I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 363 Sweet Rice Dumplings and Meat Rice Dumplings

Dongfang Jin gritted her teeth, "[Watch out, you might get struck by lightning!]"

Dongfang Yuan said with a smile, "No matter how well I wrap them, they can't compare to how well my good daughter-in-law wraps them."

Jun Wenhui laughed and said, "Be careful she doesn't get too cocky after hearing you praise her like that."

Gu Yumei disagreed, saying, "You should be happy as Xian'er's mother."

My mother-in-law is telling the truth; our Xian'er is indeed very skillful and clever.

At this moment, Aunt Gu gently patted the glutinous rice on her hands, cleared her throat and said, "Xiao Jin, tell us about the origin of this zongzi."

Yang Zhu: "I want to hear it, I want to hear it."

Yang Jing and the others joined in the commotion, and then Shen Qihui led a group of younger men over.

She watched as the little ones sat together, their eyes fixed intently on her.

Dongfang Jin put down the bamboo leaves in her hand and continued the story: "Speaking of this zongzi, it has quite a history."

...is Qu Yuan, a great poet from the Warring States period...

He was devoted to serving his country and possessed exceptional talent, but unfortunately, he encountered treacherous officials.

King Huai of Chu, easily swayed by their slander and ostracism, exiled Qu Yuan.

...Later, the capital of Chu, Yingdu, was captured by the Qin army. Qu Yuan was heartbroken to see his homeland being invaded.

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, he threw himself into the Miluo River while holding a stone…

Everyone listened intently, and their hands unconsciously slowed down as they wrapped the zongzi.

Lin Min, full of curiosity, couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Jin, what does this have to do with zongzi? I really don't understand."

Dongfang Jin smiled and patiently explained, "When the people heard that Qu Yuan had drowned himself in the river, they were all very anxious and rushed to row boats to try to retrieve his body."

Fearing that the fish and shrimp in the river would eat his body, they came up with a plan to throw the rice ball into the river.

Let the fish and shrimp eat the rice balls; don't harm Qu Yuan.

This rice ball is the original zongzi.

Later, every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, eating zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) and dragon boat racing became customs to commemorate Qu Yuan.

After saying that, he added, "This custom has been passed down in ancient China for so many years, and there are more and more varieties of zongzi."

Today we're making the most common red date rice dumplings, but don't underestimate these little dumplings.

Inside are all the heartfelt gifts passed down from our ancestors.

Yang Cui's eyes widened, and she said earnestly, "Then we must wrap it up carefully. We can't let down this intention to commemorate Qu Yuan, otherwise we would be letting down our ancestors!"

Everyone laughed at her words, and the courtyard was filled with warmth and joy.

The process of wrapping zongzi also subtly incorporates the inheritance of history and culture.

Just as everyone was laughing and chatting, a fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen.

Grandma Yu called out happily, "The rice dumplings are ready!"

At her shout, Gu Jingye and a group of children cheered and ran towards the kitchen.

Yang Zhu and the others methodically arranged the wrapped zongzi and prepared to send them out according to their previous plan.

Dongfang Jin brought a plate of steaming hot zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) into the courtyard for her father and the others to enjoy.

Gu Chenglin stepped forward, took the bamboo tray from his wife, placed it on the table, and handed one to his father-in-law.

Then he picked one up and ate it, his satisfied expression making everyone envious.

While eating, she gave a thumbs up: "Xiao Jin, this zongzi tastes amazing, it's soft, sticky and sweet."

This is the first time I've ever tasted such delicious food. Your cooking skills are truly the pride of our family!

Cang Nanxi peeled off the bamboo leaves, nodding as he ate: "Indeed, the glutinous rice is cooked just right, with a delicate texture, and paired with these red dates, it's sweet and delicious."

Daughter, this must be passed down to every family, and you should also have your cousin include zongzi in the special food for the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

And you must write down that story too, and have Qingchen (Changsun Lan's courtesy name) spread it through newspapers.”

Dongfang Jin smiled and said, "No problem."

Sun Xing was eating a pork belly zongzi. He ate it with his mouth full of oil, and mumbled, "This pork zongzi is so delicious. I've never eaten anything so delicious before."

Sister-in-law, this meat-filled rice dumpling is a godsend for those of us who don't like sweets!

You must teach your third sister-in-law properly; I really love this meat-filled rice dumpling.

Gu Chenglin smiled and continued, "Third Brother is right. This pork belly is perfectly cooked with a good balance of fat and lean meat."

Fatty but not greasy, lean but not dry, every bite is so fragrant it goes straight to your heart, this meat dumpling is absolutely amazing.

To be honest, I don't like sweet rice dumplings either. This meat dumpling and the one with the salted duck egg yolk are just what I like.

Gu Chunsheng, who has a sweet tooth, was savoring a large jujube and remarked, "I think this jujube zongzi is the best."

This reminds me of the cut cake I ate when I was a child. Back then, we could only steam a small bowl of it during the Chinese New Year.

I still vividly remember everyone gathered around eating cut cake.

Cang Nanxi laughed and said, "What you said is true. I also ate the cut cake you mentioned when I was a child."

It's only available during the Lunar New Year each year.

His mother was still alive then, and her specialty was steaming this kind of cake.

A layer of jujubes, a layer of red beans, and a sprinkle of osmanthus flowers on top...

Dongfang Jin watched as her adoptive father fell into memories, then glanced at Gu Chenglin.

Gu Chenglin received a look from his wife, then peeled open another zongzi and handed it to his father-in-law: "Father, please try this one with the duck egg yolk."

Cang Nanxi took the zongzi, smiled, and without saying anything more, opened his mouth and started eating it.

Xu Changshan put down the bamboo leaves in his hand and said with a smile, "These two kinds of zongzi not only taste good, but also carry a lot of family affection and warmth."

Sister-in-law, thank you for letting us experience this unique thing.

Sun Xing joked, "You're getting cocky, aren't you?"

Xu Changhua nodded in agreement: "Yes, he studies with my grandfather and Brother Song Qing every day."

However, this zongzi looks unremarkable, with only two reed leaves to wrap the glutinous rice without leaking out. Not everyone can calm down and wrap it into a zongzi.

The pork belly, with its delicate aroma from the bamboo leaves, is perfectly balanced between savory and salty. The fatty parts melt in your mouth, while the lean parts are firm and chewy, making every bite a delight.

Sweet rice dumplings are just as good. The sweetness of red dates and the soft, sticky texture of glutinous rice blend perfectly. Each bite is refreshingly sweet and not cloying, as if the sweetness of the whole spring is wrapped up in this little rice dumpling.

Sister-in-law, if you have the chance in the future, please teach my daughter Yang Jing how to wrap zongzi (sticky rice dumplings).

Dongfang Jin was shocked by what they said. She hadn't expected that their eloquence would improve so much during the time they had been learning from Song Qing.

Indeed, Gu Chenglin's brothers are quite capable learners, it's just a pity they were born into a farming family.

"You know, don't underestimate your wife, she's very skillful."

Your wife makes much better zongzi than your third sister-in-law and the others.

"Really?"

"of course."

……

Here, Aunt Gu bit open the soft and sticky bamboo leaves, and a sweet aroma filled the air.

After taking a bite, he exclaimed, "This tastes really good. It was worth all the effort we put in!"

Lin Min took a bite of the meat-filled rice dumpling and mumbled, "This meat-filled rice dumpling is so delicious. I've never eaten anything so delicious before."

The meat-filled rice dumpling that Xiao Jin asked me to make is a lifesaver for people who don't like sweets. "My husband, Lin Yu, doesn't like sweets either, so this is perfect."

"Tell us quickly, these zongzi are so well made, there must be a lot of tricks involved. Tell us how these meat zongzi are made!" Lin Mei looked at Grandma Yu with eyes full of anticipation.

Grandma Yu's face was full of smiles as she held the hands of Granny Xu and Granny Qiao, saying, "Actually, it's not difficult. You need to choose pork belly with a good balance of fat and lean meat."

Marinate the rice with soy sauce, cooking wine, scallions, and ginger for a while until it is flavorful, then wrap it in glutinous rice.

The heat must be carefully controlled when cooking, otherwise the meat won't be fragrant and the glutinous rice won't be soft and sticky.