I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

They all turned their heads in unison in the same direction, focusing their gazes on Zhou Zhu, who was sitting in the main seat.

Although no one spoke, their fixed gazes conveyed a precise and oppressive message to Zhou Zhu:

Master/Mr. Kondo, please hurry up and give your New Year's address! Say whatever you want to say!

Sensing everyone's "enthusiasm," Shusuke chuckled dryly a few times.

Then, as expected, he cleared his throat, picked up the Tusu wine, and stood up.

Deeply influenced by Chinese civilization, the Japanese also drink Toso sake, which symbolizes warding off plagues, during the New Year.

"Everyone!"

Zhou Zhu's gaze swept across the faces of everyone present.

"I won't say anything too complicated or cheesy."

"Over the past year, I and this fencing school have truly benefited from everyone's support!"

After saying that, Zhou Zhu bent down quickly and forcefully, giving Qing Deng and the others a deep 90-degree bow.

"So much has happened in the past year... Looking back now, it all seems so incredible, like a dream!"

"Looking back to this day a year ago, there were only six people gathered in the Shieikan to celebrate the New Year: myself, my wife, Yu, Souji, Gen, and Toshizo."

"And now, there are so many new faces in front of me!"

"Looking back a year ago, my Shieikan was just a little-known swordsmanship school in Edo, which was contemptuously called the 'taro dojo' by many people."

"Now, our Shiwei Hall is no longer as desolate as it once was! The population is growing stronger!"

"To be honest, compared to the past, my current life feels like a dream."

"I owe everything I am today, and the Shiwei Hall's success, to everyone's support and help!"

"In the new year, I hope you will all give me your guidance!"

"At the same time, I wish you all peace and joy in the new year!"

After the last syllable landed, Zhou Zhu bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle to Qing Deng and the others in front of him.

Qingdeng and the others immediately bowed in return.

"Alright! Let's all start eating!"

Zhou Zhu smiled broadly and happily sat back down in his original seat.

"To be honest, I'm starving! I'm going to dig in!"

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Zhu picked up the buckwheat noodles on his table and slurped them up with "ah-uh-uh" sounds.

With Zhou Zhu, the head of the family, taking the lead, the rest was a natural progression.

"I'm starting!" *N

The shouts of "I'm starting!" from all sides created a joyful and lively atmosphere that filled the air of the testing center, pushing it to its climax.

Immediately afterwards, the sounds of slurping noodles, "slurp slurp" and "swish swish swish," rose and fell.

The moment Qingdeng took his first bite of noodles, his eyes lit up.

The moment the pale yellow noodles are put into your mouth, a rich umami flavor spreads from the tip of your tongue to your entire oral cavity.

The noodles are soft and slightly sticky, with just the right amount of saltiness. They have a great texture and are very chewy.

With each bite, the unique sweetness of the flour spreads throughout your mouth. The distinctive flavor is enveloped in a richly flavorful broth. The aroma of the noodles and the deliciousness of the soup blend together perfectly.

Before he could even finish the noodles, Qingdeng grabbed the Tusu wine beside his leg and took a big gulp.

The spicy sensation, as if firecrackers were exploding in his mouth, invigorated Qingdeng.

The satisfying texture of the food, combined with the stimulating sensation of the alcohol, slid down Qingdeng's throat, and he felt a surge of pleasure coursing through his entire body.

Qingdeng is not the only one who shares similar sentiments.

Looking at the expressions of everyone present, one would find that everyone was now staring with gleam in their eyes and wolfing down their food.

Even Saito, who is usually slow and unhurried in everything he does, couldn't even lift his eyes at this moment, wishing he had an extra hand to help him peel the noodles.

"Delicious! Delicious! So delicious!"

Harada finished a large bowl of noodles in less than half a minute, then happily went to get more.

"These buckwheat noodles are so delicious! Uncle Yuan, where did you buy these noodles? After eating them, I feel like I can dream about Mount Fuji, eggplants, and flying eagles tonight!"

Mount Fuji, an eggplant, and a flying eagle—this is a well-known anecdote from the Edo period.

Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, and its name is a homophone for "peace and tranquility," carrying connotations of immortality and safety.

The word "flying eagle" is a homophone for "high," implying soaring high and being the king of birds.

Eggplant was not a particularly cheap food during the Edo period, and its name is a homophone for "success".

Thus, the proverb "First Fuji, second Eagle, third Eggplant" came into being.

Legend has it that dreaming of these three things in your first dream of the new year signifies good fortune for the coming year.

Inoue chuckled:

"These noodles weren't bought from the market. Souji made them herself."

As soon as Inoue finished speaking, everyone in the room except for Kondo and Hijikata, who were old acquaintances of Souji, focused their attention on Souji.

"Okita".

Nagakura looked at Souji with disbelief.

"This noodle... did you make it yourself?"

Suddenly being stared at by so many people with shocked eyes, the usually carefree Souji showed a rare shy expression.

She put down her bowl and chopsticks, placed her two small hands on her thighs, and nervously gripped the fabric of her clothes with her ten fingers.

"Hmm, I made these noodles. How are they? Do they suit your taste?"

"too delicious!"

Harada shouted loudly.

"Okita, your noodles are so delicious! They're much better than the noodles I eat at restaurants!"

Nagakura followed Harada closely, offering his praise:

“Okita, I think you could try opening a noodle shop someday. With your skills, you’ll definitely make a fortune and never have to worry about food and drink again.”

Saito, who is usually taciturn and speaks only when necessary, also spoke up at this moment:

"Okita-kun, it's delicious. Your cooking is excellent."

Simple and straightforward language characteristic of Saito.

Although the language is simple, it contains no shortage of praise.

Hearing everyone praise the noodles she made herself, Souji's lips curled up slightly, and a look of relief appeared on her face.

However, although Souji did show genuine joy, her facial features appeared somewhat stiff.

It gives the impression that "she is happy, but she is not completely happy yet."

At this moment, Souji quietly turned her head to look at Aoto, who was sitting not far from her.

"Orange-kun".

She asked.

What do you think? Do you think my noodles are delicious?

The bowl of noodles in his hand, so delicious he wanted to swallow his tongue, was actually made by Souji—for Aoto, this was both unexpected and yet perfectly reasonable.

Perhaps influenced by her upbringing, which involved losing her parents at a young age and having to be strong to help her two older sisters with household chores, Souji, though still young, already possesses a strong "wifely" quality.

She's skilled at everything from sweeping and washing clothes to cooking.

Before Kondo got married, the household chores at Shieikan were basically taken care of by Abi and Inoue.

Ah Bi is very quick and efficient.

Inoue, who enjoys doing housework and is even reluctant to accept help from others, is a master of housework who can "do three days' worth of work in one day".

Therefore, the commander's exceptional housework skills were completely wasted.

After Kondo got married, and with a woman in the Shieikan who could handle all the household chores, Souji's many skills became even more useless.

As a result, there were very few opportunities to cook for myself.

Even so, Aoto had eaten Souji's cooking a few times—though not often, Souji's superb culinary skills left a deep impression on Aoto.

"It's delicious!"

Qingdeng praised sincerely.

"Souji, you'll definitely be a good wife in the future... um...!"

Before the last word, "zi," could escape his lips, Qingdeng swiftly shut his mouth.

—That was close!

In a moment of carelessness, I almost revealed that the Chief was actually a woman.

Nagakura and Saito were unaware that Souji's physiological structure differed slightly from theirs.

If Qingdeng hadn't stopped in time, and if he had said "You will definitely be a good wife in the future" in its entirety, things would have been very difficult to handle.

"Uh... if he switched careers to go into the restaurant industry, he would definitely become a famous chef!"

Qingdeng promptly changed his tune.

At that moment, everyone in the hall was busy eating noodles, so no one noticed the strange thing about Qingdeng.

The only person who would react strongly to Aoto's words and his unusual behavior just now is Souji himself.

Hehehe~~

Souji raised his hand and played with the slender ponytail at the back of his head, a silly smile on his face.

That strange look of "happy, but not completely happy" disappeared.

Instead, there is a sense of complete and heartfelt joy.