Meat Soup

The cauldron brought by Zhou Wulang was quite large, originally intended for heating water for bathing at home.

The other pot for simmering soup was smaller.

Zhou Wulang started a fire, knowing that the bones needed to simmer for a long time to develop flavor. However, it was still early, and there was plenty of time before mealtime, so he was not in a hurry.

Once the fire was lit, he had his younger brother watch it while he went across to gather firewood.

Simmering soup required a lot of firewood. If they found enough, they could leave some here for tomorrow or take it directly home. In any case, they could never have too much.

Both Manbao and the others were curious. Due to Keke's urging, they followed Zhou Wulang into the woods and gathered many unfamiliar plants to give to Keke, regardless of whether they had already been recorded in the system.

As the water boiled and the bones rolled, the oil and water slowly simmered out.

Zhou Wulang sliced a pound of fatty meat with a little lean meat into thin pieces and threw them into the pot. When the fragrance wafted out and the faint scent of meat filled the air, he added the sliced radishes and covered the pot to let it continue simmering.

The laborers who had slowly made their way out could smell the aroma of the meat drifting over, and their stomachs rumbled. They all felt a bit weak and even lost their appetite.

The foreman cracked a whip and shouted, "Hurry up and work! It's still a long time until mealtime, so move quickly!"

In reality, it wasn't that long. They usually only ate two meals a day, but the work they had to do was very heavy, so they were given three meal times each day.

The morning meal mainly consisted of dry rations brought from home, while the government office provided lunch and a slightly later dinner. However, the portions were very small, and most of the time they had to rely on the dry rations brought from home.

Some people couldn't bring everything at once, so every ten days, the government office would give them a half-day break to go home and get more dry rations. The county government also did not want the laborers to die on their way.

A decrease in the local population would also affect the county magistrate's performance evaluation.

The laborers made another effort, and finally, the food delivery arrived. The foreman, who was also hungry, banged a gong to instruct everyone to bring their own bowls and chopsticks to collect the steamed bread.

Everyone dispersed in a rush, running faster than usual.

After collecting the steamed bread, they all headed back, with most of them going to Zhou Wulang's stove. Even if they didn't buy anything, they at least wanted to savor the aroma while nibbling on the cold steamed bread.

Zhou Sanlang also wanted to leave, but he was a bit slower. By the time it was his turn to get the steamed bread, his workmates had already gone ahead.

After receiving a steamed bread, he also hurried over to join them.

The foreman stood by with a stern face, supervising everyone as they collected their steamed bread. He put a checkmark on each person's tag after they received their portion to prevent any mix-ups, ensuring that what was left was for them.

The food delivery supervisor also noticed the savory aroma in the air and inquired, "Where is that smell coming from?"

The foreman replied, "It's from a laborer's family who was worried about him suffering and specially made it."

The food delivery supervisor chuckled and asked, "Do they have too much money to spend?" With that kind of money, they might as well pay for a substitute laborer.

"It's only five taels of silver." It's not a wealthy family that can afford this. "It's just that the family members are more compassionate."

The curious food delivery supervisor refrained from further questioning and simply advised, "Keep an eye on them. Don't let any issues arise." Last year, in the neighboring county, a laborer couldn't bear it and tried to escape. Hmph, they are all well-known individuals documented in the books. Can a monk run away with the temple? In the end, two bailiffs were injured. "Don't let your subordinates rebel."

"Don't worry, they are all very obedient."

After the foreman finished giving instructions and saw the food delivery person leave, he also grabbed a cold steamed bun and his own bowl.

Despite being foremen, they ate the same food as the laborers. The only difference was that the laborers had to bring their own dry rations from home to barely fill their stomachs, while they did not. They mainly relied on the steamed bread provided by the government office to survive.

It was all the same: cold steamed bread and cold water.

The only difference was that the foremen in the county and town were treated better, and some wealthier colleagues would bring their own meat-filled steamed bread.

Manbao had been waiting eagerly. As soon as the gong sounded, she asked Zhou Wulang to serve up a bowl of the richest soup, with several slices of meat and radishes inside.

Then she placed it on the side, intending to save it for her favorite third brother.

As soon as she placed the bowl on the donkey cart, the laborers rushed over. When they arrived at the store, they quickly scanned the area but didn't make any purchases.

Zhou Wulang had sold items in the county town before, so he shamelessly greeted them, "Would you gentlemen like to buy a bowl to taste?"

One laborer loudly asked, "Is there really meat, or is it fake?" "Don't try to deceive us."

But he couldn't resist inhaling the strong, meaty scent in the air and found himself involuntarily swallowing his saliva.

Another laborer pushed forward, eager to see the meat in the cauldron with his own eyes. His movements were rough, and he accidentally bumped into Zhou Rulang, almost causing him to fall.

Manbao watched the scene and, for some reason, suddenly felt a bit scared.

Keke's voice rang in her mind, warning her, "Host, you need to calm people down."

The hungry laborers behind the man who had been knocked down were also getting restless and started to push forward.

Zhou Wulang's expression changed slightly, and he didn't have time to help his brother up. Instead, he grabbed the large ladle held by the laborer to prevent him from taking any action.

Manbao, like a little calf, rushed over from the donkey cart and, in just a few steps, she was in front of the laborer. She looked up at him and said, "Big Brother Lu, do you want to buy some meat soup?" "It's only two coins per bowl, and it's still hot."

Bai Shanbao, who had just learned to make a fire and was squatting in front of the cauldron, also stood by Zhou Wulang's feet at some point. She looked up at the laborer with a face resembling a flower cat and displayed a row of small teeth, "Big Brother Lu, this meat soup was cooked by us, and it's so delicious." You've never had anything so tasty before. When you finish your service and return home, you can bring a bowl back for your son.

"And for your father and mother," added the two children, who had just asked him questions. They had good memories and remembered his name and family situation.

Lu Da looked down at the two children. Their eyes were pure and clear, and their pupils were shiny. Suddenly, a sense of panic rose in his heart, and he subconsciously reached into his pocket and pulled out two coins, saying, "Well, then, I'll buy a bowl to taste."

Yes, he had originally come to buy the soup. On such a cold day, a hot bowl of soup would be so good, and two coins wouldn't be expensive.

Manbao took the money, smiled sweetly at him, and asked Zhou Wulang to serve him the soup.

Zhou Wulang, with a slightly sweaty palm, smiled as he took Lu Da's bowl, stirred the soup, and served it to him.

As soon as everyone saw someone buying the soup, they stopped pushing forward. Of course, they didn't rush to buy it either. Instead, they eagerly watched Lu Da, wanting to hear his opinion.

Although two coins weren't a lot, everyone could afford them, but they had to be worth it.

Lu Da took a cautious sip. His eyes brightened, and he smiled, "It's quite delicious."

Those who were familiar with him crowded around to see. When they saw the oil droplets and a piece of meat in the soup, their eyes lit up, and they all crowded around to get some.