Special Forces: I Can See the Experience Bar

Chapter 13 Start a small stove
"Just scrambled eggs with tomatoes, no change."

This dish holds an irreplaceable place in Chang Ning's heart. Even if Wang Xiaomao could teach Chang Ning some high-end dishes, he wouldn't trade it.

"Okay, as long as you're happy."

Seeing that he couldn't persuade him, Wang Xiaomao stopped saying anything.

Heat oil in a wok. Once the oil is hot, Wang Xiaomao first pours the prepared eggs into the wok and stir-fries them gently.

"This process must be done gently, otherwise the eggs will easily break apart when scrambled."

Also, use plenty of oil to prevent sticking.

The flames rising from under the stove reflected on Wang Xiaomao's face, turning his complexion orange.

The eggs were scrambled until golden brown, each piece being a uniform size. After rinsing the pan, Wang Xiaomao started stir-frying the tomatoes. Once the tomato sauce was made, he poured the eggs back into the pan and mixed them together.

"Alright! Come and have a taste."

Remove from the pan and plate.

Chang Ning couldn't wait to pick up a piece of egg covered in tomato sauce and put it in her mouth.

The aroma of tomatoes mixed with the flavor of eggs assaults Changning's taste buds in wave after wave.

"good to eat!"

"No problem, hurry up and clean up after you finish eating, I reckon your comrades will be finishing training soon."

Wang Xiaomao walked to the other side of the cutting board and started preparing the dishes. Of course, the tableware used earlier was handed over to Chang Ning to wash. There's no such thing as a free lunch.

The army didn't provide Chang Ning with any recipes, so his cooking skills improved very slowly; he could only practice over and over again.

In the evening, after training, Xiao Zhuang and Xiwa came to find Chang Ning.

We were all recruits in the same year and in the same platoon during basic training, so we naturally had a close relationship.

Chang Ning excelled in basic training, but he knew he was nothing without a special advantage.
Moreover, he had experienced the lows in his previous life and knew what it felt like, so Chang Ning would never look down on others just because their grades were not as good as his.

Therefore, Chang Ning was quite popular in the recruit training camp, and everyone was happy to hang out with him. After all, no one would refuse the friendship of an outstanding person.

Xiao Zhuang and Xiwa initially went directly to the mess hall dormitory to look for Chang Ning, only to find it empty. Logically, everyone should be in the dormitory at this time, but it turned out that the oddball Chang Ning hadn't returned.

It was Sergeant Ma who told them where Changning was.

When they arrived in the kitchen, they saw Changning sitting around the pot without doing anything. Xiaozhuang and Xiwa pushed open the door and walked up to Changning, who was still thinking.

"Chang Ning, why are you still in the kitchen so late?"

"Why are you two here?"

Hearing voices, Chang Ning looked up and saw Xiwa grinning at him.

"The old guys have been training us in all sorts of different ways lately, so we get hungry quickly."

Well, now that Xiao Zhuang has said all that, Chang Ning finally understands what he means—they've come to mooch a meal. If it were anyone else, they would have kicked Xiao Zhuang and Xiwa out without a second thought. No way they're going to get food!
It's not worth breaking the rules, and besides, why would someone take the risk if we don't have a good relationship?

The three of them were close friends, and Chang Ning was an insider in the cooking squad, so finding food for the two of them was a piece of cake.

"Here are some freshly made steamed buns, would you two like some?"

"Yes! Yes!"

When Xiwa heard that there were steamed buns to eat, he was overjoyed. He had a big appetite to begin with, and after being trained by Lao Pao, he got hungry quickly. His stomach was already protesting.

"Old Chang, can you get us some dishes? We can't swallow just steamed buns."

Xiao Zhuang tentatively said, "Anything is negotiable. If Chang Ning actually manages to cook a few dishes, that would be a win; if not, it's not a loss." "Goodness, you're really not being polite! No dishes, but take this steamed bun or leave it."

Chang Ning pretended to be angry, and her hand was already reaching for the plate of steamed buns.

Seeing that the steamed buns were almost gone, Xiwa became anxious.

"No, Brother Ning. I'm starving. Please have pity on me."

When an eighteen or nineteen-year-old teenager acts pitiful, Chang Ning immediately gets goosebumps. If it were a young woman, it might be bearable, but Xiwa, a man, is unbearable for Chang Ning.

"We don't have any vegetables, but I just learned how to make a dish these past few days that you can try."

With ready-made food tasters delivered right to their doorstep, Chang Ning wasn't about to let these two go.

"can you?"

Xiao Zhuang remembered that Chang Ning had said before that he couldn't cook, and even if he learned on the spot, it probably wouldn't taste very good.

"Never mind, never mind. It's fine if there are no dishes. Xiwa and I will just have some steamed buns."

"To tell you the truth, if you don't eat the dishes I cook, you won't get any steamed buns."

This shows they've hit Zhuang's weak spot; their coming to the mess hall to find food is already a violation of discipline. Normally, no one reporting it wouldn't be a problem, but why would Chang Ning let the food tasters slip through his fingers?

"Okay, then hurry up."

With the lights about to be turned off, Xiao Zhuang reluctantly gave in. He couldn't afford to fall out with Chang Ning, so he could only blame himself for letting Chang Ning use his desire for vegetables as leverage.

Wash the pan, pour in the oil, and fry the eggs...

If Wang Xiaomao were here, he would be astonished. Because all the steps he taught Chang Ning for making scrambled eggs with tomatoes were executed flawlessly by her.

This is why Xiao Zhuang and Xiwa saw Chang Ning deep in thought, staring at the pot. Chang Ning had tasted it, and the tomato and egg stir-fry she made tasted different from what she made at home. In short, it didn't taste like her mother's cooking.

Chang Ning invited Xiao Zhuang and Xiwa to eat his stir-fried dishes so that they could help him come up with some ideas.

Because it was meant to be eaten with steamed buns, Changning cooked the tomatoes for a longer time this time in order to make more sauce so she could dip them in.

"good to eat!"

Xiao Zhuang tentatively took a bite of the steamed bun, and his eyes immediately lit up as if they were sparkling.

As for Xiwa, he simply couldn't stop, and the scrambled eggs with tomatoes in his bowl disappeared at a visible speed.

With his mouth stuffed with food, he stammered and couldn't speak clearly, so Chang Ning couldn't understand what he was saying. From the way he wolfed down his food, Chang Ning could tell he was probably praising her.

"Eat slowly."

Seeing that the two were eating too fast, Chang Ning was worried that they might choke, so she took out her water glass and poured a glass of cool boiled water for them.

'It seems I won't get any useful advice from Xiao Zhuang and Xiwa.'

Chang Ning had hoped to tell the two of them about his troubles after finishing his meal, hoping to get their advice. But it seemed unlikely; what advice could they possibly offer while he was enjoying his food so much?

"After you two finish eating, remember to wash the pots and pans, then lock the door and go back to sleep."

Since she couldn't get any advice, Chang Ning decided not to stay any longer. Freeloading is shameful; if you want special treatment, you have to work.

The two readily agreed, of course. Some things are either done zero times or countless times. Chang Ning was giving them special treatment this time, and of course, she could do it again in the future. This was a long-term meal ticket, and Xiao Zhuang knew exactly what that meant.

"Looks like I'll have to go see Chen Pai next time; he's the sharpest one."

(End of this chapter)