Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
“You deserve something for saving Sun Mengmeng. There is quite a lot of merit regarding this matter. It’s still possible to draw. However, you later transmitted the image of the human traffickers to Lu Liang. The case isn’t over and there will be results in the future. If those human traffickers are caught and the children rescued, the merit will merge with what happened today. If you chose to draw, that means you are take the initiative to admit that the matter is over. As a result, the subsequent merit will have nothing to do with you,” answered the System leisurely.
Fangzheng was stunned. He never expected that to be the case! Fangzheng felt that no matter how he dissected what the System said, he was being scammed! It was clearly not giving him the option of letting him draw! With such great benefits in the near future dangling before him, only an idiot would draw now!
Although he kept criticizing deep down, Fangzheng gave up on the draw.
After returning to the mountaintop, Fangzheng caught a whiff of fragrance before he entered the monastery. It was the fragrance of bamboo!
“These two rascals. They were feasting while I was out risking my life to save others?!” Fangzheng was incensed.
Lone Wolf exclaimed, “It’s completely unfair! It’s unlawful! Abbot, you have to teach the two of them a lesson!”
“They? Other than Monkey, is there anyone else there?” Squirrel suddenly popped his head out from Fangzheng’s clothes.
Fangzheng was surprised. Only then did he recall that Squirrel had joined them. Squirrel had done nothing the entire time… “Squirrel, what have you been doing all this time?”
“I went with the two of you to save Mengmeng? However, the both of you ran too fast and I couldn’t stand on your shoulder. I hid inside your clothes to hide from the wind. It was warm, comfortable and snug, so I fell asleep…” Squirrel’s voice turned softer as he reached the latter half of the sentence. His tiny paws were playing with each other, he was clearly embarrassed…
Fangzheng was rendered speechless. The little guy even acted bashful. But indeed, he would have been more suited to stay at home!
After entering through the main door and into the backyard, he saw Monkey sitting in a chair, one leg raised over the other as he peeled the bamboo shoots. There was a hoe not far away from him and in a box, there were a bunch of them that had not yet been peeled. There were peeled bamboo shoots placed to the side. However, the bamboo shoots were missing something…
Monkey finished peeling one. Then, he snapped off a piece and threw it in his mouth. It tasted fabulous. Fangzheng now understood why the bamboo shoots were incomplete.
Monkey jumped in fright upon hearing noise. When he saw that it was Fangzheng and company, he ran over. “Abbot Fangzheng, did you save her? Also, I’m preparing lunch for all of you. Look at all I’ve done!”
Fangzheng patted Monkey on the head, “Not bad. The table is still broken and has not yet been fixed. Return the hoe and while there, go to Sun Qiancheng’s house to borrow a hammer and a few nails. Er… Forget the hammer, the nails are more important.”
Monkey did not think much of it as he ran off. He did not see that in the monastery behind him, three heads—a bald head, a dog’s head, and a squirrel head, one above the other—stretched out. They watched Monkey run until he disappeared from their sights before grinning.
Fangzheng smiled, “Alright, the one that did not do any work has gone down the mountain. It’s time to have a celebratory feast! Let’s begin!”
Hence, the trio ran into the backyard and picked up the bamboo shoots. They wiped them clean and began munching. They tasted fragrant and sweet. The more they ate, the more they wanted. It was addictive… Fangzheng gave Sun Qiancheng a call, informing him about the nails. Since he had found his daughter, a few nails was fair to ask right?
They enjoyed wolfing down the bamboo shoots but as Monkey was not human, he only took half an hour for a return trip unlike a human who would take more than an hour just to climb up the mountain.
They had a great time eating and forgot the time. As they ate, they heard a series of footsteps. Monkey had returned!
The moment Monkey entered the backyard, he saw the three assholes squatting by the side, having nearly finished all the bamboo shoots he had arduously peeled the entire morning! Fangzheng felt killing intent. He stuffed the bamboo shoot in his hand right into Lone Wolf’s agape jaws, stood up and gave a Buddhist proclamation. “Amitabha, How can the both of you eat the bamboo shoots peeled by Monkey? Such behavior should not be tolerated! Amitabha, it can only be right. Ah… Yawn. This Penniless Monk is tired.”
Fangzheng returned to his meditation room and closed the door. All he heard was Monkey’s furious screeching, followed by sounds of poles being thrown around. Lone Wolf yelped as Squirrel squeaked…
Fangzheng shook his head. “So much violence!”
Fangzheng returned to his bed and fell asleep the moment his head hit the bed. Although it looked easy, repeated casting of the divine powers made Fangzheng’s mind groggy. It had not improved over time. Fangzheng fell asleep the moment lay down. He dreamed of something but failed to remember.
In the evening, Fangzheng woke up. He was astonished to smell the fragrance of Crystal Rice! He ran into the kitchen and saw Squirrel handing out instructions on the roof beam. Lone Wolf was using his paws to stuff the stove with timber and Monkey was watching by the side. The three had joined forces to cook!
Only then did Fangzheng recall that back when he was blind for a few days, it was Squirrel and Lone Wolf who worked together to prepare the meals. The two were experienced and knew the process. Their limbs were not the best tools for the job but with Monkey around, that problem was solved.
Fangzheng smiled and opened the lid but was left dumbfounded. The pot was half filled with water!
“Monkey, who told you to use this much water?” asked Fangzheng bitterly.
Monkey pointed at Squirrel who covered his face. He turned around, only to show Fangzheng his fat ass.
Fangzheng smiled wryly. “Fine, let’s have congee today.”
Fangzheng mashed up some bamboo shoots. The remaining lettuce from yesterday was shredded and thrown in too. It tasted pretty good! The fragrance of the lettuce, the crispness of the bamboo shoots and the sweetness of the Crystal Rice mixed together into something delicious!
After setting dinner, Fangzheng used the nails that Monkey brought back. He lifted the table and aligned the table’s leg properly, aimed the nail and upon raising his palm, he struck it in!
Bam!
The nail went straight into the wooden board. He repeated it three times. He tested the table and although it was a little shaky, it could be used.
Once he was finished with the table a big pot of lettuce congee was served. The human and the three animals began wolfing down the food.
The night passed by uneventfully. On the second day, Fangzheng was delighted to see a few more green bamboo stalks by the corner of the yard. He looked out the window and there was already a tiny bamboo forest! With growth of that speed, it would not even take a month for the mountain to grow a lush bamboo forest!
Such a large bamboo forest was not something he could hide. Before the two days were up, someone from the construction team noticed. The villagers also heard of it, and soon, all the villages in the area learned of it! It was something noticeable for bamboo to appear in the northeast!
Thus…