"Your military district is the same, isn't it?"
Dean Hu still didn’t quite understand what was going on.
"Well, but it’s not convenient for me here. The research institute would be better. I’ll explain it to you when I get back tonight."
Hu Jun hung up the phone. He had other matters to attend to—he just happened to be here, and fortunately, it was him who came.
As for telling Shen Xianjun? Impossible. The team had already been dispatched for a mission.
Shen Xianjun and his squad lay hidden in the grass. Their mission was to capture a group of armed bandits who had been hijacking convoys. The situation had escalated—what started as targeting private freight had now grown bolder, with even government shipments being attacked.
The bandits wouldn’t dare act so brazenly for so long without someone backing them. While others were tasked with rooting out the corrupt officials protecting them, it was Shen Xianjun’s team’s job to take down the violent criminals.
---
"Hurry up, hurry up! Why does your dough look nothing like Grandma’s? It’s way too thick!"
Li Wen frowned at the noodles Li Wu was handling.
"Here, you try then. You’ll see how hard it is."
Li Wu handed the dough over to Li Wen.
Li Wen gave it a shot—when he pulled it thin, the strands broke; when he left it thick, it was too coarse. Frustrated, he had to knead it back into a ball and start over.
"Let me try."
Hu Zhenghao stepped in to help, but pulling the dough by hand proved impossible.
"What if we roll it out on the board instead?"
Wang Xing suggested.
"That actually works!"
Li Wu watched as Hu Zhenghao tried the method—the noodles weren’t as thick now and stretched longer, but soon, they began sticking together.
"Maybe it’s too wet?"
Wang Xing rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Let’s add some flour."
Hu Zhenghao grabbed a handful of flour, and sure enough, the dough became less sticky—but now it was too stiff, making it hard to work with.
They kept adding water, then more flour, and before they knew it, they had an entire basin of dough.
"What do we do now?"
Li Wu and the others were at a loss.
Li Wen scratched his head, oblivious to the flour now dusting his hair.
"I remember Grandma saying that adding oil keeps things from sticking when she makes scallion pancakes. There’s too much dough here—let’s take a portion and try adding oil. Also, didn’t she say the dough needs to rest? Maybe that’s why it’s not working."
After some careful recollection, they gave it another shot—and to their surprise, it worked.
"It’s a bit of a hassle, but it really doesn’t stick now! Look how long we can stretch it!"
Li Wu excitedly admired the noodles in the basin.
"But what about all this extra dough?"
Wang Xing pointed at the massive pile.
"Turn it into steamed buns?"
Li Wu suggested, only to get a light smack on the head.
"We didn’t add any yeast. They’d just be dense lumps."
Hu Zhenghao sighed.
"How about flatbread? Slather on enough oil, and it won’t stick. At least we can eat it."
Li Wen thought it over.
"Fine. Roll it thin and pan-fry it. We can always wrap veggies inside. No sense wasting it."
Hu Zhenghao agreed, and the group set to work—covering the noodles first before starting on the flatbread.
As the oldest, Hu Zhenghao took charge of frying, while Li Wen tended the fire. Li Wu and Wang Xing rolled out the dough.
The first one came out slightly burnt, but with enough oil, it didn’t stick. Li Wen adjusted the flame lower.
"The charred bits are kinda tasty, though."
After all that effort, Li Wu was starving. He tore off a piece without hesitation and munched away.
Soon, the others joined in, finishing the slightly scorched flatbread.
"Not bad at all."
Wang Xing nodded in approval.
They kept frying, one after another, and every time a new one came out, Li Wu would tear off a piece to taste. Before they knew it, they’d polished off each one.
By the fifth flatbread, they were stuffed. A bowl of water each only made them feel fuller, so they reluctantly got back to work—there was still so much dough left.
"How are we ever going to eat all these?"
The four boys panted, exhausted. Making flatbread was more tiring than their military drills.
Rubbing their sore arms, they stared at the towering stack.
"If only Dad were home. He could eat a ton."
Li Wu sighed.
"How about we just eat flatbread for the next few days? Between the four of us, we’ll finish it eventually."
Hu Zhenghao proposed.
"Deal!"
Wang Xing agreed.
"Then we won’t need the cafeteria at noon. We can pick veggies from home and try cooking too!"
Li Wu perked up at the idea.
Once the plan was settled, Wang Xing’s alarm clock rang.
"It’s already three! Quick, we’ll clean up tomorrow. If Grandma Yang comes back early, we’re done for."
Hearing the chime, Wang Xing urged them to hurry.
"Right, let’s go!"
Li Wu grabbed the noodle basin, and the boys locked up Wang Xing’s place before darting home.
"You sure you can handle frying eggs?"
Hu Zhenghao double-checked.
"Maybe I should stay and keep watch?"
Wang Xing offered.
"We’ll be fine. Grandma won’t be back this soon. We just need to move fast—she’s been really busy lately."
Li Wen reassured them. The plan was to surprise Yang Yufen, and though Professor Wen was supposed to help, he’d been called away.
"I’ll go check anyway. I’m the fastest runner."
Wang Xing insisted.
---
Professor Wen rushed back, having promised to cover for the kids. Just as he reached the residential compound’s entrance, he spotted Yang Yufen returning on her tricycle.
"Yufen! Yufen!"
He quickly called out.
"Oh, you’re back from outside?"
Yang Yufen stopped the bike.
"Yeah. You’re home early—it’s only past three."
Professor Wen checked his watch.
"Had some other matters today. Oh, Hu Jun said he’s coming back tonight. How about we all have dinner together?"
"He’s returning? Ah, but there’s not much at home. Should we see if we can buy some meat or veggies?"
Noticing Wang Xing running over in a panic, Professor Wen guessed the kids weren’t ready yet.
"Nothing much available at this hour. Last time, we had more people, so we killed a chicken. No need to go through all that trouble."
Yang Yufen waved it off.
"It’s no trouble at all. Those chickens are precious for their eggs. Besides, it’s been ages since I’ve been to the market. Since we’re both free early, why not go? We can pick up something for the kids too. Li Wu mentioned his shoes are getting tight."
Professor Wen seized the opportunity.
"Oh dear, I hadn’t noticed. If Li Wu’s shoes are tight, Li Wen’s probably are too. The kids must be home now—let’s take them along."
Yang Yufen frowned, realizing she’d been neglecting the boys lately.
"Grandma Yang, we’re in the middle of a game. They’re all hiding—hard to find right now."
Wang Xing quickly interjected.
"Wang Xing! What are you doing out here alone? Don’t wander outside the compound by yourself."
Yang Yufen chided gently.
"Heh, we’re playing hide-and-seek. I ran farther out so I’d be harder to find. If we all hide together, it’s too easy to get caught. No idea where the others are hiding, though."
