Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The kitchen of the Great National Temple was large and spacious. The supervising monk pointed to a room and said to them, “This is where the two of you will prepare the dishes. Thank you for your help.” He even expressed his gratitude.

There were young monks busy in the nearby kitchen. Presumably, for the sake of segregating men and women, they had placed Ye Zhan and the others in a distant corner kitchen.

Ye Zhan checked and found all the necessary cooking utensils inside. It was worthy of the Great National Temple, with a complete range of seasonings comparable to the five-star hotel where she had worked before she was transported here. She nodded and said, “You can trust me.”

After speaking, she casually picked up a radish from the chopping board and began peeling it. The long rectangular radish peel fell off perfectly as she rotated it.

The supervising monk knew this pilgrim had not been boasting and thanked her, “There are over a hundred pilgrims in total. I appreciate your help.” The abbot had mentioned that the temple monks could make do with hastily cooked large pots of food, but the pilgrims should not be neglected.

Ye Zhan was quick-handed, and Peng Rui was a good assistant, pouring millet into an iron basin for washing and preparing to steam rice.

The radishes were cut into cylindrical shapes, filling a large basin. After blanching to remove the odor, they were cooked in a thick sauce, simmered over low heat until thoroughly tender.

Seeing the bean sprouts, Ye Zhan decided to make another dish, “Scrambled Vegetarian Shrimp.”

This dish involved trimming the ends of the soybean sprouts, coating them in a batter of flour and cornstarch, and then deep-frying them.

Once the batter turned a light brown, she immediately fished them out of the oil.

Next, she prepared the sauce, mixing soy sauce and sugar with other seasonings into a thickened liquid.

She heated the wok and then poured in the sauce, and once it became aromatic, she added the fried vegetarian shrimp.

Finally, she drizzled coriander oil over the top.

The supervising monk looked anxiously at the sky outside. The guards were still conducting individual checks. The pilgrims confined in the pagoda courtyard were initially curious and cooperative, but now they were gradually becoming impatient, asking, “When will this end?” and “Am I to starve?”

He had run to the kitchen countless times, hoping they could start serving food soon, and finally heard Ye Zhan announce, “It’s time to eat!”

The supervising monk was overjoyed and stepped forward, “Let me carry the dishes.”

One plate after another was brought out, and the aroma made the young monks in the nearby kitchen peek over. “It smells so good! It looks wonderful!”

The braised gluten had a glossy, bright red sauce that glistened in the sunlight; the sweet egg rolls were fluffy, small yellowish cubes that looked intriguing; the spicy baked mushrooms had a golden outer layer, giving off a cumin aroma.

A leading young monk spoke up, “Honorable Monk, can we talk about something? Can we spare some of our large-pot dishes for the pilgrims and perhaps get some of this fine food for ourselves?”

The supervising monk, holding a tray, remained stern and impartial, “No.” Monks are supposed to have strong resolve; how could they be tempted by good food?

However, Ye Zhan stepped in to smooth things over, “I’ve made plenty; there’s extra for the masters.”

At Ye Zhan’s words, the young monks, who had shrunk back into the kitchen, now eagerly awaited their share, delighted and even dancing with joy.

Ye Zhan carried the meals back, planning to search for Mi Fengniang while moving around. However, the temple, once bustling, was now empty. Only guards stood at the entrances.

She thought about checking on the eldest princess’s location but was immediately turned down by the supervising monk, “The eldest princess has her own cooks. It’s not appropriate for us to go over there.”

Ye Zhan had no choice but to give up.

Finally, it was time to eat.

The restless pilgrims gradually quieted down. Regardless of their concerns, eating took priority.

Each person got a bowl of millet mixed-grain rice. The steaming time was perfect, with each grain distinct and emitting a simple fragrance.

The dishes were served in large bowls, and everyone helped themselves.

At first glance, the appearance was appealing, and the aroma was enticing.

The pilgrims were hungry and wasted no time digging in.

As soon as they started, they realized today's vegetarian meal was truly excellent:

The tofu skins were marinated with five-spice powder and soy sauce, then knotted and fried until crispy, coated with sesame seeds.

The sesame seeds popped in the mouth, and the fragrance of five-spice filled the senses.

Then there was the crispy fried mock shrimp, which looked like ordinary soybean sprouts. After biting through the crispy fried coating, the tender and fragrant sprouts inside were just like real shrimp in both taste and texture.

The fluffy sweet egg custard melted in the mouth, leaving barely any residue, with a subtle sweetness lingering on the palate.

Surprisingly, it was seasoned with salty soy sauce, which initially seemed like an odd combination. But after dipping and tasting, the sauce enhanced the sweetness of the egg custard and balanced the monotony of the sweetness, making the dish more complex in flavor.

Biting into the braised gluten released its glossy sauce, revealing a chewy texture that made you want to pair it with a bite of millet rice.

The spicy mushrooms were deep-fried after being dusted with flour, resulting in a completely dry and crispy texture. The coating was seasoned with cumin, Sichuan pepper salt, and other flavors, making it just like eating grilled meat.

The slow-cooked radish roots soaked up the rich soy-based sauce, making them incredibly flavorful.

The pilgrims didn’t think much of this meal at first but were pleasantly surprised. Everyone asked for seconds, eating with joy and excitement.

Ye Zhan appeared preoccupied. Could Mi Fengniang have actually stolen the valuables?

She clearly denied stealing, and since the officers didn’t search her, it seems the missing valuables were just a cover-up. Thinking it over, she could only comfort herself that her mother was now with the eldest princess, and under the protection of the princess's guards, the officers wouldn’t be able to arrest her.

Peng Rui served her half a bowl of rice. “Who knows how long this will go on? You should at least eat something.”

Ye Zhan gratefully smiled at her and took the bowl.

The pilgrims soon finished their meals and praised Ye Zhan. “Young miss, you prepare excellent meals.” Some even asked where her family’s eatery was located.

Ye Zhan replied confidently, “Our stall is at the third arch of the Zhouqiao night market. My sister’s famous fried noodles are unique to Bianjing—please stop by and give us your support!”

Some pilgrims were curious and asked, “Young miss, I’ve noticed many vegetarian dishes are made to resemble meat. If you did that, it would add more interest.”

Ye Zhan shook her head. “I can do that too. For example, I can shape fried tofu skin into bird shapes, use agar to mimic shark fins, or pass lotus root slices through pieces of tofu to imitate ribs.”

The pilgrims were amazed at her skills.

“While I can make those dishes, I feel that if we’re truly committed to vegetarian cuisine, there’s no need to imitate meat. You can fool the tongue, but not the heart. If we are sincerely kind-hearted, we should abandon hypocrisy.”

Her words convinced the pilgrims wholeheartedly.

Even the young novice monks, who didn’t understand much, regretted that this female donor made such delicious food but couldn’t be hired to help in the temple kitchen. But then they thought, cultivation is a journey of enduring hardship and refining the mind. Indulging in food is not appropriate.

After the meal, the pilgrims’ restlessness was calmed, and they discussed the flavors of the dishes, recalling which one was the best.

On this otherwise uneventful afternoon, a woman’s scream pierced the air, followed by the clash of swords and guards shouting, ‘Don’t run away!’

The pilgrims suddenly fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances. Soon, they shrank back uneasily, initially thinking it was just a pickpocket, but the commotion sounded like it involved a notorious bandit.

Ye Zhan was even more worried. The scream was too far away to be heard clearly. What if it was Mi Fengniang?

Blades are merciless. What if she got hurt?

She was as anxious as an ant on a hot skillet, wishing she could fly over to see what was going on.

She waited and waited until the sounds of the fight became faint, and the officers gave the order: "The valuables have been found, the gates can be unlocked."

"Mom!" Ye Zhan couldn’t wait any longer and bolted out of the pagoda courtyard, desperate to find her.

Thankfully, she spotted Mi Fengniang after only a few steps. She appeared unharmed, though her hair accessories were slightly askew.

Ye Zhan hurriedly went up to her, asking anxiously, "Mother, are you injured?" as she looked her over.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Mi Fengniang's face was pale, but the color slowly returned to her face. "I just happened to run into some officers chasing a thief on my way back. The thief lunged at me, but thanks to the guards from the eldest princess's mansion, I was only startled and not injured."

After checking that Mi Fengniang had no external injuries, Ye Zhan felt relieved and asked, "Did the eldest princess give you any trouble?"

"Not at all. In fact, I gained her favor!" Mi Fengniang, who had gained quite a bit, spoke excitedly, "The eldest princess loved hearing me talk. When I told her how our family has been searching for you everywhere these years, she even shed tears with me."

Mi Fengniang was lucky to meet an eldest princess who loved her daughter dearly. The sight of a family who had lost their daughter and was devastated reminded the eldest princess of her own sorrow when she lost her daughter, which helped them bond.

Mi Fengniang also told the eldest princess some interesting anecdotes from the streets and alleys.

Who was Mi Fengniang, after all? As a matchmaker who walked the streets, she was skilled at observing others and flattering them, and it didn’t take long to captivate the eldest princess with her stories.

Once the temple’s lockdown was lifted, the eldest princess called for a reward and casually handed over a pouch as a gift.

This reward was far more generous than the plate of pastries she had received before. The pouch was filled with small silver ingots, and the pouch itself was valuable, made of silk fabric worth five strings of cash.

Mi Fengniang was so delighted that she showered the eldest princess with praise, promising to pray for her and the county princess’s long life at the temple.

Thrilled by the joyous event, Mi Fengniang was over the moon. "It’s all thanks to those few words I exchanged with the officers when we came back with you. Otherwise, how could we have received so many rewards?"

She avoided the flow of pilgrims heading out and pulled her daughter to the wall, whispering about her gains, "Today, I got a box of fancy pastries, a coral-red tassel, and a pouch full of small silver ingots. All together, it’s worth about thirty strings of cash."

Thirty strings of cash! Mi Fengniang was so elated that her eyes practically disappeared in her smile.

She also praised her daughter, "You’re the one bringing good fortune to our family."

Ye Zhan was puzzled. The red tassel was worth one string, the pouch five strings, the pastries two strings, and the small silver ingots were probably around seven taels. At most, there could be a dozen in the pouch, so how could it amount to twenty-two taels of silver?

Could it be...? She halted and looked at Mi Fengniang intently. "Mom, what are you not telling me?"