After finding out that it was An Yanxiang who was behind this, Shen Qingmang wanted to hang a sign on Wuya Peak that said "No dogs allowed from An Yanxiang". However, the other party was a capricious and willful person. If she angered him and was pestered by him endlessly, she would have no peace of mind.
Soon, she had more things to do. After arranging her schedule according to the information from the sports meet, she discovered that eleven disciples had chosen her. They spanned the five peaks, encompassing both inner and outer sects, and ranged from the Qi Refining Stage to the Golden Core Stage. She planned to first get to know each of them in detail before offering targeted guidance.
By the time she finished this matter, snow had fallen even halfway up Wuya Peak, and the disciples began to take leave one after another and go home to celebrate the New Year.
The Taichu sect once stipulated that after entering the sect, disciples were forbidden from contacting their mortal relatives, believing that cultivators should sever their worldly ties. But Shen Qingmang changed this inhumane rule. When she told her students in class that they would be allowed to return home to visit their families every winter, some cheered, others expressed concern, and still others, thinking she was testing them, vowed, "Teacher, rest assured. Now that I've entered the sect, I will no longer be attached to worldly relationships."
Shen Qingmang's face darkened. "What do you mean by worldly love? Do you think you can just abandon the kindness of your parents? I feel so bad for your parents. You've begun your cultivation now, and your lifespans are no longer limited to a hundred years, but don't forget that your loved ones only have a hundred years to live. A year may seem like a blink of an eye to you, but for them it's like a crop from bud to harvest, wrinkles from the corners of their eyes to their lips. When you first arrived, how many of you cried every night, soaking your pillow with homesickness? How could you know your parents wouldn't be watching day and night, anticipating your return?"
The classroom was completely silent, and then soft sobs began to rise. Shen Qingmang sighed. "Go home. We'll meet again when spring comes."
By New Year's Eve, the only ones left in the sect were her three inner disciples. Si Rong said she could return home anytime she wanted and wanted to spend the New Year with her master. Hao Xin and Gu Sui Han were both without relatives, and Wuya Peak was their home.
The four masters and apprentices gathered in Yushu Hall. Shen Qingmang suddenly had an idea and said, "Let me teach you how to make dumplings."
"Dumplings? What are those?"
"The food for Chinese New Year is similar to wontons, but in the shape of ingots."
"Ah, shouldn't we eat rice cakes during the Chinese New Year? Daddy even said he would send me some rice cakes in the evening." Si Rong said.
"We from the North...we from the Wuya Sect are eating dumplings. Let's go to the dining hall."
Shen Qingmang enthusiastically took her disciples to the dining hall. The outer disciple on duty asked her attentively what she wanted to eat. She asked where the ingredients were, and then asked them to have a good rest, saying that she would cook it herself.
"Master, have you ever cooked?" Hao Xin rolled up his sleeves. "Let me do it. I don't think you can even light a stove."
"Don't light the fire yet, let's knead the dough first. Where's the malt flour?"
Gu Suihan dragged a sack over. "Here."
"Okay, pour it into this basin, halfway... Oh, that's enough. Then add water."
"I'll do it, I'll do it!" Si Rong came over. "How much?"
After Si Rong added the water, Hao Xin took charge of kneading the dough. Shen Qingmang found that he only needed to give instructions.
"Let the dough rise in a bowl while we prepare the filling. What filling would you like?"
"Is the filling of this 'dumpling' the same as that of steamed bun?"
In ancient times, stuffed pasta was called "mantou". Shen Qingmang was not used to it at first, but now he can respond immediately: "Yes, they are all the same."
"How about each of us three make one? Master will choose the most delicious one!" said Si Rong.
"Ah? Your eldest brother is..."
Before Shen Qingmang could finish his words, Hao Xin spoke up, "It's a deal! I've never lost to anyone in cooking. Even the most unpalatable grain can be turned into delicious rice."
The two children started arguing, vying to start cooking first. Gu Suihan moved to Shen Qingmang's side. "Master, don't you want to eat what I cook?"
"Of course not. If they want to get angry, that's their business. You've already exerted yourself. Take a break."
"I'm not tired. I can do it too." Gu Suihan was full of energy. "What kind of filling does Master like?"
Shen Qingmang was too embarrassed to directly criticize his cooking skills. "I'm not picky about food, so I can handle anything. You three can make it, and I'll make one too, and we can take turns eating."
What if the stuffing prepared by these three youngsters is not edible? At least we have to keep a backup plan, right?
The four masters and apprentices mixed the stuffing in four directions respectively. After the dough had risen, Shen Qingmang taught them how to roll out the dumpling wrappers. After watching it once, Si Rong said that they could just use magic. Shen Qingmang said that it must be done by hand, otherwise it would lack soul.
The three disciples had no choice but to respect her sense of ritual. By the time everyone finished wrapping the dumplings, an hour had passed.
"Light the fire! Boil some water! I'm starving!" Si Rong yelled.
Hao Xin put a few pieces of firewood in, then remembered something and asked Shen Qingmang, "Master, can we use the old Fire Spirit Wood? Or do you want to chop it now?"
Shen Qingmang laughed. "No, no, just put it down. It's not that complicated."
The dumplings for four people were placed on four plates, and the color of the plates was used to distinguish the makers. Shen Qingmang's was green, Si Rong's was red, Hao Xin's was gold, and Gu Sui Han's was white.
"I put in fireweed, rosemary, chicken claw vine, and one other one I don't recognize, but it smells good, so I put it in there too. Come and try it!" Si Rong pushed his plate to the middle.
"Is this thing edible?" Hao Xin said with disdain, but he was the first to reach for his chopsticks, took a bite, and nodded. "It's actually edible."
"Even Tutu is so picky about food, he likes the grass and feed I mix. So, making stuffing is easy for him," Si Rong said proudly.
"Then try mine." Hao Xin also pushed his plate forward.
Shen Qingmang tasted both and looked very satisfied. "They both tasted good. Mine turned out to be the most ordinary. I didn't use any spiritual herbs, I chose sunflower and pork instead."
Si Rong picked one up, put it in his mouth, and said incoherently: "It's delicious, delicious, Master's is delicious too."
Gu Suihan was the last one to push his plate forward, his expression warm. "You guys should try what I made, too."
"Okay, okay!" Si Rong swallowed the dumpling in his mouth and picked up a new one, but spat it out after taking a bite. "Pah! What did you add to it, Senior Brother? Why is it so salty?"
Hao Xin also picked up a piece of food with chopsticks, put it in his mouth, chewed it twice, and his face wrinkled. "Hiss... Senior Brother, you've never cooked before, right?"
"How could that be?" Gu Suihan picked up one of his own and chewed it slowly. "It's obviously delicious."
The three disciples all looked at Shen Qingmang. She laughed dryly, stretched out her chopsticks towards Gu Suihan's plate, and bit into it with a tense expression. "Very, very delicious."
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