He was a disabled military officer who doted on his research work in the Northwest.

Wang Xiulian, who happened to be bringing Shen Tang half a bowl of cornmeal porridge, couldn't stand it and glared at Zhang Cuihua: "Go away, what business is it of yours what that girl is planting! Shen Tang knows medicine and is very clever; she might just manage to grow it!"

Shen Tang patted the mud off his hands, took the porridge, thanked Wang Xiulian, and then gave Zhang Cuihua on the wall a half-smile: "This land is just sitting idle anyway, what's wrong with planting some?"

"Come on! If you can grow leafy greens in this saline-alkali land, I'll change my name to something else!" Zhang Cuihua pouted, swayed her hips, and walked away while cracking sunflower seeds.

Shen Tang ignored her. These seeds from the space were drought-resistant and salt-alkali-resistant; she'd be dazzling these people in a couple of days.

Wang Xiulian looked at Shen Tang, sighed, and said in a low voice, "Sister, I can tell that Commander Mu is still angry. You've just arrived and your household registration isn't in the compound yet, so you won't receive the monthly food ration. You can't just sit around and do nothing with the little money you have."

Shen Tang swallowed the food in her mouth, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes. She was just wondering how to naturally settle down in this compound.

"Yes, sister-in-law," Shen Tang said, a hint of worry in her eyes, "I'm not afraid of hardship; I can do any dirty or tiring work. I just don't know if there are any places near our compound where I can work in exchange for food?"

"Yes!" Wang Xiulian slapped her thigh. "The logistics canteen of the regiment is short of a kitchen helper! My husband Dahai and Old Wang from logistics are sworn brothers. The job is a bit tiring, but there's an eighteen-yuan allowance a month, plus an extra ten jin of grain coupons!"

The more Wang Xiulian talked, the more reliable the idea seemed: "Tomorrow, your sister-in-law will take you to the canteen to talk to Squad Leader Wang! Don't worry, with your sister-in-law there, it's guaranteed to work!"

Shen Tang was overjoyed. The canteen? That was the place with the richest supplies in the entire military region! Whether it was making money or smuggling some space vegetables out to improve the meals, it couldn't be more suitable.

"Sister-in-law, you are not only my benefactor, but also my lucky star!" Shen Tang sincerely grasped Wang Xiulian's hand.

The next day, at the logistics canteen of the regiment.

Conditions in the Northwest are harsh, and the canteen kitchen is bustling with activity. As soon as Wang Xiulian pulled Shen Tang inside, she called out to a chubby man wearing a white apron, "Old Wang! I've found you a diligent and capable helper!"

Squad Leader Wang, still holding a large iron ladle, turned and looked Shen Tang up and down, her delicate skin sculpted. His brow furrowed. "Xiulian, you're kidding me. Our kitchen staff feeds hundreds of soldiers every day. Chopping vegetables and tossing food is real heavy physical labor. Can this pampered little comrade handle it?"

Before Shen Tang could speak, a young woman kneading dough next to her gave a sneer with a sidelong glance.

"That's right, Squad Leader Wang. My cousin is a master at farm work. She's been begging you for half a month, but you always say there's no official position. Now, how come just any Tom, Dick, or Harry wants to squeeze into our canteen? This is a knife-wielding job; don't end up cutting yourself. We can't afford the medical bills."

The woman's name was Liu Mei. She was the sister-in-law of the deputy battalion commander of the third battalion. She always took advantage of her position to cheat and slack off in the canteen and couldn't stand women who were prettier than her.

Shen Tang's gaze was slightly cold as she glanced at Liu Mei indifferently. "Are you going to pay for the medical expenses? If not, then shut up."

"You!" Liu Mei had never seen anyone dare to be a troublemaker on their very first day.

Squad Leader Wang quickly smoothed things over, "Alright, we don't need all that formality here. Just get the work done! See that basket of potatoes?" He pointed with his large, fan-like hand to a large potato weighing a full fifty pounds in the corner. "Go, peel and wash them, then cut them into shreds. We're having hot and sour shredded potatoes for lunch!"

Shen Tang carried the basket to the cutting board, looked down, and immediately frowned. This batch of potatoes had been stored for quite some time; not only was the surface pitted and uneven, but many places were also sprouting green shoots.

She picked up the kitchen knife and tried to slice two.

Because I was inexperienced and the potato was uneven, after peeling it, a potato the size of a fist was reduced to the size of a walnut, and the "shreds" I cut were so small they could be used as firewood.

"Pfft—" Liu Mei laughed mercilessly, "Oh my! Is this potato shreds or a potato chunk? You've chopped half a potato! So wasteful! The military region's food supplies aren't enough for you to squander!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Squad Leader Wang walked over and, seeing the horrific scene on the cutting board, his face darkened: "Comrade Shen, your knife skills... our canteen can't afford such waste."

"Squad leader, it really wasn't me who wasted my time."

Shen Tang held up a sprouted potato, her face serious: "Look, this potato has sprouted. The green parts around it contain solanine, which is highly poisonous. Eating it can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or even shock! If you want to slice it into strips, you have to remove all the toxins. The bumpy surface will make it difficult to slice into good strips, and the waste will be significant."

Squad Leader Wang was taken aback: "What do we do then? Tonight's dish is potatoes!"

"I have a way to make sure everyone loves it, and there won't be any waste!" Shen Tang's eyes lit up, and she made a quick decision. "Class monitor, boil all the potatoes! We won't have shredded potatoes tonight, we'll have mashed potatoes!"

If she can't shred them, can't she at least mash them?!

Under Shen Tang's direction, potatoes with the poisonous sprouts removed were boiled whole until soft and tender, then scooped out and mashed wildly with a large iron spoon.

Next, Shen Tang's eyes fell on the small bowl of leftover minced meat on the stove from lunch. Although she couldn't toss the meat in a wok, she had watched plenty of cooking videos in her previous life.

She heated oil in a large iron wok, sautéed scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant, then added minced meat and stir-fried until the oil turned red. She added some soybean paste and a touch of sugar to enhance the flavor, and finally poured the glossy, tempting, and rich meat sauce all over the snow-capped mashed potatoes with a "whoosh!" "Sizzle—"

An incredibly rich aroma of meat, so enticing it made your mouth water, instantly filled the entire kitchen! Even Liu Mei, who had initially hoped to see a commotion, couldn't help but swallow hard.

Dinner is served in the evening.

The soldiers, carrying their aluminum lunchboxes, initially complained a bit when they heard there were no shredded potatoes. But when a large spoonful of creamy mashed potatoes coated in red chili sauce was placed on top of their rice, they mixed it all together and took a bite—"My goodness! What kind of heavenly thing is this? It's so delicious with rice!"

"Squad Leader Wang! Give me another big spoonful of that potato puree! It's amazing!"

"This is even more satisfying than braised pork!"

Listening to the soldiers wolfing down their food, Squad Leader Wang slapped his thigh excitedly, looking at Shen Tang as if she were a treasure: "Shen, you're so clever! From now on, you'll be in charge of creating these new dishes!"

Liu Mei was so angry that she gritted her teeth, but she couldn't even utter a fart.

Although she managed to get through the daytime with her cleverness, Shen Tang was troubled when she returned to the courtyard at night.

Mashed potatoes might work once, but what if I ask her to chop meat or cabbage tomorrow? The cafeteria has so many mouths to feed; they can't just feed us mush every day, can they?