Meals delivered from Yingmei Temple were bland and plain; a dish of stir-fried tofu, a small serving of green vegetables, and a short wooden barrel containing enough rice for four people.
Upon seeing these two dishes, Wan Lu's face turned pale. "Wife, we're not going to eat this all month, are we?"
"What's wrong with vegetables and tofu?" Ran Yan, sitting cross-legged by the table, picked up her chopsticks and said, "You all eat as well. Once we're done, there are other things to do."
As Ran Yan spoke, there was an undeniable force of authority, prompting the three others to silently sit down beside her.
During the Zhenguan era, they still practiced separate dining, where everyone had a small table and ate their portions alone, whether it was a casual family meal or a banquet. Sharing plates like this signified real hardship.
