When Yingying awakes, her amah informs her that the whole family will go to Tai Lake for the Moon festival.
When the time comes to depart, Yingying observes that everyone in her family is dressed in great finery for the occasion. For the day, the servants have packed all the family's provisions into picnic hampers. One hamper holds zong zi; these are sticky rice dumplings that are wrapped in lotus leaves. These dumplings can have a variety of fillings; Yingying explains that the ones the servants have packed contain either dumplings filled with sweet lotus seeds or roasted ham.
In another hamper, the servants include cups, bowls, chopsticks, and a small stove for boiling tea water. Yet other hampers contain stacks of red boxes holding four mooncakes in each box; fruits like apples, pears, and pomegranates; sleeping mats for the family's afternoon naps; as well as earthen jars of preserved meats and vegetables.
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