Shen Xingmian once heard his classmates talking about his father. He was a very lazy person who wished he could sleep until 10 o'clock every morning, but if someone invited him to go fishing the next day, he could disappear from the house before 6 o'clock.

Nobody knows why they had such great energy.

When the first fish was caught, she seemed to understand something.

Fishing is an activity where the rewards are very immediate. Once you have a catch, it motivates you to keep going, and the results are immediately apparent.

However, this fishing method is extremely inefficient and requires a lot of patience.

The first fish Shen Xingmian caught was a grass carp weighing just over a pound. Grass carp have many bones, so she didn't really like eating them.

In the past, when I went to order boiled fish, I would specifically order black carp.

But this one is different; she specifically found a small pot for it in her online space and plans to keep it there.

What a stroke of luck that such a discerning fish took the bait! Once it grows to seven or eight pounds, enough for the whole family, then I'll slaughter it, hehe.

But can grass carp really grow that big?

She wasn't quite sure.

But you can try raising it and see.

Shen Xingmian felt that it would be better to put more small fish fry in the space and feed them more often so that they could grow up quickly, which would be much more convenient than this.

However, fishing in the wild has its own fun, but she may be too young to appreciate it yet.

As the sun was setting, they had caught dozens of fish and retrieved them all into their spatial storage.

The fish were of different sizes, so she decided to eat the big ones and keep the small ones.

Before nightfall, they finally made it back to the camp and brought all the very fresh wild fish to the kitchen.

One of the master chefs hesitated and said, "We are very grateful for the Goddess's blessing, but... it seems that people don't really like eating fish. Of course! It's more likely that our cooking isn't very good!"

You all went to such lengths to catch this in this cold weather, I... I'm really afraid I'll ruin it."

Shen Xingmian thought he made sense. If the food was bad, it would not only ruin the food, but also all the hard work of everyone.

So she decided to stay in the kitchen and give a demonstration.

The master chefs all have mastered basic cooking skills, but their method of handling fish is not quite right.

They just give it a quick wash and put it in the pot, without scraping off the scales or removing the innards, leaving that very fishy black membrane inside as well.

Even my aunt, who is a great cook, didn't know how to clean fish at first; she just stewed the whole fish. It was only after watching video tutorials that she was able to make it taste good.

Shen Xingmian directed everyone to clean the fish thoroughly, and then took out spices and white wine to remove the fishy smell.

After teaching them how to make sweet and sour fish, I led the master chefs through it again to make sure they had all learned it, and then supervised and guided them from the side.

She left satisfied only after they had personally prepared a delicious and visually appealing sweet and sour fish.

After she left, the master chefs began to discuss it excitedly and enthusiastically—

"I never expected the goddess to be so kind and approachable. She's so down-to-earth and knows everything. If she hadn't taught me, I would never have imagined that fish could do this."

"Yes, Goddess is so kind. I have never cooked such a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner in my life. Everyone is in for a treat today."

"That's right. We only get to eat meat once a year. Who would have thought we'd be able to eat meat to our hearts' content in this lifetime?"

"Ever since the general returned with the goddess, our lives have become more and more hopeful."

A group of people worked and praised each other, creating a very lively atmosphere.

Shen Xingmian has very sharp ears and heard a little bit when she left. Fortunately, the wind was strong outside and the sound was blown away, which saved her from the embarrassing situation of scratching the ground.

This year's Spring Festival atmosphere was exceptionally different; there was no hunger or cold, nor did we have to constantly fear the invasion of the Northern Di people.

Both the soldiers' physical condition and their food and weapon reserves were already in a basic state.

It's not particularly good, but it's enough for them.

I've never had it this good.

Everyone was content, and some even felt that it was better to be free from the imperial court.

However, these words were so outrageous that no one dared to say them openly.

Although they can't say it, they can think whatever they want, and the meaning conveyed through eye contact is very clear.

Shen Xingmian felt a sense of accomplishment as he experienced the atmosphere of the military camp; it was much more interesting than playing infrastructure-building games.

The rewards in games are just data, but here they are all tangible, visible, and touchable.

When we returned to my grandfather's tent, the food was almost ready, steaming hot, and looked very homey.

"Sweetie, come here quickly. Let's eat first. After we finish eating, I still need to say some encouraging words to the soldiers. If you don't like it, you don't have to go."

Shen Xingmian smiled. Her grandfather was so considerate. She really didn't like being the center of attention; it made her feel pressured.

If you entrust something to her, she's quite willing to quietly do it.

She knew from the beginning that she wasn't cut out to be a leader. Let alone an official, even being a class monitor would be too much trouble for her.

Now that she's been forced into this role as the "goddess" of the North, it's already beyond her capacity to handle. If she has to speak out as well, she'll go crazy.

She knew she was quite resilient and could do well if she forced herself to, but she simply didn't want to live such a stressful life.

Now her grandfather has saved her this step, which is really great.

The lingering worry that had been weighing on her heart had completely vanished, and the food on the table looked even more delicious now.

The family sat around, waiting for Shen Zhiheng to speak.

Shen Zhiheng had a lot on his mind and decided to say a few words.

"The year that is about to end has been the most turbulent and difficult year for our family, but it is also a turning point and a new beginning. I don't need to say more, everyone knows in their hearts that we can have this day today, and that our whole family can sit here together, thanks to whose efforts."

He paused here, as if giving everyone time to understand.

All eyes turned to Shen Xingmian, filled with gratitude and tenderness.

The hardships they endured along the way are still fresh in their minds. If it weren't for Mianmian, they really don't know how heavy the casualties would have been.

Shen Zhiheng definitely won't survive. As for Shen Yunqi and Shen Zheng, without medicine or doctors, they're probably doomed too.

Xiao Yanyue is also doomed to die; it's only a matter of time.

As for the others, they may survive, but how they will live is unknown.

Considering the emperor's fear of them, he probably wouldn't feel at ease until they were completely killed. Who knows what would happen on the way to exile?

Just imagining it makes me feel terrified.