Monkey nodded and said, "It's possible he does something to the water, but even more possible is that he uses this water to wash his clothes."
Fatty was startled.
Although they had all sorts of guesses, the group decided to take the trip back up before deciding. A large water bucket was filled and despite yelling with all their might, Fatty and Monkey did not manage to move the bucket an inch!
The two immediately felt embarrassed. Fatty said, "That was a joke just now. This time, we will use our true strength. Monkey, all the best!"
Monkey spat into his palms and nodded.
Jiang Ting looked at the duo doubtfully and said, "Could it be that two big men like you are unable to carry it?"
"Who says so? Look at my muscular body. Does it look like it lacks strength?" Fatty was displeased as he beckoned Monkey to use his strength.
With one person in front and one person at the back, they roared, and with reddened faces, they finally managed to lift the large water bucket unstably.
"Monkey, use some f*cking strength!" Fatty yelled.
"I'm already using all my strength, alright? How is this pail so heavy?"
"Don't you let us down at the critical juncture! Our girls are watching!"
"Go!"
Soon after the two were walking up the path in a wobbly fashion. However, when they came halfway, they saw Lone Wolf come down with two water buckets. The moment it walked past them, it cast them a look of contempt before it scampered down.
"F*ck! I'm actually getting belittled by a wolf!?" Fatty yelled indignantly.
"What wolf? It looks like a dog to me!" Monkey said through gritted teeth. He had also seen the look in the wolf's eyes.
"Right, it's a dog! A fat dog!" Fatty cursed also as the duo continued working hard.
A few minutes later, they heard a series of footsteps coming from behind them. When they looked back, they saw Lone Wolf running back after filling up two buckets of water. It overtook the two, and when it passed Fatty, it even used its tail to smack at him twice!
It infuriated Fatty, but he waited until the wolf was far away before he cursed, "If not for me being in a good mood today, I'd definitely stew you!"
As he spoke, Fatty wobbled, causing the bucket to wobble as well. Instantly, water spilled out of the bucket, splashing everywhere. Immediately, Fatty felt the bucket turn slightly lighter!
Monkey scolded, "Walk properly!"
"Got it, got it. Stop shouting. I have to look ahead," Fatty grumbled. However, he would wobble every two or three steps, spilling some water and lightening the load. Monkey quickly understood Fatty's intentions and wobbled as well. The duo took turns, spilling the water out continuously. The bucket turned light, and the two turned relaxed. They managed to lift the bucket up the mountain without any breaks and from afar, they saw a bald monk standing by One Finger Temple's entrance. He was quiet and very Buddha-like.
Fangzheng was a little astonished as well. They were clearly rich kids, yet they had managed to really carry such a large bucket up. They had truly made him look at them with increased respect. At least, he absolutely could not have done it without cultivating in the Great Strength Vajra Palm!
Only when Fatty and Monkey went through the door and placed the water bucket in front of Fangzheng to earn his credit did Fangzheng's expression blacken.
"Master, the water is here. Do we pour the water into the vat for you?" Fatty said with a puff as he wiped his sweat. He looked smug and accomplished.
Fangzheng said, "There's no need. This remaining bit of water is enough for you to each drink a kettle. It's troublesome pouring it in. So just drink from it."
Fatty was taken aback and believed Fangzheng was mocking him. He was immediately incensed and just as he wanted to flare up, he heard Monkey yell, "F*ck! Fatty, we went overboard. The water is almost gone!"
"What?" Fatty looked into the bucket and indeed, the water line was almost at the bottom of the bucket. The two looked into each other's eyes and almost teared up. They had gone through all that effort and scheming, but they were victims of their own cleverness. They had cheated themselves! The trip was for nothing!
Fatty looked pitifully at Fangzheng and said, "Master, about the water…"
Fangzheng looked at the two and then at the three girls that looked equally pitifully back at him. He shook his head empathetically, "The agreement was that you can drink as much as you want once the water vat is filled. The water vat isn't filled yet."
"Master, you can tell too. The both of them are pretty much crippled. One is crippled from being too fat and the other is crippled from being too thin. Please show some generosity and give us some water to drink, so that we can leave this mountain in peace," Jiang Ting came forward and said tenderly.
However, Fangzheng did not react at all. It was as if a beauty's wheedling was nothing to him. Unknown to them, this fellow was nearly about to curse, "You clearly know that This Penniless Monk can't hit on chicks, yet you still attempt things with me? Are you insistent on infuriating me to death?"
Hence, with a slam, the door was closed by Fangzheng, and his voice came from inside, "Everything will go in accordance with the agreement. Amitabha." What a joke. Each of them had acted like mighty lords when they entered the temple. Now, it was time for Fangzheng to have his fun!
"What do we do?" Fatty asked Monkey.
Monkey had slumped onto a step. He gritted his teeth and said, "Fatty, have we ever admitted defeat in all these years of us growing up together?"
"Never! Back then, we fought sixteen people together. We were badly battered and even broke a few bones, but we never admitted defeat. We have also fought alongside each other in the business world. Even back when we had to pick garbage and sleep on the streets, we did not admit defeat," said Fatty.
Monkey's eyes were burning with fighting spirit, "That's it then! We have never admitted defeat in our entire lives. How can we admit defeat on this matter? Isn't it just a vat of water? I'll fill it up for him! And when the time comes, I won't even drink his water! People do anything to be vindicated. And it is precisely this that I'm seeking!"
"That's right! I'll drink that portion for you!" Fatty said, showcasing his code of brotherhood!
Monkey: "$##@$#@!"
Therefore, the two went down the mountain once again. As if infected by the two, the three girls did not try to skive any further. With a small basin, they chased up to the two men. Lu Xiaoya took an additional cup, meanwhile.
This time, Monkey and Fatty did not fill the bucket with water. Instead, they carried half a bucket of water up. Although there was less, it lightened their load greatly. The two gritted their teeth and through bated breaths, finally managed to carry the water up stably.
Splash. Seeing the half a bucket of water pour into the Buddha Vat, the two were overjoyed even if the water level did not rise a lot. They had finally succeeded! This feeling of accomplishment was something the duo had not felt in a long time. This was a joy that they had experienced only when they began their entrepreneurial pursuits. It was a joy that they experienced only when they succeeded in pursuing the girls of their dreams. It was a simple happiness, yet it made them feel proud. It was a joy that came from the bottom of their hearts.
"Let's go? Continue!" Fatty felt energized and shouted.
Monkey responded, and the two carried the buckets back down the mountain.
The three girls followed and although they were all panting, none of them had any intentions of resting.
When he saw this, Fangzheng nodded secretly. His impression of the five had also begun to change for the better. At the very least, the aversion he originally had for them was gone. All that remained was a little bit of admiration. Indeed, as the saying goes, it is easy for the frugal to become extravagant but not vice versa. It was not easy for any wealthy person to suddenly suffer, especially when this suffering appeared meaningless.
At first, Fatty and Monkey had done so only to drink a mouthful of Fangzheng's Unrooted Clean Aqua. But later on, the two did it only for the exuberance they felt when pouring the bucket of water into the Buddha Vat as well as the feeling of being able to hold their heads high when walking past Fangzheng and Lone Wolf! This was most evident with Fatty. When he passed by Lone Wolf, he would shake his ass at Lone Wolf, returning the contempt he had received when he climbed up the mountain before.