Fangzheng ignored the little guy. After all, he was in charge of One Finger Monastery and had the final say. Resistance and protests were ineffective!
Fangzheng brought Lone Wolf down the mountain and bought butter, ice skin powder, milk, chestnut powder, and white sugar. He threw all of them into Lone Wolf's basket. Then, he immediately returned up the mountain.
Red Boy had already fetched water, and Monkey had already boiled a pot of hot water.
Fangzheng mixed the ice skin powder and chestnut powder in a basin. Then, he mixed the sugar and oil before boiling it in the water for about ten minutes. Finally, he added in the milk. With the milk, the mooncake skin would become smooth and watery.
At that moment, the water had already boiled again. Fangzheng immediately poured the condiments into the powder he had mixed beforehand and mixed it evenly. Then, he gently pressed it with his hand, mixing the flour and oil evenly until the color was golden without any bubbles.
During this process, Squirrel squatted by the side with widened eyes. He drooled as he watched. From the look of the little guy, it was obvious that he was planning on being the first to have a taste.
Fangzheng ignored him and continued sprinkling some ice skin powder on the chopping board. Then, he used a kitchen knife to cut the powder into tiny balls. Then, he kneaded them into a round shape. The center of the dough was thicker than the sides. Then, Fangzheng took the bamboo shoots that Red Boy had prepared and crushed them. He mixed them with the Crystal Rice to form the filling. Then, he kneaded the filling into a round ball and stuffed it into the middle of the cake. Then, he wrapped it from bottom to top before closing it and pressing it into the shape of a mooncake. Then, he placed it in a pot to bake.
This technique was learned by Fangzheng from Zen Master One Finger. Now, he was able to do it properly. Although he wasn't very skilled at it, it was still quite impressive.
"Master, is this a mooncake?" Squirrel stared at the pot, but unfortunately, the lid was closed. He couldn't see anything.
"That's right. This is a mooncake. Wait a moment. It will be ready to be eaten once it's out of the pot. " After Fangzheng said that, he walked out of the kitchen and sat outside to enjoy the autumn breeze. He drank bamboo shoot tea and read the scriptures in a relaxed manner.
Lone Wolf, Squirrel, Red Boy, and Monkey stayed in the kitchen without coming out. The four of them were afraid that the mooncake would be finished the moment it was taken out of the oven. Therefore, they decided to stay in the kitchen and guard it.
As time ticked by, a faint fragrance wafted out, and the little fellows' saliva almost flowed out.
Right at this moment, the sound of footsteps came from outside. Fangzheng was puzzled. One Finger Monastery did not hold a Dharma Assembly during a festival, nor did it have any activities. Who would come to him?
This was also the difference between One Finger Monastery and other monasteries. Other monasteries had more people during festivals, while One Finger Monastery had fewer people. After all, Hongyan Monastery, Baiyun Monastery, and other monasteries would hold large-scale Dharma Assemblies. Whether it was to join in the fun or to pray for blessings, people would choose these large monasteries. With regards to this, Fangzheng had no intention of fighting for it because he was lazy!
Now that he had food to eat and water to drink, Fangzheng really didn't wish to tire himself out by holding a Dharma Assembly. How great would it be if he had the time to be carefree?
After leaving the backyard, he saw two men and a woman walking into the monastery. They surrounded the bodhi tree and clicked their tongues in wonder.
Judging from their appearances, they were probably not locals.
Judging from his attire, he looked more like a traveler who traveled a lot.
"It's really strange. A southern tree like the Bodhi Tree can actually grow in the north. The world is really full of wonders." The man took a camera and took a few photos.
Another man stood under the bodhi tree and took a selfie. He immediately posted it on his WeChat Moments and asked, "Guess, am I in the south or the north?"
Only the woman frowned and said, "The bodhi tree is a tree from the south. We have traveled more than half of China, but we haven't seen anyone grow a bodhi tree in the north and survive. This tree was likely transplanted here in the summer when the weather was good. This old tree is so thick, and its crown is so huge. It's probably more than a hundred years old. If it were winter, there's a high chance it would freeze to death. Aren't the monks of this monastery too heartless? They destroyed a good tree just to put up a front. "
"Shao Min, this is the monastery's business. Why do you care? They have money, so they can do whatever they want, "said a man indifferently.
"Zhao Gang, it's precisely because there are so many people with such thoughts that there are fewer and fewer good things in this world. Can't they leave something for future generations? Let's go. You can tell what this monastery is like just by looking at this tree. Aren't they afraid that Buddha will punish them for committing such sins? Let's strike these bastard monks to death with lightning. "Shao Min's mouth was like a machine gun as she bombarded Zhao Gang, leaving him speechless.
Even Fangzheng, who had just come out, was a little dumbfounded. This female patron was really fierce!
Upon hearing the commotion, Red Boy, Squirrel, Monkey, and Lone Wolf came out. They secretly looked over from the backyard along the side of the door. Squirrel was right at the bottom, and on his head was a squatting Red Boy. Next was Lone Wolf with his head raised, and finally Monkey, who was tiptoeing. The four heads formed a string.
When Fangzheng turned his head, the few of them turned their heads as well. They looked at Fangzheng as though they were watching a good show. They were very curious as to what Fangzheng planned on doing with such a troublesome patron.
At that moment, the man with the camera said, "I think Shao Min is right. In this world, there has to be someone who stands forward to say a few words of fairness. The monks of this monastery are indeed too much. They shout daily about not killing, but this hundred-year-old tree is about to be killed by them. "
Shao Min immediately said, "Well said! Zhao Gang, if you have nothing better to do, learn from Xue Zong. Look at him! "
Zhao Gang rolled his eyes and said, "Come on. The two of you are just short of a marriage certificate. If you say one, would he dare to say another? If you want to gang up on me, just say it directly. "
"Isn't this bullying? This is reason, alright? "exclaimed Shao Min.
The two immediately began debating, but the moment Zhao Gang opened his mouth, Shao Min spouted out a bunch of reasons. She talked about protecting the Earth's environment and how to procreate. She left Zhao Gang speechless. With that said, she did not forget to add, "I still stand by what I said. Looking at a tree is like looking at a person. There's nothing good in this monastery!"
Fangzheng was truly rendered speechless. Which eye of theirs had seen him kill? Was common sense the truth? Baffling!
As for Xue Zong, who had been watching the commotion, he looked up and was surprised to see a monk beside him. When he heard Shao Min scolding monks to her heart's content, he hurriedly pushed the silly lass. Shao Min did not react as she continued, "Why did you push me? Did I say something wrong? Can a monk with no kindness in his heart still be called a monk? "
"Amitabha. What should I be called if not a monk?" Fangzheng could not help but ask.
Shao Min failed to react in time as she casually said, "Of course a demonic monk!"
Fangzheng: "…"
Zhao Gang also saw Fangzheng as he hurriedly signaled Shao Min with his eyes.
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