Noticing that Salted Fish still had questions, Fangzheng said indifferently, "1st October. Due to the different regions, the festivals are also different. This day isn't only Winter Clothes Day. Further south, this day is also the day when the fiefdom harvests. Everyone celebrates the harvest. At the same time, this day is also the annual cold wave. When the weather turns cold, people need to eat seasonal food to warm their bodies. Only then will there be food for the festival! Is this a way to preserve one's health, a way to survive? Is there anything wrong with that? "
Salted Fish smacked his lips. "It seems … Hmm, a little interesting."
Fangzheng continued. "In fact, since ancient times, China has a vast territory with abundant resources. The people are hardworking and simple. As long as there's no war, nearly every family has surplus food. For example, now, every family is rich, and there might be people who are poor, but many people have reached the point where they can buy whatever they want to eat. They can walk three rounds around the market without knowing what to eat. Is there a need to be greedy for food for the festival? "
Salted Fish didn't say a word.
Fangzheng said, "As such, food for the festival has developed to this point. It's no longer just food, but also a need for the organs. It has become a form of culture! It's just like eating dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival, mooncakes on the fifteenth of August, and lantern dumplings on the fifteenth of January. On this day, eating such food subtly tells you that it's a festival! At the same time, it tells you what festival it is. Eating the food for the festival, thinking about the things associated with the festival, living happily, and thinking of the ancestors. "On Winter Clothes Day, burning clothes for the ancestors might not be able to receive them, but this is also a way to honor the dead and warn the living. This is a way to pass down culture, a way to pass down filial piety! When children see their parents being filial to their ancestors, they will feel reverence for them. They will also want to emulate them, and subtly, it will be passed down from generation to generation. This is how filial piety is passed down during festivals.
"The food for the festival might not be the best, but eating it at that time is eating the festival. It's eating the festive atmosphere, and it's eating a culture that has been passed down since ancient times. It's eating the joy of people gathering together because of the festival! Only shallow and ignorant people would treat food for the festival as a consumable, something to satisfy their cravings. "
With that said, Salted Fish's head was almost waxed to his tail. He felt his face flush red and was at a loss for words.
When Fangzheng said that, he knew that he had said enough. He rapped Salted Fish and said, "You come from Mount Numinous and are an immortal. As for the people here, they are all mortals. You naturally have a sense of pride and superiority. But you should have heard of the Dharma, so you naturally understand the meaning of equality of all living beings. This meaning is not the equality of divine powers, nor is it the equality of money, but the equality of goodness. When a person is kind, he will become a Buddha! You've already become a Buddha, you're rich, you're powerful, aren't you still the first class? "
Upon hearing that, Salted Fish suddenly stood up. His fins were like human hands as he pressed his palms together. "Amitabha. This Penniless Monk has learned something."
Fangzheng also stood up and returned the bow. "Amitabha."
After saying what needed to be said, Fangzheng noticed that it was no longer early. He got Red Boy to go down the mountain to buy the things needed for tomorrow's Winter Clothing Festival.
The night passed uneventfully. The next day, before dawn.
Fangzheng had already brought his disciples to Zen Master One Finger's grave. They respectfully offered incense and took turns to offer it. With the Tomb-Sweeping Festival and Hungry Ghost Festival offerings, One Finger Monastery's Lone Wolf, Squirrel, Monkey, and Red Boy already knew the details of the offerings. There was no need for Fangzheng to elaborate. All of them did it very well.
Salted Fish stood by the side, unsure if he should do the same. After all, he wasn't considered a member of One Finger Monastery … As such, it made him feel a little awkward standing by the side. Therefore, Salted Fish looked up into the sky as though none of this had anything to do with him to hide his awkwardness.
At that moment, Salted Fish saw a bald head enter his line of sight. He thought, "Is he here to mock me?"
"Go offer some incense." To Salted Fish's surprise, Fangzheng took out three incense sticks and handed them to Salted Fish.
Salted Fish was taken aback as he asked, "I can offer incense too?"
"Go ahead," said Fangzheng.
Salted Fish's eyes lit up as he felt his heart warm up. He wasn't completely ostracized from the monastery after all. He was touched! Salted Fish didn't waste any time. He took the incense sticks and offered them. Then he stood there mumbling. "Aiyah, Little Brother, I heard you passed away before reaching a hundred years old. How pitiful. Look at me. I'm already alive … "
Fangzheng noticed that Salted Fish had no intention of stopping even after talking for a few minutes. From the looks of it, he was going to continue chatting until daybreak!
In ancient times, the Winter Clothes Festival offerings were different from other festivals. This day, offerings were offered before daybreak. It was better to offer offerings early rather than late. Later on, there was a change to offering offerings at noon. As it was the Ghost Festival, the Yin aura was heavy. Choosing the noon, when the Yang aura was the strongest, could suppress the Yin aura. It was better for people, especially those with weak bodies. They would choose the noon. If they didn't have time at noon, they could only do it in the morning. Choosing the afternoon was a last resort. However, Fangzheng had always chosen to offer offerings before daybreak with Zen Master One Finger, so he was used to it.
"Bam!" Before Salted Fish could finish his rambling, Fangzheng struck him on the head. Salted Fish said angrily, "What are you doing?"
"I'm getting you to offer incense, not to chat about family matters or seniority. Once you're done, move aside," said Fangzheng.
Salted Fish grunted and moved to the side.
Fangzheng lit the fire and took out the clothes. As he instructed Zen Master One Finger to collect the clothes and money, he burned them one by one. Following that, he burned some paper money …
By the time everything was done, it was almost daybreak. He called Monkey, and the two struck the bell and drum to welcome the arrival of a new day.
When the sun rose over the horizon, Fangzheng also began to get busy. He had bought some noodles yesterday, kneaded the dough in the kitchen, rolled it flat, and folded it. He then used a knife to cut it into thin strips. This was the hand-rolled noodles commonly eaten by northeastern farmers. He opened the pot and poured in water. When it boiled, he sprinkled some bamboo shoots, added some oil and salt, and then added the noodles.
When the noodles entered the water, they looked like tiny silver dragons that stirred bubbles in the pot.
By the side, Squirrel gulped his saliva and stared at the pot. He asked, "Master, is this the food for Winter Clothes Festival?"
Fangzheng smiled. "That's right. Different places have different foods on Winter Clothes Festival. Over here, many people eat noodles. Besides, this is the only thing our monastery has at the moment. "
Squirrel didn't mind. Having been in the monastery for so long, he had eaten dumplings and mantou, but this was the first time he was eating noodles.
When the noodles were cooked, Fangzheng scooped them out and gave each person a big bowl. However, he didn't let them help. Following that, Fangzheng took out a handful of vegetables and sprinkled them into the pot. When the water boiled, the vegetables instantly turned tender green. Then, they were scooped out and placed into bowls. Finally, Fangzheng poured soy sauce on each person, and a bowl of clear soup noodles was done.
Squirrel looked at the huge bowl in front of him and found it especially beautiful. The white noodles matched with the green vegetables, and the soy sauce that hadn't been mixed yet. The scene was beautiful. He looked up at Fangzheng and asked, "Master, can we eat it?"
But when he looked up, he realized that Fangzheng had already picked up the bowl and was eating!
Squirrel didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his personal bowl, happily jumped off the stove, and ran to the table to eat.
The cold wind was biting to the bone, but eating a bowl of hot noodle soup seemed to block out all the cold. Instantly, the cold winter didn't seem cold anymore. The only thing that wasn't right was that One Finger Monastery's backyard was filled with slurping noodle slurping and soup drinking. It broke the monastery's tranquility and style …
After breakfast, Fangzheng stood on the mountaintop and looked down the mountain. The villagers at the foot of the mountain had also woken up. They didn't choose to pay respects to their ancestors before daybreak, but at noon. Therefore, they typically didn't wake up so early. Upon hearing the rooster crow and human voices, Fangzheng stroked his chin and mumbled. "It's time to go out for a walk."
With that said, Fangzheng returned to One Finger Monastery and gathered his disciples to inform them that he was going out.
Just as Red Boy was about to raise his hand, he heard a shout. "I'll go!"
He saw Salted Fish jump onto the table and shout. Although Salted Fish had lived for a long time, even on Mount Numinous, all he did was soak in the Numinous Mountain's pool. He never left. It wasn't easy for him to come out, and when he heard that he could leave the mountain, his eyes immediately lit up! It was as though he was a person who had been in prison for ten thousand years and was about to live freely. His gaze swept across the crowd. It was as if he would fight with his life on the line if anyone dared to snatch it from him!
Others might be afraid of him, but Red Boy wasn't. He grunted and said, "I still want to go!"
When Salted Fish saw that it was Red Boy, he immediately shriveled. He was puzzled. Since he was sent here, why did they send such a fierce fellow here? He thought bitterly, "Since there's a fish, why would there be a brat!?"
Since he couldn't force it, Salted Fish pounced over and hugged Red Boy's thigh, wailing. "Jingxin, don't vie with me this time. You don't know how tough it is for me. I've lived for so many years, but I've never left that palm-sized fish pond. It wasn't easy for me to leave, so let me go out and take a look. Boohoo … "Towards the end, he teared up in a pitiful manner.
When Squirrel saw this, he wiped his tears and tugged at Lone Wolf's ear to wipe his snot.
Lone Wolf slapped him to the ground and kicked with his hind legs, burying Squirrel with snow.
Red Boy looked at Salted Fish. It didn't look like he was acting, and it was at least seventy to eighty percent real. Upon seeing this, he frowned. "That will depend on Master."
Salted Fish immediately charged at Fangzheng, but Fangzheng shot a glance at Red Boy, who was covered in snot and tears. He hurriedly shouted. "Don't come over!"
Salted Fish instantly stopped in his tracks and looked pitifully at Fangzheng. Amidst his grievance, there was a hint of determination. It was as though he was saying: If you don't let me go, I'll rub myself all over you! I'll even spit on you!
Fangzheng could also tell that Salted Fish was truly suffocating. His heart softened as he said, "In that case, bring Salted Fish down the mountain."
The moment that was said, Red Boy spread out his hands. However, Salted Fish jumped up in joy. As though performing a magic trick, a walking stick appeared in his hand. The walking stick allowed him to play with it. "Haha, that's great!"
Fangzheng raised his hand and slapped him, telling him to behave. Then he said seriously, "I can bring you down the mountain, but This Penniless Monk has a request."
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