A group of people stayed at the riverside beach until sunset, when dusk descended, and only then did they bring baskets and bundles of lotus leaves, wobbling their way back.
At the guesthouse, Master Jiang and Xiaozhou had already prepared dinner. Upon seeing those fragrant lotus leaves, they tore them open to take a whiff and immediately made the decision:
"Tomorrow morning, we'll steam lotus leaf sticky rice chicken!"
He picked one of the small lotus pods, tasted it, and gave Xiaozhou one to try as well.
The master and apprentice stood there enjoying it for quite a while and then reluctantly concluded:
"These are too tender. They won't have the same flavor if cooked into porridge or soup; it's best to eat them directly like this."
The group crowded in at once: Just what we had in mind!
After dinner, everyone holding a small lotus pod, sat in the courtyard to catch the breeze, gaze at the stars and the Milky Way against the night sky, peel lotus seeds, and chat...
