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

The fire ignited a miracle.

The originally pungent spiciness instantly became mellow and smooth after being blended with milk. Bright red chili oil floated on the milky white broth. Shen Tang put the washed bok choy into the pot, blanched it for only a dozen seconds, and then quickly took it out.

That domineering, rich, spicy aroma with a touch of strange milky fragrance seemed to have grown legs, bursting out of the kitchen and sweeping across the entire camp!

Squad Leader Wang, standing nearby, was practically drooling from the aroma, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets: "Sister Shen, what's with adding milk to this soup? How can it smell so good?!"

While deftly scooping up the vegetables, Shen Tang attributed the effects of the spiritual spring water entirely to the milk without changing her expression: "Squad Leader Wang, you don't understand. Milk can neutralize the spiciness of chili peppers and make the bone broth richer and smoother. This way, it's not only gentle on the stomach but also enhances the flavor. That's the secret to this dish's deliciousness."

Squad Leader Wang suddenly realized, slapping his thigh: "Amazing! City people really do eat differently!"

As soon as the whistle blew for lunch, the soldiers, carrying their aluminum lunchboxes, rushed into the mess hall like hungry wolves.

"Squad Leader Wang! What delicious food did you make today? This tastes absolutely amazing!"

When a large spoonful of bok choy, potatoes, and kelp soaked in spicy bone broth was placed on top of white rice, the entire mess hall went wild when the soldiers took their first bite.

"My goodness! This cabbage is so sweet! This soup is so delicious!"

"This spiciness is so good with rice! This is the first time I've ever felt that a dish without meat is even more satisfying than braised pork! Give me another spoonful of broth! I could eat three bowls of rice!"

While everyone in front was enjoying their meal, Liu Mei in the kitchen, gazing at the bright red spicy hot pot, couldn't help but swallow hard, her stomach rumbling loudly. She shamelessly took an empty bowl to try some, but Shen Tang smiled and blocked her with a strainer.

"Hey, Comrade Liu Mei, these vegetable leaves aren't even making a sound, don't force yourself. Just drink your corn porridge instead."

Liu Mei's face flushed a deep purplish-red, and she wished she could disappear into the ground.

Meanwhile, the military wives in the compound, who had initially been stubborn, couldn't resist the irresistible aroma wafting into the compound, their mouths watering, and they finally grabbed their lunchboxes and ran to the canteen.

When Zhang Cuihua and the others arrived, panting, the large iron pots were already empty, and even the last bit of red oil soup base had been cleaned up by the soldiers using white steamed buns.

"Oh dear, ladies, you're late! The spicy hot pot made with bok choy that Sister Shen grew today was absolutely amazing!" The soldiers reminisced, burping as they spoke.

Looking at the empty pot, Zhang Cuihua stomped her feet in anger. On her way home, she complained to everyone she met, "They must have put in a ton of lard and MSG! What a waste!"

But as soon as she finished speaking, her stomach started to protest loudly, causing a burst of laughter from those around her. This truly proved the old saying: "sour grapes."

……

No one noticed that at lunchtime, at the cafeteria's food window, guard Xiao Li was carrying two aluminum insulated lunch boxes and was so anxious in the line that he was practically standing on tiptoe.

One was a light hospital meal prepared for Mu Qinghan, consisting of boiled noodles in plain water; the other was for himself.

When it was his turn, the company commander in front of him was shoveling food into his mouth, giving Xiao Li a thumbs-up as he ate: "Xiao Li! Hurry! This spicy hot pot is amazing, you have to try it!"

The aroma of spicy and savory hot pot made Xiao Li's Adam's apple bob wildly. He decisively handed over his lunchbox: "Squad Leader Wang, give me a big spoonful of spicy hot pot! And lots of cabbage!"

Ten minutes later, Xiao Li returned to Mu Qinghan's secluded courtyard with a lunchbox.

The windows were tightly closed. Mu Qinghan sat back in his wheelchair, his face deathly pale. The long-term effects of the medication had caused his stomach to ache intermittently. He had barely been able to eat anything for the past few days, and his entire being exuded a dejected and listless aura.

"Commander, dinner's ready." Little Li carefully pushed the box of plain noodles with white foam in front of him.

Mu Qinghan glanced at it, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, a familiar feeling of repulsion rising in her stomach: "Take it away, I'm not hungry."

"Commander, the commander said you have to eat..." Xiao Li was anxious and was about to persuade him when he suddenly remembered something.

He casually lifted the lid of his lunchbox, which was full of spicy hot pot.

"call--"

An intensely fresh, fragrant, and spicy aroma, accompanied by a rich milky fragrance, instantly filled the entire room.

Mu Qinghan was about to get angry and tell him to leave, but the moment that fragrance entered his nostrils, the nausea he felt in his stomach miraculously subsided.

Instead, a long-lost feeling of hunger arises, with the stomach and intestines churning wildly for food!

Mu Qinghan's dark eyes widened slightly, her gaze involuntarily falling on the lunchbox in front of Xiao Li. In the red oil broth, the few bright green bok choy leaves were not overcooked, but instead gleamed with an enticing sheen.

"What did you eat?" Mu Qinghan's voice was a little hoarse.

Xiao Li paused for a moment, then instinctively protected his lunchbox: "This is the cafeteria's new spicy hot pot! It even has milk in it, doesn't it smell delicious?"

As he spoke, he slurped up a large mouthful of cabbage.

Mu Qinghan watched him eat, her Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. He reached out his well-defined hand, picked up a pair of clean chopsticks, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Give them to me, I want to try a bite."

"No way!" This time, Xiao Li reacted extremely quickly, snatching the lunchbox into his arms, as wary as a military dog ​​guarding its food. "Dr. Chen repeatedly warned me that you absolutely cannot eat spicy food with your stomach ulcer! If he finds out I gave you this, he'll skin me alive!"

Mu Qinghan's face darkened. "Obey orders."

Xiao Li felt his scalp tingling from the intense gaze, but out of concern for his superior's health, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and compromise: "Then... you can only try one leaf of vegetable! Just one!"

He picked up a piece of bok choy soaked in soup, carefully placed it in Mu Qinghan's empty bowl, and then moved his lunchbox away at lightning speed.

Mu Qinghan picked up the piece of cabbage and put it in her mouth.

The moment the cabbage enters your mouth, its sweetness, crispness, and milky spiciness explode on your tongue! Even more amazing is that after swallowing it, it doesn't irritate your delicate stomach lining at all; instead, it feels like a warm current gently soothing your cramping stomach.

Mu Qinghan's eyes suddenly lit up. This was the first time in the half month since his injury that he had found food to taste so pleasant.

He subconsciously reached out with his chopsticks, wanting to pick up the potatoes from Xiao Li's lunchbox.

"Snap!" Little Li slammed the lunchbox shut with lightning speed, pleading with a pained expression, "Commander! I really can't take it anymore! If your stomach starts hurting, you'll be the one suffering! Even though there's milk in the soup base, there's still chili in it!"

Mu Qinghan's chopsticks hovered in mid-air, his stomach rumbling with the craving he had just experienced. But he retained some rationality, knowing Xiao Li was right, and could only forcefully suppress the desire. He put down his chopsticks, a hint of inquiry flashing in his deep black eyes: "Who made this dish?"

Xiao Li slapped his thigh excitedly: "I heard from someone on my way back that it was my sister-in-law! The bok choy she planted this morning in that saline-alkali patch of soil in the yard! Everyone in the cafeteria is going crazy for it!"

"Shen Tang?" Mu Qinghan was slightly taken aback.