I was a charlatan in India

Chapter 117 3 Dishes and 1 Soup

Surya hosted his guests not in a market restaurant or a mansion, but in a place called "Mandapo," a venue characteristic of ancient India.

The so-called Mandapo is a typical colonnaded hall.

These places typically offer a wide view, have flat terrain, and are surrounded by courtyards or gardens, making them a dual symbol of power and wealth.

During the Gupta period, only Kshatriyas who controlled large tracts of land would typically build such structures; even Brahmin families, who were theoretically of a higher rank, might not possess them.

After all, land is extremely valuable to religious families. Apart from the necessary living environment, they would like to monetize every piece of land, and even invest in the crown prince in order to transform the family.

What good is a high position? Having soldiers, power, and at the very least, money—that's the real deal.

The Mandapo of the Surya family is naturally the best location in Varanasi.

It is well-connected in all directions, open to the north and south, and even faintly resembles half of the colossal statue.

With a slight tilt of the head, it felt as if the entire city lay prostrate at one's feet.

In the center of the hall is a slightly elevated platform surrounded by shallow pools of water, which is not only aesthetically pleasing but also helps regulate the temperature of the surrounding area.

This is the main venue for entertaining guests, with tables and chairs arranged on the side.

Surya sat in the main seat, with a full retinue behind him, peacock feather fans and golden branches intertwined, creating a magnificent spectacle.

Shenhe and Mahata sat on the left and right, their seats with exquisite cushions, offering a comfort no less than that of a modern private club room.

Keep in mind that this happened two thousand years ago.

The other eminent monks took their seats in turn. The seats were spacious, and soft cushions were placed beneath them.

If they wish, they can even sit cross-legged in meditation.

While not as luxurious as the top three, it is still considered to be of a very high standard.

Ajiru Tuo was seated in the lowest position.

the reason is simple.

Surrey disliked him.

If he weren't afraid of losing face, he would have even considered removing the prayer mat.

What kind of status does he have? He's even more impressive than me, young master! Pshaw!

Ajita himself didn't care, but he suppressed his curiosity and neither tested Shenhe nor inquired about Surya.

The former, of course, was to save their own lives.

The latter...

He wanted to keep some surprises for himself.

He wasn't interested in Surya's power; he was more interested in what delicious food the other party had prepared.

If you can glimpse the answer beforehand, then that unknown thing will also leave you.

Whenever he gets the answer easily, Ajita feels that life is boring.

However, he was perfectly clear about why he was being targeted.

He's considering getting a new hairstyle.

Soon, a group of graceful maids entered in single file, carrying trays of food and accompanied by a fragrant breeze.

As we have mentioned, the monastic communities of ancient India were not quite the same as those of modern Buddhism; not all of them practiced fasting and shaving their heads.

At that time, it was not considered impolite to eat meat and fish in front of monks.

Judging from the looks in the eyes of some of them, they had clearly tasted meat before and were extremely envious.

A slightly overweight monk, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily, stared intently at a plate of baked flatbreads garnished with meat filling.

Another young monk quickly lowered his head and silently recited scriptures, but his tightly pursed lips and slightly reddened ears betrayed his inner struggle.

Amitabha Buddha, your disciple is about to break the precepts again, hehehehe.

Shenhe was somewhat helpless. He looked at the sauce on the food and complained inwardly.

"They didn't even bother to provide gloves. This level of hygiene... I'm not going to become the first god in history to get an upset stomach, am I?"

The rest of the people stared longingly at their master.

Upon seeing this, Mahata smiled and nodded, indicating that it was alright.

Of course, since Mahata had spoken, some vegetarian dishes should be prepared.

Although Surya was very petty in her targeting of Ajita, she did not cause any trouble with the food.

He instructed his men to bring the most precious ingredients from his home so that these new monks could have a good look at their surroundings!

Soon, the vegetarian dishes arrived.

The maids served the dishes to each table with smiles on their faces, and even Shenhe and Suliye each received a plate.

"Great Virtue, this is the thread for mixing merit."

Shenhe's smile froze instantly.

Wait, this side dish...

Isn't this the bizarre little package that the ascetic factory uses to harass monks?

He had a bad feeling.

Surrey didn't seem to care.

Because when he was working on repairing the factory, the servants had arranged for the offerings of the merit ball, and he was unaware of it.

The silver lid was lifted, revealing a striking red and green hue.

The maidservant bowed gracefully and introduced the guests to Surya.

"This dish is made using a rare and precious 'merit ball'."

"The blue part is the 'merit ball' strand, with the addition of ginger, mustard seeds, and long pepper powder."

As the maid explained, Surieh straightened his crank.

He was extremely proud.

Hmph, only those who follow me are worthy to enjoy this unparalleled dish.

You guys haven't tried it, have you?

The maid continued, "The flavor is very...unique."

She was somewhat embarrassed.

Because the waitresses are obligated to taste the food before it is served.

The purpose is threefold: first, to test for toxins; second, to filter out less successful dishes; and third, to provide a better introduction.

However, these merit ball threads are really not tasty.

Not to mention it also contains shredded ginger.

If the ingredients hadn't been so precious, the maid would probably have vomited it up on the spot.

She didn't even know how to introduce it properly, so she could only use a unique excuse.

Surie was naturally dissatisfied with this unflattering wording and glared at the maid, but when he saw her pretty face, his gaze quickly turned greasy and greedy.

Following that, the Masala Delight Balls, Delight Ball Soup, and Delight Ball Rice were naturally served in the same manner.

It can be said that a gathering of wise men and women was present.

Karma in this lifetime!

Shenhe sighed softly.

Luckily, he wasn't a monk and could eat meat.

The good news is that this time the scrambled eggs weren't eaten by the maids; they were served properly to everyone's table.

Three dishes and a soup, quite disciplined.

Moreover, these monks had no complaints.

In fact, apart from Shenhe, everyone present was very curious about the merit ball dish in front of them, even Ajiru Tuo.

Hmm... even Surrey is eager to try.

He had never actually tried this before.

I was already quite curious about the merit ball on the field, but I didn't expect it to be a delicacy!

If there weren't outsiders present, and if he didn't want to reveal that he hadn't tried it before, Suliye would have already taken a bite.

Aqilu Tuo couldn't contain himself any longer and grabbed the fried merit ball shreds with one hand, stuffing them into his mouth.

For him, the unknown was the greatest temptation; nothing was more irresistible than the limited unknown.

All eyes were on them.

Mahata asked curiously, "Ajita, how does it taste?"

Aqilu Tuo savored the taste, his expression remaining unchanged.

After a moment, he nodded slightly and said, "Indeed unique."

Upon hearing this, Mahata curiously stretched out his fingers and, with great poise, took a few and put them into his mouth.

Chew, chew, chew...

His mouth paused for a moment, then he straightened his face and continued chewing while recommending Shenhe.

"But it has something extraordinary about it, Your Excellency, is it...?"

Just as Mahata was about to pull Shenhe River into the water, he saw the other person wiping his mouth with a piece of bread and chewing on a piece of meat.

"You guys eat first, you guys eat first."

The narrow, perfunctory path of Shenhe.

I don't know what a cactus tastes like, but ginger slices definitely don't taste good.

You two monks are wicked; you can't get along with them, you can't get along with them.

Speaking of which, the spices from India have a really strong smell; they could be used as pepper spray in modern times.

Surya also gestured to the maid to bring him some merit balls, but after taking a couple of bites, the smile on his face froze.

"Damn it, isn't this a slap in the face?"

He made no attempt at politeness or pretense, and immediately slammed his hand on the table and stood up.

"Who cooked this? Bring them here!"