Gray tiles, black walls, and green vines.
This is the appearance of Grandma's house.
In my childhood memories, I loved coming to Grandma's house. We used to play hide-and-seek with our friends, and this old house seemed to have countless hiding places.
The old house is a traditional wooden house with two floors, stretching in a long row. The main hall is in the middle. Upstairs, there are storage rooms, a barn, and a balcony for drying rice. The barn can store the harvested rice, sweet potatoes, and more.
There is a long corridor at the entrance where we can play.
The old house was not occupied by just one family; many families lived there. Grandma's family lived in the rightmost section.
There were two kitchens and two bedrooms. Originally, one of the sections belonged to my second uncle.
My second uncle worked as a feng shui master, a profession that earned him good money. He built a brick house with a private courtyard on another piece of land in the village. So, that section was left for Grandma and Grandpa.
When Xiao Qi arrived at Grandma's house, she saw Grandma, a petite figure, standing in front of the stove, lifting the lid of a large wooden barrel where sticky rice was being steamed. She stirred the rice inside with a half-meter-long stick.
Grandpa was tending to the fire.
When cooking this type of sticky rice, the fire should not be too strong. If it's too strong, the rice will become overcooked, and the rice cakes made from it will lack elasticity and chewiness, making them less delicious. However, the fire should not be too low either, as the rice won't cook properly and the rice cakes will turn out undercooked.
In the neighboring kitchen, another pot was filled with hot steam. Second Aunt was watching over it while stewing chicken. The pot was stacked high, covered with plastic wrap. She needed to stew thirty chickens because they were expecting thirty tables of guests today.
Second Uncle was a very clever person. He was known as a master fortune teller, and everyone said his predictions were accurate and insightful. However, after meeting him a few times, Xiao Qi felt that he was simply sharp-minded and had a way with words. He hadn't received any formal education, but when people came to him seeking advice, he would first chat with them about everyday life and then choose an auspicious date to help them with their matters.
Xiao Qi thought that Second Uncle was good at figuring out people's concerns when talking to them. He had all the details in his mind and knew how to communicate. That's why the clients who sought his help were always satisfied.
Although Second Uncle hadn't received a formal education, he could repair the refrigerator and washing machine at home when they broke.
Compared to the smooth and clever Second Uncle, Second Aunt gave people the impression of being very honest. She was short, with a round face and a sweet smile. Xiao Qi liked her a lot. Among all the aunts, she liked Second Aunt the most. She felt a sense of closeness whenever she saw her.
Second Uncle's family had two children, an older male cousin and an older female cousin. The male cousin was two years older than Xiao Qi, while the female cousin was actually three months older, making them the same age.
Second Uncle's family was well-off, and both cousins were attending school. The male cousin had average grades and was attending a vocational college in Fucheng. The female cousin was still in high school at No. 8 Middle School. Both of them didn't seem to inherit Second Uncle's cleverness and had average academic performance.
After greeting Second Aunt, Xiao Qi went to Grandma's kitchen with Su Youfu and Sheng Juanhua.
Grandma's face lit up with a smile when she saw her daughter and son-in-law. She asked, "Did you have breakfast yet? The sticky rice is almost ready. I'll make a few rice balls for you."
Grandpa didn't talk much. He stood up to pour water and had a smile on his face.
When Sheng Juanhua was at her parents' house, despite being the middle child, she was pretty and had a lively personality, so her parents doted on her.
Xiao Qi couldn't help but crave for freshly cooked sticky rice balls. It had been a long time since she had last tasted them. These sticky rice balls were not sold in the city. They had to be steamed in a large wooden barrel over a clay stove fueled by firewood, with constant stirring. The timing and heat had to be just right. The aroma of the sticky rice could be smelled from two rooms away, and they were chewy and increasingly sweet with each bite.
Whether dipped in a bit of salt or mixed with some sugar, they were incredibly delicious, each with its own unique flavor.
However, they were quite filling. Just two or three of them would make you full.
In the past, Xiao Qi's mother never let her eat too many because sticky rice balls were usually served only during special occasions. Now that she had eaten her fill, she wouldn't have any room left for the dishes at the banquet.
Sheng Juanhua took a sip of the hot water her father poured for her and stood up, taking out two new pieces of clothing.
"Mom and Dad, these are the clothes Xiao Qi bought for you."
Xiao Qi's grandmother was a little startled. What significant event had happened for her daughter to give them such formal gifts? Even during their first year of marriage, when they returned to the maternal home, it wasn't as formal as this.
"Juanhua, what's the matter? Did something fortunate or unfortunate happen in your family?"
"Mom, there's nothing wrong. Xiao Qi bought these. She worked as a private tutor during her vacation and earned some money. She also won a swimming competition and received a prize. She bought these clothes for you as a filial gesture."
"What TV show did she appear on?" Xiao Qi's grandfather rarely spoke. When he did, his voice was hoarse, like a broken bell, booming loudly.
The people working in the nearby kitchen all gathered around to watch the commotion.
Even Xiao Qi's obedient Auntie, who was busy tending to the fire and stewing chicken, came over curiously.
Then Xiao Qi listened as her mother exaggerated and praised her endlessly... Well, it wasn't exactly an exaggeration, but hearing those words come out of her mother's mouth made Xiao Qi feel ashamed.
She never expected that her strict mother, the one who often stared at her and even pinched her ears or whipped her with bamboo branches, would consider her so outstanding and perfect... Xiao Qi's face turned red as she listened.
The key was that her father was nodding in agreement.
Xiao Qi sat on the chicken coop at her grandmother's house, serving as a backdrop.
When she heard the exclamations, she smiled appropriately...
Feeling a bit embarrassed.
But seeing her parents, grandparents, and even her old grandmother so happy, she didn't say anything.
Her grandmother was a person who loved beauty. As everyone chatted, she went inside and changed into the new clothes.
Xiao Qi had bought clothes with small floral patterns, suitable for elderly people. When the little old lady put them on, they fit perfectly. With a smile on her face, she looked festive.
The little old lady even dragged her grandfather to change into the new clothes.
Even after changing his clothes, her grandfather still had a serious expression. He sat in front of the stove, looking at the fire, occasionally tugging at his clothes.
Xiao Qi's uncles were all well-off and wouldn't lack food and clothing for their parents. But buying clothes for their parents was something even the uncles, being men, couldn't remember to do. And with an additional layer of separation through their wives, it was usually the daughters who did it.
Only the eldest daughter, Sheng Juanhua, had been struggling for so many years and had never had any money.
As for the younger daughter, Sheng Meihua, although she had married into the city and claimed to be selling clothes, she actually had a mobile stall where she sold clothes for young girls. She had never thought of being filial to her parents. She was talkative and loved to show off.
Surprisingly, Xiao Qi's grandparents seemed to have a slight preference for their eldest daughter. Of course, it was also because the eldest daughter's family was not well off, so the old couple felt more pity for her.
Xiao Qi looked at her grandparents standing together, both dressed in new clothes, and couldn't help but think of their adorable height difference. One was tall, the other short, but they were close and affectionate, creating a warm scene.
The room was filled with many people.
Finally, Xiao Qi got her wish and tasted the sticky rice balls made by her grandmother.
She took the rice balls to the doorway to eat.
Her grandmother gave her two fist-sized rice balls, tightly packed and seasoned with a pinch of salt. They were fragrant and slightly savory, incredibly delicious.
The weather today was exceptionally nice, with clear skies and the sun casting slanted rays from the eaves. However, when Xiao Qi looked at the old, hardened mud near the big pillar at the entrance, she noticed several small whirlpool-like holes.
They were unevenly arranged.
Xiao Qi remembered that she used to love digging into these small holes when she was a child.
Underneath each hole, there would always be a little bug called "Golden Dangler." It looked somewhat like a small earring, and when the sunlight hit it, its shell would reflect a golden gleam.
Perhaps the adults couldn't stand seeing their child constantly digging in the dirt, so they would often threaten her, saying that if she dug up these Golden Danglers, it would cause her hands to develop calluses.
As a child, Xiao Qi was torn between the thrill of digging and the possibility of getting calluses, which only heightened the excitement every time she dug into those holes.
Looking back, she realized that as a child, she was rebellious and unwilling to give in. Because she heard that digging up Golden Danglers would cause calluses, she started using a small wooden stick instead.
It seemed like a clever move.
Now, as she looked at the sun shining on the small holes on the ground, they appeared beautiful, like funnels, scooping out the hardened mud and revealing the feeling of sandy beaches.
Xiao Qi finished eating the two large rice balls just as she reached her grandmother's house. She felt slightly full. She had walked over 20,000 steps from her own house to her grandmother's house, even though the actual distance was only five kilometers. The winding mountain road made the journey much longer.
At this moment, the entrance became lively.
The stone mortar had been washed early, and now her cousin had arrived, carrying a wooden pestle for pounding rice cakes. The pestle had a T-shaped design, with a thin vertical handle that was easy to grip and a thick horizontal bar.
In the countryside, pounding rice cakes was done manually, requiring three or four strong men to complete the task.
Two sturdy men carried out a large wooden barrel filled with glutinous rice and poured it into the clean stone mortar.
Then, her cousin started pounding with the wooden pestle. After each pound, someone would dip their hand into cold water, skillfully grab the sticky rice off the pestle, and repeat the process. The visible grains of glutinous rice gradually turned into soft, chunky pieces.
Pounding rice cakes was truly a physically demanding task. The wooden pestle was heavy, and one had to master the rhythm; otherwise, they might accidentally hit their hand.
A crowd gathered around to watch the pounding, and the rhythmic shouts of the beat filled the air.
Xiao Qi noticed that her cousin looked handsome even though he was married. He was tall, swinging the wooden pestle with a steady rhythm. His face beamed with a smile, revealing a set of well-aligned teeth. His joy seemed to come from within, making him pleasing to the eye.
For some reason, she thought of that handsome guy playing the clarinet from Germany.
That guy was incredibly graceful, dancing with his clarinet. He had golden hair, long legs, and a face that resembled Venus.
He was handsome in a distant and alluring way.
And before her eyes, a completely different scene unfolded. Wielding a wooden hammer, with black hair, long legs, and a radiant face.
There stood a handsome man right before her.
Suddenly, Xiao Qi realized that pursuing refined beauty is a form of pursuit, and appreciating the beauty before her is also a form of pursuit.
That magnificent concert, which shook her soul, now unexpectedly gave her a sense of perfect closure.
It taught Xiao Qi to appreciate beauty.
The distant and the near.
