https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-155-The-Benchmark-of-Naye-Village/12849286/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-157-The-Mother-in-Law-Delivers-the-Baby/12849288/
Chapter 156: Bliss Every Day
Chapter 156: Bliss Every Day
9:00 PM.
Usually, by this time, most people in Naye Village would have closed their doors and gone to bed, with only a few exceptions. However, tonight, every household was busy wrapping and cooking guzong, a traditional dish, which they had been stewing since noon. It was only now that they were finally done, and apart from the little kids and the elderly, most people were still awake, eagerly waiting to enjoy the freshly cooked guzong.
The best time to eat guzong is right when it comes out of the pot, still hot and steaming. Although it tastes good even when cold the next day, it just doesn’t quite have the same flavor.
This dish is usually only enjoyed once a year, and everyone was craving it, naturally wanting to be the first to taste it.
In the kitchen, Deng Shirong was carefully transferring the guzong from the pot into a basket. The finished guzong looked like this:
After lifting all the guzong out, Deng Shirong turned to his children and their spouses and said, "Alright, it’s ready. Be careful when you handle it, don’t burn yourselves!"
The children, who had been eagerly waiting, couldn’t hold back any longer. They each chose their preferred type of guzong—half fatty and lean or purely lean—and began blowing on the hot, steaming wraps while peeling them open.
Deng Yuntao carefully peeled off the bamboo leaves and skewered the guzong with a chopstick, then handed it to his wife.
Zhang Xiuping didn’t hesitate, taking a bite and savoring the deliciousness.
After nearly ten hours of stewing, the glutinous rice inside the guzong had fully melded together, giving it a chewy texture. The rice, soaked in alkaline water, had a unique and fragrant aroma.
Even the outer layer of glutinous rice was incredibly delicious.
When they got to the pork and bamboo shoots inside, the aroma hit them like a wave, combining an exceptional texture with an unmatched flavor that was simply explosive.
They couldn’t stop eating!
It was so good that they couldn’t stop!
Zhang Xiuping swore that this was the best guzong she had ever tasted in her life.
It wasn’t just her; Deng Shirong’s children were equally amazed by the flavor. They ignored the heat, taking bite after bite, occasionally pausing to blow on the guzong to cool it down before continuing to chew.
Deng Yongsong was the fastest, finishing one guzong in just a few bites and grabbing another from the basket. He praised, "Dad, this guzong you made is really delicious!"
Deng Yunzhu, still eating, nodded in agreement. "Yeah, the flavor is indescribably good. I’ve never had such a delicious guzong before!"
Zhang Xiuping added, "I’ve had chewy guzong before, but the flavor can’t compare to this one!"
At that moment, Deng Shirong had just taken a bite of his own guzong and was savoring it. He laughed and said, "It’s delicious, but be careful not to overeat. When the guzong is cold, you can eat as much as you want without feeling sick. But right after it’s cooked, don’t eat too much at once, or you might feel overly full and uncomfortable later."
Deng Yongsong, already peeling his second guzong, paused and said, "Then I’ll just have two."
Zhang Xiuping, looking at her half-eaten guzong, asked, "Dad, will one guzong make me feel sick?"
" Nope, one won’t make you feel sick."
"Then I’ll just have one!"
Heeding Deng Shirong’s advice, most of the children and their spouses, except for Deng Yongsong and Deng Yunhua who had two, only ate one each.
Firstly, to avoid feeling sick, and secondly, because it was late, and they didn’t want to have trouble sleeping from overeating.
By this time, most other households in Naye Village were also enjoying their guzong.
The next day, the fourth day of the fifth lunar month.
Centering around Naye Village, all the surrounding villages with the surname Deng began to honor their ancestors, celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in earnest.
In Bobai County, the Dragon Boat Festival is known as the Fifth Month Festival. Besides honoring their ancestors, every household also hung mugwort leaves on their doors.
Hanging mugwort leaves involves picking fresh mugwort from the mountains and hanging it above the door to ward off evil and prevent illness, turning bad luck into good.
In households with children, parents would gather eucalyptus leaves, peach leaves, mugwort, red sorrel, and wild chrysanthemums to boil water for their children to bathe in. It was believed that this practice could cleanse impurities and prevent or reduce the occurrence of boils and sores.
Meanwhile, the elderly women would gather mugwort to dry and make into moxa sticks. Legend had it that the moxa sticks and moxibustion made on this day were particularly effective.
Deng Shirong, born in 1936, had always believed in these traditions more than his contemporaries. After his rebirth, his belief only deepened. Therefore, he adhered strictly to the ancestral customs, regardless of whether they made logical sense or not.
After all, if they were effective, that was best. If not, they were at least a form of cultural heritage, and he saw no harm in following them.
...
Midday.
At Deng Changfu’s home.
For lunch, the family was eating sweet potatoes, while Guan Yongying, the pregnant woman, was having egg noodles. In those times, having egg noodles for lunch was considered a luxurious meal.
Since Guan Yongying’s pregnancy, her meals had been the best in the household. After she gave her savings from her parents to her mother-in-law, her treatment in her in-laws' home improved even more. Regardless of what the rest of the family ate, her meals were among the best in the village.
After finishing her meal, Guan Yongying said goodbye to her in-laws and slowly made her way to Ninth Uncle’s house with her large belly.
During this period, she and Dai Fanglan would visit Ninth Uncle’s house every few days to chat with Aunt Aitai, who was also pregnant.
After all, they had a lot in common, being pregnant and all.
“Aunt Aitai.”
“Yongying.”
Under the longan tree, the two women greeted each other and sat down to chat.
It was already past the Dragon Boat Festival, and the weather in Bobai was scorching hot. However, sitting under the lush longan tree and gently fanning themselves, they found it relatively cool.
Zhang Xiuping, looking at Guan Yongying’s enormous belly, asked, “Yongying, can you still lie down to sleep with that belly?”
Guan Yongying replied, “I can, but no matter what position I’m in, it gets uncomfortable after a while. I have to keep changing positions to get comfortable.”
Zhang Xiuping touched her own belly, which was starting to show, and said, “I thought you wouldn’t be able to lie down with a belly that big!”
Guan Yongying said, “Actually, there’s not much difference between the early and late stages of pregnancy. Our bellies don’t grow overnight.”
Zhang Xiuping laughed, “That’s true. By the way, you’re almost due, right?”
Guan Yongying said, “Yes, I should be, but I don’t know the exact date yet. My mother-in-law is always prepared, though.”
Zhang Xiuping sighed, “Once you give birth, Aunt Lan will probably be next. I still have a few more months to go!”
Guan Yongying rolled her eyes and said, “Aunt Aitai, you’re not ‘enduring’ anything. You’re probably enjoying yourself every day. Don’t think I don’t know that Ninth Uncle changes your meals every day. He’s almost making me and Aunt Lan jealous!”
Zhang Xiuping couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re so dramatic. I know your mother-in-law gives you extra meals too. Your meals are pretty good as well!”
Guan Yongying nodded with a smile, “That’s true. My mother-in-law is very good to me. I hope this baby is a boy for her. Otherwise, I’d feel embarrassed.”
“Don’t be silly. Haven’t you heard what Grandpa said to Seventh Aunt Zhang? He said it’s not up to us women whether we have a boy or a girl; it’s determined by the men.”
“Since you know that, why do you feel embarrassed?”
“Well, it’s one thing to say that, but if I have a girl, I’ll still feel embarrassed.”
“...”
(End of Chapter)
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