The Girl that Loved Rice

Mei loved to eat rice. In Hong Kong, everybody eats rice, but Mei ‘loved’ it. The truth is Mei loved to eat…period. Before she went to school, she always had a big bowl of congee (rice soup). Her mother made sweet rice cakes for her. Mei ate one or two on the way to school. All day long, she ate rice. It was no wonder she was getting quite plump. Most Chinese people were slim because they ate lots of vegetables and fish. Not Mei. You never saw her without a rice cake, candies made from rice, sweet, colored, sticky rice balls, rice and pork wrapped in banana leaves, or some other rice snack.

“Soon you will be so fat you won’t be able to fit through our doorway!” warned her mother.

Her father said,” One day you will just blow up and float away.”

“Ha! Ha! Ha!” laughed Mei. “I don’t care. I love to eat rice. If I get bigger, I will be able to eat more rice. Ha! Ha! Ha!

“When I grow up,” she continued,” I am going to marry a farmer who grows rice – or maybe work in a shop making rice cakes.”

“You will eat them all yourself and not leave any to sell to customers,” joked a friend.

“Maybe I will. Ha! Ha! Ha!”

Mei’s parents were getting quite worried about her. They liked to see her happy and laughing but she was getting very fat. They knew that if something were not done, she would just keep on getting fatter and fatter. That was not good for her health. But what could they do? Mei simply loved to eat rice. She would rather do that than almost anything else.

To make matters worse, Hong Kong was full of places to eat. Everywhere you went you could smell delicious food as people cooked it outside to sell.

Day after day, Mei’s parents wondered what they could do as they watched their daughter grow bigger and bigger.

They were discussing the problem with a neighbor who said, “Why don’t you go to see old Mr. Ho? He is incredibly wise. Perhaps he can advise you of what you can do.”

“Good idea! I did not even think about that. We know Mr. Ho has helped many people in the community.”

Mr. Ho was an old man. In his younger days, he had been done many jobs… as a soldier, politician, teacher, and social worker. Now he was retired and living alone in a small house in the New Territories, a district of Hong Kong close to the border with China’s Canton Province.

Many people came to see Mr. Ho and ask his advice on all sorts of problems and situations they found themselves unable to fix on their own. They brought him food, presents, or gave him money. He always sent them away with a good answer to their problem.

That very day, after Mei had gone off to school with her usual bag of rice cakes, Mei’s mother went to see Mr. Ho. After explaining the problem, Mr. Ho said, “As it happens, I plan to go into the city next week to see some friends. I would like Mei to come with me. Do you think that would be all right? It will be on Sunday, so she won’t miss any schoolwork.”

“Yes, of course, if you think that will help.” answered Mei’s mother.

The following Sunday, Mr. Ho followed the directions Mei’s mother had given him to get to their house. He walked down their street in the early afternoon. He liked Mei immediately when he met her.

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Mei said, when she finished the rice candy she had in her mouth. “Mother says you want to take me to see somebody today. Is it far away?”

“Oh no. Not far. Chen-Yuen’s family lives quite close. In fact, we just take one bus, and we will be there.” Mei’s mother waved as they walked off down the street.

“Mr. Ho said, “I think you will like Chen-Yuen, Mei. She is about your age.” Mei smiled. She likes to make new friends.

“Would you like a rice cake, Mr. Ho?”

“No thank you. I ate before I left home.”

“Me, too!” laughed Mei, “but these rice cakes are so good.”

When they got off the bus, Mr. Ho led her down a narrow street full of people, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and food carts. They walked through an open-air market. Bags of rice were piled high; fresh vegetables on display; big baskets of fresh fruit, eggs, nuts, boxes of live chickens, trays of rice cakes, other delectable looking sweets, and mobile food vendors made walking a challenge. Mei’s eyes widened as she looked at everything.

“I’ve been here before,” she said to Mr. Ho. “They make the most delicious rice cakes right over there.” Mei pointed to one of the shops.

Mr. Ho led her through the market and down a quieter street, then another. Halfway down the second street, he stopped and knocked on an old door. It was opened quickly by a little girl of about four. A woman stood right behind her.

“Cho san!” said Mr. Ho. “Hello Mrs. Chu. May we come in?” Mrs. Chu smiled and looked at Mei.

“Who is this? She looks well-fed.”

This is Mei. I thought she would like to meet Chen-Yuen. Is she here?”

Just then a very pretty but very thin girl with long black hair came out of a back room.

“Nice to see you again, Chen-Yuen. This is Mei.” Chen-Yuen smiled.

“Would you like a rice cake?” asked Mei, holding one out. Chen-Yuen looked at her mother and said,” No thank you. But if you can spare it, my little sister Li would like it, I’m sure.” The little girl who had answered the door looked up and smiled at Mei. She looked at the rice cake in Mei’s hand. Mei gave it to her and watched as she devoured it quickly.

“Why don’t you two go outside and play while I talk with Mrs. Chu?” Mr. Ho said.

The two girls went outside and sat down on a doorstep at the end of the street. “Thank you for giving Li your rice cake. She was hungry.”

“Oh, that’s all right. I have lots.” She reached into her bag and took out two more. Would you like one now?”

“Well, I…yes, please,” Chen-Yuen decided. She ate it slowly. Mei began to realize that Chen-Yuen and Li were hungry because they did not have any food.

Mei stopped and, putting her hands on her hips, turned to face the other girl. “Did you eat today, Chen-Yuen?” She looked directly into her eyes.

Chen-Yuen looked down at the ground and said slowly, “We have no food today”. Her eyes were sad. “Maybe when our father comes home tonight, he will bring some.”

“That is awful!” exclaimed Mei. “I can’t imagine not having any food. It must be terrible!”

“Sometimes it makes me feel very weak,” the other girl said, “but you see, our father has not been able to find work for a long time now. If you do not work, you cannot earn money to buy food. Mother makes a little money from doing laundry for people, but it is not enough.” She looked at Mei. “You look nice and healthy. I wish I could look like you!”

“I am fat!” answered Mei. “Fat because I like to eat rice and everything else, too. Right now, I feel ashamed because I eat so much and there are nice people like your family who do not even have rice to eat.”

“Mr. Ho has been kind to us. He helps us whenever he can.”

“Maybe we can help, too! I have 10 Hong Kong dollars. I was going to buy rice cakes and candies with it. Instead, I’d like to buy some rice and vegetables and take them back to your house for your family.”

“My mother is proud. She would not accept.”

“You can tell her we found the money, if you’d like.”

A little while later, the two smiling girls, one very fat and the other very thin, were back at the house carrying a big bowl of cooked rice and another bowl of steaming chicken and vegetables. Li opened the door and her eyes opened wide as she saw the food. Mr. Ho and Mrs. Chu were sitting drinking Ooh-Long tea. Soon, they were all sitting at the table eating very well.”

“Lucky you found the money, though I hope the person who lost it does not have to do without his meal. We must save some for your father when he comes home tonight…in case he was not lucky again.”

Later, on the bus back to Mei’s home, Mr. Ho looked down at her. “That was a genuinely nice thing you did today, Mei. I know you did not ‘find’ the money to buy the food. Probably Chen-Yuen’s mother knew it as well, but it made it easier for her to accept and she does have to think of her family after all.”

When they reached Mei’s house, her father was home. Mei told her mother all about her visit with the Chu family and how badly then needed help.

“Father, do you think Mr. Chu could go to work at the printing company where you work? You have many people working there, don’t you?”

Mr. Ho said,” I was going to ask you the very same thing, but Mei beat me to it. You have a smart and thoughtful girl here and you should be proud of her.”

Mei’s father smiled. “Are you going to see Chen-Yuen again soon, Mei?

“Tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you ask Mr. Chu to come and see me on Monday morning at the company. We have one or two job openings and maybe we can help the family to get back on their feet.”

“Thank you, daddy. I can’t wait to tell Chen-Yuen!”

Mei’s mother brought a plate of rice cakes to the table, “Mei, I made some of your favorite rice cakes while you were out. Would you like some?”

“No thank you, mother. I, ah, do not feel like any right now. Maybe later. But could you put some aside and I will take them to Chen-Yuen’s family tomorrow? Her little sister Li loves them. I was getting too fat anyway!”

©March 2021 Robert W. F. Taylor

This is another story from my 2012 book ‘The Purple Forest and Other Stories about Children Around the World’ self-published with Smashwords. It has been updated a little.