Chapter 76 Lunch Bento Boxes and Blue Vests: The New Order Behind the Sweet vs. Savory Controversy^...

The spring breeze not only turned the edge of the cursed land green, but also brought a constant stream of caravans and travelers of all kinds.

At first, only a few daring small caravans and adventurers came to test the waters. But when they left satisfied with their goods, such as high-quality and inexpensive ironware and refined salt, their personal experiences became a more powerful advertisement than any rumor.

And so more and more groups began to appear on the horizon outside Hope Town. There were merchants laden with furs and herbs, and mercenary squads escorting their employers.

The square in front of the Hope Trading Company went from being deserted to bustling with activity in less than half a month.

The massive "Hope One" heavy truck shuttles between the mine and the town every day, but the supplies it brings back never seem to keep up with the rate of consumption. Goods on the shop shelves are almost always sold out daily. Mia's dining area is overflowing with people, and the enticing aroma of food wafts from morning till night.

However, beneath the surface of prosperity, new problems have begun to quietly emerge.

Early that morning, a sharp argument shattered the tranquility of the construction site.

"What are you doing? Why won't you let me through?" A young caravan member was being stopped by Amu and two wary young men who were silent outside a residential area under construction. His face flushed red as he tried to force his way in. "I just wanted to see how those red houses were built, not steal anything."

"No...it's just...no..." The silent young man struggled to find the right words, his tone unusually resolute. "This...is...home...outsiders...can't come in..."

The two sides couldn't communicate verbally, one felt the other was being unreasonable, and the other thought the other had malicious intentions. It looked like their argument was about to escalate into a physical fight.

"Stop!" a low shout rang out.

Gray appeared among them, and with a single, cold glance at the caravan member, the man instantly sobered up as if doused with cold water. The caravan leader arrived just in time and, with a combination of pulling and persuasion, led the man away from the scene.

The atmosphere at the core meeting that evening was unusually tense.

“What happened today is just the beginning.” Lin Yue’s gaze swept over everyone present. “As more and more people come and go from Hope Town, their curiosity and even greed will bring us all sorts of problems. We can’t treat everyone as an enemy and shut them out, but we also can’t let them destroy the order and peace that we have worked so hard to establish.”

“That’s right,” Uncle Stone Fist slammed his hand on the table, “but our patrol and guard teams are out there every day, braving wind and rain. They not only have to guard against wild animals in the forest, but also keep an eye out for bastards like the Red Scorpion Army approaching from afar. They’re already working hard enough. We can’t let them get distracted by these trivial matters in town, can we?”

Just then, Gray, who had been silent all along, slowly raised his head.

He glanced at Lin Yue, then at Shi Quan: "...Inside...we also need...management. Externally...use force. Internally...use rules."

Lin Yue instantly understood Gray's meaning. He took over the conversation and added to Gray's idea: "Gray means we need a new team. A team specifically responsible for maintaining order in the town, mediating internal disputes, and supervising outsiders. They are like the guardians of Hope Town, the force that ensures our rules are enforced."

"That's good. Just like the city's sheriffs, they can take care of anyone who dares to break the rules."

Tie Niu, who was honest but occasionally asked some blunt questions, scratched his head and muttered, "But... even if we have this team, we can only control those caravan workers or unruly townspeople, right? Is it really useful for... for some people?"

The "certain people" he was referring to were, without a doubt, those elves who could come and go as they pleased.

Tie Niu's question instantly dampened everyone's enthusiasm. Would the rules they had painstakingly established be as fragile as paper in the face of absolute power? The atmosphere immediately became somewhat somber.

Looking at everyone's expressions, Lin Yue suddenly clapped his hands to attract everyone's attention.

"I have a question for everyone: Do you close your wooden doors when you go to sleep at night?"

Most people nodded instinctively. "Of course it should be turned off!" Aunt Leah answered matter-of-factly.

Only Uncle Shi Quan casually said, "Sometimes I don't close it. It's hot, and it's cooler with the door open."

"Please don't cause trouble, sir," Lin Yue waved his hand, half-laughing and half-crying, then continued, "Look, everyone, are the ironwood doors in each of our houses sturdy? Yes, they are. But can they stop a strong, grown man from continuously pounding on them? No. Can they stop a master like Gray or Captain Lorian from kicking them open? Absolutely not. So why do we even bother closing our doors?"

"Because it's a gesture, a rule. It tells everyone that the space behind the door is my private space, and no one may enter without permission. It can't keep out truly powerful and bad people, but it can prevent most prying, accidents, and unintentional mistakes. It can't guarantee 100% security, but it can at least give us time to react and provide a basic layer of protection."

"The internal order we are about to establish is like this door. It may not be able to keep out powerful figures like Lord Elendil, but it can effectively manage those we can manage and solve the problems we can solve. As for those we cannot prevent for the time being... that doesn't mean we won't be able to prevent them in the future."

At this point, Lin Yue's thoughts had already drifted away. He subconsciously asked, "System, in the world of martial arts, speed is the only way to break through. Do you have a pistol, or pistol blueprints that you can provide? Give me a Desert Eagle, and let's see who dares to break the rules."

[System: Warning! The system has detected an attempt by the host to acquire technological advancements far exceeding the current civilization's level. This request has been rejected. The manufacture of handguns involves multiple advanced technologies, including fine metallurgy, gunpowder chemistry, and precision machining, which are beyond the capabilities of the current civilization. The host is advised to remain grounded and refrain from attempting to leapfrog development.]

"What do you mean by 'leapfrog'?" Lin Yue mentally ranted. "We had firearms in ancient China, that was so many years ago, how can this be considered a leapfrog development?"

[System Response: After precise calculations, the intelligence gap between you, host, and an ancient master craftsman capable of independently developing a firearm is approximately 14.7 standard deviations. This gap is larger than the intelligence gap between you and an adult Border Collie (approximately 11.2 standard deviations). Please have a clear understanding of your own abilities.]

Lin Yue: "...You're swearing at me!"

[System Response: State the facts. IQ score: Ancient master craftsman (estimated) 135-145, you, host, 115. An adult Border Collie (top-tier) is roughly equivalent to the intelligence level of a 3-4 year old human child. The data doesn't lie.]

Lin Yue gritted his teeth in anger, feeling as if his intelligence had been subjected to an epic insult. He took a deep breath and forcibly swallowed back the words, "Do you believe I'll uninstall you?"

"Mayor? Mayor?" Li Ge called out twice in confusion when he saw Lin Yue's face suddenly turn pale and he was gritting his teeth as if he was challenging someone.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing," Lin Yue quickly came to his senses, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. "I was just thinking... um... thinking about the name of our new team. Let's call it the Order Guardian Team, simple and clear."

Kailan nodded: "...But...we're not enough manpower. Li Ge...has to build walls. I...have to make furniture. Everyone...is very busy. Who...will do it?"

“A rotating duty system,” Lin Yue continued, “Kaylan is right. We have limited manpower right now, and everyone is so busy that we can’t spare anyone to be on duty. So we can implement a rotating duty system.”

He excitedly explained, "We select the most upright, steady, and capable people from the patrol team and various production groups to form this team. Then, each day, five to six members serve as the day's duty guards, responsible for handling daily disputes and emergencies that occur in the town. This duty is on a shift system. For example, if Li Ge is on duty today, then the work of the construction team can be temporarily handed over to his trained deputy, Tie Niu. Tomorrow, it will be Kai Lan's turn to be on duty, and the woodworking workshop will also have his deputy who can take over."

“In this way,” Lin Yue’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, “it ensures that someone is responsible for maintaining order in the town every day so that we can respond quickly, while also preventing our core staff from being completely removed from the front line of production. It also forces each group to accelerate the training of reserve talents and build our talent pool. It’s a win-win situation.”

At this point, Lin Yue's gaze fell on Xiao Fen, who was lying at his feet, idly chasing his tail in circles. This little guy had grown to look like a half-grown calf, with terrifyingly abundant energy. Every day, he was either causing trouble at the construction site or sneaking into the woods to run wild, making everyone worry.

"Also," Lin Yue cleared his throat and pointed at Xiao Fen, "our new Guardian team needs a special, unofficial member. Xiao Fen, you'll be patrolling with the Guardians on duty every day. Your nose is sharper than anyone else's, and your ears are keen; you can sense danger early. Giving you a job will not only expend your boundless energy but also help us guard the place, saving you from causing trouble in my office every day. If you do a good job, I'll give you an extra meal tonight—stewed bones."

Xiao Fen understood the words "stewed bones," and suddenly raised her head, her tail wagging like a whirlwind, and excitedly let out a "woof," as if accepting this glorious task.

"Of course, taking on extra responsibility must come with extra reward. Being a member of this team is a huge honor in itself. When the time comes, we'll sew uniform dark blue vests for them using the finest blue dye, with the gear and wheat emblem of Hopetown embroidered on their chests."

"At the same time, on days when they are on duty, in addition to the work points they may earn from their regular duties, they will receive an extra fixed duty allowance. And... Mia," he turned to look at Mia who was listening, "we will set up a special lunch for them, a 'Hero's Meal' with ingredients even better than a regular deluxe meal. Our patrol and guard team brothers are out there year-round, enduring wind and rain, so their food standards must also be raised to the highest level, even better than a 'Hero's Meal,' to ensure they have sufficient physical strength."

This part-time rotating team plan, which combines honor and benefits, was unanimously approved by all core members.

Soon, the selection of the first batch of internal guardians began throughout the town. The standards were exceptionally strict, requiring not only excellent skills but also upright character, fairness, and a good reputation among the people. In the end, Li Ge, Amu, Kailan, and several other outstanding young humans and Silent Ones were honorably selected.

The logistics department also tailored standardized equipment for them: a short iron-headed stick with a sturdy iron core wrapped in tough ironwood, which was both heavy and not easy to hurt people; a tin whistle with a sharp and loud sound; and a thin tin badge engraved with their respective numbers.

Lin Yue even drafted the Xiwang Town Temporary Public Security Management Regulations (Draft) overnight, using easy-to-understand language to clarify the law enforcement scope and authority of this team, such as mediating neighborhood disputes, stopping theft and damage to public facilities, and supervising outsiders to comply with regulations.

Just as this new team was being prepared and assembled, Norm raised a question that made everyone gasp.

"Lord Lin... everyone... is talking about... the people... but... what about the water? Our... source of life... what if... someone... does something bad... and... poisons... the pool...?"

Lin Yue's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

I never imagined that an open reservoir would be such a huge, undefended target.

He immediately approved the safety upgrade of the central reservoir.

The project was coordinated by the core members of Li Ge's construction team. Using the best red bricks and cement, a thick, half-meter-high circular wall was quickly built around the reservoir, and a wooden dome with multiple movable covers, resembling a flying saucer, was constructed to completely cover the entire reservoir.

Most importantly, the original public laundry platform was preserved and upgraded. Utilizing the elevation difference below and to the side of the water storage tank, a separate laundry pool was built using bluestone slabs. Purified water flows preferentially into this laundry pool through a ceramic valve.

Wastewater from the laundry process is channeled through a separate sewage pipe into a composting area located far from the main water source. This ensures the normal operation of the public laundry facility while preventing secondary pollution of the main water source by the laundry wastewater.

As the town grew increasingly bustling and various projects were launched in full swing, a new problem arose for the logistics team. Every day at noon, the workers would rush back to the shop from their respective construction sites for lunch, which was not only tiring and time-consuming, but also made the dining area extremely crowded.

"Mayor, we're wondering if we could make a kind of meal that can be prepared in advance and delivered directly to each construction site by the logistics team at noon? That way, everyone won't have to run back and forth," Aunt Leah said.

“This idea is fantastic. Just tell us what you need, and we can customize a batch of insulated food containers for you.”

"Okay, actually this was Rias's idea. These young people are really clever." Rias was the Silent Whisperer girl who disguised herself as an elf.

"Haha, you're right, we're all old guys now." Lin Yue intermittently felt like an old father.

So the pottery workshop worked overtime to produce a batch of square ceramic lunchboxes with compartments, double-layer insulation, and airtight lids. The blacksmith provided a batch of matching iron lunchbox handles for easy carrying.

Mia's cooking team developed two standardized Hope Town lunch boxes for this purpose.

The first option is the savory version, a favorite among those who prefer salty dishes. The main dish is a savory rice dish with a generous amount of minced smoked meat and chopped pickled kale. The rice is oily, savory, and fragrant, with a rich texture. The side dish is a spicy and sour stir-fried radish salad with fire pepper and sour thorn juice, plus half a rock-baked potato cooked in salt water.

Another version is a sweet treat. The main dish is starlight wheat porridge, cooked to an extremely thick consistency and drizzled with plenty of honey and wild berry jam. The side dish is a plate of sweet and soft potato slices baked with honey and a small amount of animal milk, plus a small piece of sweet gum jelly made using the Silent Ones' secret method, with a texture similar to pudding.

These two very different set meals sparked a nationwide discussion as soon as they were launched.

The strong men, led by Li Ge and Shi Quan, were staunch supporters of salty food. They believed that after a morning of hard work and sweating so much, they needed salty and oily food to keep their energy up!

The Silent Ones, who prefer milder flavors, along with most of the town's women and children, showed great interest in the sweet and delicious lunch. Kaylan even said that the sweet porridge reminded him of the jam his mother used to make when he was a child.

Uncle Shi Quan, with his neck stiffened, roared more than once at the dinner table: "Is sweet food even food? That's a snack for girls. Men should eat meat, and salty food!"

"But after you finish the salty food, you'll still eat a sweet one, every single time!"

This friendly debate over whether to eat savory or sweet food has become a major source of amusement for everyone. Choosing between savory and sweet at lunchtime has become a ritualistic affair.

Meanwhile, Yihaodian quickly updated its menu with these two lunch bento sets. Thanks to their excellent value and fast preparation, they immediately became the top choice for travelers and small business groups.

That noon, a weathered-looking traveler was sitting in a corner of the dining area, wolfing down a savory rice and vegetable set meal. As he ate, he spoke to Mia, who had come to clear the table, with a mixture of admiration and complaint:

“Young lady, the food here is probably the most substantial I’ve ever eaten in all my travels. The portions are large, the prices are low, the taste is good, and the service is fast. It’s a pity…” He sighed deeply, pointing to the half-eaten rice and vegetables left in his bowl, “We can only get such good food hot in your Hope Town.”

"How could that be?" Mia asked curiously.

"Ah, you don't understand the suffering of us long-distance travelers," the traveler said with a wry smile, shaking his head. "For us, a round trip takes ten to fifteen days. The dry rations we bring on the road spoil very easily as the weather gets hotter. Your steaming hot meals are delicious, but we can't take them with us. They'll go bad in half a day at most. So, once we leave Hope Town, we can only eat dry bread that's as hard as a rock on the road."

He paused, then lowered his voice and added with lingering fear, "Especially in this damned cursed land, we dare not light a fire to roast meat at night. The firelight and the aroma of meat are practically an invitation to the monsters in the forest..."

The traveler's unintentional complaint, however, made Mia take notice.

She told Lin Yue the whole story.

"Easy to carry...not easily spoiled...can be eaten cold..." Lin Yue muttered to himself, stroking his chin after hearing Mia's retelling.