The armored vehicle came to a stop. A hatch on its side lifted open, and heat and fragrance drifted out, mingling into rising white mist.
The sight reminded Lin Fan of his childhood, when his whole extended family had gathered for New Year's Eve dinner in the snowbound brick house back in the countryside.
His mother would steam a whole basket of soft, fragrant steamed buns and twisted rolls in the kitchen. Someone else would lift the curtain for her, and she would carry out a tray of buns and rolls and set it on the table.
The buns and rolls gave off steam along with the sweet scent of fermented flour. In the not particularly warm room, those delicious foods released clouds of white mist.
With mist curling through it, the entire room had looked like one of those celestial palaces from television.
"This is wonderful..."
Lin Fan sighed. The steam rising from hot food was truly wonderful. Thinking back, the scent he had smelled most often in this world had been the pungent smoke left behind when shells slammed into craters.
After suddenly living in peace for a few days, Lin Fan felt that simply being able to live properly was such a beautiful thing.
Oedmeir looked at Lin Fan's expression and guessed what he was thinking. She teased, "I'm hungry. Let me mooch a meal, will you?"
Lin Fan knew Oedmeir had long passed the stage where she needed food to replenish her energy. Just like him, it did not matter whether she ate or not.
But he did not point that out. Instead, he happily followed behind the line, waiting for his turn to receive food.
Soon, it was Lin Fan and Oedmeir's turn. The soldier distributing food looked somewhat surprised and nervous.
Lin Fan watched