Whoever can strike me hard will be rewarded handsomely.

Add flour if there's too much water, add water if there's too much flour.

Kneading the dough, letting it rest, and rolling it out.

With one person directing and the other fiddling around, Jiang Jibai finally managed to cut the noodles after a long day of work.

Qin Ji disdainfully picked at the noodles with his chopsticks for a long time before finally accepting the noodles, which were of varying thicknesses.

He threw down his chopsticks, sat down on a small stool like a lord, and gave the order: "Start a fire and cook noodles!"

Jiang Jibai filled the pot with water, hesitated for a moment in front of the stove, and chose hot water over cold water, deciding to boil the water first before putting the noodles in. After all, he had eaten burnt noodles before…

Jiang Jibai pushed his young apprentice, who was sitting by the stove like a supervisor, aside, picked up a tinderbox, blew on it, and started a fire with the dry grass.

Qin Ji had never had such a mundane experience before. He eagerly approached, just about to make a few sarcastic remarks to Jiang Jibai, when the dry grass suddenly burst into flames, and a plume of smoke billowed from the stove, hitting his face directly.

Qin Ji remained relatively calm, but Jiang Jibai was startled. He grabbed his youngest disciple by the back of his robe, threw him back, and took three large steps back.

Qin Ji was pulled so hard that he stumbled and bumped into the cabinet.

The cabinet tilted, and the dishes clattered as they slid outwards.

The master and apprentice, one supporting the cabinet and the other frantically catching the bowls that nearly made intimate contact with the ground.

"Sir, are you alright? Do you need any help?" Aunt Wu's worried voice came from outside.

Jiang Jibai released his grip on the cabinet, his expression calm and his voice betraying no embarrassment: "It's alright, everything went smoothly."

Qin Ji put the bowl back on the cabinet and said in a mocking voice, "Who is Mr. Jiang? Does he need help with something as simple as cooking noodles? Aunt Wu, who do you think you are?"

Since Mr. Jiang and Mr. Bian had both said so, Aunt Wu, even if she wanted to help, had no way to do so. She silently carried a bucket of water and placed it by the door in case she needed it.

After Aunt Wu left, Qin Ji looked at the water bucket by the door and laughed so hard he almost fell over.

Jiang Jibai curled his long, flour-covered fingers and flicked his mischievous little disciple on the forehead.

"The water's boiling! The water's boiling!" Qin Ji urged, ignoring the flour on his forehead and cheeks.

Jiang Jibai hurried to the pot and put the noodles into the boiling water.

Steam rose in wisps, white bubbles gurgled on the surface of the water, and noodles tumbled and rolled in the boiling water.

The master and apprentice stood by the stove waiting for the noodles to cook.

"Are we just going to wait like this?" Qin Ji asked.

Jiang Jibai added a bunch of small green vegetables that he had prepared in advance.

"That's it? Not even an egg?" Qin Ji instinctively felt that it wouldn't taste very good cooked like this.

Jiang Jibai listened to the advice, found an egg, and tapped it on the side of the pot. Half of the eggshell rolled down the side of the pot along with the egg and mixed into the noodle soup.

Qin Ji patted Jiang Jibai's arm, about to remind him that the eggshell had fallen in.

Jiang Jibai skillfully picked up his chopsticks, removed half an eggshell, and calmly told him with his hands tucked in his pockets, "No problem."

Qin Ji: "..."

I didn't believe your lies!

You managed to pick out the whole eggshell, but what about the pieces inside?

No wonder I ate your eggs twice, and both times I found the shell in them!

Jiang Jibai, utterly useless!

"Is it cooked yet?" Qin Ji asked, looking at the boiling noodle soup in the pot.

Jiang Jibai picked up a noodle with his chopsticks, broke it easily, and said confidently, "It's cooked."

After scooping the noodles, poached egg, and vegetables into a bowl, Jiang Jibai ladled a spoonful of noodle soup over it, sprinkled some chopped green onions, and drizzled a little sesame oil on top. "That's about it."

Although the noodles were of varying thickness and the presentation was not great, the dish had vegetables, eggs, scallions, and oil, so it had all the essential ingredients, and it smelled and tasted alright.

Jiang Jibai placed the noodles on the small table in the kitchen: "It's not a big problem, it should taste alright. Are you hungry?"

Qin Ji thought about it again and again and still felt that something was not right, but in any case, he had eaten longevity noodles cooked by his teacher on his birthday, which was practically Jiang Jibai's way of congratulating him on his birthday.

Suppressing his critical thoughts, Qin Ji picked up his chopsticks and sat down at the small table. He picked up a noodle and put it into his mouth with some skepticism.

The moment the noodles entered his mouth, he finally realized what was wrong.

Qin Ji asked, with a complicated expression, "Did you add salt?"

Jiang Jibai got up, scooped a spoonful of salt from the salt jar on the stove, and poured it into Qin Ji's bowl of noodles, his voice calm as still water: "No problem."

Qin Ji: "..."

Let me tell you, if anyone else were to bring this bowl of food to me, they would be beheaded!

Without changing his expression, Qin Ji stirred the noodles with his chopsticks and then slurped them down.

In the small kitchen, the master and apprentice carried stools and sat around a small wooden table.

One person kept slurping, while the other quietly watched the other slurp.

Qin Ji had never before disregarded his manners and loudly enjoyed a bowl of noodles just so that he could hear it and feel happy.

Jiang Jibai did not use rules and etiquette to restrain the thoughts of his "starving" little disciple, letting him "eat to his heart's content".

The unburnt firewood in the stove crackled from time to time, and the noodle soup steamed, surrounded by white mist.

The taste of this bowl of noodles is far inferior to that of the imperial chefs in the palace; in fact, it could be described as rather unpalatable.

The noodles were of varying thicknesses, resulting in inconsistent textures. The soup base lacked salt, and although some attempts were made to remedy the situation, the saltiness remained superficial and lacked flavor. The poached egg was also overcooked, with wispy strands floating on the soup, and occasionally, one could even find pieces of eggshell.

But this was "longevity noodles" that Jiang Jibai made for him by hand.

Even though he was already very full, Qin Ji kept eating one bite after another, as if he were really "starving".

It wasn't until he put down his chopsticks that Qin Ji felt uncomfortably bloated, and he touched his stomach, realizing that he had indeed eaten too much that night.

Jiang Jibai had clearly noticed his youngest disciple's actions, and reached out to support the boy's arm, asking with concern, "Are you eating too fast?"

Qin Ji looked at him through the steaming hot water of the noodle soup.

Happy birthday, Xiao Ji.

He spoke for Jiang Jibai in his heart.

"Your cooking skills are terrible." Qin Ji looked away, his complaint barely out of his mouth before a loud burp followed.

This self-contradictory reaction made him somewhat annoyed.

Jiang Jibai couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's expression.

"Then please spare my life, my benefactor..." He paused slightly, his smile indulgent and doting: "Please forgive me?"

Qin Ji was momentarily dazzled by that gentle smile, and his fingers twitched slightly.

He shrugged unceremoniously: "What about the fan you promised to give me? Is it finished yet?"

Jiang Jibai silently got up and pushed the bowl and chopsticks in front of Qin Ji: "You wash the bowl and chopsticks first, I'll go get them for you."

Qin Ji: "..."

Who do you think you're having wash the dishes?

You're making the Emperor wash the dishes!

Don't think I don't know you're stalling for time.

Is it not finished yet?

Look me in the eyes and answer me!