The fifth day inside the slum kitchen was the longest day of Lin Wan's life.
The air inside 'The Drunken Goat Tavern' was always thick, but today it felt almost impossible to breathe.
The heavy steam from the boiling tubs of water rose to the low ceiling, turning into big drops of dirty moisture that dripped back down onto the floorboards.
The smell of cheap yeast, old grease, and burning wood was everywhere. It was a suffocating smell, but Lin Wan forced herself to stand right in the middle of it.
*Inhale.*
She drew the hot, greasy air deep into her lungs. Her fingers were completely covered in thick, gray flour. She was kneeling by a low wooden table, using her hands to mix a massive mound of heavy bread dough for the evening customers.
The work was incredibly hard. The dough was stiff and cold, and every time she pushed her weight into it, a sharp, burning pain shot straight up from her wrists into her shoulders.
