The Sweet Smell of Zongzi

The Dragon Boat Festival was only days away, and our house buzzed with happy energy. Preparations had officially begun! The biggest task, and my favorite, was always making zongzi, those delicious pyramid-shaped rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves.
My grandma, the expert, laid everything out on the kitchen table. First, she soaked the long, green bamboo leaves in water until they became soft and flexible. They smelled fresh and earthy. Next came the giant bowl of sticky, white glutinous rice, soaking nearby. Bowls of tempting fillings sat ready: sweet red bean paste, fatty pork pieces marinated in soy sauce, and bright yellow salted egg yolks – treasures waiting to be wrapped.
"Come, help me fold," Grandma smiled, handing me a leaf. It felt cool and slightly slippery. Carefully, I copied her movements, bending the leaf into a cone shape. She scooped in rice, added a spoonful of red bean paste (my choice!), then covered it with more rice. The tricky part was folding the leaf over the filling and tying it tightly with thin string. My first few attempts were messy, looking more like lumpy bundles than neat pyramids, but Grandma just chuckled and showed me again. Soon, a growing pile of green parcels filled the table.
While the zongzi steamed in a big pot later, filling the house with a wonderful, savoury-sweet smell, Mom and I tackled another job. We hung bundles of calamus and mugwort leaves above the front door. "Keeps the bad spirits away," Mom explained, tapping the green bunches firmly into place. Their sharp, herby scent mixed with the steam from the kitchen.
Looking at the steaming pot and the green decorations by the door, I felt a warm excitement. The races and stories were still to come, but right now, the busy, sticky-fingered preparation was the festival. It was the smell of leaves and rice, the sound of Grandma's instructions, and the shared work that truly made it feel like the Dragon Boat Festival had arrived.

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