Compressed biscuits

Phoenix Mountain was a sprawling mountain range west of City A. Its unbroken chain of peaks resembled a phoenix soaring toward the horizon, magnificent and majestic, like a surging sea with towering waves.

The range bordered City A's military base, and a government-backed University Military Training Base for college students was also located there. All kinds of military training activities were frequently held in the mountains. Pluto Academy's objective on this march was to reach that training base for the final phase of comprehensive training.

Since the mountain was often used for training, the military had established several campsites there to provide students with basic necessities.

Under the instructors' direction, the students got off the buses in an orderly fashion and lined up in the clearing, awaiting further orders.

"We're currently at an entrance on the eastern side of the mountain's foot. Our next objective is to reach the first campsite and set up camp before nightfall."

"Everyone, on my command, form a single file and proceed in order!"

It was already late August, but the sun was still scorching. Everyone trudged through the mountain forest under the blazing sun. Fortunately, the trees and bushes lining the path provided patches of shade, giving them some relief.

After walking for two hours, they finally reached a relatively flat stretch of ground.

The instructors checked the surrounding area and, finding nothing unusual, gave the order. "Everyone, rest here for one hour. Have lunch, then we'll move out again."

The orderly formation immediately scattered. Drenched in sweat, Jiang Nian plopped onto the ground and stared blankly up at the clear blue sky.

Beside her, Tong Chuhe wiped the sweat from her forehead. Worried by the sight, she bent down toward Jiang Nian, who was slumped on the ground.

"How are you feeling? Can you still manage? Didn't you hurt your foot a little yesterday? Is it all right?"

Song Jici overheard them from behind and came over, crouching down to check on Jiang Nian.

"Are you feeling really awful? We'll probably have to walk quite a while this afternoon before we reach the first campsite."

Tan Xuguang and the others gathered around as well.

Jiang Nian caught her breath and finally felt alive again. She shook her head at the people surrounding her.

"I'm fine. I just haven't exercised in ages, so being thrown into this all at once is a bit much."

What a joke. I was already hopeless at sports, and now I had to face military training right after transmigrating.

System, get out here and take your beating!

They sat in a circle and rested for a while before taking that day's lunch out of their bags-compressed biscuits.

Other food wasn't practical during the march. Even if they wanted to light a fire and cook, they had to wait until they reached a prepared campsite. Lighting fires without permission could cause a dangerous situation and earn them a stern talking-to from the firefighters.

As a result, all the students had to eat the compressed biscuits provided by the school for lunch.

The packaging was extremely plain, so plain that it didn't even have a single picture printed on it. Everyone had to open theirs like a mystery box to find out the flavor.

Jiang Nian unwrapped her biscuit and took a bite. It was slightly salty, probably the usual pork floss flavor.

Across from her, Wen Jincheng took a bite of his biscuit. His expression froze for a moment before he struggled to swallow it, grabbed a bottle of water, and gulped it down.

Tan Xuguang, sitting beside him, found it amusing. "What flavor did you get? You just chugged half a bottle of water."

Wen Jincheng didn't answer. He broke off a large chunk and handed it over.

"Try it yourself and you'll know."

Tan Xuguang casually took it and tossed it into his mouth. The instant that flavor filled his throat and shot straight to the top of his skull, he understood how Wen Jincheng felt.

"N-nothing special."

Then he chugged an entire large bottle of water.

Amazed by their reactions, Jiang Nian curiously held out her hand to Wen Jincheng.

"Can I have a piece to try?"

What flavor could make both the novel's swaggering, domineering second and third male leads lose their composure?

Wen Jincheng hesitated, but eventually broke off a tiny piece and handed it to Jiang Nian.

"If you can't handle it, spit it out. Don't force yourself to swallow it like Xuguang did."

Jiang Nian nodded and sniffed the piece in her hand. It didn't seem to have any particularly strange smell.

The moment she popped it into her mouth, Jiang Nian knew what flavor it was.

That pungent sensation, that familiar earthy, fishy taste, that nostalgic flavor. So it was you-

Fish mint.

One of southwestern China's famous four, commonly known as zhe'ergen.

Having once lived in the Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing region, she was all too familiar with that flavor.

Wen Jincheng looked outwardly calm, but his eyes held a trace of nervousness as he watched her, waiting for her reaction. Jiang Nian tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"Mine's pork floss flavor. Want to swap?"

Tan Xuguang looked at her in surprise. "You don't think it tastes awful?"

Wen Jincheng pressed his lips together before replying as well. "I can finish it even if it tastes bad. You don't have to swap with me because of that."

Jiang Nian shook her head at them.

"No, I really like fish mint. Let's swap!"

Wen Jincheng still seemed a little hesitant.

Song Jici seemed to remember something and told him with a smile, "It's true. She liked eating it even as a child. I remember visiting her house once when we were five and seeing her happily eating a whole bowl of cold carrot, celery, crown daisy, and fish mint salad. It gave me quite a shock."

Everyone around them looked at Jiang Nian in surprise, while Jiang Nian looked at Song Jici in surprise.

When we were five? The original owner liked this dish too? What a coincidence.

Only then did Wen Jincheng believe Jiang Nian and exchange his compressed biscuit with hers.

He really did find that flavor rather hard to stomach.

An hour later, everyone, now rested, picked up all the litter around them and continued toward the campsite.

The students formed a long, winding line along the mountainside, sometimes moving and sometimes resting. They gave one another a hand and helped support each other, their bonds as classmates rapidly strengthening.

After another stretch of walking and stopping, just as Jiang Nian was about to run out of water, the group finally reached the campsite before five in the afternoon. Everyone let out a long sigh of relief.

The supplies they needed for the day were already piled at the campsite: tents, cooking utensils, and assorted vegetables and meat. Temporary showers and toilets had also been set up beside the camp, along with a small medical station. After all, accidents were more likely out in the wilderness.

Instructor Chen Shen assembled the eighty members of Company Forty-Four and began preparations for setting up camp.

"Everyone, split into groups. Supplies are limited, so two people will share a tent for sleeping, and four people will share a set of cooking utensils for meals. Once you've formed your groups, put up your tents first, then start preparing dinner. Understood?"

Everyone answered in unison, "Understood!"

"Dismissed!"

Jiang Nian took Tong Chuhe's arm and shook it. "Chu He, let's pair up, okay?"

Tong Chuhe agreed with a smile, and the two went to collect their tent.

After collecting it, they were still wondering who to team up with for cooking when two girls nearby worked up the courage to approach them.

"Have you found anyone to cook with yet? If not, would you consider teaming up with us?"

A girl with glasses and braids, who looked a little introverted, spoke shyly. The short-haired girl beside her also looked at them hopefully.

Jiang Nian thought the girl who had spoken looked familiar, but during everyone's introductions yesterday, she had been too busy inwardly mocking Tan Zhuishi to remember the girl's name.

Tong Chuhe welcomed the idea. They had been wondering who to ask anyway.

"Of course. I'm Tong Chuhe, and she's Jiang Nian."

The introverted girl breathed a sigh of relief and introduced herself as well.

"I know you two. Your introductions yesterday really left an impression on me. Hehe, I'm Gao Wen."

The short-haired girl beside her also spoke with a smile.

"I'm Nie Xuzhi."

Looking at the two of them, Jiang Nian suddenly recalled a storyline she had forgotten.

[Wait, is this Gao Wen the same Gao Wen who jumps off a building not long from now!?]