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Dumplings
on the last day of the year he spent the whole day with his father hard at work in the fields for this reason he can still see in his mind’s eye the sun setting for good on the Year of the Snake as he walked home when they got back his mother served up hot dumplings after eating them he went to bed because the following day he had to go and work in the fields again with his father he had no choice because the money needed to pay his tuition fees each year could (and could only) be dug up out of the ground a university student from a village explained to us how he spent the New Year in class, as an exercise in oral presentation in the five minutes it took for his talk his account went smoothly his tone of voice was deadpan it was only when he mentioned the word “dumpling” that his face betrayed a hint of a smile © Translation: 2004, Simon Patton |
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