The sky had darkened at dusk, just as the golden crow sank in the west.
As a bachelor, Chu Yao rarely cooked in his home's east kitchen, taking all his meals in the government office cafeteria. As a key aide, he often forgot mealtimes when work got busy, so, for the sake of his health, his lord had arranged a special meal-delivery service.
The days were still short and the nights long.
When it was time for dinner, oil lamps were lit in the administration hall.
"Put it over there."
Chu Yao instructed the person who had come, without looking up.
The woman delivering the meal was in her thirties or forties.
She wore a simple dress made of ramie cloth. Her delivery work was physically demanding, and she looked sturdier than most women.
Chu Yao set down his brush and opened the food box.
On top was a bowl of thin wheat porridge.
Just how thin was it?
He could count the grains of wheat in it if he looked closely.
Chu Yao was surprised and asked, "What's with this porridge?"
The woman answered respectfully.
"The east kitchen specifically ordered it sent to you."
Chu Yao was puzzled. "The east kitchen?"
The woman remembered something and added, "Lord Shen ordered it, too. You're not the only one who got some. Clerk Qi and the others did, as well..."
Everyone had been given a bowl of thin wheat porridge.
Chu Yao wasn't an exception.
He opened the other layers of the food box. The wafting heat from the dishes stirred his appetite; just smelling them told him they'd taste good.
Aside from the bowl of porridge on top, which was a mystery, the other layers held even more generous dishes than usual.
The bottom layer was a sturdy wooden lunchbox,