Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 63 Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet
"Loquat is a seasonal fresh fruit, and honeydew is made from honey collected from wildflowers around the temple. It looks quite appetizing."

Ji Yun, seeking coolness, was the first to pick up a loquat slice and put it in her mouth. She found that the sweet and sour taste of the loquat and the rich aroma of the honey blended perfectly, and the cool taste was especially refreshing on a hot summer day.

"Stewed fresh mushrooms," Han Ziyu recommended. "I heard they were picked from the mountains behind Fawang Temple, and they taste extremely delicious."

Lu Beigu nodded slightly, and then began to taste it.

The brown mushrooms are coated in amber-colored fermented brine. The first taste is of fermented brine, followed by the burst of mushroom umami flavor in the mouth, which is surprisingly satisfying, almost like eating meat.

"That's really good," he exclaimed.

"This stir-fried water chestnuts with pine nuts is also excellent." Lu Guangyu pointed to another dish, "The water chestnuts are crisp and sweet, the pine nuts are fragrant and crunchy, and the cooking time is just right."

Lu Beigu took a bite as instructed, and it was indeed crisp and refreshing. The oily aroma of pine nuts and the sweetness of water chestnuts blended perfectly. Not only was the stir-frying here much better than other places, but he also noticed that the portion sizes of each dish were actually quite generous, clearly intended to allow diners to enjoy more flavors while eating their fill.

"Huh? This eggplant? There's a hidden world inside!"

Ji Yun picked up a piece of braised eggplant and discovered that the seemingly ordinary eggplant was actually stuffed with something inside.

"This is a secret recipe from the dining hall of Fawang Temple. The eggplant is hollowed out, filled with chopped shiitake mushrooms and tofu, and then cooked with a homemade sauce."

Lu Beigu, busy cooking, remained silent, picked up a large mouthful of braised eggplant stuffing and put it on top of the rice to eat together.

The eggplant melts in your mouth, the filling is fresh and juicy, and the sauce is rich but not greasy, making it a perfect accompaniment to rice!
Then he tried the stewed bottle gourd. This food didn't quite suit Lu Beigu's taste, but bottle gourds were quite expensive in the Song Dynasty. In Kaifeng, they could even sell for ridiculously high prices, and he didn't know why.

After tasting the four hot dishes, Lu Beigu couldn't help but exclaim, "The monks of Fawang Temple have truly exquisite culinary skills. They can elevate ordinary vegetarian dishes to such a level. They are truly skilled!"

Although Sichuan in this era did not have the classic Sichuan dishes of today, chili peppers had not been introduced to China, and broad bean paste had not been invented, the taste of these dishes was in no way inferior to that of modern Sichuan dishes with various seasonings, and was even more delicious.

"Yes."

At this moment, Han San Niang said with a smile, "Every year when I come to Hejiang, besides watching the Buddha Bathing Festival, I also come for this vegetarian meal."

The two cold dishes were particularly unique.

Pickled water bamboo shoots with plums are sweet and sour, making them very appetizing. The water bamboo shoots are crisp and tender, and the sourness of the plums is perfectly balanced. Lotus root slices with ginger and vinegar are as thin as cicada wings. The fragrance of lotus root is mixed with ginger and vinegar, making it very appetizing.

Before we knew it, most of the dishes on the table had been eaten.

Lu Beigu had already finished three bowls of rice, and then scooped out half a bowl of jade tofu soup. The soup was clear as jade, the tofu was tender as cream, and there were a few slices of fresh bamboo shoots and mushrooms at the bottom.

He lowered his head and sipped, the delicate texture of the tofu mixed with the freshness of the mountains and fields instantly spreading on his tongue, and a faint pine fragrance lingered in his throat after swallowing.

Just as he was drinking soup to aid digestion, he suddenly felt that the surroundings had become quiet.

This is not normal. Even if everyone is talking in low voices, it shouldn't suddenly stop.

Lu Beigu looked up and saw that everyone's eyes were focused on a group of people who had just entered through the door.

The leader was a young man wearing a long robe, which was bulging with muscles.

Behind the burly young man, someone was staring at Lu Beigu with hostility.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be He Cong, whom I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Why are you looking at me so jealously? Is it because I'm handsome?" Lu Beigu asked, rubbing his stomach with some confusion.

He has been eating well with Li Pan recently, which has effectively improved his nutritional status. He has indeed become healthier from being skin and bones when he transmigrated, and his face has also recovered from being thin and haggard to being as handsome as it should be.

As for He Cong, to be honest, Lu Beigu had no idea where the other party's resentment came from, and had never even regarded him as an opponent.

However, the focus at the scene is clearly not on He Cong, and it's no use for He Cong to glare at the sky with his eyes popping out of their sockets.

"Brother Han, is this a case of surrendering before even fighting? How did you end up with such a bunch of worthless scoundrels?"

The burly young man clearly had a long-standing grudge against Han Ziyu, and he didn't hold back at all when he spoke.

"Xianzhen".

Han Ziyu stared coldly at her, forcefully slamming down the bamboo chopsticks, the porcelain cup making a crisp clinking sound.

“Fawang Temple is a pure place; do not imitate the behavior of street thugs.”

Ji Yun, sitting next to Lu Beigu, introduced him in a low voice: "He is a young talent from the Xian family of Luzhou."

There's a story behind the surname "Xian".

The Xian family settled in Luzhou during the Eastern Han Dynasty and became a prominent local family during the Wei and Jin Dynasties. During the early Tang Dynasty, Xian Wang, a child prodigy in the family, passed the imperial examination in the Zhenyuan era of Emperor Dezong of Tang and served as the magistrate of Hejiang County. Today, Hejiang County still has the "Reading Rock" where he studied in his youth and the academy left behind where he retired to Anle Mountain in Hejiang in his later years to teach. As a result, the Xian family also has a lot of ancestral property in Hejiang County.

By the time of the Song Dynasty, the Xian family had become even more prominent. Xian Han and his son Xian Zhao had both passed the imperial examinations and returned home in glory, thus giving their village the name "Yijin Township" (meaning "Hometown of Brocade"). Countless members of the family held military positions, making them arguably the most illustrious family in Luzhou. Xian Zhen, though seemingly rough and rugged, was actually quite meticulous and his scholarship far surpassed that of Han Ziyu. He was one of the few in the state academy who frequently entered the top-ranking students.

It's fair to say that the two are arch-rivals.

"Hahaha, how could I possibly lie in the pure land of Buddhism?"

Xian Zhen laughed loudly upon hearing this. He suddenly reached out and pressed He Cong's shoulder: "I heard our Hejiang County School Chief point people out and introduce people outside the door. If Brother Han hadn't been unable to gather enough people at the last minute, why would he have even brought in the least qualified people from the county school to fill the ranks?"

Currently, the vast majority of those dining in the dining hall come from wealthy and leisurely families in various counties of Luzhou, and are mostly young people. Therefore, many of them have actually gotten to know each other after participating in the Zen Forest Gathering over the past few years.

Upon hearing this, the onlookers began to murmur amongst themselves.

Upon hearing this, He Cong's face turned pale.

Xian Zhen's words, though seemingly complimentary, were actually putting He Cong in a very difficult position.

After all, it's one thing to whisper and point at people outside the door, but if the behavior is made public, regardless of whether what was said is right or wrong, He Cong's actions are not gentlemanly and will be despised by everyone present.

As expected, He Cong hurriedly waved his hand: "Young Master is joking, I am merely..."

"How?"

Xian Zhen turned and glanced at him, and He Cong immediately fell silent.

At this moment, Han San Niang suddenly chuckled softly. She twirled the celadon cup with her fingertips, causing the old tea in the cup to ripple with fine waves.

"Who is stronger and who is weaker, and who is inferior, can be determined at the Zen gathering later. Why waste words here?"

"Moreover," she paused deliberately, "I've read Young Master Lu's 'The Heavenly River Water,' an excellent piece in both conception and writing style. I've never heard of this top scholar from Hejiang County having any other major works."

He Cong didn't dare to get angry at Xianzhen, but he didn't need to worry too much about them. At this moment, the veins on his forehead were throbbing, and he was about to say something when a sound suddenly came from the corner.

The brown-robed monk who had previously served the dishes stood before the Buddha shrine, tapping his katana three times with a light touch: "Inside the Five Contemplations Hall, one should remember the difficulty of coming from here."

This reminder was like a bucket of cold water poured over their heads. These great benefactors and patrons had donated a lot to the Dharma King Temple, but that didn't mean they could do whatever they wanted here.

After all, in the Song Dynasty at that time, the common people generally believed in Buddhism, and Buddhist temples held a very high status.

These young people are able to become major benefactors, benefactors, and merit donors by spending their families' money. It's just that their names are on the list. If they really cause trouble in the temple, it will be a big problem for them, so it's completely unnecessary.

So Zhen snorted coldly and led his men to the farthest table.

As He Cong was leaving, he glanced at Lu Beigu with a sinister look, only to see him intently eating the Jade Soup with a spoon.

“Brother Lu, you have quite the composure,” Lu Guangyu said in a low voice. “He Cong was clearly after you.”

Lu Beigu slowly wiped the corner of his mouth: "How can we fight on an empty stomach? Thank you, Han Sanniang, for your help earlier."

In fact, Lu Beigu did not regard He Cong as any opponent, but since the other party had repeatedly provoked him, he had no choice but to retaliate at this Zen gathering, lest others think he was weak and easily bullied.

After all, even a clay figure has a temper!

"That's because my third sister can't stand seeing a handsome young man suffer."

Han Ziyu was in a great mood and smiled as she poured tea for everyone.

"Brother!"

Han San Niang scolded playfully.

She picked up a pine nut and threw it, which hit Han Ziyu on the back of her hand.

Amidst the light laughter of the crowd, a deep and resonant bell suddenly rang out from the temple.

Before we knew it, it was noon.

The brown-robed monk from before came out from behind and stood in the center of the hall, raising his voice.

"It is past noon. If you have eaten well, please move forward to collect your walking sticks, sun hats, water bags, and insect repellent sachets. If you have not eaten well, you may continue with your vegetarian meal. We will depart after 3:45 noon."

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① 犍稚, a timekeeping instrument used in temples, also known as 犍锤 or 犍锤.

(End of this chapter)