Coming to the StarCraft to Be a Kindergarten Teacher: Perfect Transformation

Sui Sui, just before we had hot pot, I took a photo of this hot pot tonight and posted it on Bilin, wanting to see what kind of feedback I would receive. Having said that, I picked up my phone, opened the Bilin app, and started checking the messages on it.

After entering the comment section, I found it extremely lively. Many netizens not only liked the posts, but also left many interesting comments.

"Wow, this hot pot looks so delicious!"

"I really want to eat this! I really want to enjoy this steaming hot pot with you guys!"

Watching the sizzling heat of the pot, I felt a surge of happiness welling up in my heart. Looking at the harmonious scene in the comments section, netizens left messages praising this sumptuous dinner, which made me look forward to the future.

After dinner, Wei'er and Aola took the initiative to clear the table. Their movements were skillful and coordinated, as they dumped leftovers into the trash and wiped the table and dishes. I wanted to help, but they insisted I rest. "You've meticulously prepared today's dishes and hot pot," they said, smiling, "let us handle these little things!" So, they gently pushed me onto the sofa.

In a short while, the table was cleared and the whole house was tidy again. Wei'er and Ola said goodbye to me and left, leaving me alone in the warm living room, reminiscing about the pleasant meal time.

The joyful weekend finally ended, and the workers returned to their jobs. Time flew by, and as the competition drew near, the children, Lotta, and Daphne grew increasingly nervous. To ease their anxiety, and with the annual Dragon Boat Festival approaching, I thought I'd share the festival's origins and related traditions with them, and then take them on a fun experience of making zongzi (rice dumplings).

Children, today is our Dragon Boat Festival. Teacher Sui Sui will now share the origins and customs of the festival. The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duan Yang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Fifth Festival, Double Fifth Festival, and Tianzhong Festival, falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month each year. It is a grand folk festival that combines worshipping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits, celebrating, entertaining, and enjoying a feast. The Dragon Boat Festival originated from the worship of natural phenomena and evolved from ancient dragon sacrifices. There are many different theories about the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, including commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, the loyal minister Jie Zitui of the State of Jin, the great general Wu Zixu of the State of Wu, and the filial daughter Cao E of Kuaiji. Today, the most widely held theory is that it commemorates Qu Yuan. Along with the Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival is considered one of China's four major traditional folk festivals. It was also the first festival in China to be designated an intangible cultural heritage.

Dragon Boat Festival customs

1. Dragon Boat Racing

Dragon boat racing is a central custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. Legend has it that the ancient people of Chu, grieving the virtuous minister Qu Yuan, drowned in the river, rowed boats to pursue him and save him. Since then, dragon boat racing has been held annually on May 5th to commemorate Qu Yuan. Today, dragon boat racing has become one of the most important folk activities of the Dragon Boat Festival in China. Dragon boat racing has a long history and has been a traditional Chinese water sport and recreational activity, often held during festive occasions. It involves a large-scale group paddling competition.

2. Eat Zongzi

Legend has it that to protect Qu Yuan's body from fish and shrimp, people filled bamboo tubes with rice and threw them into the river. From then on, to express their reverence and remembrance for Qu Yuan, people would fill bamboo tubes with rice and throw them into the river every Dragon Boat Festival. This is the origin of my country's earliest zongzi, the "tube zong." Eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival is a long-standing Chinese custom. Its history is long and diverse, with zongzi originally used to honor ancestors and deities. The custom remains popular in China and has spread to China, Russia, and Southeast Asia.

3. Hanging mugwort

The fifth month of the lunar calendar marks the onset of summer heat, a time when epidemics such as plague, malaria, pestilence, and dysentery are most likely to occur. This month is considered unlucky, leading to the formation of a series of customs. Mugwort, also known as Artemisia argyi or Artemisia selengensis, has a strong, volatile aromatic oil in its stems and leaves that repels mosquitoes, flies, insects, and ants, while also purifying the air. During the Dragon Boat Festival, mugwort is hung on doors to ward off plague and evil spirits.

4. Hanging sachets

The Dragon Boat Festival sachet is also called a sachet, a sachet, or a pouch. It is made of five-colored silk threads and filled with Chinese herbs and spices. Its production process has become a national intangible cultural heritage. It has now become a unique folk art for the Dragon Boat Festival.

5. Eat duck eggs

Besides commemorating Qu Yuan, the Dragon Boat Festival also celebrates the avoidance of the Five Poisonous Creatures: snakes, centipedes, spiders, geckos, and scorpions. Five red vegetables symbolize the blood of these five poisonous creatures, and these are eaten with roast duck, amaranth, red-oil duck eggs, lobster, and realgar wine. Therefore, eating duck eggs during the Dragon Boat Festival has a certain aura of warding off evil spirits. From a scientific perspective, eating duck eggs also promotes health and combats summer heat.

6. Drink realgar wine

Drinking realgar wine is said to ward off the five poisonous creatures. The custom of drinking cattail wine and realgar wine is long-standing. People soak calamus and mugwort in wine and then sprinkle them on wall corners, doors, windows, and under beds. They also apply the wine to children's ears, noses, and navels to repel poisonous insects. Furthermore, realgar wine, mixed with water and wine, can be sprinkled indoors for disinfection and sterilization. Drinking cattail wine is also quite beneficial.

7. Tie a colorful rope

On the Dragon Boat Festival, children wake up to find "five-colored ropes" woven from multicolored silk threads tied around their wrists and ankles. Adults say these ropes protect against all illness. It's also said that after the first rain after the festival, the ropes are cut and washed away, carrying away any ill effects. Customs regarding the five-colored ropes vary widely. Some tie them into ropes made from the five-colored silk and hang them from doorways, around children's necks, around their arms, or on bed curtains or cradles. These are believed to ward off disasters and illness, protect health, and prolong life.

These are the legendary origins and fascinating folk customs of the Dragon Boat Festival! Now, let's experience the joy of making zongzi (rice dumplings) ourselves! First, gently pick up a fragrant bamboo leaf. Perhaps it's been soaked in water for a long time, revealing a faint green hue; or perhaps it's just been picked, carrying the fresh scent of nature. Regardless, it will become the "star" in our hands, carrying the delicious flavor of glutinous rice and fillings. Now, let's begin our zongzi-making journey!

First, gently fold the emerald green zongzi leaves into a funnel-like shape, resembling a delicate trumpet, emitting a faint fragrance. Next, carefully scoop a spoonful of translucent, pearly-white glutinous rice and slowly place it into the funnel. For those with a sweet tooth, place a candied date in the center of the rice. The sweetness will melt in your mouth, transporting you to a world filled with sweetness. For those who prefer savory flavors, add a piece of carefully marinated meat to the rice for a unique, savory flavor that will leave you with a lasting impression. Next, scoop another spoonful of glutinous rice over the top, wrapping all the ingredients within the emerald green leaves. Next, gently poke the rice with chopsticks to firm it up. Finally, fold the remaining leaves back and tie tightly with string, like a thick outer layer for this lovely zongzi, protecting its delicious contents.