting task due to the sheer quantity needed.

That morning, the soldiers’ breakfast was to be knife-cut noodles, which required precise dough preparation.

Chef Li asked Jiang Yanyi to make the dough in advance.

Jiang Yanyi knew that knife-cut noodles required skilled dough kneading.

The water-to-flour ratio had to be exact; too much or too little water could ruin the dough.

If not kneaded properly, the dough would stick to the knife and break apart, resulting in poorly cut noodles.

She focused intently on her task, determined to get it right.

Chef Li watched her work while sipping his morning tea.

He had been skeptical of Jiang Yanyi’s abilities ever since yesterday’s hot and sour noodles, thinking she lacked the finesse for delicate dough work.

But as he observed her kneading, he realized her technique was practiced, leaving little room for criticism.

Puzzled, he was about to ask her about her skills when he felt a sudden, sharp pain in his stomach.

Alarmed, he set down his tea and hurried to the latrine.

Jiang Yanyi noticed Chunxiang picking up Chef Li’s teacup as soon as he left.

A strange feeling crept over her.

Chef Li made several trips to the latrine throughout the morning and eventually looked so weak he could barely stand.

The other chefs urged him to see the camp physician, assuring him that they could handle things in the kitchen.

But Chef Li was stubborn, insisting on staying.

Captain(Head) Zhao, visibly upset at seeing his friend in such a state, exclaimed, “This must be because you overindulged last night and ate cold dishes afterward! Now you’re paying the price!”

Slumped in his chair, Chef Li replied, “I guess I’m too old to handle it anymore. Even a cold dish has done me in.”

Captain(Head) Zhao called over a young soldier to help carry Chef Li to the physician. “Stop being stubborn! Go get checked out before this gets worse. We still need to prepare lunch, and the general’s meal today is red-braised lion’s head meatballs. No one here can make it like you can. If the meal isn’t served, the entire kitchen camp will be held responsible.”

Chef Li, knowing this was true, sighed, “I taught Liu Cheng to make that dish, but he only learned the basics. He’s off today too, of all days…”

Just then, he doubled over in pain again, too weak to stand, and had to be supported by two soldiers as they helped him out of the kitchen.

Watching Chef Li’s hunched figure, Jiang Yanyi began to wonder.

Eating cold food shouldn’t have caused such severe stomach issues.

Chef Li had only had the tea that morning, which had been brewed in a large teapot shared by others.

This meant it likely wasn’t the tea itself.

Her thoughts turned back to Chunxiang.

After Chef Li had left for the latrine, Chunxiang had come over to collect his teacup.

A chill ran down her spine.

Could the problem have been with the cup?

Glancing around, she realized Chunxiang was nowhere to be seen.

With the dough nearly ready, the remaining chefs began cutting and boiling the noodles.

The Western Army camp had nearly 200,000 soldiers, and with countless officers to feed, they had to prepare thousands of portions.

With Chef Li out of commission, there was no room for delay as they worked to serve everyone.

As Jiang Yanyi noticed she had no immediate tasks, she decided to step outside and look for Chunxiang.

However, just as she reached the barracks’ entrance, a cook called out to her.

“Hey, girl, can you make hand-shaved noodles?”

Before Jiang Yanyi could respond, another cook, while swiftly shaving noodle dough into a pot, remarked, “Come on now, you saw what she did to the rice noodles yesterday. It wasn’t exactly a masterpiece.”

The cooks burst into laughter, but it wasn’t malicious.

Jiang Yanyi scratched her head, puzzled by what was so wrong with the sour and spicy noodles she had made the previous night.

The first cook, however, wasn’t swayed. “Another pair of hands is another bit of help. Just have her make noodles for the company commanders.”

The others quickly agreed.

After all, those commanders were rough men.

No matter how carefully food was prepared, to them, it might as well be like Zhu Bajie gulping down a ginseng fruit—unable to appreciate it.

Thus, Jiang Yanyi was pulled over to make hand-shaved noodles.

The cook, concerned she might not know how, demonstrated for her. “You have to keep your hand steady when holding the knife. Make sure the pressure is even, so the shaved noodles come out smooth. Got it?”

Jiang Yanyi nodded.

To make authentic hand-shaved noodles, there were two key skills: kneading the dough and shaving the noodles.

She picked up a piece of well-kneaded dough, balanced it in her palm, and without hesitation, began shaving it into the pot.

Her knife moved quickly, as if she were peeling a radish, sending thin slices of dough gracefully into the boiling water.

The noodles fell into the pot like silver fish darting through water.

The cooks, watching her finish shaving the dough in an instant, were worried she had rushed the job.

But when they scooped the noodles into bowls and looked, they were dumbfounded.

Each noodle was thick in the middle and thin at the edges, perfectly shaped like willow leaves, and exactly six inches long.

Though outsiders might just see the spectacle, the experienced cooks knew true skill when they saw it.

They were stunned.

They had already seen Jiang Yanyi’s knife skills when she sliced vegetables the day before, but that was on a cutting board.

Watching her shave noodles mid-air was a whole new level of mastery.

For a young girl, her technique was incredibly refined!

Had they not witnessed it with their own eyes, they might have suspected it was the head cook, Chef Li, who had shaved the noodles.

As for the sauce, Jiang Yanyi opted for a meat-based topping.

She took pork, selecting three parts lean and seven parts fat, marinated it with ginger and yellow wine to remove any odor, then diced it.

Once the oil in the pan was hot, she stir-fried the minced pork, rendering the fat, before setting it aside.

Next, she stir-fried aromatic spices to release their fragrance, removed them, and then sautéed garlic, ginger, and green onions.

She returned the meat to the pan, added broth, and simmered everything together.

The final result was a rich, savory meat sauce poured over the noodles, the aroma tantalizing.

Initially, Jiang Yanyi was only supposed to make the noodles for the junior officers.

But when the cooks saw how visually appealing the dish was, they decided to serve it to the generals instead.

The breakfast bugle had already sounded.

Outside each barracks, soldiers lined up to receive their porridge and coarse wheat buns.

Two sentries who had eaten Jiang Yanyi’s sour and spicy noodles the night before were off duty today.

Sitting together with their comrades, they poked at their porridge and barely touched their wheat buns.

“This stuff is barely edible. One of these days, I swear I’ll choke on it,” one grumbled after taking a bite.

The soldier next to him kicked him. “If you don’t want it, give it to me. I never get enough!”

The sentry really handed over the bun. “Here, take it, you glutton.”

The other soldier stared at the warm bun in surprise. “Really? You’re giving it to me? What, did you sneak off somewhere last night?”

At this, the sentry chuckled. “I had a bowl of noodles at the cooks’ tent last night.”

One of the soldiers scoffed. “Noodles? What’s so great about noodles? Sure, the head cook, Li, can make something good, but you’d have to pay extra to get anything with meat in it. We can’t afford that.”

The sentry replied, “You don’t understand. There’s a new cook, a woman, and the veggie noodles she made for just four copper coins were incredible!”

“A woman cook?!”

Suddenly, everyone nearby was all ears.

“Is she pretty?”

“Is she… you know, well-built?”

“What does that matter? My mom says big hips are what count, makes for good childbearing!”

“You don’t know anything! A big face is what matters. That’s what the elders say is a sign of fortune!”

The sentry, calmly sipping his porridge, ignored the uproar.

Realizing they wouldn’t get any useful answers through their bickering, the men turned to the sentry, urging him, “Come on, tell us, old Liu! Don’t keep us in suspense!”

The sentry clicked his tongue before finally speaking, his expression full of longing. “I swear, of all the women I’ve ever seen, none of them can compare to this cook. She’s as beautiful as a fairy from the heavens!”

His description stirred excitement in the group.

“Yeah, right! You thought the old lady selling sesame buns at the palace market was as beautiful as Xi Shi reincarnated!”

“Well, if you don’t believe me, come with me tonight. Once you see her, you’ll understand.”

“Alright! But if she’s not as good-looking as you say, you’re paying for all of tonight’s food.”

“You’re so stingy! Fine, tonight you’ll see for yourself.”

Just as they were eagerly planning, a lazy yet interested voice suddenly chimed in:

“Is she really that beautiful?”