The morning sky was a gloomy gray, raising concerns about an unexpected snowfall.
Green Wood Camp was as busy as ever, with soldiers bustling about handling various post-battle affairs. The white ground was quickly covered with all sorts of messy footprints and wheel tracks.
The kitchen was especially lively, with cooking utensils moved out into the open space. Fresh vegetables and ingredients were being trucked in, as everyone prepared to make dumplings in a fiery frenzy.
With the arrival of a certain person, the busy crew put down their tasks and greeted loudly.
Li Mo wasn’t fully ready yet—he had come with Huang Donglai using their combination technique.
“Is the Qianlong List about to be released again?”
“Counting the days, it really is. Young Hero Li is like a god descending, this year’s ten-thousand-man champion, what kind of young hero could pull this off?”
“Honestly, standing before Young Hero Li, even our Crown Prince might not be able to call himself the first genius.”
“To be fair, that’s true. After all, the Crown Prince’s status is there, if the Yantian Sect doesn’t rank him first, it wouldn’t look good for His Majesty. Really can’t say there isn’t some behind-the-scenes drama.”
“Why do you think Young Hero Huang carries Young Hero Li so effortlessly?”
“Maybe because he… is skilled?”
Before long, Li Mo and Huang Donglai arrived at the kitchen, where the generals were just as busy.
Wu Lang was wielding his thick back gold ring kn*fe, chopping vegetables, while a nearby defending general seemed to be practicing some martial arts borrowing strength, skillfully handling dough.
The white-haired Commander Qu was grounded in reality as he diligently prepared the dumpling filling.
“Uncle Qu, aren’t you going to dye your hair back to black?”
Li Mo released the combination technique and casually asked.
His graying hair made him look a bit worn, but he now had a more down-to-earth vibe, reminiscent of the weary family pillar grinding away for a living.
“Not fussing with it anymore.”
Commander Qu said with narrowed eyes, hands never stopping: “I’m researching something crucial.”
“Hmm?”
Li Mo instantly perked up; Qu rarely mentioned anything ‘crucial.’
“And I’ve applied some guarding martial arts—one skillful palm technique and a golden silk cloud-cutting kn*fe, but still can’t get it right.”
“Get what right?”
“The dumpling filling.”
Commander Qu presented a plate of dumpling filling.
Li Mo: “…..”
This pork had endured far too many inappropriate injuries.
“You’ve put in too much cabbage, and the pork is too fatty. The best filling is a mix of lean and fatty meat, finely chopped…”
Chef Li couldn’t physically handle the task now, but he still provided technical guidance.
“This is an art too, it requires quite a bit of thought.”
“So what made you think about yourself and dumpling filling today, Commander?”
“When I left home, my family was eating dumplings stuffed with pork and scallions in the town. I ate that many times, but I’ve never tasted that flavor again; never could again.”
Commander Qu reminisced about the taste of that plate of dumplings.
But after three or four decades without returning home, he might not even clearly remember the shape of the dumplings, let alone the taste.
“Why not give this a try? This is a family-secret recipe that I don’t share with just anyone.”
“Oh?”
Commander Qu eagerly began studying the family recipe for dumpling filling Li Mo had given him, as if he’d stumbled upon some profound secret.
Meanwhile, a notification sound rang in Li Mo’s head:
【Congratulations, Host. You have invested in Qu Sheng, helping him find the taste of his hometown.】
【Investment feedback: Heartfelt Arrow.】
【Heartfelt Arrow】：“Write your name on the arrowtail, and it will be sent to the person you’re thinking of, as long as that person is still alive.”
Li Mo was taken aback.
Commander Qu could actually provide a standard investment feedback.
Why hadn’t he received feedback upon defending Qingmu City?
With a divine eye activation, Li Mo glanced at Commander Qu, who was flipping through the dumpling filling recipe.
【Name: Qu Sheng】
【Age: 52】
【Bone Structure: Golden Beam Jade Bone (Postnatal Alteration)】
【Realm: External Scene, Third Heaven.】
【Destiny: Black】
【Evaluation: Naturally a mortal body, average aptitude, a laborious life destined to be born in hardship, fortunate to d*e in comfort.】
【Recent Encounter: Burning lifespan, overdrawing from external scenes, now only left with a deep longing for home, hoping to hold on until the King of South Border returns, to hang up his post and return home.】
Kind reminder: For everyone’s book selection convenience, the website “Ranking” page has been optimized, everyone can give it a try!
Li Mo suddenly realized why he hadn’t received any feedback on Commander Qu.
Because he hadn’t changed the course of Qu’s fate.
Qu would still d*e in the defense of Qingmu City; it was just a matter of sooner or later, and clearly, Qu hadn’t managed to wait for the King of South Border and would ultimately d*e far from home.
“Young Hero Li, is this looking good?”
A bowl of freshly crafted dumpling filling was presented before him.
“Looks good.”
Li Mo frowned, then nodded.
Young Li thought for a moment and then suggested:
“It’s a crime to eat dumplings without some sort of fun twist, how about we put something inside while wrapping them?”
“True, for good luck, what should we put in?”
“How about money?”
Huang Donglai enthusiastically pointed to his missing front tooth, recalling that he had only eaten dumplings once in his life—because he had bitten down too hard and chipped his tooth on a coin.
Since then, he’d been cautious.
“How about it?”
Li Mo was just about to suggest that.
Bang—
Several wooden boxes crashed heavily onto the floor, investment feedback coins—Li Mo didn’t have time to count, thankfully they were stuffed in the boxes, maybe around fifty or sixty pieces.
“What’s this?”
“Silver notes.”
“?”
The kitchen fell silent for a moment, Wu Lang picked one up, and it boldly read a thousand taels.
Three boxes, all full—he wouldn’t dare burn this much paper for his ancestors.
Huang Donglai, meanwhile, took it in stride and shook his head:
“Brother Li, you can’t throw silver notes into the pot; better stick with copper or silver coins.”
“Good point.”
“Hmm, the key is that there are tens of thousands of people; that many dumplings, even more silver notes might not be enough to hand out….”
“Well, not necessarily.”
“??”
Then, thumb-sized golden nuggets were crafted and wrapped inside the dumpling filling.
“Ahem, Donglai, lend me a hand.”
“What’s up?”
Huang Donglai, unsure why he was being called, set aside his task and came over.
Young Li peered at Commander Qu, realizing our Qingmu Commander had carried the dumpling-filled bag outside to cool in the snow, before pulling something out of his sleeve.
“This dumpling bag, remember to mark it; don’t lose it in the cooking.”
“What’s this?”
“Premium treasure.”
“Whoa….”
Huang Donglai almost did a tactical backward lean.
Premium treasure! You’re putting that in dumplings?
This is some serious badassery.
“I’m only making these dumplings for this treasure,” Li Mo patted his shoulder, signaling for steady but not excessive excitement from Brother Donglai.
Then he went to other cooks to retrieve his specially made barbecue soul sauce.
Today’s Winter Solstice celebration meal would be barbecue to pair with dumplings.
Just as he was sharing the recipe, suddenly a pair of footsteps echoed outside, but the place was too lively, too many people coming and going to hear clearly.
“Young Hero Li, look.” A cook nudged his chin over.
“Why are you suddenly making that face… ”
Li Mo was puzzled, but instinctively turned to look.
“…..”
From the icy snow, an Ice Chunk was coming in…
She was about to step into the kitchen!
Young Li’s face completely changed!!
