On the day of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, the streets were indeed bustling with activity.
Inside and outside Huasheng Temple, there were fish and dragon guards protecting the Dharma. Various flags fluttered in the wind. The guards held golden maces and golden axes, wore red robes on their shoulders and silver boots on their feet. Devout men and women came and went, holding Buddhist scriptures in their hands and looking reverent.
Soon after, guards cleared the way, and the golden dragon sedan chair stopped outside the street. The legendary Tang Dynasty emperor, Li Shimin, walked step by step towards Huasheng Temple under the watchful eyes of thousands.
When the emperor travels, the procession is naturally grand. The maidservant holding incense has a delicate face, the female official carrying the jade phoenix fan has her head bowed and eyes lowered, the eunuch carrying the curved umbrella does not dare to be negligent, and there are also civil and military officials accompanying him, and the people shout "Long live the emperor!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
"May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings and live as long as the heavens!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
The place was packed with people, noisy and bustling, with heads bobbing everywhere and the Fish-Dragon Guards desperately trying to maintain order. Xu Milu peeked around, but from her angle, she could only see the back of the head of the king who should have died young.
Yes, it's round and full, a good head, and it exudes a powerful aura.
When the emperor travels, no one dares to barge in. The people on the street waited for almost an hour before Li Shimin's entourage finally emerged from Huasheng Temple. With military officers leading the way, they shouted "Your Majesty is returning to the palace" all the way—and only then did the lecture of the monk Xuanzang officially begin.
"May Buddha have mercy and protect my son so that he may be safe and sound."
"Great merit, Venerable Master! Elder sister, let's listen to the sutra together, and then release some water lanterns tonight to protect my grandson from hunger and cold in the afterlife—"
“Ah Gui, tonight you should offer more gold and silver paper clothes, so that your grandfather will not lack gold and silver for offerings... Recite the Rebirth Sutra a few more times, the more sincere you are.”
Many people were chanting "Amitabha Buddha," while others were focused on other things:
"The Qin family has set up a stall selling fermented rice wine east of the temple. Go and have a bowl to warm yourself up—"
"Young master and madam, let's buy some gold and silver paper clothes! Let's accumulate more yin paper money so we can enjoy good fortune in the future."
"Flatbread, delicious flatbread, fragrant flatbread! One for one coin, three for two coins!"
"With my divine eye and unwavering judgment, young lady, I see a peach blossom in your eyes; I fear a wonderful marriage awaits you soon!"
People were busy burning incense, praying for blessings, waiting for the sermons to begin, hawking food, trying to have their fortunes told, and selling paper money...
Xu Milu mingled with the crowd and pushed her way forward, rediscovering the joy she felt during temple fairs during the Lunar New Year when she was a child.
She learned from others that the "Water and Land Dharma Assembly" only begins on the Ghost Festival and lasts for 49 days. Xuanzang's sermons, on the other hand, start on this day and continue for 49 days to complete the merit.
"Always preaching?"
Xu Milu gasped. She thought that such a large-scale event would at least have a break, but she never expected that Master Xuanzang would talk non-stop for forty-nine days.
"Yes, everyone says that Master Xuanzang is an enlightened monk who has accumulated karmic debts. Listening to his sermons can cure all diseases. If one could have him recite a chapter of the 'Rebirth Sutra,' that would be an immense blessing!"
The proprietress selling fermented rice balls beamed with joy as she filled a bamboo tube with fermented rice balls for her.
“These bamboo tubes were cut by my grandfather early in the morning and boiled several times with boiling water. They are very clean, and even the monks at Huasheng Temple love to drink them!”
Xu Milu picked it up and took a bite. She said that although it was called sweet fermented rice balls, it didn't taste like alcohol at all. It was more like fermented rice soup.
Sugar was expensive in the Tang Dynasty, and this bowl of sweet rice balls cost only three coins. So the only source of sweetness was rice. The rice flour balls were simmered in the soup for a long time, and they were slightly sticky. With one bite, the faint aroma of rice gently melted in the throat, warming the whole body.
"If you like to drink, that's good. There are many people at Huasheng Temple during the day. If you want to hear Master Xuanzang preach, come in the evening. Although it's quieter at night, you can always hear a bit of the Master's sermon. There's always some benefit to it."
The proprietress who sold the fermented rice gave a few more pointers before turning back to selling the fermented rice.
"Come in the evening... that's fine too."
Xu Milu looked at the Huasheng Temple, which was so crowded that it was impossible to squeeze in. The people kneeling and sitting outside the gate were all there to listen to the sutras. She also had to prepare the vegetarian offerings for that evening.
...
...
Xu Milu is already very skilled at making the premium winter melon and vegetarian braised pork. As for cutting the winter melon into chunks and frying the tofu, these are already very easy for her.
After the pieces of vegetarian meat were neatly arranged on the plate, she picked up a knife and cut the potatoes, peppers, and eggplants into chunks.
Heat rapeseed oil in a wok, sauté the two-color mandolin peppers until fragrant, then add potato chunks and stir-fry continuously. Next, add eggplant and bell peppers. Once the potatoes have softened, add a little soy sauce and salt to lightly color the dish, then it's ready to serve.
Stir-frying three kinds of seasonal vegetables is also simple. It was summer in the Tang Dynasty, and the lotus root from the south was fresh and tender, so tender that it could be squeezed out of water with your hands.
The best white lotus root is sliced diagonally into strips. Celery and bamboo shoots are cut into strips about the length of a little finger. After heating the oil, stir-fry them. No other seasonings are needed. Just add a little bit of brown sugar and salt, and the taste is very delicious, with the natural aroma of the ingredients themselves.
Tea-scented vegetarian chicken and five-spice roasted gluten take a bit of time to make, but fortunately, Xu Milu prepared the ingredients the night before, so they were quick to cook.
Cut the vegetarian chicken into thin slices and lightly fry them in oil until golden brown on both sides. Then add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and flame-colored glass leaf sugar powder for color, star anise, bay leaves, and cinnamon for flavor. Finally, add an appropriate amount of water and a little oolong tea leaves and simmer slowly. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until the sauce thickens and it's ready to serve.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com