The merchants in the caravan were drinking.
A copper pot was placed over the flames, inside which lamb and tofu were bubbling. The tofu was bought at the last village they passed, and both the lamb and tofu were cut into cubes, boiling in the milky white broth.
Then, a large handful of chili powder was sprinkled in.
The aroma was intensified by the chili, making it even more potent, as if a fire had been lit.
But no one picked up their chopsticks; almost everyone was drinking.
They weren't drinking to ward off the cold as they were at the beginning of the journey. Back then, a group of people sat together, passing around a white copper wine pot, heating the wine just with the warmth of their palms. Now, that wine pot was held only by its owner.
