The family of Ms. Dang Thi Truc (Tan Binh district, Ho Chi Minh City) wrapped 400 sticky rice cakes to send as gifts to people in the North - Photo: Y. TRINH
I wish the people of Northern Vietnam a speedy recovery from their difficulties and a return to stable lives. This is all we can offer them.
Ms. Dang Thi Truc
The family of Ms. Dang Thi Truc (55 years old, residing on Nguyen Bac Street, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City) is also like that. For many years, she and her sisters and nieces have, on every major full moon, especially the full moon of the seventh lunar month and the Mid-Autumn Festival, often join with benefactors they know to distribute essential goods to poor people.
These past few days, in her cozy living room, she's been waiting for the other women to wrap the rice cakes while she ties the strings. Dressed in colorful outfits, with a cheerful voice, she and five family members, plus some neighbors, have been wrapping 400 vegetarian rice cakes to send to flood-affected areas in the North.
From 9 a.m., the women and their neighbors would sit together to work. Preparing 100 kg of glutinous rice, 20 kg of mung beans, and 20 kg of black beans, they divided the ingredients over two days, finishing around 2 a.m. each day. After wrapping dozens of bundles, they would gradually boil them in three pots.
Ms. Truc laughed: "Now my eyes can barely stay open, I'm so sleepy. I didn't have time to rest at lunchtime, so I quickly bought some rice noodles and cucumbers for everyone to eat with soy sauce, and everyone said it was delicious."
Meanwhile, Mrs. Dang Thi Sen, Mrs. Truc's older sister, despite suffering from knee pain and needing a brace, sat by to help with the wrapping. Her left leg was stretched out, and her face was beaming with a smile. The sisters and neighbors worked together and chatted, further strengthening their bonds of friendship.
People often remind each other to do good deeds effectively and to cherish each item given away. Therefore, to ensure that the sticky rice cakes can last for "a whole month without any problems," the family doesn't soak the sticky rice overnight because it would spoil quickly. Instead, they wash it thoroughly before wrapping. The cakes are vacuum-sealed and neatly arranged.
Regarding the reason for this charitable act, Ms. Truc said that she and her sisters saw news and images online and felt so sorry for the family. They started the work themselves while also calling on relatives and acquaintances to join in.
In particular, some people from far away, who were long-time neighbors, heard the news and sent extra supplies. Speaking in a gentle voice, Mrs. Truc confided: "I wish our people in the North a speedy recovery from their difficulties and a stable life. This is all we can do to help them."
One enthusiastic helper, who is the aunt of her maternal grandmother, is Hoang Nguyen Bao Minh (a 11th-grade student). Minh said that when she learned that everyone in the family was planning to wrap the cakes, she happily joined in.
I help wipe the leaves, prepare the pots and containers. When the cakes are cooking, I sit and watch the water and the cakes. If the ladies need to buy anything else, they just have to call out and I'll quickly supply it.
When asked if she was tired, Minh shook her head and smiled brightly: "I feel very happy that what I do helps people in need. Furthermore, thanks to this family tradition, everyone feels more connected and loving towards each other."
Besides the cakes, Mrs. Truc's family also gathered essential supplies, medicine, medicated oil, and even dried bread donated by benefactors. All of these were loaded onto trucks and transported to Yen Bai, Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai , and other places in a timely manner.
Minh shared that her family has a tradition of volunteering annually. She always makes an effort to help her family on these occasions. With the shy, innocent demeanor of a student, she expressed: "I was taught about the Vietnamese tradition of 'helping those in need.' I get to experience and practice this tradition, and I feel happy when I can personally share with those in need."
Then she flashed a beautiful smile and continued to help her family carefully prepare the fragrant rice cakes, filled with the aroma of cooked beans.
The kindness of the adults in the family is carried on by grandchildren like Minh and will spread far and wide.
Despite having cancer, she still does volunteer work.Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nep-nha-gieo-mam-thien-20240922100924151.htm
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