Summer is fragrant with lotus blossoms.

In every village, summer is filled with the fragrant scent of lotus blossoms from ponds and fields. It's a scene both familiar and nostalgic, a reminder of a time with thatched roofs, bamboo groves, and the rustling of white egrets. Time may change, but the lotus ponds, lakes, and swamps remain the same, always vast with deep green lotus leaves fluttering in the summer breeze, evoking in our hearts memories of a childhood overflowing with emotion.

The lotus flower is the color of sunny summer, whether the sun is blazing or there's thunder and rain, its vibrant pink petals still flutter among the leaves or sway in the mature flower bud, nurturing the fragrant, brown lotus seeds that become the delicate tea of mothers and grandmothers.

Just like the vast rice fields, where only sun, wind, and rain are companions, the lotus pond is also like that, always filled with the gentle breeze from the distant bamboo grove, the rustling of leaves like the crisp laughter of young girls. Occasionally, you'll see a bird perched silently on a bamboo stake, waiting for a small perch or a stray fish to surface and bask in the sun... to hunt. Perhaps everyone thinks that the lotus pond would have as many fish as other ponds and lakes, but in reality, surviving on the thorny lotus stems is not easy at all. When the lotus grows, some species of smooth-skinned, thin-scaled fish will flee elsewhere, so the lotus pond is left with only perch and crucian carp... fish with hard scales that can leisurely swim among the lotus thorns! Therefore, the perch in the lotus pond are always plump because they thrive in this place. Whenever the thunder announces the summer rain, the perch leisurely float on the surface of the water.

For most people, the lotus is a flower, a painting, a landscape, but for those who cultivate it, it's "rice, potatoes, and corn" to harvest and earn a living. The delicate lotus plant, emerging from muddy ponds, offers everything to life. Stewed lotus roots are refreshing like taro or sweet potatoes. Lotus leaves are used to wrap sticky rice and rice cakes. The lotus flower is elegant and noble, so flower enthusiasts often display it in their rooms to enjoy the rich, summery scent of the countryside. Lotus seeds are used to make sweet soups, jams, or sticky rice dishes. The vibrant green lotus rhizomes, boiled to extract the seeds, evoke a fragrant, nostalgic feeling of the countryside.

For children, the lotus pond was always a familiar yet magical playground. In summer, lotus flowers bloomed among the leaves. After the scorching summer sun, the summer rain poured down on the leaves, making the lotus even greener. The small, plump fish, like the rice carp and the snakehead, gnawed on lotus roots, danced and flicked their tails, creating a lively scene throughout the pond. In our childhood, we'd take out our fishing rods, find earthworms or ant eggs as bait, and go fishing for rice carp. These are tiny fish, about the size of a toe, and never grow as big as tilapia or snakehead. Because rice carp are very voracious eaters, you're sure to catch them as soon as you drop the bait in. Many children would wear cloth hats and cover their heads with lotus leaves, patiently fishing. If you cast a few lines, you could have several plates of delicious fried rice carp in just one afternoon. The lotus pond also had some very interesting and beautiful fish, such as the flagtail fish and the betta fish. They frolicked with the rice carp and the common carp, and were often caught to be kept in aquariums. Besides fishing, many children also enjoyed flying kites here. Flying kites high in the sky, and lying with my legs stretched out in the grass and bushes, inhaling the intoxicating scent of lotus flowers, truly makes a summer in the countryside so memorable. It's a summer of clear skies, golden sunshine, and the fragrant aroma of lotus blossoms.

DUONG TRANG HUONG

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