Floral Rice

Author: Chi Zijian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-05-01
Features: Petal Rice narrates a family story set during the "Cultural Revolution." On an afternoon when it poured rain, "we" three siblings had set out the meals, waiting for our parents to return. Both parents came back separately, worried about not seeing each other, and went out into the rain to search for one another. This back-and-forth continued until the fourth time, when it was already dark, and they stayed out for a long time. Worried, "we" three siblings were about to ask the neighbors for help when our parents finally returned together, with Mom shyly holding a bouquet of flowers. As Mom walked past the dining table holding the flowers, many petals fell into the bowl of porridge, which was the family's last and yet most beautiful meal. The story is simple and ordinary, yet in the author's hands, it becomes a thought-provoking masterpiece that leaves one in awe of the author's exceptional talent. The novel is titled Petal Rice, and the motif of "flowers" appears multiple times in the story. Dad loves flowers, Mom loves flowers, and "we" all love flowers. Therefore, no matter how harsh the environment or how difficult the circumstances, there was always the scent of flowers in our home. And the deep family bond, like the blooming flowers, revealed a moving beauty in adversity and radiated a captivating fragrance.