Gao Yiye stood before the entrance of a small, rustic eatery, squinting up at the weathered wooden signboard.
The characters were etched deep, but the local dialect and the specific nomenclature of the region left her scratching her head.
"Oh dear," she murmured, tilting her head. "I actually don't recognize these two characters."
Qiu Ju, standing close at her side, whispered softly, "The first two characters are Shui Xian, Freshwater."
"I know those," Gao Yiye replied with a little pout. "I meant the last two."
Dong Xue leaned in to provide the missing piece of the puzzle. "Those two are Hele."
"So, the question remains," Gao Yiye said, her curiosity piqued despite her full stomach, "what exactly is Freshwater Hele?"
The two maidservants exchanged a look and shook their heads in unison.
"We have no idea, Saintess."
If they didn't know, Dao Xuan Tianzun certainly didn't either.
Floating in the spiritual heights above, Li Dao Xuan was staring at the screen of his phone with a look of pure bewilderment.
What on earth is this? Why haven't I ever eaten this? I haven't even heard of it!
Frustrated by his own culinary ignorance, he immediately opened his delivery apps. He searched the major platforms in Shuangqing City for "Freshwater Hele," only to be met with a digital desert.
Not a single shop in the sprawling modern metropolis sold this specific Shaanxi delicacy.
This was unacceptable.
As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of the miniature world's offerings, he felt a sudden, burning need to witness this dish firsthand.
Li Dao Xuan issued his divine decree:
"Yiye, go inside. Eat!"
Gao Yiye patted her stomach with a slightly pained expression.
"But Dao Xuan Tianzun, I just finished a bowl of Sanchi Sliced Noodles. Before that, I had half a bowl of Heyang Xuemian, and I even nibbled through half a mutton Hubo... I am so incredibly full! This street in Heyang County is a dangerous place. If you aren't careful, you end up eating everything in sight."
Li Dao Xuan blinked.
"Wait, you ate all of that already?"
"Weren't you watching from the heavens this whole time?" Yiye asked, her voice tinged with a playful accusation.
...
Li Dao Xuan went silent.
Truth be told, he had been so busy watching the girl's adorable smiles and her cheerful skipping that he hadn't fully processed the sheer volume of street food she was vacuuming up along the way. It was a terrifying appetite for such a small frame.
He was about to tell her to forget it if she truly couldn't eat another bite, but Gao Yiye let out a little "hehe" and rubbed her slightly rounded belly.
"Well, maybe I can find a tiny bit of extra space. Qiu Ju, will you help me eat half of it?"
Qiu Ju looked at her with a distressed pout.
"Saintess, I already helped you eat half of that mutton Hubo just ten minutes ago!"
Gao Yiye turned her hopeful eyes toward Dong Xue, who looked equally embarrassed.
"And I helped you finish half that bowl of Xuemian, Saintess. My stomach is at its limit."
Gao Yiye spread her hands in mock disappointment.
"You two really need to work on your stamina. How is it that two grown girls can only manage half a portion each?"
Qiu Ju and Dong Xue lowered their heads, their voices becoming soft and somber.
"We were taught from a young age... that we should only ever eat until we are half-full. We were told we must never, ever grow fat, or we would lose our value."
Gao Yiye didn't quite grasp the underlying tragedy of that statement, but Li Dao Xuan understood perfectly.
A wave of pity washed over him.
He let out a soft sigh that echoed in Yiye's mind.
"Go inside. Tell them that from now on, they should eat until they are truly full. Don't stop at half-portions. It doesn't matter if they gain weight. In my domain, no one will ever look down on them for being well-fed."
Gao Yiye finally understood the weight of Dao Xuan Tianzun's words.
She turned to her companions, her voice warm and firm.
"Let's go in and eat. Dao Xuan Tianzun says that from today onward, you are both allowed, no, encouraged, to eat your fill. No one will ever despise you for having a full belly."
The eyes of the two maidservants lit up with shock and gratitude.
"Thank you, Dao Xuan Tianzun!"
The trio stepped into the Freshwater Hele shop.
"Shopkeeper! What exactly is this Freshwater Hele you're selling?" Yiye asked as they took a seat.
The owner, a middle-aged man with a flour-dusted apron, took one look at them and immediately adjusted his demeanor.
He hurried over with a welcoming smile.
"Greetings, Madame! Freshwater Hele is the pride of our Heyang County. We use buckwheat flour pressed through a specialized mold. When we knead the dough, we add mugwort seeds or a bit of limestone-infused water to give the noodles a distinct, chewy texture. Once they are boiled, we immediately plunge them into fresh, cold water to keep them firm and vibrant. That is why we call it 'Freshwater' Hele."
Gao Yiye felt her mouth start to water despite her earlier protests.
Up in the heavens, Li Dao Xuan was having the exact same reaction.
"Get a bowl!"
Both the Saintess and the God spoke at almost the same time.
Gao Yiye looked up with a confused smile.
"Oh? Dao Xuan Tianzun, were you telling me to get a bowl, or were you saying you wanted one for yourself?"
Li Dao Xuan cleared his throat.
"Ahem! I was obviously telling you to get one. I have traveled across the five lakes and four seas; what delicacies haven't I tasted? I certainly don't need a bowl of common noodles."
While he spoke those lofty words, his fingers were flying across his smartphone screen.
He searched every niche food app he could find, but the result was the same.
Nothing.
Finally, the Alibaba app saved his sanity.
He found a vendor selling Hele noodles, though not the Heyang Freshwater variety. These were Chunhua-style noodles, cheap too, about twenty yuan for six boxes.
Fine. I'll settle for this for now.
Back in the shop, the owner placed a steaming bowl on the table.
The noodles were dark, springy, and soaked in a fragrant broth.
Gao Yiye took a cautious bite.
Her eyes widened instantly.
"So good! It's truly delicious!"
Qiu Ju and Dong Xue followed, their expressions lighting up in identical delight.
Li Dao Xuan watched and nodded.
"Yiye, strike up a conversation with the owner. Ask him how business has been lately."
Gao Yiye nodded.
"Sir, these noodles are fantastic. But I noticed there aren't many customers. Is business slow?"
The owner sighed, leaning against a pillar.
"It hasn't been good for years, young mistress. This drought has been devastating. For the last two years, I couldn't even get buckwheat flour. It was only after the people from Gao Village arrived and started distributing flour that things began to change."
He paused, then continued.
"Once people had enough to eat, those hoarding buckwheat finally dared to sell it. I managed to reopen... but people still focus on survival. They want to be full, not to eat well."
Li Dao Xuan nodded to himself.
Makes sense.
"Invite him to open a shop in Gao Village," he suggested.
Gao Yiye smiled brightly.
"Shopkeeper, your craft is too good to go to waste. Why not open a shop in Gao Village? There are empty storefronts in our commercial district. No rent for the first three months. I guarantee you'll earn far more than here."
The owner blinked.
"Gao Village? Would people really buy my noodles?"
"Absolutely!" Yiye chirped. "People there have moved beyond just surviving. Now they want to eat well. If you don't believe me, go see for yourself."
The shopkeeper hesitated, then slowly smiled.
"I will. On my next rest day, I'll go take a look."
Gao Yiye beamed.
"You won't regret it."
At that moment, a fast horse thundered through the street.
A government bailiff shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Good news! Incredible news! The rebel army of the Great Outlaw Wang Jiayin has been crushed! Our militia and the Gao Village reinforcements held the line at Qiaochuan Wharf! The rebels have fled in terror!"
Trivia — Hehe Noodles (餄餎)
A traditional noodle from the Guanzhong region, made with buckwheat and mugwort seed water. "Hehe" (pronounced he-luo) refers to the twisted, flattened shape—somewhere between noodles and dumpling skins. The name's oddly hard to write but easy to love—locals say, "You can't spell it, but you'll never forget it.