Upon hearing what Xiao Shitou said, Xu Milu's heart melted.
The child, who wasn't even as tall as the millstone, spoke these words with utmost seriousness, repeatedly using the pronoun "I," which completely charmed Xu Milu.
But she was afraid that a direct rejection would hurt Xiao Shitou's pride, so she thought for a moment and then came up with an excuse:
"This pot of soy milk is something I made for my own family, it doesn't cost much. When the tofu is ready, you can take two pieces home, you can make a cold salad or pan-fry it, it's fine. If you feel uncomfortable taking it for free, just recite some scriptures for me a few times, okay?"
Little Stone's expression suddenly turned strange. He looked Xu Milu up and down, then shook his head seriously.
"Interesting, interesting. A fake Taoist priest asking a novice monk to chant sutras. This is the first time in history."
Xu Milu didn't really expect to use her Taoist identity for long; she only pretended to be a Taoist to avoid trouble.
"I am not a real Taoist priest. I disguised myself as a female Taoist priest to avoid being harassed by hooligans. Chang'an is a mixed bag of people, and disguising myself as a female Taoist priest would save me trouble—how did you figure it out?"
Little Stone happily remarked:
"There are rules for that sect. 'Those who are new to the sect must wear a plain hat and yellow robe, a black hibiscus crown, and a yellow skirt and crimson robe. There are strict rules for everything they wear! Your outfit can only fool ordinary people. If you run into a Taoist from the Lü Dongxuan sect, they will definitely take you back and question you!"
He started laughing again:
"You've just moved into this house, and instead of inviting a statue of the ancestral master or burning incense to worship, you're in a hurry to grind soybeans and make tofu. You look more like a cook than a Taoist priest!"
Xu Milu was truly surprised that her outfit was full of flaws, and even more surprised that a mere novice monk would recognize her. She was immediately disheartened.
The feigning of Taoist priests and living gods in novels is simply not feasible!
You'll be exposed if someone asks you a simple question about basic Taoist knowledge!
However, she was more interested in another matter that Xiao Shitou mentioned: "So, pretending to be a Taoist priest can lead to being held accountable?"
Little Stone shook his head and said:
“In the past, it would have been no problem, but the day after tomorrow is the Water and Land Dharma Assembly. The Taoist sect is worried that some unrelated demons and monsters might sneak in and cause trouble, so they are investigating very strictly. But you don’t need to be afraid. As long as you don’t do anything evil, I have some influence in the Taoist sect, so they won’t dare to take you back.”
These words sounded so domineering that Xu Milu couldn't help but wonder:
"Could it be that you hold a high position of authority at Huasheng Temple? Have you ever met the Venerable Xuanzang? Was he truly a man of exceptional talent and beauty, with rosy lips and white teeth?"
Little Stone scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.
"Where did you hear such nonsense? The Venerable Xuanzang was a man of imposing stature and noble appearance. He was also a martial monk who wielded a skilled monk's knife. He vanquished demons and monsters on his journey to the West to obtain the scriptures. How could he be as...delicate as you describe?"
Xu Milu suddenly fell silent.
Was Tang Sanzang a martial monk by origin?
He can also use a monk's knife?
Wu Cheng'en didn't mention this incident either!
Wait a minute, the prototype of Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West is the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang. The historical Xuanzang set off in the first year of Zhenguan and traveled more than 50,000 li westward before finally arriving at Nalanda Monastery in India to retrieve the true scriptures.
There seems to be another monk who dared to go on a pilgrimage alone, the one later known as "Bodhidharma".
Leaving aside the numerous hardships and dangers along the way, just considering the remote mountains, bandits, thieves, floods, and wild beasts, how was Master Xuanzang able to return to China safely?
So if we follow this logic, Tang Sanzang in Journey to the West could very well be a burly man, eight feet tall, who was originally a martial monk!
Imagine the scene in Journey to the West where the delicate-skinned Tang Monk, wielding a monk's knife, could take on ten men single-handedly.
Xu Mi's face went numb.
...
...
Despite the setback, Xu Milu chose to be strong and continued making tofu.
Although Tang Sanzang might not be what she imagined, her eldest brother must be an extremely handsome monkey!
Thinking this way, she suddenly felt motivated again.
Strain the boiled soy milk to remove the soy pulp, prepare the brine according to the ratio, and pour it into the pot in three batches. While waiting, the soy milk will coagulate into beautiful tofu curds that float in the pot. People in Sichuan and Chongqing love this kind of tofu curd. Take it out and dip it in chili sauce, and it becomes a delicious dish.
Scald the square mold with boiling water, then place a clean white gauze at the bottom, and use a spoon to scoop in the tofu little by little. Once it is full, put on a wooden lid and then weigh it down with a stone.
Xu Milu soaked a lot of soybeans, and the tofu she made was enough to fill a whole plate. It will be ready to be pressed tonight and used as a tofu dish for offerings.
After a busy morning, it was lunchtime again. Little Stone, carrying his bowl, returned and saw Xu Milu fiddling with soybean dregs. He squatted down on the stool to watch her work.
"You're actually planning to use soybean pulp to cook? That's quite unusual."
He seemed to find everything fascinating, even watching Xu Milu make tofu with great interest.
"Why are you back so soon? Didn't you say you were going to find your master? How was it? Did your master like the soy milk?"
Xu Milu looked up at him, then busied herself putting the soybean dregs back into the stone mill and grinding them with the rice into soybean milk.
"I know how to roll, I'll roll all the way here—your soy milk suits my taste, just like my master's taste!"
Little Stone scratched his face, his round head shining brightly:
"I'm too impatient to recite those scriptures, so I'll give you a few jujubes to try."
With a wave of his hand, several bright red dates landed on the stone table. Xu Milu looked closely and saw that the dates were strangely shaped, like gourds, with bright red skin, and looked quite novel.
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