Qin Yi noticed that there were significantly more customers today than yesterday.
Every hour, some guests would come. Qin Yi knew in her heart that this was probably because of the influence of Bao Shan Jushi's article from yesterday.
She saw many people taking pictures of the vegetarian food they had eaten with their phones.
There are still two days left in this mission; hopefully, not too many people will come after that.
When it was lunchtime, there were quite a few lay Buddhists and monks who came today.
Qin Yi asked them to draw lots first, and then hand over the ingredients they wanted to eat.
After a quick count of the heads, I realized I wouldn't be able to leave work by 12 o'clock, so I'd have to work overtime at noon.
These people are all practitioners who came from the same temple at the same time. I can't possibly do business with some of them and then turn down orders from others.
After Qin Yi finished receiving all the ingredients,
"etc!"
A bald monk hurried over from the temple.
Qin Yi's orders were already full, and she really didn't want to add any more. She said, "Master, I have too many orders today. In order not to interfere with your afternoon studies, please come again next time."
The middle-aged monk was a little anxious. He put his hands together in a gesture of respect to Qin Yi and said, "Amitabha, it is my fault for being late. Could I please have an extra bowl of vegetarian noodles? I really want to try the vegetarian food made by the owner."
"Senior brother! Come sit here, there's still a seat available." The young monk Yunxin greeted him warmly from his seat.
Qin Yi sighed, ultimately softening her heart: "Alright then, you're the last one. You draw lots, and I'll give you an extra serving of vegetarian noodles. I won't take any more orders after this. I'll close up shop and go home after I finish these."
Guan Jing wiped the sweat from her forehead, drew lots, chose the monkey head mushroom, handed it to Qin Yi, and then sat down next to her junior brother Yun Xin.
Yunxin: "Senior brother! What brings you out for a meal today! Doesn't the kitchen staff cook? Or did the abbot agree to let you change your path of cultivation?"
Guan Jing shook her head: "Amitabha, Master still didn't let me change. He asked me to meditate for a few days, and the vegetarian meals for the next few days will be prepared by the eldest brother."
Yunxin: "Senior brother, don't be too anxious. I believe that no one is born knowing how to cook. Even master chefs learn their skills step by step. Maybe one day you will have an epiphany and make food that will amaze even Master?"
Guan Jing: "Amitabha, I never thought that I am so much older than you, yet I am not as insightful as you. Perhaps it is just as Master said, that I am too impatient, which is why he specially placed me here to temper my mind."
Forty minutes later, most of the monks and lay Buddhists present enjoyed the vegetarian dishes prepared by Qin Yi.
Yunxin's table also received its dishes, but Guanjing, who ordered last, had not yet eaten.
Yunxin: "Senior brother, why don't you eat something with us first? The dishes look pretty good."
Upon closer inspection, he saw stir-fried tomatoes and mushrooms, radishes and morel mushrooms, and passion fruit and sweet potato chips with cold cabbage. The dish looked so sweet and sour that he couldn't help but start drooling.
Guan Jing closed her eyes and chanted a calming mantra, so she wouldn't crave food if she couldn't see. "Junior brothers, you eat first. The vegetarian noodles I ordered should be ready soon."
After a while, Qin Yi brought a bowl of noodle soup to their table.
"Buddha's Light Vegetarian Noodles, please enjoy."
Guan Jing opened her eyes when she heard the sound and found a bowl of ramen with milky white broth in front of her.
He had never seen noodles with this base color before, and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Boss, why is this soup white?"
Qin Yi explained, "The soup base for this noodle dish is made with soy milk. You only ordered one bowl of noodles, but I've paired it with a lot of ingredients. When they're arranged together, they look like a dazzling and magnificent halo."
Guan Jing nodded. The boss was really thoughtful. Even though he was the last person to place an order, the boss didn't rush the production and instead gave him a big surprise.
He saw that the bowl of vegetarian noodles was topped with monkey head mushrooms, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, leafy greens, shredded wood ear mushrooms, and corn kernels.
The ingredients are very abundant, and it smells very fragrant, probably from the rich aroma of soy milk mixed with various foods.
He picked up a mouthful of ramen from the soup and put it in his mouth.
This ramen! The texture is incredibly chewy, perfectly complemented by the savory flavor of soy milk.
Every bite offers a unique flavor.
The lion's mane mushroom has a tender and smooth texture. Bean sprouts and various vegetables are eaten with ramen, making it delicious and crunchy, with a satisfying crunching sound when you bite into it.
After putting the noodles in his mouth, he took a sip of the milky white broth. The taste was indeed worthy of being called Buddha's Light Vegetarian Noodles. He estimated that even Buddha himself would eat a big bowl of it.
Guan Jingzhen had never eaten such delicious vegetarian noodles before.
No wonder business here is so good.
He prefers the vegetarian noodles made here to the ordinary vegetarian noodles he makes himself.
I wonder if there's any way to make his cooking taste better?
...
"We're closing up shop, Master! Classes are about to start, aren't they?"
Qin Yi spoke loudly in front of a monk who had his hands clasped together and his head slightly bowed.
Why is this monk sitting here so still?
Qin Yi was a little scared: Was she meditating or entering a deep state of concentration? Surely she wasn't going to pass away right here at my little stall! Good heavens, there wasn't anything incompatible in that bowl of noodles she just ate, was there?
Guan Jing slowly opened her eyes, stood up, and bowed to Qin Yi.
"Thank you for the delicious meal, boss. I learned a lot and seem to have understood some things, but I still need to experience them more... I'm very sorry for keeping you from getting off work. Amitabha."
As Qin Yi tidied up the folding tables and chairs, she said, "I'm not some kind of Kitchen Goddess. You monks and lay Buddhists are all so strange. Did you suddenly become enlightened after eating a vegetarian meal?"
Guan Jing smiled and explained, “Boss, please don’t be offended. My master often tells me that the kitchen is the best place to cultivate forbearance. While others are chanting sutras, the monks’ kitchen is busy preparing food; while others are eating, the monks’ kitchen is serving food on an empty stomach; only after everyone has finished eating do they have time to eat the leftovers. Moreover, it’s impossible to please everyone. Sometimes the vegetarian food is not good, and I will be complained about. Sometimes I feel wronged. I really want to do this well, but I always mess it up.”
"I admire the boss for his organized work and the delicious vegetarian food. I'd really like to ask him if he has any secrets to success?"
"The secret?" Qin Yi tilted her head, looking at the sky and trying to think.
"Cooking is actually very simple. You need to understand the properties of various foods, how to match them, the heat, the seasoning, and the cooking techniques. All of these will affect the taste of a dish."
Guan Jing: "Boss, is the simplicity you're talking about the kind of simplicity that people generally understand?"
"Hahaha!" Qin Yi laughed: "Sorry! It doesn't seem so simple after saying it like that. The most important thing is to understand the ingredients you have. For example, is this better stewed or cold-dressed? How can we combine it to make the taste better? Should we stir-fry it over low heat or stir-fry it over high heat?"
"It's really a matter of practice makes perfect. Where you spend your time, that's where the fruit will bloom."
"Humans eat every day, and chefs can try different ingredients every day. After eating each dish, they can summarize their experience and listen to the real opinions of diners. They will always get better and better."
"Just like you monks, you don't come here and immediately know all the scriptures by heart. You also have to attend classes and study Buddhism every day."
Guan Jing nodded in agreement: "Amitabha, practice makes perfect, and with a humble attitude, one can truly understand that the greatest truths are the simplest."
"The owner is truly a wise man. This humble monk will take his leave and will return tomorrow morning to savor the delicious vegetarian meal."
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