"A lot of it's usually stuff that's technically forbidden," Koumyou points out, amused. "Like meat. Or just not wanted by the temple itself, like candy. And even the useful stuff-- the temple had sources for all of that in bulk, not the little that would fit in an alms bag for a full day's hike back up into the mountains. So it was easier for them to just not bother with any of the goods we brought back."

Unspoken, they probably were supposed to get rid of it. But if no one saw it, everyone had plausible deniability.

"Part of what we were doing was setting up those bulk donations, too. Most temples grow a lot of their own food, but nothing grew that high up in that kind of year-round freeze."