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Five chapters today (4/5).
Zhu Wuneng turned his gaze toward the handcart by the entrance and asked, "By the way, Zijian, that huge bucket on the cart outside smells like soup too. And that big platter covered with a cloth beside it-is that steamed flatbread? I saw you bringing this whole spread yesterday too."
Gu Zijian followed his gaze. "Yes, Brother Wuneng. The bucket holds freshly cooked radish and pork rib soup. It warms you up and fills your stomach. On that big platter are steamed flatbreads and meat buns that Uncle Mai, the pastry chef, rushed to make with his crew, along with some pickled vegetables and a basin of stir-fried chicken giblets."
Zhu Wuneng raised an eyebrow. "Whoa! That's quite a lot... Who's it for? Don't tell me it's for those prisoners. They get treated this well?"
"No, it's not," Gu Zijian hastily shook his head. "If it were for the prisoners, an errand like this wouldn't fall to me. It's for the people in that big courtyard up ahead, around the left turn... mostly children and women."
"The kitchen's busy preparing everyone's meals right now. They really can't spare the hands to make proper staple dishes for them from scratch, so we can only have Uncle Mai's crew make extra filling breads and buns that are easy to send over. Anyway,"
His voice grew a little subdued. "It's much better than what they used to eat. Filling their stomachs comes first."
Chen Xiaojun, who had been listening quietly, picked up on the crucial detail and frowned slightly. "Children? Women?"
Chen Mu took over, his tone brisk and cold. "Sixth, Uncle Yu Zheng arranged for them to stay there for now. They're all people the Bone-Digging Corps abducted to sell.