After a fierce battle, the forces successfully captured a hilltop. The good news spread to other regions, reigniting the morale of the troops. Following the destruction of another base, the leaders and fighters from that base retreated to this hilltop.
Although capturing the hilltop was a major contribution of Company Four, the military has its rules, as unyielding as mountains, not to be taken lightly. rit and fault go hand in hand, with the forr outweighing the latter. Jiang Jinghuai was promoted by one rank but was also punished with the task of writing a self-reflection report.
Jiang Jinghuai had expected as much; this was rely the opening move. What truly required him on the field was still ahead. That afternoon, he went to the command tent to have a discussion with other high-ranking officials. Nobody knew what they talked about, but history later bore witness to this victory.
**
Several groups converged, gathering in one place, creating quite a chaotic scene.
After arranging the venue and restoring order, everyone was already famished and utterly exhausted.
The dry rations had long been eaten up, and it was said that supplies were already on their way.
The food included provisions sent by the state, as well as donations from patriotic citizens.
By evening, when a military truck finally delivered the supplies, the soldiers felt a renewed sense of hope. After all, no matter how tough or skilled, without food, one would struggle to sustain oneself. War wasn’t just a matter of tactics but also required physical strength. Fortunately, they were on a break now, or fighting on an empty stomach with just raw passion might have severely impacted their performance.
Having won today’s battle, they could finally enjoy a hot al. But cooking even that would take ti!
At this mont, the soldiers wished the unit would at least distribute so compressed biscuits to fill their stomachs for the ti being.
However, compressed biscuits were tricky: a few bites would fill you up, leaving no room for the main al later. Worse, they were hard to pair with water. Drinking after eating them would cause a peculiar discomfort in the stomach. But eating them without water made the dryness unbearable.
They were soldiers, though—not pampered; such matters didn’t overly trouble them, though they did wish these things could be improved.
The cooks, after receiving the fresh supplies, noticed neatly stacked boxes of sothing unfamiliar piled together.
"Food’s ready! Food’s ready!"
When a cook’s hearty announcent rang out, the soldiers began murmuring in confusion.
"So quick? The food’s ready already?"
"The cooks really pulled it off this ti; they’re that fast?"
"Huh? Why don’t I sll anything cooking?"
"It’s not a al, huh? Looks more like they’re handing out biscuits."
"..."
Three cooks, each carrying a crate, began handing things out one by one.
"What’s this?"
"Red-braised beef noodles?"
"I think I’ve heard of this. It’s so kind of instant noodles."
"But how do you eat it?"
Listening to the chatter of his comrades and holding one of these items in his hand, Jiang Jinghuai’s mouth uncontrollably twitched. Slowly, his eyes began to gleam with amusent.
The cook explained, "The instructions are written on the packaging. Simply take the noodles to the cafeteria, pour hot water over them, let them steep for four to five minutes, and they’ll be ready to eat. Don’t forget to add the seasoning packets inside."
The soldiers nodded in understanding and curiously asked, "How co we’re eating instant noodles this ti?"
"It’s just to tide you over for now; the proper al will co later," the cook replied. "These were donated by the patriotic citizens Mr. Hua Zifeng and Ms. Tian Sangsang for the warfront. Without their generosity, you’d still have to wait another half hour to eat. Let us salute these great patriots and thank them for their selfless contributions."
The soldiers raised their hands solemnly, offering a military salute.
To the patriots.
To the instant noodles.
Even though they still had no idea what exactly instant noodles were.
Soone quickly tore open the top layer, peeked inside, and exclaid, "So that’s how you eat it—looks like compressed noodles!"
The others followed suit, peeling back the packaging and exclaiming, "No wonder they’re called instant noodles—look, the noodles are already compressed, and the seasoning is packed in little sachets. Just add hot water and you’re good to go!"
Jiang Jinghuai carefully opened the seasoning packet, and the soldiers imitated him, sprinkling the contents inside. Though it was just compressed food, as soon as the seasoning was added, a rich aroma wafted out, causing them to subconsciously swallow their saliva. Cradling their newfound treasure, they headed to the cafeteria to collect hot water, their faces lit with curious anticipation.
"Captain, why didn’t you tear the lid fully off like the rest of us?" They noticed their captain had only partially opened his lid.
Jiang Jinghuai casually replied with a single word, "Steam."
The group: "...!!!" Of course! How were they supposed to steam anything? With their hands? Hats? Clothes?
Fortunately, not everyone was clueless. Those who hadn’t fully removed their lids let the noodles steam for four minutes. When they opened it, an intoxicating aroma, unlike anything words could describe, assaulted their senses.
The cafeteria was already overcrowded, so they stepped outside, gathering in small groups with steaming bowls in hand. The noodles were golden-yellow and tender, topped with bits of garnish. The broth was a deep brown, enriched with the faint heat of chili peppers and the unmistakable aroma of beef.
They slurped down mouthfuls of noodles, occasionally biting into small cubes of actual beef—it was real beef! No wonder it was called red-braised beef noodles!
The soldiers were ecstatic, eating until sweat dripped from their foreheads. Yet, to their dismay, after only a few bites, the noodles were gone. The faster eaters could only glare enviously at the slower ones, engaging in a silent tug-of-war.
After finishing, they began chatting.
"When I left, my wife was nine months pregnant. By now, she must have given birth. I wonder if it’s a boy or a girl."
"I have a daughter. When I get back, I’m going to hug my wife and child tight and smother them with kisses."
"..."
Jiang Jinghuai took a sip of the broth, set his bowl aside, and wiped his mouth casually. He too had a wife and children—a beautiful wife, an adorable child, and another on the way.
While the troops were enjoying their al inside, two enemy scouts lurking outside the camp couldn’t hide their misery. The wafting aroma tornted them like waves crashing over and over again. One of them, annoyed, muttered, "Tian Chao sure lives up to its na. Their supplies are abundant—we’re stuck with compressed biscuits, and they’re having a feast. What’s the point of this war? Back ho, we had our wives, kids, and warm hearths, but now, even a decent al is a luxury."
The other scout, consud by jealousy, added, "Don’t bring it up! Our granaries have been destroyed; forget compressed biscuits—they don’t even exist anymore. Faith is supposed to be our spiritual food, but it’s hard not to envy their indulgence. What exactly are they eating that slls so incredible?"
After so ti eavesdropping, they could only make out muffled words, vaguely catching sothing like noodles. After a long wait, they finally heard the full na: red-braised beef noodles—instant noodles.
That night, the two soldiers reported back to their headquarters. They claid the Tian Chao troops were holding a victory feast, enjoying an extravagant al of red-braised beef noodles. Starving and desperate, the enemy forces devised a plan to raid and steal supplies.
Food was always the most critical resource on the battlefield!
Thus, they divided into two groups—one to attack the camp and the other to intercept supplies.
When they finally got their hands on a large stash of instant noodles and opened them, they found only explosives inside.
The unsuspecting soldiers at the back hadn’t grasped what was happening when a deafening "BOOM" rang out. They never got to taste the noodles!
It was said that afterward, their nation banned instant noodles entirely. They beca the only country in the world that didn’t eat them.
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