A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 52 A Joyful Dragon Boat Festival

"Liu Xuan, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday is just around the corner. We need to hurry up and make arrangements for those 'kids' under us so they can have a good holiday," Li Yuan said, barging into Liu Xuan's office in a flurry of activity.

Liu Xuan looked up from a pile of documents: "Haha, is President Li in a hurry to become a money-giving benefactor? I've been thinking about that too."

"Don't be silly. If this holiday isn't planned well, everyone will be listless when we come back, and our work efficiency will plummet to negative levels." Li Yuan rolled her eyes at him.

"I understand, I understand. My plan is to hold a small meeting first, go in with a serious expression, and then announce the holiday with a big smile, just like Santa Claus handing out presents," Liu Xuan said with a grin.

"Come on, Santa Claus? Don't get so nervous you can't even speak properly. I'm going to be simple and direct, just send a notification in the group: 'Dear heroes, the Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and I, the sect leader, hereby grant you a three-day holiday. Go have some fun and come back fully recharged after the holiday!'" Li Yuan said, hands on her hips, exuding an air of dominance.

"You've got guts. But I have to remind them a few things, like be careful when they go out, and don't drink too much and fall into the river to feed the fish. After all, it's the Dragon Boat Festival, and we don't want them to end up like the joke, 'not becoming a dragon boat racer but becoming the monster's lunch.'" Liu Xuan joked.

"You're such a jinx. I should remind my female colleagues to take lots of nice photos to add some festive cheer to the office. As for the male colleagues, I should tell them not to just play games, but to help their families make some zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), otherwise how can they do justice to this traditional festival?" Li Yuan said with a smile.

"By the way, there's this guy, Li, in our unit. He was working so hard during the last holiday that he was almost dizzy. We need to let him relax properly this time. I can just imagine his eyes lighting up when he hears he has a holiday. He'll probably be more excited than if he won the lottery," Liu Xuan said, leaning back in his chair.

"Haha, so does Xiao Zhang from our area. He was talking to me a few days ago about wanting to go see the dragon boat races, and now he's finally able to. I have to tell them that if they see anyone from the company at the races, they shouldn't just be cheering and forget about their image, since we represent the company's good looks," Li Yuan joked.

"Shouldn't we also consider how to get them back into the swing of things after the holiday? We can't let them have too much fun and then come back not knowing who they are anymore," Liu Xuan said, sitting up straight with some concern.

"Don't worry, on the first day after the holiday, I'll take a big bag of zongzi to 'recruit' them. If anyone is still immersed in the holiday, I'll use the aroma of zongzi to lure them back to their senses. I'll start with sweet and then savory, serving them all kinds of flavors, and I guarantee they'll obediently come back to work." Li Yuan patted her chest confidently.

"Alright, it's settled then. I'll go prepare my 'holiday speech' now, hopefully I won't be deafened by their cheers." Liu Xuan got up to go to the conference room.

"Go ahead, and remember to behave well, otherwise your subordinates will suspect that you secretly withheld your vacation time," Li Yuan joked with a smile.

Then they informed their colleagues at their respective workplaces that they would have a holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival.

"Finally, the Dragon Boat Festival holiday is here!" Li Yuan stretched out a big yawn, her face full of relaxation.

Liu Xuan responded with a smile, "Yes, we need to plan this carefully so that the children can also experience the fun of the Dragon Boat Festival."

At this moment, Li Shiqing and Liu Yixin ran over like two cheerful little birds.

"Mom, Dad, how are we going to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival?" Li Shiqing asked with bright eyes.

“There must be lots of fun things to do!” Liu Yixin chimed in.

Liu Xuan picked up Liu Yixin and spun her around: "How about we go watch the dragon boat race first? It's so exciting! The dragon boats are flying across the water like arrows, and the uncles rowing them are shouting slogans, with drums and gongs filling the air."

"Wow, that's awesome!" Li Shiqing jumped up excitedly. "Then can we cheer them on from the sidelines until our voices are hoarse?"

Li Yuan smiled and nodded: "Of course, but don't get too excited and fall into the water. After watching the dragon boat race, we'll go home and make zongzi (sticky rice dumplings)."

"Wrap zongzi? Mom, I don't know how," Liu Yixin said, frowning.

"It's okay if you don't know how, I'm here as your master chef." Li Yuan patted her chest confidently. "I'll tell you the steps for wrapping zongzi. First, you need to soak the glutinous rice for a few hours beforehand, so that the zongzi will be soft and sticky. Then prepare the bamboo leaves, red dates, and pork belly. Okay, let's start with the first step. Choose a bamboo leaf, put the smooth side up, and fold it into a funnel shape at the one-third mark. Make sure to press the pointed end firmly so there are no gaps. Like this." Li Yuan demonstrated as she spoke.

"I understand, Mom. Is this how you fold it?" Li Shiqing picked up a bamboo leaf and tried it out.

“That’s right, Qingqing is so smart. Next, fill the funnel with glutinous rice. When it’s about half full, you can put in a red date or a piece of pork belly, and then continue filling the funnel with glutinous rice until it’s full,” Li Yuan continued.

Liu Yixin carefully placed the glutinous rice into the funnel with her little hands: "Mommy, is this all you need to do?"

"Not yet. Then, cover the excess bamboo leaves along the opening of the funnel, and use your fingers to press the bamboo leaves on both sides firmly so that the glutinous rice won't leak out. Finally, tie the rice dumpling tightly with a string, and you're done!" Li Yuan skillfully finished wrapping a rice dumpling.

"Haha, it's like magic!" Li Shiqing said with a laugh. "So, after we finish wrapping the zongzi, can we eat them? I want to eat so many!"

"Little glutton." Liu Xuan gently pinched Li Shiqing's nose. "After we finish wrapping the zongzi, we also need to hang mugwort. Mugwort has a special fragrance that can repel mosquitoes and protect our family from harm."

"What does mugwort look like? Is it like grass?" Liu Yixin asked curiously.

“Yes, it’s a green grass, but it has a very unique taste,” Li Yuan explained.

When we arrived at the dragon boat race site, it was packed with people and incredibly lively.

"Wow, so many people!" Li Shiqing exclaimed.

"Look, the dragon boat is about to set off!" Liu Yixin shouted, pointing to the water.

The dragon boats were brightly colored, with lifelike dragon heads at the prows, as if they were about to take flight at any moment. With the sound of a gong, the dragon boats shot off like arrows.

"Go! Go!" Li Shiqing and Liu Yixin shouted at the top of their lungs, waving their little hands in the air.

"That dragon boat on the left is rowing so fast!" Liu Xuan shouted along.

"No, the one on the right is catching up," Li Yuan said anxiously from the side.

After the game, the family returned home.

"Alright, let's start wrapping the zongzi!" Li Yuan placed the prepared ingredients on the table.

"Mom, let me get the bamboo leaves," Li Shiqing volunteered.

"I'll fill the glutinous rice container," Liu Yixin said, not to be outdone.

However, as soon as Li Shiqing picked up the bamboo leaves, she became flustered: "Oh dear, these bamboo leaves are so disobedient, I can't fold them up."

Looking at the glutinous rice, Liu Yixin was also troubled: "Mom, the glutinous rice keeps coming out of the funnel."

Li Yuan and Liu Xuan couldn't help but laugh at the two little ones' awkwardness.

"Come on, let me teach you again." Li Yuan patiently taught you step by step, "Look, first fold the bamboo leaves like this, then gently press them down with your hand, and then fill them with glutinous rice so it won't come out."

Under Li Yuan's guidance, Li Shiqing and Liu Yixin finally managed to wrap several oddly shaped zongzi.

"Haha, the rice dumplings we made look like little monsters," Li Shiqing laughed, looking at the rice dumplings she had made.

"No matter what it looks like, we made these ourselves, so they're sure to taste delicious," Liu Yixin said with a sense of accomplishment.

After wrapping the zongzi, Liu Xuan took the mugwort and prepared to hang it at the door.

"Dad, let me help you." Li Shiqing ran over to help.

"This mugwort smells a bit strange, but it's actually quite pleasant," Liu Yixin said, sniffing the air.

In the evening, the family sat together to eat the rice dumplings they had made themselves.

"Hmm, although it doesn't look very appealing, it tastes great!" Liu Xuan praised as he ate.

"Of course, this is the result of our collective efforts," Li Yuan said with a smile.

"Today was so much fun! The dragon boat race was so exciting, and making zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) was so much fun too," Li Shiqing said contentedly.

“Yes, we’ll celebrate Dragon Boat Festival like this every year from now on.” Liu Yixin snuggled happily next to her mother.

Moonlight bathed this home filled with laughter, and the warmth and joy of the Dragon Boat Festival permeated every corner. The family created an unforgettable and beautiful memory during this traditional festival.