The sweet white rice cake old lady
Winters in old Shanghai tend to be very cold.
One cold winter afternoon, after staying late after school to help out a teacher, Gi Gi, still wearing her warmest school clothes; her knitted wool hat; a warm woolen scarf; proceed to go to visit Ten Ping as planned.
Amidst the howling wind and the freezing cold, and in the deserted street; Gi Gi was surprised to find a lone old lady, arched back, wearing flimsy clothing; standing and shivering behind a skimpy sidewalk stand, while peddling: “bai tang gao”,“a sweet white rice cake favored by the locals”.
Seeing this old lady, Gi Gi went up to her and asked:
“Po Po!” (a traditional polite way of addressing any unknown old lady); “don’t you know that nobody would come out and buy any” bai tang gao (Sweet white rice cake) in this freezing weather? Why don’t I take you home to be warm and so that you can take a rest?” GiGi offered.
The old lady, with her face and exposed hands all purple from the freezing cold quivering explained:
“This stand belongs to my son. But he is very sick from a fever these few days; where he cannot even get out of bed. And with my 6-month-old granddaughter waiting at home for money to buy milk, I have to sell some of these cakes so that I can buy some milk to feed my granddaughter.”
Upon hearing the story, Gi Gi instantaneously took off her own woolen scarf and wrapped it around the old lady’s neck. Shouting back: “Po Po! Try to keep warm! I’ll be back in a minute!”; Gi Gi ran off towards the direction of Ten Ping’s home;
“Ten Ping! Yu Ping! (Ten Ping’s little sister.) Hurry! Put your warm clothes on! And then come with me. I’ll explain on the way there.” Gi Gi exclaimed.
With inquisitive looks in their eyes, Ten Ping and little sister Yu Ping promptly complied.
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Moments later, breathless from the running, Gi Gi, Ten Ping and Yu Ping ran back to where the old lady was.
“Po Po! We are here to help you! Please no questions and just help pack up everything with us!” Gi Gi commanded.
With a puzzled look on her face, the old lady hesitantly complied.
With all the sweet white rice cakes gathered, Gi Gi and the group went to the nearby nong tang (A open area amongst the narrow alleys, where people from the neighborhood like to congregate together, (like a small open community plaza); while standing around an open wood-burning stove; to keep warm and chat.)
“Gather around, folks! And look at these delicious sweet white rice cakes! Got one before they are gone.” GiGi shouted excitedly as the crowd gathered around them. “Hurry before they last!”
Luckily, within 30 minutes, all the white rice cakes were sold!
With tears in her eyes, the old lady hugged the 3 little girls and said: “I don’t know how to thank you all. You all are so wonderful. And I am such a useless old woman. “
Holding the old lady’s skinny shivering hands in her own, Gi Gi replied: “Hurry! Po Po! Take the money and go buy some warm milk for your granddaughter. Our parents have always taught us the importance of helping others. When we help others, then it would bring us more happiness than to those who we had helped. Hurry! Grandma! Take the money and buy some warm milk for your granddaughter before the store closes!”
After the old lady left, Gi Gi the other 2 girls all went back to Ten Ping’s home for the scheduled dinner together.
Despite the freezing cold, the 3 girls felt warm and happy, as they skip, hop, and whistled joyfully together all their way back.
