Family tradition sows good seeds

Ms. Dang Thi Truc's family (Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City) wrapped 400 banh tet loaves to send to people in the North - Photo: Y. TRINH

I wish the people in the North to soon overcome difficulties and stabilize their lives. We can only share with you like that.

Ms. Dang Thi Truc

The same goes for the family of Ms. Dang Thi Truc (55 years old, living on Nguyen Bac Street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City). For many years now, she and her sisters and grandchildren have often, along with benefactors they know, distributed gifts of necessities to the poor on every big full moon day, especially the full moon day of the seventh lunar month, the Mid-Autumn Festival, etc.

These past few days, in the cozy living room, she sat waiting for the other sisters to wrap the cakes and then tied the strings herself. Wearing red and green pajamas, with a clear voice, she and five family members and some neighbors wrapped 400 vegetarian banh tet loaves to send to the North for people in the flooded areas.

From 9am, the sisters and neighbors sat down to work together. They prepared 100kg of sticky rice, 20kg of green beans and 20kg of black beans. They divided the ingredients into two days, finishing each day at 2am. After wrapping a few dozen loaves, they gradually boiled them in three pots.

Mrs. Truc laughed: "Now I can't open my eyes, I'm sleepy. I didn't have time to rest at noon, so I bought noodles and cucumbers for everyone to eat with soy sauce, but everyone said it was delicious."

As for Mrs. Dang Thi Sen, Mrs. Truc's older sister, despite having pain in her right knee and wearing a sling, she sat by and watched over the package. Her left leg was stretched out, her face smiling. The sisters and neighbors worked and chatted together, and their bond grew even stronger.

People often tell each other to do charity work but effectively, and to cherish each item they give away. Therefore, to keep the banh tet for a long time "for a whole month without any problems", her family does not soak the sticky rice overnight because the cake will quickly spoil, but instead washes it carefully and wraps it. The cakes are vacuum-sealed and neatly arranged.

Regarding the reason for doing this charity work, Ms. Truc said that the sisters saw the news and pictures online and felt so sorry. While doing this, her family also called on more relatives and acquaintances to join in.

Especially those who live far away, who have been neighbors for a long time, know the information and send more goods. With a gentle voice, Mrs. Truc confided: "I wish the people in the North to soon overcome difficulties and stabilize their lives. We can only share with you like that."

One of the active faces helping the ladies, who is also my grandmother's aunt, is Hoang Nguyen Bao Minh (11th grade student). Minh said that when he heard that everyone in his family was planning to wrap the cakes, he happily responded immediately.

I helped clean the leaves, prepare the pot and container. When the cakes were cooked, I sat and watched the water and the cakes. If the ladies needed anything, just call me and I would quickly "supply" them.

Asked if he was tired, Minh shook his head and smiled brightly: "I feel very happy because my work helps people in need. Furthermore, thanks to such family tradition, everyone has more love and connection with each other."

Not only the cakes, Mrs. Truc’s family also gathered necessities, medicine, essential oils, and even dried bread brought by benefactors. All were loaded onto trucks and transported to Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai… in time.

Minh said that his family has an annual tradition of volunteering. Minh always pays attention to helping his family on these occasions. With the shyness and innocence of a student, he expressed: "I was taught about the Vietnamese tradition of helping each other. I have experienced and practiced this tradition, and feel happy when I personally share with the needy."

Then she smiled beautifully and continued to work with her family to take care of the fragrant cakes with the smell of sticky rice and ripe beans.

The kindness of the adults in the family is continued by grandchildren like Minh and will spread far and wide.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nep-nha-gieo-mam-thien-20240922100924151.htm