Preface
Nestled within the very heart of the Suzhounese northern reaches, within the embrace of the labyrinthine waterways of Lixiahe, lies my ancestral home, Xinghua—a locality that has garnered considerable renown as a quintessential waterborne township. This aqueous bounty, replete with a network of serpentine rivers, lakes, and meandering channels, is held within the embrace of myriad waterlogged fields. It is within these fecund waters that flourish the luxuriant water chestnut, the graceful lotus root, and the tender wild rice stem, along with such aquatic delicacies as the crisp Chinese water chestnut and the delicate arrowhead. A more scrupulous examination might classify the lotus root, Chinese water chestnut, and arrowhead as the cultivated progeny of human endeavor, while the wild rice stem, with its more rustic origins, is oftentimes found in the wild, scarcely touched by the hand of cultivation. Moreover, it bears noting that the lotus root and wild rice stem predominantly thrive amidst the rivers, lakes, and channels, whereas the Chinese water chestnut and arrowhead find their nurturing grounds within the well-irrigated paddy fields. The lotus fields of my homeland, though perhaps overshadowed by the nearby and more illustrious Baoying, have nonetheless carved out their own quiet reputation. Baoying, with its storied heritage, stands as a paragon of lotus cultivation, its fame inextricably linked with its historical practice, which stretches back to the venerable days of the Sui and Tang dynasties. In a slight departure from Baoying's tradition, the lotus fields of my home, now sprawled expansively across the landscape, are primarily cultivated for their aesthetic allure. The vivid panorama of "ten thousand acres of verdant lotus ponds and a thousand heaps of golden rapeseed flowers" speaks to this transformation.