Chapter 109: Bathing Buddha
Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
When Liu Yuan blew at the bowl of congee, she caught a whiff of the Laba Congee’s fragrance. When she looked at the gorgeous lotus seeds and the various Buddha and arhat in them, her eyes were filled with shock! She had never seen such exquisite congee in all her life! Furthermore, the fragrance it suffused was enough to leave her stomach’s insides groaning from a mere whiff, so how would it be when she took a bite at it?
At that moment, Tan Juguo said with a laugh, “Alright, stop looking at it. Dig in. We brought enough bowls, so don’t just watch. Have your meal. I never expected that this kid, Fangzheng, actually had such skills. Hehehe.”
When Liu Yuan heard that, she blushed. Although she wanted to eat it, she was a little embarra.s.sed. She quickly handed the bowl to Tan Juguo and ran to get her scoop of congee with bowl in hand.
At that moment, the rest arrived as well. When everyone caught a whiff of the fragrance, their stomachs no longer had any doubts. They rushed over to be given the congee. They gulped the congee down their stomachs, and unending praises ensued. However, there were also people who were cursing when they heard that each person was only allowed one bowl.
There were also people feeling regret.
“Aiyah, I would have drunk it slowly if I had known that. Great, now with me finis.h.i.+ng it in one gulp, all I can do is smell the fragrance,” Dog Song lamented. He had been a little petty. He planned on finis.h.i.+ng it quickly and get a second serving. He had thought, ‘There could be no loss in having more!’
When he finished the congee, the people around him had not even begun. The fragrance inundated his olfactory senses as he felt his stomach growling. He could not help but salivate. As for turning his head to not watch? There were people on the other side having the congee. Turning his head again, there were still people! Therefore, he could only look up. But that fragrance…
“Why does it feel like I came here to suffer?” Tan Yong came beside Dog Song and said with a sigh.
Dog Song said, “Stop talking to me. I’m holding my breath!”
Tan Yong: “#@$#!”
At the same time, there were people down and out on the other side.
“Tan Ming, didn’t you say that there won’t be anything nice on the mountain? Didn’t you say to eat more in the morning so that we don’t have to eat up here? Where are the bowls? Where are the bowls for our family?” Liang Yu glared at Tan Ming angrily.
Tan Ming, who had been bragging to Ma Yuan moments ago, was looking ashamed. “Laba Congee… About that, who knew that such a tiny temple could produce such fragrant Laba Congee? Anyway, it might only smell nice but not be delicious.”
“Tan Ming, you are just being stubborn! Fine, you said it’s not delicious? Then, stay here by yourself and watch!” With that said, Liang Yu left. In a while, she borrowed a big bowl from Ma Yuan’s family and got a bowl of congee. She then went right beside Tan Ming and blew at the surface as she sniffed in the fragrance. She picked up an emerald green lotus seed with her chopsticks and marveled, “How beautiful. Tan Ming, look, there’s a Buddha carved on it. Look at how nicely it is carved.”
Tan Ming stole a look at the congee in Liang Yu’s bowl and after looking at the lotus seed, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He stopped breathing and chuckled, “It might only smell nice and look good. I’m certain it’s unpalatable.”
“Gululu!”
“Unpalatable, huh? Hehe, look who’s stomach is growling,” Liang Yu commented.
Tan Ming turned his head away as if that sound had been a toad’s croak that had nothing to do with him.
Liang Yu immediately carried the bowl to the other side and waved the lotus seed in front of Tan Ming, “Are you really not eating? Really? Then, I’m eating it!”
With that said, Liang Yu placed it into her mouth. The lotus seeds were not any ordinary lotus seed. They were grown at the foot of Mount Numinous. They were fragrant and refres.h.i.+ng to the taste. Once she bit down on one, it gave an audible crack that effused flavor at the tip of her tongue. That mesmerizing feeling made Liang Yu subconsciously close her eyes as she exclaimed, “Tan Ming, I guarantee you that this is the most delicious lotus seed I have ever eaten in my life! Also, thank you.”
“What are you thanking me for?” Tan Ming was feeling perplexed. Was his wife mad? However, from the way Liang Yu was enjoying herself, he could not help but salivate. The problem was that he had bragged too much, so how could he take back his words? Tan Ming, who refused to undermine his position, stubbornly endured it.
Liang Yu did not explain further as she began slurping the congee. When the congee entered her mouth, the flavor of the eighteen ingredients fused together, making it richer and more p.r.o.nounced than a single lotus seed. The fragrance and sweetness prevented her from stopping. Liang Yu, who had very good table manners, ignored her image and gulped down the congee in a shocking turn of events!
Then, she smacked her lips and blew at Tan Ming. She laughed and said, “Hehe, it feels great! Keep sitting there by yourself then!”
With that said, Liang Yu left.
She left Tan Ming behind, and he rubbed his stomach. His saliva swirled in his mouth as he imagined the taste and flavors of the congee.
At that moment, Liang Yu came back with a bowl. She sat beside Tan Ming and chuckled, “Tan Ming, look at this. What’s this? Green beans! Look, it suffuses light even under the sun. How pretty!”
“They must be genetically modified.” Tan Ming was truly suffering from his cravings by now. Although Liang Yu had been teasing him with her words, he could see the reactions of the villagers. All of them were heaping praise on the congee. The number of requests for a second bowl came like waves that nearly inundated the young monk! This scene was absolutely not faked. Even a fool would know that the congee was truly delicious! At least, he had never seen such a scene at Baiyun Monastery.
However, his dignity! Dignity! For his dignity, Tan Ming endured it!
However, Liang Yu knew Tan Ming very well. She came beside Tan Ming and said with a chuckle, “Genetically modified? I’m telling you that Dad and Mom have already said that Fangzheng never goes down the mountain. All the food on the mountain is given by the villagers. Also, the temple has only a tiny field. If we are talking about genetically modified crops, they might be sold all around the country, but definitely not here. Of course, the main thing is that it’s truly delicious! Even if such a delicious thing is genetically modified, I would still eat it-”
“Ok, eat what you want to eat. Stop lingering around me, alright?” Tan Ming was feeling a little infuriated.
Liang Yu wasn’t afraid of him as she continued facing him. She picked up a red date and placed it by Tan Ming’s mouth. “Take a whiff of it. Doesn’t it smell good?”
Tan Ming took a whiff of the fragrance and immediately, his stomach began growling. His eyes were already red as he gnashed he teeth and said, “Liang Yu, you are playing with fire!”
“Hehe, bite me if you have what it takes!” Liang Yu said provocatively.
“Dad is here!” Tan Ming said.
The moment Liang Yu turned her head, she felt the weight in her hand disappear. Turning her head back, she saw that Tan Ming had already stood up. He decisively said, “This is boring. I’m going elsewhere to take a look.”
Liang Yu noticed that the red date in her hand was gone. She scolded him teasingly, “You only know how to suffer because of that dignity of yours! You bragged about Baiyun Monastery so much earlier and now, you are feeling embarra.s.sed about having the congee? Tan Ming, stop thinking so much of your dignity and money all day. This is your hometown. The people here watched you grow up. There’s no point in faking it. Isn’t it better to live free?”
Tan Ming’s body quivered slightly as he waved his hand and said, “That’s how I am. That cannot be changed. I’m going into the temple to take a look.”
Having said that, Tan Ming came to the temple’s entrance. He saw a circular disc placed on the table. There were lotus flowers in it with a golden Buddha statue in the middle. Some villagers would come and use a scoop to pour scented water over the Buddha statue after having the Laba Congee.
What surprised Tan Ming was that no matter how rowdy it was outside, people who bathed the Buddha statue and walked into the temple would immediately turn quiet. Their faces would have a look of tranquility and peace. Their eyes appeared as if they had been enlightened about something or as if they had seen through certain things. Or at least as if certain doubts had been answered. They looked happy and unrestrained.