Is the beginning of a catastrophe? The little farm cook is raising a family with a full warehouse.

"It's said that the immortal will appear in the dilapidated temple east of the city at the hour of Si in three days and distribute relief supplies to the people."

When Shaobing heard this, his eyes lit up immediately and he patted his chest loudly: "Okay! Sister Yuntao, don't worry, I will definitely handle this matter properly and spread the news throughout the streets and alleys of the city!"

Jiang Yu frowned slightly, a worried look on his face. "If this news gets out, Shen Linfeng, with his suspicious nature, will definitely notice it. He might even send people to investigate. We'll inevitably run into all sorts of trouble along the way, and the process will be fraught with danger."

Cheng Yuntao's lips curled up slightly, a sly look flashing in her eyes. "Don't be afraid, I just want him to come! If he doesn't come, this scene won't be exciting enough. As for the other steps, I already have a preliminary plan, and I just need to polish it carefully..."

The next day, a streak of crab-shell blue appeared in the eastern sky, and the streets were still shrouded in milky white mist. Suddenly, there were bursts of light footsteps, startling the gray doves resting on the branches. When the shadows of their wings passed over the corners of the gray tile eaves, they brought down a few grains of frost from the previous night.

Shaobing, carrying a bag of freshly-baked meat buns, trotted all the way to the place where he used to hang out. It was an abandoned courtyard in the city, and also a gathering place for beggars on weekdays.

Although it is a bit old, it can barely shelter from wind and rain and withstand some damage caused by severe cold.

Before stepping into the yard, Shaobing heard a low noise coming from inside, mixed with coughing and conversation, which seemed particularly clear in the quiet morning.

Shaobing unconsciously quickened his pace. When his figure appeared, the beggars who were lying or sitting seemed to smell the scent of food and instantly became energetic.

They were dressed in rags, and their worn clothes could not hide their bony bodies. Their sallow faces were full of fatigue.

"Brother Bing, you're finally here!" A skinny beggar shouted first, with a glint of desire in his eyes.

"Yes, Brother Bing, did you bring any food?" Another beggar echoed, staring at the steaming cloth bag in his arms without blinking, his voice full of anticipation.

Shaobing's eyes quickly swept over the crowd, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart. The once bustling courtyard was now much quieter, with many familiar figures missing.

Noticing his gaze, a beggar said in a low voice with a dejected look, "Brother Bing, many of our companions couldn't hold on. They either starved to death or froze to death. Half of us are gone. The remaining people can only strip off their clothes and continue wearing them in order to survive."

After saying this, the beggar tugged at the tattered clothes he had put together, a wry smile playing on his lips. He said with a hint of self-mockery, "Even though it's just a layer of rags, at least it's something more. It's better than nothing. After all, it can keep me a little warm."

After hearing this, Shaobing felt a sudden pang of sadness in his heart.

He looked at the haggard and thin beggars in front of him, and thought of the suffering they had endured in this cold disaster. His throat seemed to be choked by something and he was unable to speak for a while.

Once, they had navigated this city together, and although times were tough, they also shared a warmth of mutual support. But now, the cruelty of life and death lay stark before their eyes, and those vanished figures had become a scar that could never be erased in this cold winter.

He took a deep breath, tried to calm himself, raised the cloth bag in his hand, and said loudly: "Brothers, I have hot food here, everyone can have a share!"

When the cloth bag was opened, hot steam carrying the aroma of meat hit their faces. When they saw the hot meat-filled buns inside, the originally depressing atmosphere was instantly ignited. The beggars could no longer hold back and reached out to grab them.

"Stop fighting! Everyone can have some!" Shaobing shouted, protecting the buns with his arms, trying to maintain order.

After a long while, when everyone had calmed down a little, Shaobing took a breath, took out the buns from the cloth bag, and distributed them to everyone in turn.

"Eat slowly, don't choke."

Cheng Yuntao had put a lot of thought into making sure these beggars, who were suffering from hunger and cold, had a full stomach. Each bun was enormous, two or three times the size of an ordinary bun, and the meat filling inside was absolutely plentiful, tightly packed.

The bun wrapper is soft and chewy, and when you bite into the meat filling, the juices burst out all over your mouth, splattering your breath. It's so hot, but you can't bear to spit it out. The meat filling is very tender, with just the right amount of fat and lean meat. The fat part melts in your mouth, and the lean part is chewy. The aroma of the meat mixed with the fragrance of scallions and ginger rushes through your mouth, which is so satisfying!

After everyone got their buns, Shaobing cleared his throat and his expression became serious: "Brothers, I'm looking for you this time because of something important."

A beggar was wolfing down a bun. Hearing this, he looked up and asked vaguely, "Brother Bing, what's the big deal?"

Shaobing glanced at the crowd and said slowly, "As you all know, this cold weather has made life difficult for everyone. Now we have good news. The immortal will distribute relief supplies at the dilapidated temple in the east of the city in three days. We must spread this news throughout the city so that more people can be saved."

"The appearance of immortals? Is it true?" A little beggar had a puzzled look on his face, but there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

Shaobing nodded seriously, his expression solemn. He lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "It's absolutely true! To be honest, I got this bun from the immortal. This is a matter of life and death for everyone. We must spread the news."

As soon as these words were spoken, the beggars were instantly in an uproar, and all looked shocked.

"I never thought that the legend of the immortals was actually true!"

"Yeah, this is amazing!"

Everyone was talking about it, their excitement evident in their expressions.

Then, a slightly older beggar curiously asked, "Brother Bing, what does that immortal look like? Is he as beautiful as the legend says, with a fairy-like aura?"

"Yes, yes, tell us about it quickly!" The other beggars also echoed.

Shaobing scratched his head, thought for a moment, and said, "When I saw the immortal, there was fog all around, and the light was a little dim. I couldn't see it clearly, but I could feel that the immortal was radiating a soft light all over his body, like a fairy from heaven descending to earth. Mortals dared not look directly at him."

The beggars listened intently, their eyes full of longing. "Don't worry, Brother Bing! We are familiar with every street and alley in this city and will definitely spread the news."

"Yes, it's such a good thing, we will definitely do it!" Others also responded.

Shaobing looked at them, his eyes full of satisfaction, "Okay, thank you for your hard work, brothers. When the immortal comes, we can all live a good life!"

After finishing their buns, everyone patted their bellies and went their separate ways with their missions.

A small figure quickly vanished from every corner of Junhua City in the gradually brightening morning light. A message-delivering operation, crucial to the fate of the entire city's inhabitants, quietly began. Only the morning breeze swept across the city's banners, stirring up a turbulent undercurrent.