During the Lunar New Year, it's free to eat glutinous rice balls at the temple, right in the backyard where incense smoke fills the air.
Several monks dressed in gray robes set up four large pots, from which white steam rose and filled the air with the sweet aroma of glutinous rice.
The bowl contained exactly four glutinous rice balls, no more and no less, each one quite large and white.
The only rule is that after you finish eating, you have to wash your bowl in the sink next to you.
At this time, a long queue formed in front of the big pot, but they were lucky, as the queue was just about to have a pot of glutinous rice balls ready.
Before long, Ye Linchen received a bowl of steaming hot glutinous rice balls from an experienced chef.
The warmth emanating from the white porcelain bowl dispelled the chill from my fingertips.
The four of them, each holding a bowl, found a stone table and sat down in a circle.
Ye Linchen used the matching porcelain spoon to scoop up a glutinous rice ball, gently blew on it, and took a big bite.
The sweet black sesame filling instantly flowed out.
The sweetness was just right, not cloying at all, and the chewy texture of the glutinous rice skin made her squint her eyes in happiness.
She couldn't resist scooping up another spoonful, putting it in her mouth with the soup, and eating with great satisfaction.
Feng Linlin brought over the bowl and asked with a smile, "How is it? The glutinous rice balls here are delicious, aren't they?"
Ye Linchen nodded repeatedly: "It's delicious, I like the black sesame filling the most."
Lin Xiaojuan pointed towards the pot with her spoon and whispered, "This glutinous rice flour and filling aren't bought from outside; they're made by the monks at the temple. Of course it's delicious."
"No wonder it tastes so good," Shen Yanlin commented.
"Vegetarian dishes and glutinous rice balls are a major attraction of their temple."
"However, vegetarian dishes are always available, but glutinous rice balls are only served during the Lunar New Year."
Ye Linchen laughed and said, "We're lucky today, we got to eat here."
While eating glutinous rice balls, Feng Linlin asked Ye Linchen, "Did you make glutinous rice balls at home for Chinese New Year this year?"
Ye Linchen nodded: "I'll take it. The glutinous rice flour and filling you buy outside aren't as good as this."
Feng Linlin immediately patted her chest loudly and extended a warm invitation, "Come to my house on the fifteenth of the lunar year. We make our own food every year. My mom is a very good cook."
Fearing Ye Linchen wouldn't agree, she said with a hint of reproach, "I asked you to come out and play during the Spring Festival, but you avoided it. You're not allowed to run away on the fifteenth of the lunar year."
"I made an appointment with you in advance. If someone else wants to meet you, just tell them you have something to do and ask them to reschedule."
Ye Linchen was amused by her and nodded in agreement: "Okay, okay, I'll definitely come. I won't go to any other invitations."
After eating the hot glutinous rice balls, the group felt much warmer and discussed going back to the city to find a place to set off fireworks.
Shen Yanlin suggested, "Let's go to my house."
"I prepared New Year's gifts for everyone, and I also bought a lot of beautiful fireworks."
"It's a good opportunity for everyone to go together, set off the fireworks, and then pick up the gifts."
No one objected to the suggestion, so the group chatted and laughed as they followed Shen Yanlin back to his home.
Shen Yanlin has now moved back to the steel plant's dormitory.
It's a small one-bedroom apartment.
He lives alone, which is enough for him.
The fireworks he bought were indeed carefully selected, and there were many different kinds.
After the fuse was lit, beams of light shot into the night sky, exploding into dazzling orbs of light that illuminated everyone's faces, creating a beautiful, ever-changing scene.
The gift he prepared also showed great care.
The gift for Feng Linlin was a music album by a foreign band that she really liked.
Lin Xiaojuan received a talking teddy bear, which was exactly what she had been wanting for a long time.
When it was Ye Linchen's turn, Shen Yanlin handed him an exquisitely packaged box containing a designer wallet.
Ye Linchen never expected Shen Yanlin to give her this. She took it and held it in her hand, feeling the soft texture of the leather.
She liked it very much.
Shen Yanlin looked at her somewhat surprised expression and smiled gently.
He explained, "I know you're a little money-grubber, always talking about making money. So I'm giving you a big wallet, hoping you'll make lots and lots of money in the future."
His voice also carried a hint of laughter, "So many that this wallet can't hold them all."
Ye Linchen happily dangled the brand-new wallet in her hand, then gestured with her chin towards him, "Thank you for your kind words."
The most dazzling fireworks eventually fade, and the most lively gatherings must come to an end.
Everyone said their goodbyes and prepared to go home.
Just as Ye Linchen turned to leave, Shen Yanlin called out to her from behind, "Ye Linchen."
She stopped and turned to look at him; his figure was exceptionally clear in the night.
Yet it also carried a hint of loneliness.
"What is it?" Ye Linchen asked.
Shen Yanlin seemed to consider his words carefully, but swallowed them back before finally managing to give a faint smile.
He waved and said, "Happy New Year."
Ye Linchen smiled back at him, her eyes curving into crescents.
Happy New Year to you too.
After saying that, she turned around and walked briskly towards home.
Ye Linchen returned home and was about to pour himself a cup of hot water to warm his hands when his pager suddenly went off.
The "beep beep" vibration sounded particularly clear in the quiet room.
Ye Linchen stopped and reached out to untie the small black cube from his belt.
I turned on the pager and carefully looked at the small LCD screen.
The screen was backlit, clearly displaying a line of Chinese characters: "My parents and I will arrive in Jiangcheng tomorrow. Would you like to have dinner together? Gu Jingran."
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