民间故事《餃子邊兒》｜The Dumpling Edges

2026-7-31

餃子邊兒

——根據父親講述的民間故事整理

文／泰華

從前，村裡有一戶大地主，家裡良田千頃，生活富足，山珍海味應有盡有。

地主家有一個獨生兒子，從小嬌生慣養。每逢家裡包餃子，他總嫌餃子邊兒沒有餡，不香、不好吃，便只把中間帶餡的部分吃掉，剩下的餃子邊兒隨手丟在一旁。

家裡的人見了，也沒有多說什麼。

後來，世道變了。地主家的家業漸漸敗落，田地沒有了，錢財散盡，父母相繼離世，家裡的僕人也都離開了。

那個從小衣來伸手、飯來張口的孩子，因為從未學過謀生，很快便流落街頭，只能四處乞討，勉強度日。

有一天，他又餓又累，來到一戶人家討飯。

開門的人，竟是當年在他家做工的一位老僕人。

老僕人沒有嫌棄他，而是請他進屋，端來一大碗熱氣騰騰的食物。

那東西一條一條的，看著像麵條，卻又不像麵條。

他早已餓得前胸貼後背，也顧不上細看，端起碗便狼吞虎嚥地吃了起來。不一會兒，一大碗便吃得乾乾淨淨，只覺得又香又飽。

他放下碗，忍不住問：

「老伯，這是什麼東西？我怎麼從來沒有吃過？」

老僕人望著他，輕輕嘆了一口氣，說：

「少爺，你還記得小時候吃餃子嗎？你每次都只吃餃子餡，把餃子邊兒丟掉。我們捨不得糟蹋，就一塊一塊撿起來，曬乾存著。後來日子艱難，就拿出來煮著吃。你剛才吃的這一碗，就是用那些餃子邊兒煮成的。」

聽到這裡，他整個人愣住了。

原來，自己剛剛吃下去的，正是那些當年被自己嫌棄、隨手丟棄的餃子邊兒。

他低著頭，久久說不出話來，心中充滿了羞愧與悔恨。

後來，這個故事便流傳了下來，勸人珍惜糧食，愛惜福分。

富貴不可恃，五穀不可輕；惜物的人，才懂得惜福。

——謹以此文，紀念父親。

English Version 英文版（ChatGPT）

The Dumpling Edges

A Folk Tale Passed Down by My Father

By Taihua

Long ago, before great changes swept across the land, there lived a wealthy landlord in a village. His family owned vast fields and lived in abundance, with every kind of fine food on their table.

The landlord had an only son who was spoiled from childhood. Whenever the family made dumplings, he would complain that the edges had no filling and were tasteless. He ate only the center with the meat filling and casually threw the dumpling edges aside.

No one in the family said anything.

As the years passed, times changed. The family’s fortune slowly disappeared. Their land was gone, their wealth was exhausted, his parents passed away, and the servants all left.

Having never learned how to earn a living, the young master soon found himself alone, wandering from place to place, begging for food.

One day, hungry and exhausted, he knocked on the door of a small house.

The person who opened the door was an old servant who had once worked for his family.

The old servant did not turn him away. Instead, he invited him inside and brought him a steaming bowl of food.

It looked a little like noodles, yet not quite.

The young man was so hungry that he paid no attention to what it was. He finished the entire bowl in no time. It was surprisingly delicious, and for the first time in days, he felt full.

Putting down the bowl, he asked,

“Sir, what is this? I’ve never eaten anything like it.”

The old servant looked at him quietly, sighed, and replied,

“Young Master, do you remember eating dumplings when you were a child? Every time, you ate only the filling and threw away the edges. We couldn’t bear to waste them, so we gathered them one by one, dried them, and stored them away. When hard times came, we cooked them to fill our stomachs. The bowl you have just eaten was made from those very dumpling edges.”

The young man stood frozen.

Only then did he realize that what he had just eaten was exactly what he had once despised and thrown away without a second thought.

He lowered his head and remained silent for a long time, filled with shame and regret.

From that day on, the story was passed down from generation to generation, reminding people to cherish their food and never take blessings for granted.

Wealth does not last forever, but gratitude and frugality can sustain a lifetime.

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In loving memory of my father.