Bao Shan quickly finished the tofu in his bowl and then poured the bald noodles into the soup.

Stir it all together so that every strand of noodle absorbs the energy, then scoop up a large bunch of noodles with chopsticks, open your mouth wide, and take a big bite.

His cheeks puffed out instantly, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

"The aroma of wheat in the noodles, the savory fragrance of the broth, the umami of the mushrooms, and the fresh scent of the vegetables are all blended together in this bowl of noodles. The texture of the noodles and the various flavors intertwine, making it delicious in a direct and pure way!"

"This owner must also be a food lover, so she understands the needs of diners and knows when to pair different flavors for the best taste. Perhaps this is what people often mean by 'doing one thing, loving it, specializing in it, and mastering it.' This amazing feeling requires doing every little thing to the extreme and then quietly waiting for an opportunity to unleash tremendous energy. Food is about the details, and so is life."

Ding Aomei: "Master Bao Shan, I have benefited greatly from watching you eat a meal and listening to you talk about Zen. My bowl of wontons looks small, smooth, and shiny. I wonder how it tastes."

Ding Aomei took a spoon, scooped up a small wonton, blew on it gently, and put it in her mouth.

She patiently closed her eyes and savored everything inside.

"Hmm... this combination surprised me! The spicy aroma filled my mouth instantly upon first bite. When I bit through the slippery skin, I tasted all the flavors of the vegetarian filling. Tofu is indeed the star of vegetarian cuisine. Whether it's used to make vegetarian meat or as filling for buns and dumplings, it's indispensable."

"The vegetarian filling of these wontons has an extremely refreshing taste. The crunchy cucumber cubes, tofu cubes, and carrot cubes are carefully seasoned by the owner, making them incredibly delicious, just as tasty as meat fillings. Moreover, when paired with the slightly rich red oil broth, it actually helps to cut through the greasiness, making it more and more flavorful with each bite."

"Amitabha Buddha, savoring delicious food is like experiencing life. Only by carefully appreciating the details and flavors can one truly appreciate all the beauty contained within the food."

After Bao Shan and Ding Aomei finished eating, they helped Qin Yi clean up the dishes on the table and placed them at the front desk.

Then came the payment stage. Ding Aomei asked Bao Shan, "Layman Bao Shan, how much should I pay for vegetarian meals? I'm a bit clueless. Is there a standard I can refer to?"

Bao Shan took out a small box from his lay Buddhist robes. Inside were two black and white dice.

"What does Layman Bao Shan mean by this?" Ding Aomei asked.

"This is a Buddhist item I collected during my travels in the Tibetan region. In Tibetan Buddhism, dice are a set of ritual implements of Palden Lhamo. On the saddle of the donkey that Palden Lhamo rides, there are two dice, one black and one white. Legend has it that Palden Lhamo once transformed herself into a gambler in order to convert him. After successfully converting him, the gambler gave the dice to Palden Lhamo, and from then on, Palden Lhamo carried them with her."

"I've been thinking that I'll be eating vegetarian meals here for the next few days, and I'm not sure how much to pay for the food donations. So I came up with this set of dice. That way, I can follow the will of heaven when it comes to payment, and I won't have to worry about how to pay for the food donations anymore."

Ding Aomei: "That's wonderful! Wisdom is evident in every aspect of life. Layman Baoshan, I have a lot to learn from you."

Qin Yi finished cleaning up the kitchen and walked to the front desk: "Laymen, please make yourselves at home. If you are satisfied with the vegetarian dishes I made, I already feel that I am accumulating blessings and virtues. It is a wonderful thing."

Bao Shan nodded slightly to Qin Yi and shook two numbers, 56 and 32; Ding Aomei rolled a 26.

Your account has received 88 yuan.

Your account has received 26 yuan.

"It feels so good not to have to worry about anything. I wonder if the owner is still setting up his stall here during the evening mealtime?"

Qin Yi checked her phone and said to the two lay Buddhists, "To be honest, I often lie to customers... but I dare not do anything reckless today at the foot of Buddha. I will be off work and going home soon at 12 o'clock. I should come back here tomorrow morning. If you still want to eat, please come again tomorrow."

"Amitabha," Bao Shan and Ding Aomei said, bowing to Qin Yi with their palms together in farewell. "Then we'll come again tomorrow morning."

Ding Aomei was a lively lay Buddhist in the temple.

She likes to share things that happen in her life with others.

Not long after returning to Qingyuan Temple, most of the monks, lay Buddhists, and volunteers living there learned that there was a delicious vegetarian restaurant called Suiyuan Vegetarian Restaurant not far from the entrance.

“Xuemei Jushi, why don’t you take us to try it tomorrow morning?”

Many younger volunteers and lay Buddhists were very interested. Most of the monks in the temple were calm and composed, but some young monks would ask the abbot, "Master, can I give it a try?"

The abbot replied, “Eating vegetarian food is a blessing. As long as it’s vegetarian, what’s wrong with it? Don’t ask me. Just do what you feel comfortable with.”

...

Bao Shan shared his experience at Qingyuan Temple today on social media.

I woke up at five in the morning, before dawn, and I could even see the moon hanging in the sky, clearly visible.

The sight of the sun and moon shining together seems to paint a tranquil and magnificent picture between heaven and earth.

Drumming and chanting mantras are rituals that temples use to welcome the new day.

Here, accompanied by the chanting of sutras and the sound of wooden fish drums, I felt an unprecedented peace in my heart.

Today is memorable because I found a very delicious and interesting restaurant called "Suiyuan Shizhai".

The owner is a pretty young woman, and although she is young, every vegetarian dish she makes amazes me.

This shop has no menu, only seven colorful bamboo baskets.

Diners draw lots to choose their favorite foods from a basket.

After selecting your ingredients, hand them to the owner, who will then prepare a variety of vegetarian dishes based on the ingredients.

You don't know what you're going to eat; it's entirely up to the owner to decide.

I was fortunate enough to try it twice...

Food that is colorful, fragrant, and delicious is already quite rare.

Only when one puts in enough effort in both form and spirit can it be called a superior dish, and this "Fragrance of the Mountain" is such a dish.

It is natural and expressive, with profound charm, and has a serene and distant artistic conception.

Not only that, but after I had the fragrant taro and Manshanxiang vegetarian dishes at Suiyuan Vegetarian Restaurant in the morning.

During lunch, we enjoyed the owner's vegetarian fish tofu pudding and spicy vegetarian wontons with the lay Buddhist.

The young owner would deliver a warm plate of roasted taro in the early morning.

Enjoying a bowl of spicy and hot Sichuan-style lunch at noon will energize you, keep your mind clear, and prepare you for afternoon meditation.

She respects every ingredient and understands how to pair them, which I believe is also a way of nature.

What's most surprising is the way this vegetarian restaurant, Suiyuan, pays its bill.

It follows the model of voluntary donation, and the cost of the food is entirely up to the diner's wishes to pay, which is the most wonderful thing about this "free-spirited vegetarian meal".

Wisdom comes from following one's heart; the Way is found in accepting fate. With a mind free of attachments, one is carefree and at ease.

-------The 97th day of Layman Bao Shan's stay at Qingyuan Temple.