Chapter 447: Making Zongzi
Lin Anan’s confinement lasted for forty-two days.
By the time I came out of confinement, it was already the end of May.
The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and the Northwest has entered midsummer, with even the air carrying a scorching warmth.
After Lin Anan took a comfortable bath, she felt like she was alive again, getting rid of the stinky smell and becoming fragrant again.
The old locust tree in the corner of the yard opened its canopy, and the light that leaked through it swayed on the ground like floating gold foil. A breeze blew by, making the bundles of wormwood hanging under the eaves rustle.
"Aunt, soak the rice dumplings leaves in well water for half an hour."
"Oh, okay, I'll come right after I wash my hands."
Chu Minglan was squatting beside the water tank washing glutinous rice and helping Lin's mother prepare the ingredients for making rice dumplings.
Lin Anan leaned over to take a look. The glutinous rice in the bamboo sieve had a pearl-like luster and each grain was plump.
I have to say that the food of this era is really good. It is not only healthy but also of very good quality.
"Mom, I want to eat candied date rice dumplings."
"Okay, I've prepared everything. I'll make them for you. Mingzhou brought back a lot of glutinous rice and asked me to make a few more because he wanted to give them to someone."
As he was speaking, someone came from outside the yard.
Editor Liu was brought into the yard pushing a 28-bar bicycle. "Teacher Lin."
"Editor Liu, the sun is so bright outside, why are you here at this time?"
He welcomed the person in and quickly gave him a glass of water.
Editor Liu wiped the sweat from his forehead, and the smile on his face never faded. "The time for the provincial newspaper column 'Military Medals on the Tip of the Pen' has been set! But the time is urgent, so it will be set at 9 am on June 5th."
"In a week?"
"Yes, that's why I came to deliver the notice in a hurry."
Lin Anan took the notice he handed over, the edge of the paper still had heat from the ink.
June 5th, the day after Grain in Ear.
The timing is just right, as she will be back to work on June 8th.
"Sure, no problem."
Editor Liu gulped down two gulps of water and said, "Teacher Lin, this is a rare opportunity. As the first columnist for the provincial newspaper, you will probably cause a sensation."
What he actually wanted to say was that not only do you have a special profession, but you are also a lesbian, so your influence must be significant.
But then he thought of Lin Anan's writing style, and thought that she would probably be disgusted by language that depicts differences between men and women, so he held back and didn't say the rest.
Lin Anan nodded and said, "Thank you very much for the opportunity you fought for me. I will definitely perform well.
But I don’t have much to prepare, so I can only improvise during the interview. I hope I won’t embarrass everyone by performing poorly.”
"You can't, with your cultural literacy, participate in column interviews..."
After the daily compliments, Editor Liu talked about a lot of things to note.
In fact, he has never participated in the column section of the provincial newspaper, so he himself has no idea whether what he says is useful.
Lin Anan found it very interesting to see that he was more nervous than herself, "I will do my best, don't worry."
"Okay, I'll go back now. I wish you a happy Dragon Boat Festival in advance."
"I'll take you there."
"No need, the sun is shining brightly outside, please go back."
"Okay then, be safe."
Editor Liu did not stay long as he had to rush back to the publishing house to make preparations.
Lin Anan is a writer promoted by Yingyuan Publishing House, and the two parties have a close relationship.
To be honest, as long as Lin Anan doesn't make any mistakes in principle, Yingyuan Publishing House will always support her, put her first in everything, and maintain this relationship with great care.
After all, it is mutually beneficial.
Interviewing sounds simple, but there is actually a lot of preparation work to be done in the early stages.
Their publishing house also had to be responsible for picking up and dropping off Lin Anan, and also arranged her accommodation in the provincial capital. In addition, every detail, including makeup and follow-up photography, had to be in place.
There are also subsequent warm-up, follow-up reports, etc.
Publishing houses must also take advantage of this trend.
As soon as everyone left, Lin Anan lazily lay down on the recliner, took a look at the notice, and started thinking about her makeup and clothes.
This was his first official public appearance, and as a writer.
"An'an, why don't you go to the department store and buy some nice clothes and dress yourself up."
"Alright."
Go shopping in the mall, buy some nice clothes, and find a barber shop to get a haircut.
Lin Anan reached out and pinched her belly.
She was originally thin, but this child actually gained some weight throughout her life.
It's good to have some meat. A little meat makes you look more elegant, and you can hold up your clothes. You won't look flabby in anything you wear, and you won't give people the impression that you'll fall down if the wind blows...
Lin's mother placed all the ingredients in the corridor. She and Chu Minglan each took a small stool and started making zongzi.
Seeing her daughter staring at her hands, Lin's mother smiled and gestured to her, "To wrap zongzi, you have to fold the leaves first, and make them into a bowl shape like this."
As his fingertips flew, the green zong leaves rolled into a pointed cone in his palm. "In our place, we have to go to the reed pond to grab zong leaves three days before the Dragon Boat Festival. If we go too late, they will be picked up by other families."
Chu Minglan scooped a spoonful of glutinous rice into the bamboo leaf basket and buried a swollen candied date in it: "Aunt, why do we hang mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival?"
Chu Mingyu just came out of the house and saw that the dumplings had already been wrapped, so he hurried over to help.
There is no tradition of hanging mugwort in the Northwest, so hanging mugwort is quite novel to the two little guys.
Mother Lin kept moving and patiently explained to them the reason for hanging mugwort.
"The old people said that on the Dragon Boat Festival, hundreds of ghosts roam at night, and the strong smell of wormwood can drive away the evil spirits. There is also a doggerel in our place: 'Hang wormwood on the door, and the five poisonous creatures dare not roam.'
In addition to hanging mugwort, we also have the custom of making sachets during the Dragon Boat Festival! Stuffing the sachets with realgar powder can also ward off evil spirits and snakes and insects. "Hanging realgar around the waist will keep bad luck away from both sides."
“Why are there so many other theories?”
"Yes, the Dragon Boat Festival is a big day, and there are many things to pay attention to."
After wrapping the dumplings, Lin's mother set up a honeycomb coal stove in the yard. If she made a lot, she had to cook them in several pots.
Lin Anan looked at her mother's hands, the calluses on her knuckles glowing white in the sun...
"Mom, take a break."
"Don't worry, I'll pick up the salted duck eggs and put them in the oven to cook and serve with the rice dumplings."
Steam gradually rises and the fragrance of zongzi wafts through the yard.
"Save the first pot of rice dumpling water for the kids to wipe their hands and faces."
"Aunt, what does this mean?" Chu Mingyu asked.
Seeing him blinking his eyes with curiosity, Lin's mother smiled and said, "Zongzi water gives you courage. After rubbing it, you will be brave and smart, and not easily frightened."
"Aunt, the zongzi water is so good, can I use it to wash my hair and take a bath?"
“Hahahaha…that’s not necessary. It’s not that exaggerated.”
The steamer made a gurgling sound, and gradually, the fragrance became stronger, the sweet aroma of candied dates mixed with the bitter taste of rice dumplings filled the air.
Lin Anan smiled and closed her eyes, and the rocking chair began to rock again.
Tuanzi immediately lay down where he was supposed to, and began to enjoy his owner's "head patting service", wagging his tail happily.
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