Chapter 438: Chapter 227 Meat_2
Not being able to get a spot at the trough is a local expression from Thirty Mile Camp. For example, a group of chicks or ducklings, or a litter of piglets, all eating from the same stone trough: the strong ones will dominate the best spots, eating and taking more. The weaker ones get pushed to the side, only able to eat whatever is left over after the others have finished. It’s quite an illustrative bit of local language and it’s used about people too, without the slightest negative connotation.
"The other two, give those to Xiao Tanzhi," suggested Lian Manman. Aside from the Abbot, there were other monks in the temple, all older than Xiao Tanzhi. The pancakes that had just been sent to the Abbot were likely something Xiao Tanzhi wouldn’t get a taste of.
"Alright," agreed Lady Zhang, calling out to Xiao Qi, "Xiao Qi, go call Xiao Tanzhi over."
Xiao Qi answered and ran into the temple; shortly after, he returned with Xiao Tanzhi.
Lady Zhang, with her overflowing maternal love, had Xiao Tanzhi sit on the kang and she rolled up a pancake for him until it was plump and round, and let him dip it in sauce to eat. Ever since Lian Manman’s family had opened this breakfast shop, Xiao Tanzhi had become familiar with them, and Lady Zhang often gave him something to eat. Therefore, he didn’t stand on ceremony and wolfed it down.
Lady Zhang watched, her face beaming with joy.
"Look at this robust lad with such a strong build, it’s just a pity..." without parents, he became a Little Monk.
After tidying up the shop, the family was about to head back to the old house but discovered that Xiao Qi had run off somewhere.
"I’ll go find him," Lian Manman said, "He’s probably gone into the temple to play with Xiao Tanzhi."
In the temple, aside from the stone and wooden statues, there wasn’t much else of interest, but through the eyes of a child, everything was novel and fun.
Lian Manman found Xiao Qi and Xiao Tanzhi behind a deity statue in the West Side Hall.
Xiao Qi had greasy lips and hands; Xiao Tanzhi’s mouth and hands were greasy too. Lian Manman even noticed strands of meat in Xiao Tanzhi’s mouth that he was currently chewing.
Lian Manman quickly looked around to see if anyone else was there and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw they were alone.
"Second sister, don’t tell anyone else, okay?" Xiao Qi approached Lian Manman, pleading, "Xiao Tanzhi is so pitiful, he doesn’t get to eat meat at all year-round."
Lian Manman felt a bit flustered. Xiao Qi, the little rascal, surely didn’t understand that as a monk, Xiao Tanzhi shouldn’t even be eating the smallest bit of meat any year of his life.
Xiao Tanzhi stood there somewhat blankly, having swallowed the meat in his mouth, but he still had half a spring roll in his hand, and Lian Manman could see it was still filled with meat.
"...The... Brother Monks, they sneak meat too," blurted Xiao Tanzhi, out of the blue.
Lian Manman was hardly surprised; she had long known that the monks in this temple weren’t very strict.
"What are you standing there for? Eat it quickly. If your master finds out, he’ll beat you," Lian Manman told Xiao Tanzhi.
In Yuan Tan’s eyes, there was a longing for meat, which reminded her of the way Xiao Qi looked at Lian Xiuxiu while she ate meat when she first arrived. And there were so many others, children of poor tenant farmers, whose eyes during the New Year revealed the same longing to eat a meal with meat.
Once Yuan Tan had wolfed down the rest of the spring roll, Lian Manman carefully took him and Xiao Qi back to the breakfast shop. Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and Lian Zhizhi had already returned to the old house, with Wu Lang waiting for them inside.
Lian Manman fetched some hot water, let Yuan Tan rinse his mouth, wash his hands, wash his face, making sure to erase all traces of the crime thoroughly. When Wu Lang came out from the inner room and caught a glimpse, he guessed what had happened.
"It’s all my fault. I said I was craving meat, and Xiao Qi gave it to me," Yuan Tan hung his head down and said listlessly.
Lian Manman glared and flicked Yuan Tan’s bald forehead without any mercy.
"Have you gone mad, what are you... hmph. Let’s put an end to this matter, and nobody is allowed to speak of it," Lian Manman said, "Stinky Yuan Tan, if you talk, you’re harming our Xiao Qi."
"It’s like this never happened, got it?" Lian Manman said threateningly.
"Got it," Yuan Tan and Xiao Qi both nodded repeatedly.
After locking up the shop’s doors and windows, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi headed toward the village.
"... Yuan Tan asked me what meat tastes like...," Xiao Qi pouted, kicking little stones on the road, "He said when he was even smaller, he had it once, after he saw one of his fellow disciples eating meat, and that disciple let him have a bite... I thought he seemed really eager to have some meat, so I..."
"I know you feel sorry for Yuan Tan, but he’s in the temple, no matter what, he’s a little monk," Wu Lang said earnestly, "Xiao Qi, you must remember, there can’t be a next time."
"Mhm," Xiao Qi nodded.
"It’s not just a matter for you kids," Wu Lang’s gaze drifted far away, " Anyway, remember, this can’t happen again, and if someone brings it up, you must deny it."
"Mhm," Xiao Qi nodded again.
"Brother, you’re thinking quite far ahead," Lian Manman said, looking at Wu Lang.
"Just in case, being careful is never wrong," Wu Lang said, "...Yuan Tan should be alright."
No matter the dynasty or the laws of the time, tenant farmer families stubbornly clung to a set of simple moral standards in their hearts. Sometimes, these standards even conflicted with contemporary laws.
In the world of children, secular influences were even less. For example, Xiao Qi believed that children having meat to eat was a sign of happiness. He sympathized with Yuan Tan.
Lian Manman neither made a big fuss nor blamed Xiao Qi or Yuan Tan too much, because she herself was not committed to religious beliefs. She had her own standards regarding the matter. Monks should be vegetarian, and those who willingly followed Buddhism naturally had to abide by it. But Yuan Tan never really had a choice.
So when it happened, she approached it with sympathy, only asking that it not be repeated.
Just as they reached the gate of the Lian Family, from behind the half-closed door, Lian Manman could hear the scolding voice of Lady Zhou from the courtyard.
...***...
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