Food: Randomly set up stalls, even the little guy is drooling.

Chapter 80 Second Battalion Commander, bring up my Italian cannon!

Inside Kaiyuan Temple.

"These steamed buns don't taste right." The aroma of tea wafted through the meditation room, but it couldn't mask the fragrance of the vegetarian steamed buns, nor could it dispel the doubts in Chen Yuanshan's mind.

He climbed Qingzhu Mountain this morning to visit his old friend Zhenyan and reminisce about fighting side by side during the Battle of Laoshan.

During those years of gunfire, many comrades sacrificed their lives. Zhenyan was also wounded and lost a hand, making it impossible for him to continue serving in the army. He retired and became a monk, settling in Kaiyuan Temple near his hometown, where he prays for his fallen comrades every day.

Chen Yuanshan would come to visit him every few days. This time, seeing that the temple was in such a dilapidated state that it was even worse than his own lattice roof, he immediately decided to donate money for repairs, but Zhenyan rejected his offer.

After saying that, the old monk had someone bring a plate of steamed buns, saying that they were newly made in the temple and asked him to taste them. Chen Yuanshan didn't pay much attention at first. He had eaten vegetarian steamed buns from temples before, so why all the mystery about tasting them?

But one bite, and that familiar taste seeps into your bones, the incredibly soft yet chewy skin, the unbelievably fresh and crisp filling—isn't this the steamed bun that my silly grandson Chen Haoran brought back?!

At the time, Chen Haoran was smugly saying that he had spent over 1000 yuan to buy ten steamed buns, which angered his son, who is also Chen Haoran's father. But they turned out to be surprisingly delicious. The next day, Chen Haoran spent over 1000 yuan to buy ten steamed buns, which tasted exactly the same.

I don't believe you for a second! You old geezer, you're a wicked bastard! Second Battalion Commander, bring up my Italian cannon! Let's blow that lying mouth of his!

How come these steamed buns have "immigrated" to Kaiyuan Temple in just a few days?

Master Zhenyan, somewhat puzzled by his gaze, teased, "Yuanshan, you old codger, you must have gotten too picky these past few years. Even a bun like this doesn't suit your taste anymore?"

"It's eye-catching! Absolutely eye-catching!" Chen Yuanshan stuffed the remaining half of the bun into his mouth and mumbled, "I ate this bun last week! You're telling me it's newly made at your temple? Zhenyan, Zhenyan, your eyebrows and beard have all turned white, and you still want to fool me?"

"Haha, I never expected this." Zhenyan laughed, realizing he hadn't fooled his old friend. "I got this from two disciples. They said it was made by the young man who just rented a stall at our temple today."

"Good heavens!" Chen Yuanshan slapped his thigh. "Zhenyan, you dilapidated temple, your chance has come!"

Master Zhenyan was puzzled, "Why do you say that?"

"These steamed buns!" Chen Yuanshan pointed at the plate. "Didn't I just say my grandson bought them for me? And some people even wasted money buying a spot! You tasted them too, aren't they amazing? The person who made these buns is right outside your door! Just imagine, if these buns—"

Before he could finish speaking, there was a knock on the door outside the meditation room. Hai Chi said from outside, "Abbot, your disciples Hai Chi and Hai He have brought Benefactor Lu, who recently rented a stall in front of our temple, over. We have something to discuss."

Zhenyan and Chen Yuanshan exchanged a glance. Chen Yuanshan grinned and said, "Speak of the devil, and he appears. Let's hear what this kid is up to."

""

"Come in."

The door was pushed open, and Lu Feng followed Hai Chi Hai He in, his eyes clear and his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant.

Hai Chi quickly introduced, "Benefactor Lu, this is our abbot, Master Zhenyan, and this is an old friend of the abbot, Mr. Chen Yuanshan."

"Amitabha, greetings, Benefactor Lu." Zhenyan nodded slightly.

"Greetings, Master Zhenyan, and Master Chen." After bowing, Lu Feng went straight to the point and explained his purpose: "Master Zhenyan, I apologize for disturbing you by setting up a stall in front of the temple. I just heard from Master Haichi about the temple's difficulties, and I have a win-win solution."

"Oh?" Zhenyan hadn't expected this turn of events. "Please speak, Benefactor Lu."

Lu Feng continued, "I can provide your temple with a certain number of vegetarian buns every day, charging only the cost price, which your temple's dining hall can then sell on my behalf. This way, I can free up my hands, and your temple can gain profits and customers, killing two birds with one stone."

Hai Chi, listening intently, couldn't help but interject, "Abbot! That's a brilliant idea! You don't know, so many tourists came today specifically for Benefactor Lu's steamed buns! They even bought the 9.9 yuan Buddhist offering package. If our temple offered it regularly, the incense offerings would be incredible—"

"Ahem!" Zhenyan coughed lightly, and Haichi immediately shut up.

Chen Yuanshan laughed heartily, patting the armrest of his chair, "Kid, you're pretty quick-witted! I was just about to advise you, Zhenyan, I think it's a good idea! If you were selling these steamed buns, I'd be the first to buy them!"

After much deliberation, Zhenyan slowly nodded. "Amitabha. I am deeply grateful for Benefactor Lu's kind heart. I will have my Abbot Ruchen discuss this matter with you in detail."

The next day, an inconspicuous little wooden sign was hung at the entrance of Kaiyuan Temple: Limited special offer today, fragrant vegetarian buns, 10 yuan each.

Lu Feng and Master Zhenyan both thought that no matter how delicious the buns were, it wasn't a place like Fisherman's Wharf, and they would have to rely on word of mouth to slowly build up popularity.

Unexpectedly, Gu Xunguang took it upon himself to edit a short video and post it online, mainly to introduce how delicious the buns were. However, the most talked-about thing was the price of 10 yuan.

Gu Xunguang was completely dumbfounded. His account with 20,000 followers was suddenly flooded with comments.

"How much did the blogger receive? How dare they post this kind of video?"

"This blogger is just making easy money! Do they think we're blind to give shady advertisements to unscrupulous temples?"

"A vegetarian bun that's barely bigger than a xiaolongbao selling for 10 yuan is considered a good deal? Am I crazy, or is the world crazy?"

"Does Buddha know how dark you are?"

"Ha, are temples this commercialized now? Their behavior is disgusting!"

"How much are noodles and vegetables worth? It's a complete rip-off!"

The malicious comments and abusive private messages scared Gu Xunguang into quickly hiding the video, but the internet remembers everything. Some quick-fingered netizens had already recorded and reposted it, with hashtags like "#KaiyuanTempleExorbitantPriceSteamedBuns" and "#TemplesAreStartingToFleeceThePeople" trending on the local hot search list.

This minor online controversy immediately attracted the attention of "hyenas" who sensed the danger.

Zheng Zhifeng is a well-known anti-counterfeiting blogger on Douyin (TikTok), with the account name "Anti-Fake Xiao Zheng". Of course, his anti-counterfeiting efforts go beyond just exposing unscrupulous merchants and protecting consumer rights.

As the saying goes, where there is controversy, there is traffic. Exposing frauds is just a means for him to attract attention and build a persona; the essence is to chase hot topics, create conflict, and reap traffic.

When he saw the negative comments about "#Kaiyuan Temple's exorbitantly priced steamed buns", his professional instincts instantly excited him. The opportunity had arrived!

"Selling a small vegetarian bun for 10 yuan, this world is truly insane." Zheng Zhifeng smirked. "But the crazier the better, otherwise how am I supposed to make easy money?"

He could almost picture himself exposing the fraud, with comments like "Brother Feng is awesome!" and "Black-hearted temple!" flooding the comments section, along with more fans and higher advertising rates.

He'd be laughing in his sleep. But on Thursday morning, he didn't wake up laughing; his assistant slapped him across the face. "Brother Feng, I'm sorry, but you said yourself that if you couldn't get up, I'd give you two big slaps!"

"It's so painful—"

'

Zheng Zhifeng didn't expect that the temple's vegetarian buns would start selling at seven in the morning. In order to catch a batch, he actually had to get up at five-thirty. "This is also their fault!"

",