At lunchtime, Zhu Yun was so busy cooking that she didn’t have a moment to eat with Chu Shenyu. The young couple exchanged a longing glance across the crowded room, their yearning palpable.

That evening, Zhu Yun didn’t join the hustle and bustle, instead letting her apprentices distribute the dinner menu to each of the head chefs.

The canteen was well-stocked with ingredients. The procurement team would drive their truck out early every morning and bring back whatever was available at the market. Because the open canteen policy had just been implemented, the quotas for each department hadn’t been set yet. No one had anticipated the massive consumption on the first day, and nearly all the buyers had to make a second trip midway through the day.

So, early this morning, the factory’s procurement team got everything done in one trip, bringing in double the usual amount. They also registered this new quantity with the General Supply and Marketing Cooperative, establishing it as the new standard going forward.

Zhu Yun looked over the invoices from the procurement department, then examined the figures Chu Shenyu had calculated for her. Her eyes curved into smiling crescents as she had a belated realization.

’With the usual amount of ingredients, I could use my satiety tricks to save thirty percent. But the supply has doubled now... so couldn’t I save what amounts to one hundred and thirty percent of the original daily quantity?’

’Thinking about the famine that’s supposed to start next year, getting through it doesn’t seem so difficult anymore!’

Chu Shenyu was now more eager than anyone to get off work. The second it was time to clock out, he would toss his remaining work to his assistant, wash his hands, change his clothes, and head out the door, bag in hand and long legs striding.

Just as he reached the canteen entrance, he saw that the large notice board was covered with papers.

Being tall and having good eyesight, he could easily make out what was posted.

The first board listed the surge in medical cases from the past two days, all caused by binge eating. One case, where someone had eaten so much they went into respiratory arrest for three minutes and nearly died, was highlighted in bright red ink for everyone to take as a warning.

The second board displayed the new rules and regulations for the newly opened canteen. They covered every aspect, even detailing things like staggered mealtimes. There were a lot of new rules. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The third board was dedicated to healthy eating guidelines, bearing the authoritative red stamp of the Kyoto First People’s Hospital. It also listed the names of the various dishes prepared by the canteen, including several nourishing soups and medicinal meals.

In addition, Zhu Yun’s three young apprentices were stationed by the boards, explaining the contents to the crowd.

"Take a look, everyone! There’s no benefit to overeating. Now that the organization has opened the canteen, they’re not going to let us have one meal and then starve for the next. Just relax, eat normally, and focus on feeling comfortable. That’s what’s most important..."

"We’re city folk; we ought to be a bit more dignified and pay attention to healthy eating! Like the old proverbs say, ’Eating till you’re seventy percent full is the best way to keep illness from your door!’ And, uh, ’Less time spent chasing skirts, more time eating meat and eggs, and you’ll be running all over the place!’ And don’t forget, ’Eat ’til you’re just about full at every meal, and you’ll live to a ripe, healthy old age’..."

"To better serve all of you, our canteen specially invited experts from the Kyoto First People’s Hospital to create a number of nourishing soups and dishes. We’ll be using them to help keep everyone healthy all year round..."

With cautionary tales on one side and expert endorsements on the other—and with the rules in the middle framed as being for everyone’s own good—the apprentices’ pitch was highly effective. They were smooth talkers, quick with a compliment, using "we" and "us" in every other sentence while serving up a healthy dose of "chicken soup for the soul."

After seeing the first board full of frightening medical cases and recalling the commotion at lunchtime when people were being hauled off to the hospital from the family dormitories, the crowd didn’t have much resistance left. As the reasoning was broken down for them so meticulously, they couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

The pursuit of longevity is an obsession rooted deep in the bones of the Xiahua people. Life was so good now; no one wanted to die an early death just for an extra mouthful of food.

Indoctrination has been around since ancient times, and it is remarkably effective. By the time the crowd was lining up to enter the canteen with their bowls and basins, their mindsets had already stabilized.

A large barrel was placed on each side of the entrance, where two pretty young women with deep ladles smiled and announced in clear, bright voices, "Today’s nourishing soup is Red Date and Eel Soup! The eels came in fresh this morning and have been cleaning out all day. We simmered them for two to three hours with dates and lean pork until even the bones are tender. It’s delicious, nutritious, and great for your calcium!"

"It’s good for replenishing your energy, nourishing your blood, and strengthening your spleen. It’s an excellent tonic for fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, and blurred vision."

"One ladle per person, and that’s all! Hurry up and drink it while it’s hot. It’ll get a fishy smell once it cools down..."

This is the information the crowd processed:

Meat and red dates—this is good stuff!

Good for calcium, nutritious, energy-boosting, nourishing—it’s a super tonic!

Only one ladle per person and no more? What a steal!

What more needed to be said? As soon as they got the soup, they immediately brought it to their lips. It was perfectly warm. They took a sip, smacking their lips in appreciation. The flavor was savory and delicious, rich with the taste of meat. A comfortable satisfaction spread through them as it settled in their stomachs. There were even visible shreds of meat in it—this was the real deal.