"Abbot Fangzheng, how did this bamboo forest come about?" As Wang Yougui ate the bamboo shoots, his eyes nearly curved into crescents from smiling. The bamboo shoots were just too delicious, more delicious than anything he had ever eaten!
Fangzheng looked up into the sky and said, "From where it belongs." There was no other way around it. Certain matters could not be explained clearly, so it was best to make up a story.
"Uh … Punk, why are you beating around the bush with me? Alright, I won't ask anymore. Let's get down to business, "said Wang Yougui seriously.
Fangzheng smiled and said, "Patron, are you here for the bamboo forest?"
"That's right. This bamboo forest is just too beautiful. Ignoring the bamboo shoots, just the bamboo itself is very valuable. I've compared all kinds of bamboo, but none of them can grow so crystalline and translucent like jade. Furthermore, most importantly, it's very delicious! "said Wang Yougui.
Fangzheng asked, "And then?"
"Abbot Fangzheng, why don't we develop the bamboo forest in our village? Selling some bamboos, bamboo shoots, and whatnot would definitely bring in a huge profit. Bamboo grows quickly, and it can still grow after being chopped … "With that said, Wang Yougui rubbed his hands and smiled in embarrassment. This mountain had been given to One Finger Monastery as a barren mountain back then. Now that there were benefits, he had come to ask for it. Even with his thick skin, he felt that it was not enough.
Fangzheng smiled. "Patron, the mountain belongs to One Finger Monastery, and so does the bamboo."
Wang Yougui felt a little embarrassed when he heard that. He was at a loss for words.
Fangzheng continued. "However, This Penniless Monk is indebted to the villagers. It's only right for This Penniless Monk to repay them. However, chopping down the bamboo forest is definitely out of the question. It will make too much noise and affect the peace of the monastery. Besides, chopping bamboo on the mountain is not elegant. However, you can dig some bamboo shoots. They grow very quickly, and it will probably take a few days to grow to the mountainside, which is where the spring is. There's also a flat land there. The villagers can dig the bamboo shoots and chop them. This Penniless Monk will not ask too much. "
"What about the bamboo on the mountain? Are we just going to leave it there? That … That's too wasteful. "Wang Yougui looked at the emerald-like green bamboo forest and felt his heart ache.
Fangzheng smiled. "Patron, greed can never be satisfied. As for this bamboo forest, it should be able to attract many worshippers. "
"Uh …" Wang Yougui was stunned for a moment, then he laughed and slapped himself. "Indeed, I was thinking too much. If the bamboo forest was cut down, it would ruin the scenery. With this bamboo forest, we will definitely be able to attract a large number of pilgrims. At that time, our village can also take advantage of the opportunity to develop tourism. Haha … That's a good business that will be sustainable and environmentally friendly. "
Fangzheng smiled as well. If Wang Yougui insisted on chopping the bamboo, it would truly be difficult for him. Although monks were particular about the emptiness of the four elements and cutting off karma. But how could people live in this world for nothing? Materials, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, tea, eating, drinking, urinating, and sleeping. Many things were interconnected. If they were all empty, he would become a Buddha.
After sending Wang Yougui off, Fangzheng immediately went to the bamboo forest and found the female bamboo. Then, he controlled the female bamboo's roots to spread down the mountain. However, Fangzheng was not a person who liked to monopolize. Back then, the villagers did not treat him as an outsider. They provided him with food and lodging, and gave him clothes. Now that he had something good, he naturally did not mind sharing it. After some thought, Fangzheng decided to let the Frost Bamboo's roots climb to the back of the mountain and directly enter Mt. Tongtian, merging with the Changbai mountain range! As long as he controlled the growth range, it would not affect the local ecological balance.
Furthermore, if the villagers could really rely on this to become rich, it would be considered a meritorious deed.
Therefore, Fangzheng ordered the Frost Bamboo to accelerate its growth. However, no matter how powerful the Frost Bamboo was, it was ultimately not a god. There was a limit to its growth speed. According to its present growth speed, it could reach the mountainside in two to three days. If he really wanted to send the roots up Mt. Tongtian, it would probably take a month or two, or even longer.
However, Fangzheng did not have any effective solutions for this. All he could do was allow it to grow.
Wang Yougui went down the mountain and found Tan Juguo, Yang Ping, as well as the richest man in the village, Yang Hua. The group gathered and discussed how to use the Frost Bamboo to become rich. After some discussion, they finally realized that there was just too little Frost Bamboo. The development value was just too little, so they could only wait.
However, the news of Mt. One Finger having bamboo spread. Fangzheng clearly sensed that there were more people coming up the mountain every day. However, there were people who could not accept it.
The construction team was repairing the road. It was fine for one or two people to go up and down the mountain, but it was impossible for too many people. If an accident were to happen, no one could bear the responsibility. Therefore, the construction team sealed off the path up the mountain, preventing anyone from going up. When Fangzheng saw this, he was a little worried. Would this dampen the enthusiasm of the people and affect the future of his family's incense offerings? He would go up the mountain every day to look at the village. In the beginning, he saw quite a number of people at the foot of the mountain, but later on, the number of people decreased until there was none.
Fangzheng shook his head. "Amitabha. Indeed, you can't have your cake and eat it too. After repairing the road, you have to lose something."
Although Fangzheng found it a pity, he was happy to be free.
The next day, the sky was clear. Fangzheng felt like crying as he looked at the blue sky. There was no other way. The temperature was rising and the sun was burning brightly. Water evaporated quickly. The water in the Crystal Rice paddy needed to be replenished daily or the Crystal Rice would probably go extinct. For his mouth and stomach, Fangzheng could only carry water to water the paddy manually. The huge paddy was filled with water. An entire morning was basically over.
There was no point in talking. He cleaned the temple hall and had his meal. Then, he picked up a huge bucket of water in preparation to go down the mountain to fetch water. But the moment he opened the door, he saw a woman standing there!
"Uh, Female Patron, good morning." Fangzheng was taken aback. The last time he opened the door, the devotee he met was the respectable elder, Liu Fangfang. This time, it was a woman!
"Venerable One, nice to meet you. Sorry to disturb you. There was no other way. The construction team sealed off the mountain path, so I could only wake up early and sneak up." The woman smiled. She looked very beautiful when she smiled. Fangzheng found her somewhat familiar, as though he had seen her somewhere before. However, he could not recall where.
"Amitabha. Female Patron, you are being too polite. Female Patron, please come in. "Fangzheng put down the bucket of water and pressed his palms together as he bowed. He turned to the side and made way.
The woman nodded slightly and walked into One Finger Monastery. Fangzheng caught a whiff of a fragrant wind. It was a smell he had never smelled before. It was rather odd, but it smelled nice. He guessed that it was the smell of perfume.
The woman was dressed in black. She had a black shawl draped over her shoulders and a round hat. She looked very trendy and fashionable. At the very least, among all the women Fangzheng had seen, the only one who could beat the woman in terms of attire and bearing was the superstar, Li Xueying. Even Jing Yan, who had an extraordinary background, was slightly inferior to her.
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