Chapter 248 Sweet or Savory Zongzi?
Although Mao Mao failed to successfully invite her good friend to her home for zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), she received a gift from her friend.
Nie Zhengyun sent his men to deliver holiday gifts.
A huge pile of traditional brand pastries, boxes stacked one on top of another, forming a small mountain. There were also eight kinds of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), salted duck eggs, fresh yellow croaker—the edible kind—and so on, all things that Mao Mao likes.
The Green Gang's men unloaded a whole cart full of gifts and relayed to Mao Mao, "Our Master Nie said that although he couldn't invite Miss to his home, he's always ready to welcome you. He also said he really misses your harmonica playing."
This completely won over Mao Mao, making her wish she could immediately get into the car and go with them.
She paced around in circles anxiously, then said hastily, "Uncle, wait a minute, I also have something to give you!"
As she spoke, her short legs thumped as she rushed into the house.
A short while later, Mao Mao came running out again carrying two strings of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
The rice dumplings were tied with rope. She was small, and she held one in each hand. The rice dumplings swayed and wobbled as she ran.
When it reached the Green Gang's men, he carefully picked it up. Whether it was because it wasn't tied properly or because it was shaking too much, the four corners were all different sizes and crooked. It was only by binding it tightly with ropes that it was secured and no glutinous rice was spilled out.
"This is for Uncle."
Mao Mao raised her little head, patted herself, and said confidently, "Mao Mao did it!"
Lou Hongjian, standing nearby, widened his eyes: "Mao Mao, these are rice dumplings you wrapped yourself, and there aren't many of them!"
"For Uncle," Mao Mao said generously, "For Mao Mao's friend."
The Green Gang henchmen held it even more carefully: "So it was made by Miss herself. We promise to deliver it to Master Nie. Master Nie will be very happy."
Mao Mao's chubby cheeks were adorned with sweet little dimples.
When Shen Zhaolin came to deliver snacks, they also received the same zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).
Separated by a tightly closed, ornate iron gate, Mao Mao slipped the rice dumpling she had wrapped through the gap.
Shen Zhaolin was overwhelmed with gratitude upon receiving it, holding it in his hands with obvious delight: "You made this yourself? It's amazing!"
Mao Mao proudly raised her little head: "My mother taught me how to wrap it. I wrapped it myself, and my third brother helped me tie it up."
"Fantastic!" He held the rice dumplings in his hands, turning them over and over to look at them. Although the two rice dumplings looked a bit strange, the thought that they were made by the little girl in front of him made even the string that was almost completely tied to the dumplings seem cute.
Shen Zhaolin's eyes, behind his silver-rimmed glasses, were filled with a deep smile: "I can't bear to eat it."
"You have to eat it, or it'll go bad!" Mao Mao said happily. "I put some delicious things inside. Uncle, do you prefer sweet or savory rice dumplings?"
I like them all.
Mao Mao: "Great! I've done it all!"
Although there was a tall iron gate between them, it did not hinder their communication at all.
Mao Mao gripped the ornate iron railing, tilted her little head back, and chattered excitedly to her best friend, reporting her plans: "Uncle, are you going to see boating tomorrow? I'm going to go boating with my brother. My brother said he'll catch some ducks for me to eat."
"Boating? Oh, you mean dragon boat racing, right?" Shen Zhaolin said, "It's a major event during festivals in Haicheng, and I'll go watch it too."
Mao Mao was even happier: "Great, Uncle, let's go see boating together tomorrow."
Shen Zhaolin Wan'er: "Okay."
"Maomao——"
Mao Mao turned around and saw Lou Hongjian standing under the eaves, waving at her.
Lou Hongjian put his hand down and said to her, "Come on, it's time for your art class."
oh!
Mao Mao turned her little head back and obediently said goodbye to her friend: "Uncle, I'm going to class now, bye-bye."
Shen Zhaolin smiled and nodded: "Then, see you again tomorrow at the dragon boat race venue."
Mao Mao smiled sweetly with dimples, waved her little hand at him, and then ran towards her brother with her short legs, her skirt fluttering behind her like a little butterfly.
Shen Zhaolin watched her run back to her brother's side before looking down at the zongzi in his hand.
Did Mao Mao make this herself?
I wonder what it will taste like; I'm really looking forward to it.
"Mao Mao, why did you give away the zongzi you made again?" Lou Hongjian said, "I helped you wrap them for so long yesterday, and we only managed to make a few."
Tying rice dumplings for Mao Mao is a troublesome task.
Those few bamboo leaves were completely unresponsive to him; they would spill glutinous rice all over his hands if he wasn't careful. Luckily, his hands were nimble and he was good at handicrafts, so he didn't disappoint his sister.
He finally managed to wrap them successfully, and he almost wanted to enshrine those hard-earned rice dumplings.
Mao Mao tilted her little head up and asked, "Brother, do you want to eat zongzi too?"
Lou Hongjian: "...Well, then I'd better not, brother doesn't like zongzi."
"oh."
"Mao Mao, what do you want to learn this afternoon?"
"Wrapping zongzi (sticky rice dumplings)."
"Still learning?"
"Mao Mao has finished giving away all the zongzi she made." Mao Mao looked down and counted on her fingers: "There are still some left for Dad, Brother, and Mom..."
Lou Hongjian: "..."
"Fine," he gritted his teeth, "I'll help you, brother!"
The kitchen brought out the soaked glutinous rice and ingredients, and Lou Hongjian and his sister sat down at the table.
Today, it wasn't just the two of them; all the wives came to help.
Xia Xiaoxiang folded the bamboo leaves together, rolled them into a triangular shape, and carefully placed them in her daughter's hand: "Just hold it like this... Yes, yes, hold it properly..."
Mao Mao carefully took it, holding it steady with one little hand while pouring glutinous rice into it with the other.
Pour out half of the glutinous rice, then add a piece of candied date or pork belly soaked in soy sauce, fill it with more glutinous rice, gather the bamboo leaves, tie it with string, and you have a perfect zongzi.
After pouring out the glutinous rice, Mao Mao looked around with her little head.
Lou Hongjian sighed and asked skillfully, "Mao Mao, do you want to make sweet or savory zongzi?"
"Everyone has to do it!"
Lou Hongjian sighed even more heavily, and he carefully took the half-wrapped zongzi from his sister's hand: "Brother will hold it for you, you go ahead."
Mao Mao nodded and ran off happily.
A short while later, she came running back carrying a jar, its contents rattling and clanging against the jar.
The ladies kept their eyes straight ahead, pretending they hadn't seen anything.
Mao Mao reached into the jar and skillfully pulled out a round chocolate ball. She peeled off the aluminum foil and then put the chocolate ball into the rice dumpling her brother was holding.
After putting in the chocolate balls, she scooped up a piece of pork belly that had been soaking in soy sauce and put it into the zongzi as well.
Lou Hongjian: "..."
The ladies: "..."
That's right, Mao Mao's zongzi come in both sweet and savory varieties!
Not only this one, but the zongzi given to Nie Zhengyun and Shen Zhaolin were all filled with chocolate and meat.
Xia Xiaoxiang couldn't help but ask, "Mao Mao, why did you put the chocolate and meat together?"
“Chocolate and meat are delicious,” Mao Mao said matter-of-factly.
Xia Xiaoxiang: "..."
Mao Mao's little feet, dangling from the edge of the chair, swung happily back and forth: "Chocolate is delicious, meat is delicious, sweet rice dumplings are delicious, savory rice dumplings are delicious, and when you put them all together, you can taste two flavors. They're all delicious!"
The ladies: "..."
No, it tastes even worse!
But none of them stopped them.
Lou Hongjian was now fully focused on battling the rice dumpling in his hand.
He pulled out two cotton threads, one red and one white, to distinguish them and tied the rice dumpling together... Oh no, it leaked here... Oh no, it leaked there... Finally, after using several times more cotton thread to tie it tightly, he finally succeeded.
Practice makes perfect, and he gradually became more and more adept at it.
"Mao Mao, it's done." Lou Hongjian rubbed his hands together eagerly: "Let me make you another zongzi."
As for who gets this zongzi...
On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, a large batch of cooked rice dumplings were served on a big plate. Lou Dashuai, quick-witted and agile, picked out a strangely shaped rice dumpling from among them.
Although he didn't ask, he could tell at a glance that it was definitely from Mao Mao Bao.
We eat zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Especially the zongzi that Mao Mao made herself.
With limited quantities available, several hands quickly reached out, and soon the oddly shaped rice dumplings were all gone.
None of the ladies managed to snag one.
Xia Xiaoxiang got a normal meat-filled rice dumpling for Mao Mao, peeled off the bamboo leaves, and put it into her small bowl.
The meat-filled rice dumplings were a perfect balance of lean and fatty meat, with a rich aroma that permeated even the glutinous rice. Mao Mao ate them without even looking up.
"Third Brother?"
Lou Yansui looked at Lou Hongjian beside her with a puzzled expression.
The three brothers all reached out to grab the zongzi, but Lou Hongjian remained unmoved.
This is completely illogical.
"Third Brother, aren't you going to eat zongzi?"
Lou Hongjian remained expressionless: "Oh, I don't like this. Ah Sui, you eat it."
"Don't you like it?"
Lou Yansui looked on with suspicion.
If he remembers correctly, last year during the Dragon Boat Festival, his third brother ate three zongzi in one go.
"Ah Sui, have some. This is a zongzi that Mao Mao made herself. I was also a great help." Lou Hongjian said, "You can't let Mao Mao's good intentions go to waste."
Lou Yansui: "I know without you telling me."
These are zongzi made by Mao Mao. No matter how bad they taste, he will eat them all.
It took him even longer to untie the rope. After peeling back the bamboo leaves, a dark brown rice dumpling was revealed inside.
It looks like Mao Mao is making his favorite meat-filled rice dumplings.
Lou Yansui first praised her younger sister, "Mao Mao, you're amazing! How did you know I like meat dumplings the most?"
Mao Mao buried her head in the small bowl: "Mmm!"
She ate without looking up, only her two little tufts of hair on top of her head trembled slightly as a response.
Lou Dashuai and the others also praised, "That's right, I also like meat-filled rice dumplings."
"Mao Mao is great! Look at this zongzi, it looks so good."
Lou Hongjian: "A-Sui, Dad, you eat."
Lou Yansui lowered her head and took a bite.
Lou Yansui: "..."
Commander Lou: "..."
Lou Fengju: "..."
Lou Heming: "..."
Lou Hongjian: "A-Sui, Dad, why aren't you saying anything? Is it because the zongzi Mao Mao made wasn't good?"
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