The freshly pounded rice cakes were as exquisite as Russian white jade.
They were white and radiant, emitting a white smoke.
The men swiftly and skillfully turned a large piece of rice cake, resembling Russian white jade, into small balls. Like an assembly line, the elderly brought out ancient molds that had been used for years. They pressed the white cake mixture into the molds and then released them.
The molds were pre-greased with tea seed oil.
The released rice cakes turned into beautiful pastries adorned with floral and animal patterns, which were quite appealing.
On the other side, several women carried a large basin of cooked food. From afar, Xiao Qi could already smell the sour aroma. It was made with pickled cabbage, pork, bean sprouts, and Chinese cabbage, all stir-fried together. The pork came from their own pigs, and the vegetables were cooked in oil, which made them glisten.
The nimble women flattened and rounded the small rice cake balls, similar to making dumplings. They flattened them, pinched them into shape, and then scooped a spoonful of the cooked filling, swiftly wrapping it inside the rice cake and firmly sealing it. This way, large dumplings were formed one by one.
The pace was swift because once the rice cakes were pounded and taken out, they quickly hardened and became unsuitable for shaping.
Thus, a group of people gathered around a big table, working diligently, while another group surrounded them, eagerly waiting to eat.
Xiao Jiu handed a neatly wrapped rice cake to Xiao Qi and held one for himself. He ate it heartily, finishing it in just a few bites.
Xiao Qi could have done the same, but she had given in to her greed and devoured two glutinous rice balls in one go. Now she felt a little full and regretful because the freshly wrapped rice cakes were incredibly delicious.
The pounded rice cakes were soft and fragrant, but not grainy. They had a chewy texture and could be pulled into long strands with the teeth. They were particularly enjoyable when combined with the freshly stir-fried filling. The family's homemade pickled cabbage was truly fermented in an old earthen jar, sealed with clay. When the jar was opened, a distinct sour scent filled the air. It required multiple washes to get rid of the red residue, and the discarded cabbage heads could be sliced into snacks for children, resembling pickled radishes.
The family-raised pork was cooked with the pickled cabbage, and the cabbage quickly absorbed the flavorful oil. Together with bean sprouts and Chinese cabbage, the dish had the sweetness of the cabbage, the crispness of the bean sprouts, the sourness of the pickled cabbage, and the fragrance of the pork. Encased within the rice cakes, each bite was a delectable delight, truly satisfying.
Rural folks had many chores to attend to. For a festive feast, they had to slaughter pigs, pound rice cakes, and harvest vegetables. Chickens, ducks, and fish also had to be prepared. But they also had an abundance of food. While making rice cakes, they could easily stuff two or three into their mouths without feeling hungry.
Xiao Qi, being a glutton, couldn't resist and ate another one.
After eating two wrapped rice cakes, she couldn't consume the third, or else she wouldn't be able to enjoy the feast later. However, she admired the aesthetically pleasing rice cakes made with molds, so she took out her phone and snapped a photo, also taking one that her younger uncle gave her.
Usually, the molded rice cakes were meant for display, and people wouldn't eat them.
Xiao Qi wanted to eat them, but she couldn't eat anymore.
As soon as the rice cakes were ready, firecrackers were heard.
It must be the bridal procession arriving.
Mom and Dad have gone somewhere, probably to help with work, and Xiao Qi followed the crowd to see what was happening.
I thought that when the groom arrived, he would take the bride with him, but that wasn't the case in reality.
Shangxie Village is quite developed, and there is no custom of beating the groom. When he arrived, the bride's bridesmaids made things a bit difficult for him, but it was just a formality to give a red envelope, and then he saw the bride.
Then the groom and bride paid respect to their parents with wine and tea.
Xiao Qi noticed that Eldest Uncle looked particularly dignified today and wasn't smiling much.
Eldest Aunt, on the other hand, had a smile on her face like Maitreya Buddha, clearly very satisfied with her son-in-law.
It is said that Cousin Sister's husband has a factory, but I don't know what kind of factory. Anyway, it sounds quite impressive when mentioned.
When Xiao Qi saw Cousin Sister's husband in person, to be honest, he didn't seem to match Cousin Sister in appearance. Cousin Sister is 1.7 meters tall, slim, and good-looking. Wearing a wedding dress, she looked radiant, even comparable to TV stars. In contrast, Cousin Sister's husband seemed to be just about 1.7 meters tall in his leather shoes, with not-so-white skin and quite chubby, with round eyes and not particularly handsome features. However, he looked quite friendly, and his temperament seemed to be very good.
It was completely different from what Xiao Qi had imagined, but when he saw Cousin Sister sitting on the bed, smiling with a neat row of teeth, he was genuinely happy and didn't seem the least bit aggrieved. It was truly a feeling of happiness that came from within.
Xiao Qi felt a bit confused again. Is this love? Is this marriage?
After the newlywed couple finished paying respect with wine and tea, they had some snacks: noodles and boiled lean meat.
The people who came to pick up the bride also had these snacks, as well as freshly made rice cakes.
They could quickly satisfy their hunger.
Then they heard firecrackers, signaling that the groom was taking the bride away.
A crowd gathered to watch the excitement.
There were only the bridesmaids and one uncle from the bride's family.
In Shangxie Village's customs, if the daughter is not pregnant, the bride's parents do not go to the groom's house.
Xiao Qi watched as the bride, bridesmaids, and groom walked towards a row of cars.
Xiao Qi saw that the car at the front had a blue and white logo, probably a BMW. That was easy to recognize. Surprisingly, all the cars behind it were also BMWs.
The villagers praised them, saying that the groom's family was wealthy and the bride wouldn't suffer after marrying into that family.
When the firecrackers sounded again, they could already see the cars disappearing in the distance.
Then the formal banquet began.
There were people at the entrance to record the gifts, and Xiao Qi saw Dad at the entrance, giving the gift money.
The person who registered it wrote "Sheng Juanhua, Su Youfu: 600."
That meant the gift was properly prepared.
Then people gradually found their seats. People of different statuses were assigned different positions. The living room, for example, was for those with high status.
Xiao Qi's mom, being a married daughter from the family, sat in the kitchen or wherever she wanted.
But Xiao Qi's dad, being an uncle-in-law, would be called to sit in the living room.
There were three tables in the living room, and the main table was the most exquisite. Even before the dishes were served, there was a large fruit platter with various colorful fruits, which looked very appealing.
Apart from the fruit platter, there were also cold dishes, which were beautifully presented. There were dishes like pig heart, pig liver, duck gizzard, lychee meat, preserved eggs, and more.
Xiao Qi really wanted to eat them, but she was just a little girl and considered herself an accessory to her mother. She should be sitting in the kitchen together.
Having eaten too much earlier, she couldn't really eat anything when the feast began.
In the countryside, feasts were prepared by the wives of relatives from the countryside, with several wives helping out together.
The dishes were authentic and flavorful.
Xiao Qi particularly liked the bamboo shoot feast. Although it wasn't bamboo shoot season, dried bamboo shoots were used instead. The dried bamboo shoots were soaked and cut into fine shreds, along with various fresh vegetables, lean meat, and vermicelli. They were stir-fried in a specific order, resulting in a dish that resembled a green vegetable paste. However, the taste was incredibly delicious, with the flavors of all the ingredients blending together harmoniously, creating a delightful and layered sensation.
As for the whole stewed chickens, they couldn't eat them anymore; it was just for show.
After circling around, the older people would tear off a chicken leg and taste it, but they would generally take it away as it was.
The same went for the big pork hocks; people would pick a few chopsticks' worth and then leave the table.
This was very different from Xiao Qi's memories. When she was a child, she remembered that during feasts, everyone would bring a few small plastic bags. As soon as the dishes were served, they wouldn't rush to eat but rather compete to claim their portions.
No dish would be left on the plates, and after finishing the feast, everyone could take a bag of food home.
The food tasted especially delicious when eaten at home.
Nowadays, it was evident that everyone's living standards had improved, and no one was fighting over food anymore.
There were also some people who seemed to be on a diet and ate very little.
Xiao Qi considered herself to be eating a lot, even though she had already eaten to her heart's content before the feast.
Towards the end of the feast, her father came over.
Upon seeing her husband's flushed face, Sheng Juanhua glared at him and asked, "How much did you drink?"
"Just a glass of beer." Su Youfu had a low alcohol tolerance and was well aware of it. Although he was seated in the living room, everyone would still urge him to drink, and he couldn't escape, so he had a glass.
But now his face was as red as a cooked shrimp.
He smiled foolishly at his wife and daughter.
Everyone joined in the teasing.
After just one glass of alcohol, Su Youfu was already feeling a bit dizzy. Ignoring everyone, he took out a piece of winter melon candy from his pocket and handed it to Xiao Qi, saying, "You like eating this."
Xiao Qi held the candy, feeling a mix of laughter and tears. When she was a child, she loved eating these candies. If her father had a chance to sit in the living room during a feast, she would hardly be able to stay put and would often slip over to her father, asking for a piece of winter melon candy.
The white candy, when bitten into, would bring sweetness to her heart, making her feel like it was the most delicious thing.
However, many years had passed, and she was no longer like that.
She never expected that her father would still remember.
She took a bite of the winter melon candy and thought, "Hmm, it's still sweet."
