Yes, we once posited that you were trying to deliver soup to the other town haha. The current language is really in lieu of figuring out what the best lore for the game is, and these are great suggestions we can mull over :)
Yes, perfect! The same (/ similar) mechanics, but with improved "lore" sounds great. The lore could even change puzzle to puzzle; now those pesky townspeople want salad instead of soup! :)