Xinlian, if we officially become godparents to the factory director’s family this year, our New Year gifts might seem too small," Zhu Shun Yao said, looking at the rice draining nearby. The rice was ready; they just needed to find time tomorrow to pound it into nian gao (rice cakes).
Xie Xinlian was sewing shoe uppers nearby. "I’ve thought about it too. The director knows our situation. If we send expensive meat or fish, she might think we are showing off beyond our means. I plan to send one hundred rice cakes, plus ten pounds of rapeseed oil we pressed from our own crops—it smells better than store-bought. We’ll also add some lotus roots you dug up and a packet of brown sugar. Four items make a decent gift."
Except for the brown sugar, everything else was homegrown. Director Cheng Baokun would not mind receiving these practical gifts.
Zhu Shun Yao nodded in agreement. "How about we skip the brown sugar? Let’s swap it for ten pounds of water chestnuts. Brother Lei Yao grew them this year. I can trade some lotus roots for them. Local produce is more popular than bought sugar."
"Fine. You decide. I have no objections," Xie Xinlian nodded seriously.
With a plan in mind, Zhu Shun Yao went to prepare. The next morning, before work, she borrowed a handcart from Lei Yao’s house and took the rice to the village pounding site. Villagers organized this activity annually, so many people were there. It required queuing. Zhu Shun Yao checked her number; she would not be served until after two in the afternoon. She left the rice safely at the site, went to work for half a day, then took leave to wait for her turn.
Zhu Yanyi also came home because the family was making nian gao. The first step was grinding the rice into flour, then steaming it. The steamed rice flour, called gao hua, was delicious. After the first pounding, it became nian gao tuan (rice cake balls), which also tasted great. Only after the second pounding was the dough placed on a long table. Seven or eight people would then divide it, roll it by hand into strips, and stack them to finish the product.
Zhu Yanyi had returned mainly to eat the gao hua and nian gao tuan. People would wrap a small packet of bean paste candy, sesame crisp, or a spoonful of brown sugar inside. Those with better means might add stir-fried meat and pickled vegetables. The flavor was unique. Zhu Yanyi loved gao hua the most. It was soft and sticky, filled with a spoonful of pickled vegetables and winter bamboo shoots. It was very fresh and tasty.
"It’s so good," Zhu Yanyi said, eating and sighing happily.
Zhu Yanli held a nian gao tuan nearby, eating continuously. "Actually, I think the rice cake balls are better."
"Gao hua is better," Zhu Yanyi insisted.
"Okay, both are good," Zhu Shun Yao tapped both daughters’ heads gently. "Sit well on the handcart and eat. Dad will go check if the nian gao is ready."
"Okay," they replied. Since Xie Xinlian had to work, Zhu Yanli and Zhu Yanyi followed Zhu Shun Yao. Zhu Yanli was supposed to be in school, but her homeroom teacher had an emergency, so classes ended early. This allowed her to join in eating the treats.
While eating, Zhu Yanli looked at Zhu Yanyi. "Ani, Yuanyuan said Brother Hu Hao bought many comic books. Do you want to go see them?"
Zhu Yanyi shook her head slightly. "No. I am learning Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica) from Grandpa now. I must memorize herb names and effects every day. No time for comics." She then looked at her sister. "Sister, what do you want to be in the future?