"Boss, come quick! There's going to be a good meal tonight!" a jailer shouted.
The other one jumped down the steps in a few strides, then waved behind him, "Come on in!"
Everyone looked over at the sound, and three men who looked like waiters followed them in, each carrying two food boxes.
A faint aroma wafted from the food box, becoming even more pronounced in the dark and confined cell.
The guy in the lead was dressed the same as the other two, but he stood very straight.
He put down the food box, cupped his hands and smiled, "Gentlemen, you have all worked hard all day. I have personally prepared ten good dishes to bring over for you to have a simple meal. Please do not find them too greasy."
"Haha, I don't mind."
"I don't mind!"
The jailers weren't fools; they could tell that this fellow was someone of high status and, not daring to offend him, they exchanged a few polite words with smiles.
The jailer nodded and said, "A new inmate has suddenly arrived in the cell today, and the food we prepared in advance is not enough. I would like to trouble you to share some food with the new inmate."
"Yes." The waiter put down the large food box in his left hand, patted it casually, and said, "There are some more things at the bottom of this food box to make it more filling. I hope you gentlemen like them."
After saying that, he cupped his hands in greeting, picked up the small food box in his right hand, and went inside.
The remaining two waiters immediately stepped forward and began to fetch food from outside.
Soon, the table was filled with plates.
Chicken, fish, meat, eggs, and two kinds of seafood—it's a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate.
The jailer waved away the servants and personally opened the last food box.
Besides the white steamed buns on top, there was also a layer of silver ingots underneath, each weighing five taels.
The jailers' eyes were blazing with fury as they all stared at the jailer.
The jailer gave one to each of them, and stuffed the remaining two into his own pocket.
Everyone exchanged glances, all delighted, and quickly got to work, starting a lively and bustling meal.
In a corner room of the prison cell, the waiter also delivered the food box.
The man in black, who was sitting against the wooden fence, turned his head and exclaimed in surprise, "Second Brother, what brings you here? And you're disguised as a waiter?"
Needless to say, this guy is Jia Huan.
He rolled his eyes in anger, really wanting to give his younger brother a good beating.
"How dare you say that? Our family almost turned upside down because of you. You were naughty as a child, and now you're all grown up and still haven't improved!"
Jia Huan gritted her teeth in anger, but still opened the food box and quickly took things out.
The wooden fence was a bit narrow, and the plates couldn't fit through. Luckily, Jia Huan brought roast chicken, kebabs, and steamed buns, which were easy to pick up and eat without plates.
Jiayi chuckled, took the food, and started eating heartily.
It's been almost half a day since he committed the crime, and he's been starving.
Jia Huan felt a pang of heartache seeing his younger brother wolfing down his food. Just as he was about to offer some words of advice, a figure suddenly darted out from the pile of rotten grass in the corner, startling him.
Fortunately, Jiayi was alert. He didn't even put down the steamed bun in his hand, and kicked the "rotten grass spirit" back with one kick.
Just as "Rotten Grass Spirit" was about to pounce on him, Jiayi casually tossed him a steamed bun and half a roast chicken. "Rotten Grass Spirit" then sat cross-legged and began to slurp the food.
Jia Huan stared in disbelief, pointed at the "Rotten Grass Spirit," and asked his younger brother, "Who is this person?"
“I don’t know,” Jiayi replied nonchalantly. “He was already here when I came over.”
“He’s incredibly skilled in combat, so I’m planning to have him practice with me for the next few days, so his body doesn’t get rusty and he won’t have the strength to fight the Japanese pirates when we go back south.”
Jia Huan was furious when she heard this. She couldn't help but reach in and slap her younger brother. "You're twenty years old. Can't you use your brain when you do things?"
"You're so quick to kill people and come in, but do you even remember that Grandma is sixty years old and can't handle being scared like this!"
"We haven't heard from Jiaxi and Jia'an at all. Grandma has been so worried about them that she's fallen ill several times. And now you've come back to make things worse!"
Upon hearing the word "grandmother," Jiayi felt guilty and asked in a low voice, "Is Grandma alright? And what about my little sister...?"
Jia Huan grabbed a handful of meat skewers, shoved them into his hand, and said angrily, "Everything's fine. You're unfilial, but we're not like you!"
Jiayi was relieved and ate the skewers with gusto, feeling satisfied and happy.
After he finished eating, Jia Huan took out some things from under the food box and stuffed them into his mouth, saying, "These things were prepared for you by your sister. There's a dagger and some medicine powder. Keep them for self-defense."
"Also, from now on your meals will be delivered from the restaurant, and don't touch anything in the prison."
After saying that, he handed in a flat water jug.
A glint flashed in Jia Yi's eyes. The family's unexpected caution made him even more curious and worried.
He lowered his voice and asked, "Second brother, tell me the truth, how exactly did the Wu family bully our family? Is my sister really safe and sound?"
Jia Huan didn't want him to worry about it, so she gestured for him to come closer and whispered a few words in his ear.
"Damn it!" Jiayi cursed immediately. "If I had known it would be like this, I should have hung that son of a bitch from the Wu family on the wall and skinned him alive!"
"Alright, you'd better behave yourself!" Jia Huan was startled, afraid that her younger brother might do something rash in the heat of the moment.
Don't be fooled by his achievements in killing Japanese pirates in the south and becoming a general; that's only in the eyes of outsiders.
Once he's home, he's still that reckless and impulsive young man.
"Your uncles told me to tell you to wait patiently. The Hailan Army has already sent word that General Tang will arrive in the capital as soon as possible. Just take care of yourself and don't worry about anything else."
Jia Huan was afraid of making a mistake, so he patiently gave instructions until Jia Yi nodded, only then was he at ease.
On the other side, the guards had almost finished eating, and the waiters were clearing away the dishes.
Jia Huan could only wave his hand, quickly go forward to join them, and then leave the prison.
Jiayi was seething with anger and wished he could be transferred to another prison and locked up with the Wu family.
Unfortunately, this is simply impossible...
Having eaten its fill, the "Rotten Grass Spirit" regained its strength and began to fight with Jia Yi for the dry patch of land by the door.
In the small cell, the two engaged in a lively battle, going back and forth...
The next morning, just as dawn broke, the cyclamen food box was delivered again.
This time it's millet and red date porridge, pork and scallion steamed buns, plus four side dishes.
The millet porridge was cooked until it was golden and thick, the steamed buns were soft, fluffy, and white, and the side dishes were savory and crisp.
As usual, a small portion was sent to prison, while the majority remained on the jailers' desks.
The jailers rubbed their sleepy eyes, munching on steamed buns and drinking porridge, all in jest.
"This is such a wonderful life, I'm already hoping the person inside can stay a few more days."
"Haha, that's right! This is cyclamen food, you'd be lucky to get it even if you had money!"
One person couldn't help but sigh and said in a low voice, "Everyone says the Li family is fiercely protective of their own. We used to just listen to it, but now it seems that they are right."
"The person inside killed the emperor's brother-in-law. If this happened in any other family, they would probably have abandoned him long ago, for fear of implicating their family."
"But this one, they wouldn't let him suffer the slightest grievance in terms of food and clothing, it's truly enviable..."
Others also peeked in, saying, "They just sent another package in; it looks like it's bedding and new clothes, right?"
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