The food was still warm, but it was a far cry from the hot meals delivered directly to those in C Courtyard.
And if you wanted so much as a sip of hot water, you had to go queue up at the station on the other side. The daily limit was one bamboo tube per person.
He finished his meal in a few gulps, scraped the bowl clean, and got up to queue for hot water.
The line wasn't long, but it moved slowly.
The servant handing out the water was meticulous, using a specific bamboo tube for measuring and not giving a single drop extra.
"Damn it, this D Building is no place for a man to live."
Someone behind him muttered a complaint. "Train all day for this pittance of food, and they even ration the hot water. Just look at the folks in C Courtyard..."
"Oh, give it a rest," another person sneered. "If you've got what it takes, you can move in there too."
"Heh, speaking of which, didn't a new guy show up today? Looked all soft and pampered..."
