Although it was already dark, Xu Milu could still clearly see the little novice monk climbing the wall. Seeing his bright black eyes and round, bald head, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Young master, how old are you? Why are you calling me a child?"
The young novice monk, perched on the wall, shook his head in a strange manner, but didn't answer her question. He then pushed himself off the wall with both hands.
“I just heard you say you were going to send me vegetarian food, why did you change your mind? My master said, ‘Nanneries and temples are just lodgings for monks and nuns, and there is always three liters of rice noodles at the mountain gate.’ Since you were so kind as to send me food, why did you go back on your word?”
Xu Milu was somewhat surprised. This little novice monk looked to be only eight or nine years old. He had bright eyes and spoke fluently, and he seemed more clever than many children of the same age.
She lifted the basket in her hand and explained:
“I’m a new resident who just moved into this courtyard. My family name is Xu. I heard Fang Gui mention you and Madam Yin from the next courtyard, so I thought I’d bring you some hot food. But no one answered the door in Madam Yin’s courtyard just now, so I was wondering if I was being presumptuous. Now that you’ve come out, you can take it back and eat with your master.”
The young novice monk blinked and chuckled.
“My master isn’t here. I live here alone. My junior brothers sometimes come to visit—judging by your attire, you don’t look like a real Taoist priest. If you knock on Madam Yin’s door in the dark, she naturally won’t dare to answer—”
Xu Milu then realized that this was the Tang Dynasty. Although there were gods and demons, there were also bandits and robbers. After dark, Lady Yin lived alone, so how could she dare to open the door to a stranger from an unknown place?
She said helplessly:
"I misunderstood. I haven't asked the young monk his name yet? Does he have a Dharma name?"
The young novice monk, already eager to peek at the vegetarian food in the basket, scratched his head upon hearing this:
“My surname is Shi. I have no father or mother. I was born of nature. I am still young. Although I have been ordained, I have not yet formally entered the Buddhist order. So I don’t have a Dharma name.”
Seeing that the little monk was clever and lived alone, Xu Milu couldn't help but say:
“If I cook vegetarian food in the future, I will send a portion over when I have time, which will save you the trouble of cooking. I will come back to pick up the dishes tomorrow after you finish eating. Are you afraid to be alone at night? I have some candles, I will bring them to you to light your way.”
“I’m not afraid. If you call me, just call out ‘Little Stone’ by the wall, and I’ll hear you.”
Little Stone had already opened the plate, and by the dim candlelight, he saw the few pieces of vegetarian braised pork inside, his curiosity growing even stronger:
"Is this winter melon and tofu? How is it made? It even smells like meat?"
Xu Milu recognized him at a glance, and was somewhat surprised:
"Young master, you have sharp eyes. This is indeed vegetarian braised pork made from winter melon and tofu. It's just for show, and it tastes very different from real braised pork, but it can fool your palate. If you think it's not right, I'll take it back with me."
"Okay, okay!"
Little Stone grinned, carrying his basket, his expression radiant with pride.
"Let alone vegetarian dishes made into roast pork, I can also drink vegetarian wine."
Xu Milu knew that vegetarian wine was a type of wine with a low alcohol content, made without meat or fish, and not distilled. It was the vegetarian wine that Xuanzang drank when he bid farewell to the Tang Emperor in Journey to the West.
The brewing process of vegetarian wine is simple; it involves simply removing the lees and impurities after fermentation. Rather than calling it "wine," it is more like a carbonated beverage.
Most importantly, Buddhists are allowed to drink vegetarian wine.
"Okay, if you have any in the future, I'll bring them to you."
Xu Milu felt an itch to touch the little novice monk's bald head, but she restrained herself for fear of scaring him.
...
...
In two days it will be the Ghost Festival, and the Dragon Tiger Guards and the Bad Guys have been appearing around Huasheng Temple one after another, all to clear obstacles for His Majesty to leave the palace.
—This year marks the first Water and Land Dharma Assembly since Master Xuanzang returned from his pilgrimage to India. It will be a lecture on Mahayana Buddhism, so Li Shimin will naturally be present.
Xu Milu didn't pay attention to any of that; she was focused on preparing to grind tofu.
The stone mill bought from the East Market was thoroughly soaked with boiling water and left to dry in the sun for a whole day before it could be used to grind tofu.
It is said that there are three hardships in the world: rowing a boat, blacksmithing, and grinding tofu. This is because grinding tofu is a tiring job.
Last night, she soaked a whole basin of soybeans, all of which were collected from the Food World. Each pod was packed with more than fifty soybeans, each one plump and full. After drying, they were incredibly fragrant, perfect for making tofu.
The soybeans, soaked overnight, became even plumper and could be crushed with a pinch. Xu Milu nodded in satisfaction, took them out, changed the water, and then added the soaked beans one spoonful at a time into the stone mill, controlling the speed of the mill while continuing to add beans.
This is a skill; if you add too many soybeans, the tofu will be too hard, and if you add too much water, the tofu will not be easy to shape. Fortunately, she reacts quickly and can multitask smoothly.
"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—"
As the stone mill turned, the milky white soy milk fell into the wooden bucket, filtering little by little through the gauze covering the bucket. In no time, a large chunk of soy pulp was filtered out.
Xu Milu changed several buckets before she finished filling them with the soybean residue. The soybean residue left over from making tofu can be used to make soybean residue cakes, or to feed pigs, water flowers, and nourish the land.
She plans to plant the giant fruit tree from the Food World in her yard after the Water and Land Dharma Assembly ends. The soil fertilized with soybean residue will make the fruit taste even better.
Suddenly, another round head appeared on the wall, and Xu Milu laughed as soon as she saw it:
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
