Chapter 3: Greetings and Wishes
Ten Minutes was Over!
"Mommy continue the story please." she whined helplessly.
"That house had an ancient Chinese pagoda in their drawing room, we saw through the glass window the beauty of the pagoda. It seemed a miniature real shining chinese pagoda with the red lanterns hung over it." To test the dumplings, I took a toothpick and pushed through one and pulled it back, it came clean without being gooey or doughy which signified they were ready.
"Weren't you hungry mommy?"
"I am honey." I served all of them on two plate dishes.
"No mommy! I'm asking weren't you and uncle hungry then walking for so long?"
"Uh... I misunderstood, but yeah indeed we were hungry but we neither had a place to stay nor food to eat. So we both starved for that night." One plate had the pork filled dumplings while the other plate had veggie filled dumplings.
"We both decided to spend the night on the streets. Your uncle was young so he placed his head on my lap and tried to sleep, while I was sitting on the street, staring at the sky." I looked at my daughter, "Do you know what magical experience I had then ?"
She shook her head.
"My eyes never wandered to search for the stars that night, because I could see the red lanterns hung over the road. Even the darkest lane had red lanterns to provide light."
"I remember, your uncle asked me, 'Isn't this scenery of the red lanterns the place where we can find love for our culture?' but I couldn't gave him a answer then"
"What would be it's answer, mommy?"
"The answer is yes. Yes it was the place I fell in love with my culture." I took a small bowl before combining the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and pepper flakes and stirred them thoroughly to mix.
"Now here you go, the dumplings are ready to eat, just be careful because they are still hot." I served the dumplings immediately with the dipping sauce I made.
"Yahoo! I'm starving." she exclaimed with joy.
"Pick up whichever you want," I directed her, showing her the plates, "This one has veggie dumplings and this one has pork dumplings. Eat whichever you like."
"Thank you mommy, please continue the story." she chose the pork dumplings to eat, just as I thought.
"We both spent the night on the street and under hanging red lanterns. Soon it was dawn, and I woke up just to be startled to see my brother already sitting next to me clutching a bunch of papers or letters and CRYING."
"It was the first time when your uncle woke up before me. It was also the first and last time I saw him crying though I understood him, he was a little child of just 7 years old who lost his parents just a day ago and must be broken."
"I hugged him to comfort him while his crying turned into silent sobs. Later I got to know that those papers were actually letters of New year greetings and wishes for our parents that he was writing for so long." I sighed recalling my brother's face.
"But Alas! He never got the Spring Festival to give those New year greetings and wishes to our Parents."
"What was written in those letters?" my daughter asked with her mouth stuffed with dumplings.
"Don't talk while eating, you'll choke on it."
She nodded obediently.
"I don't remember all the letters he had then, but I do remember a few. The first one that I read was:
'Dear mom and dad,
I must be your mischievous son but I do want to let you know that I'm disappointed how each Lunar New Year takes away my youth but I can't control it. So mom, dad I really wish you both get the best of what's in stock for both of you. I want to let you know that I'm so happy and proud of my parents who understand me so much. I do hope every lunar year brings you more happiness and keeps you both safe and sound. I'm writing this letter of wishes to both of you because I love you, because I don't want to repent later of thanking the most precious people in my life.
Thank you for bringing me into this world.
Your loving son,
Wei Jiu'
This was the first letter that I read that morning, when I found myself shedding tears of agony."
"Mommy, does crying help you to feel better?"
"Yes it helps me often to release my sorrow. However, your uncle wrote another letter that morning itself which surprised me that my brother was finally a grown up man even if he was just seven then."
"Age never really matters when it comes to learning new things, skills or experiences."
"What uncle wrote in his letter?" my daughter inquired.
"How many times must I say not to talk while you are having your meal ?"
"Sorry mommy. I'll not talk now but do tell me what uncle wrote in his letter" She bowed her head down.
"The letter which your uncle wrote that morning was not a greeting letter but a heart-to-heart talk with the God:
'Dear God,
Mom and Dad didn't deserve to die. It's said we shall reap what we sow, but did my parents do something so terrible that they were dragged to death so soon?
It is also said that Lunar New Year is the celebration when many of the rites carried out during this period are meant to bring good luck to the household and long life to the family—particularly to the parents.
Then why did my parents die ?
Why do my sister and I have to stay on the streets?
Why do we have bad luck?
Why didn't I get the time to send my letters to my parents?
What did we reap to sow this today?
Can you answer these God?
An orphan child,
Wei Jiu'
It was his letter, and I remember each word of that letter by heart."
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