Xu Milu had just stepped out of the main hall when she suddenly saw a monkey with a hairy face and a thunderous mouth standing by the roadside, grinning at her with a mouthful of big white teeth:
"Hahaha, it's my goodness I've run into this today. I usually only see my master arguing with others, but I never expected to see a little kid like you arguing with him today!"
You're quite clever! Encouraging my master to meet with Lady Yin more often will surely resolve any misunderstandings or disagreements. Excellent, excellent! I, Old Sun, really want to see which phoenix gave birth to such a clever little phoenix!
He didn't seem surprised that Xu Milu knew about Yin Wenjiao's background; he just kept laughing, as if he were looking at some naughty child.
Xu Mi's face immediately flushed red:
"Great Sage, please don't laugh at me. I only said what came to mind in a moment of panic. How could I possibly be arguing with a sorcerer?"
It was only thanks to the kindness and compassion of the Tripitaka Master that she did not pursue her rude behavior.
"Hehe, my master once asked Buddha about this matter, but Buddha said that there was another solution to my master's problem, but unexpectedly it has come to you, little kid!"
Sun Wukong scratched his face, looking rather amused:
"They say you should strike while the iron is hot. There's no time to lose. Hurry back and make some arrangements so that my master can meet with Lady Yin and her son. Hmm? I'll definitely give you credit for this afterwards. Even if you want the Queen Mother's peaches, I'll get one for you, you little brat!"
Xu Milu, surprisingly, fell for him.
...
...
Since the two were to meet, Xu Milu wouldn't hide it from Yin Wenjiao. She didn't immediately try to persuade Yin Wenjiao, but instead praised her for making delicious pastries.
"Sister Yin's pastries are so delicious! Even the Tripitaka Master, who sits high on the lotus throne, enjoyed them! This shows that you are sincere, which is why you moved the Bodhisattva and Buddha!"
As Xu Milu spoke, she observed Yin Wenjiao's expression. Seeing that she was indeed happy, she changed the subject:
"Everyone knows that the Tripitaka Master is the younger brother of the Tang Emperor. Now he has attained enlightenment and become a Buddha. Sister Yin must have some connection with the Tripitaka Master. The Master is kind and benevolent. He even said he wanted to come to my restaurant to ask for a bowl of vegetarian food. If you have time tomorrow, Sister, could you come to my restaurant and help out? How about it?"
Yin Wenjiao trembled, quickly lowered her head to prevent Xu Milu from seeing the expression on her face, and whispered:
"Is what my sister said... true? Did that monk really, really eat the snacks I offered?"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face: "How can someone as unclean as me, how can I possibly meet the Buddha, my dear sister..."
Xu Milu finally understood what was bothering Yin Wenjiao, and quickly took her hand, gently comforting her:
"Although I am young and do not know about my sister's past, there is one thing I am very clear about: from ancient times to the present, the world has always favored men and been harsher on women. Others' opinions have nothing to do with us, but if we belittle ourselves, then it will be really difficult."
Knowing that Yin Wenjiao had suffered hardships, she spoke with even greater patience:
"My mother was also an extremely resilient woman. When I looked at my sister, it was as if I was seeing her in a daze. My mother often said that there is no hurdle in this world that cannot be overcome. A person cannot be defeated by external factors. Often, it is the mind that is defeated first, and then one loses all willpower."
I see that my sister can live a happy life on her own. Forget about cleanliness and purity; chastity isn't something you can just flaunt. If the Buddha truly disliked my sister, why would he praise her pastries and even eat them himself? What has my sister done wrong?”
"I……"
Yin Wenjiao covered her face and cried. Over the years, she dared not tell outsiders about the bitterness in her heart, for fear that others would know about her relationship with the monk Sanzang, and also for fear that people would know about the eighteen years of darkness and humiliation.
Her parents had both passed away, and her husband, Chen Guangrui, had also left. She was now all alone, and by a twist of fate, even death could not bring her relief.
It was actually a knot in my heart, rolled up and getting bigger and bigger. No one came to ask about it. That knot had been frozen for more than ten years, but suddenly someone warmed it up and it seemed to loosen up.
"Good sister..."
Yin Wenjiao couldn't speak. She lay on Xu Milu's body as if she wanted to cry out all her grievances and troubles. In the end, she cried herself to sleep, her eyes still full of tears even with her eyes closed.
Xu Milu: "..."
Does she have some special persuasion skills?
How could someone faint from crying after only saying two words?
...
...
The flour, ground three times, was carefully placed into a bowl, mixed little by little with warm water, and then kneaded into a smooth dough with some salt. It was then set aside for later use.
Deep-fry the tofu until it turns into golden-brown cubes, then cut it into small cubes to make the filling. Finely shred fresh cabbage, squeeze out the moisture with salt, then dice it and add it to the filling. Add some salt, brown sugar, Sichuan peppercorns, minced ginger, and a little cornstarch slurry. Stir well until the filling is thick enough to cling to chopsticks.
—Monks cannot eat eggs, so Xu Milu could only come up with this method to increase the viscosity of the filling.
Roll the dough into a long strip, cut it into small pieces, roll each piece into a thin wrapper, pick up the filling with chopsticks, wrap it up, and then tighten it with your thumb and forefinger. A plump white vegetarian dumpling is ready.
"Is my sister going to be imprisoned?"
Yin Wenjiao looked on with some curiosity. She had gotten up early after hearing that the Tripitaka Master was coming. Her shiny black hair was neatly combed, and her plain clothes were clean. It was clear that she had prepared carefully.
"Yes, make some vegetarian dumplings. Drinking a hot bowl of them will make your stomach feel refreshed."
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