Origin Journey invites you back to the land to plant rice seedlings together in the fields

At first I was quite worried that we would run into wet, cold weather on the day of rice transplanting, but luckily the heavens helped us: although there was no bright sunshine, the weather was cool and rain-free. Setting out from Tianmu Farming Garden and following Provincial Highway 2, we actually reached downtown Sanzhi quite quickly. The downtown area is a small market and cluster of shops centered on Sanzhi Junior High School, and we simply waited there for everyone to gather and check in. Shuzhen, the lady of the house at Sanju Green, also used the spare time to show those of us who arrived first the cherry blossoms still in bloom; the campus of Sanzhi Junior High School is very quiet, and several of the school buildings look quite historic. Across the street, Warehouse No. 2 used to be a granary, and now, as times have changed, it has been turned into an arts-and-culture coffee space.

More than half an hour late, everyone finally arrived and we set off. At first the whole group walked along the roadside, but once we left the downtown area, with few cars and open land, everyone's mood naturally brightened. The Sanzhi area has slightly undulating terrain, and many fields are terraced, rising and falling. Shuzhen introduced us to several nearby spots with great views, which are worth a detour to sit and enjoy when you have time. Still, on the stretch from downtown to Sanju Green, the scenery along the way is fresh and natural in itself; at the start everyone got a bit of hiking in, easing the pressure of sitting for long hours in the city.

 

A view of the school buildings at Sanzhi Junior High School, with a rather quaint and tranquil feel.

Cherry blossoms still in bloom.

 

That day many farming households were also transplanting rice, and bundles of rice seedlings were set out along the field edges.

Once past the downtown area, the scenery opens up, and everyone hiked together enjoying the roadside views.

After arriving at Shuzhen's house and putting away our luggage, the first thing we had to do was gather ingredients for lunch. We followed Shuzhen into the vegetable garden to pull radishes. White radishes are a very common food in winter, and Shuzhen taught everyone that a white radish whose top has already poked out of the soil is ready to be pulled. In no time, adults and children alike were all pulling radishes, pulling radishes. These radishes were enough to feed us for half a month.

Looking for radishes ready to pull, then getting to work pulling radishes.

 
 

Everyone happily shows off the radishes they harvested.

Next we went to another vegetable garden to see what treasures we could find. Shuzhen's family's fields are all in small plots, about half a fen in size, either right next to each other or scattered about, with woods or embankments on all sides blocking the constant assault of the sea breeze. Here there were some cabbages and celery. Shuzhen taught everyone to harvest the cabbages with small sickles; the celery had gotten a bit old, so we only picked a little, letting everyone experience how the vegetables we eat grow in the soil and how they are harvested.

 
 

Heading to another vegetable garden to pick vegetables.

Another plot held only tiny vegetable seedlings and bare soil. This is Sanju Green's focus for the next season, because growing vegetables also requires planning, and the spring vegetables are estimated to need sowing and transplanting right about now: water spinach, beans, gourds and melons, plus some experimental fruit trees, avocado and lemon. In fact, a diverse garden not only keeps production going without seasonal interruptions, it also lets us see how all kinds of crops grow.

Junfu and Shuzhen explained to everyone how to plant in ways that avoid pests and diseases, and how to plan crops for the changing seasons.

After hiking, pulling radishes and cutting vegetables, everyone's instinctive reaction was: so hungry! When's lunch? The aromas drifting again and again from the kitchen at the back made everyone realize that farm labor and eating are very important matters. Everyone wanted to build up enough strength before the afternoon's rice transplanting, and the source of that energy was, of course, the food we eat.

 
 

Shuzhen's mother was the head chef at the stove today, and the aroma of the dishes filled the air. Everyone helped wash vegetables and set out tables, chairs, bowls and chopsticks.

Dish after dish came out, all prepared for everyone in the kitchen by Shuzhen's mother and aunt. Everyone hurried to help: some set the table and moved chairs, some carried out dishes and soup, some handed out bowls and filled rice. Soon it was time to take our places and dig in. The photographers were the most pitiful, though, gazing at a table full of abundant dishes and still having to take photos as evidence ><. All the vegetables at lunch were leafy greens from Shuzhen's own garden, while the chicken, pork and fish had been bought fresh and reliable from vendors at the local market. Their own rice had run out, so this time they had to eat someone else's.

My takeaway from the meal: the vegetables were even better than the meat!! The Chinese kale was very tender and the cabbage very crisp. Shuzhen's mother's homemade preserved vegetable mixed with minced meat and dried tofu was extremely good with rice. It's not that the chicken, pork and fish weren't tasty, but everyone actually wiped out all the vegetables, while meat was left over. The soup was a radish meatball soup, with a very clear, sweet radish flavor. I forget the other soup, seems it was a sour bamboo shoot and cabbage soup? It was also very good.

This Chinese kale was delicious beyond words.

Having eaten and drunk our fill, someone said: I wish there were a hammock to nap in. That was truly everyone's wish, but sleeping right after eating isn't a good habit, so everyone was free to do as they liked and take a walk around to help digestion, getting ready for the afternoon's rice transplanting.

After lunch and a rest, Brother Junfu prepared to start teaching everyone how to transplant rice. First he introduced everyone to the old farming tools: the ox-drawn plow, and the bamboo trays and bamboo baskets for holding seedlings, all left behind by Shuzhen's grandfather.

 

The old ox plow.

By the way, Shuzhen's grandfather is already 93 years old, yet today he was still bustling in and out all day for the rice transplanting, and his health is extremely robust, which we all admired greatly. Junfu's son even chimed in: Dad definitely won't be able to farm when he's 93. That made everyone crack up. But Grandpa's secret to long life and health is keeping his body constantly active and never eating any processed foods, and he doesn't even eat thin-skinned fruits much.

 

Grandpa is already 93 years old and still very hale and hearty.

Junfu told everyone that in the Taipei area there is only one rice harvest a year, and that today was an auspicious day, with many people also choosing to transplant rice today. Junfu divided the seedlings into small clumps and demonstrated how to peel the seedlings off, transplanting row after row while walking backward.

Everyone changed clothes or rolled up their pant legs, getting ready to go into the field. Shuzhen's granduncle first demonstrated the actual transplanting: he planted the first row so we could line our seedlings up with his. Everyone could hardly wait to get into the field and feel it for themselves. The moment our feet stepped down, the soft wet mud immediately made them sink in. Luckily it wasn't very cold today, otherwise our feet would have frozen.

Everyone worked earnestly at transplanting rice, feeling the hardship of bending over in the field, but having fun was what mattered, because the transplanting was truly ugly: looking across, the seedlings were crooked, with some spots left empty and others too densely packed, and everyone was covered in mud. Still, actually returning to the soil, the feeling was very joyful: being barefoot was much more comfortable than wearing shoes, and the children were even happier, shouting that they wanted to plant all the seedlings.

  

In addition, Brother Junfu also let everyone try a small tiller. That day a rice transplanter was also transplanting at the same time, and the transplanter was very fast, finishing a whole plot of seedlings in no time.

 
 
 

After everyone finished transplanting, although we weren't extremely tired, we had stretched our limbs, and our stomachs felt a bit hungry again. Farm labor really does make you hungry easily. Shuzhen's mother had already prepared savory tangyuan (glutinous rice balls). According to Shuzhen, in the past people always ate tangyuan after finishing the rice transplanting, so yesterday they had already rolled the tangyuan. The cooked tangyuan gave off a rich aroma that really whetted the appetite. And it was only then that it started to drizzle, which was really lucky. Junfu shared his thoughts on rice transplanting with everyone, but everyone's hearts were already on the tangyuan, so as soon as the sharing ended they all rushed over and quickly ate a whole pot of tangyuan.

In the end everyone said their goodbyes, and each person could also take home a bottle of Sanju Green's dried radish and radishes, so everyone returned loaded with rewards. Next time on the Return to the Land place-of-origin trip, we can again take everyone to experience different farm work and farming tasks, and to realize how our lives and diet are truly inseparable from this land.

 

 

 

• [Return to the Land]Place-of-Origin Trip - Gather Together to Plant Spring Rice Seedlings part.2, you are welcome to sign up