Spring Tea Party: Those humble flowers

#春日茶会#

The stupid bird realizes his dream/text

Spring is the season of flowers and the world of flowers. Turnips and greens, everyone has their own preferences. In real life, everyone has different preferences for flowers, especially those precious flowers, which are mostly sought after and praised by people.

Many inconspicuous flowers and plants in nature bloom in the vast land and have withstood the baptism of wind and rain. Although they are not as delicate and noble as the flowers in the greenhouse, they are often not remembered by people, let alone praised. It has a good reputation, but it allows people to appreciate the unique connotation of spring and autumn, decorating people's lives with ordinary things, giving life a special sentiment and charm.

Walnut Blossom

In my childhood memory, in the west corner of the playground of my alma mater, there was a tree with a thick shade like a canopy. The old walnut tree has a thick trunk with a diameter of two feet. Looking up, it reaches a height of 100 meters. Its canopy, shaped like a giant umbrella, covers the sky inside and outside the wall.

On a sunny spring day, when many flowers fade away, walnut flowers like foxtail grass bloom densely among the branches of the old walnut tree. The emerald green flowers were soft and fluffy, and within a few days they would fall to the ground with the breeze, shaking their heads. After a while, green flower spikes could be seen everywhere on the ground under the shade of the trees.

At that time, we called walnut flowers "walnut flowers". A few friends and I carried small bamboo baskets and came to the playground happily, picking up bunches of green and furry walnut flowers. After bringing a basket full of walnut flowers home, my mother carefully plucked off the tiny flower buds with her hands, dried the tiny flower stems in the basket, and then tied them into small handfuls with thin ropes to preserve them after drying.

"The grass in the five wild months is the treasure in the cold winter months." When the New Year comes, my mother will take out the stored walnut flower stems, soak them in the water in the basin, and wash them repeatedly. Use the fried clear oil to blanch the minced garlic and chili noodles, add cooked vinegar, and make a hot and sour soup. Then add pepper noodles and other seasonings to the plate holding the walnut stems, and pour the hot and sour soup into the dish. Use chopsticks to stir evenly, and a unique cold dish is put on the table.

Eating the cold walnut stems with relish, you will think of the once unknown green flowers in the spring when they are full of flowers.

In the blink of an eye, several decades have passed, and picking up "walnut nuts" in a bamboo basket has become a distant memory. Not long ago, I went shopping in a supermarket and was pleasantly surprised to see bagged "Walnut Nuuniu" on the shelf. I excitedly bought a few bags, mixed them into cold dishes, and had a full meal. In fact, "Walnut Niuniu" is not only delicious cold, but can also be used with other ingredients to make several different dishes, which still taste unique.

Later, I was lucky enough to see an improved grafted dwarf walnut tree. The new variety of walnut tree can bear fruit in only three to five years. I also think of the farmer's proverb that my parents often said when I was young: "It takes five years to have peaches, three apricots and four pears, and fifteen years to eat walnuts." In other words, the old walnut trees at that time took fifteen years to grow before they could bear fruit. Although there are not many walnut trees in the village, all of them are towering trees.

Walnut is a dioecious tree species. Although the male flowers bloom profusely, they do not bear fruit when the flowers fade, and they only help the female flowers to pollinate. Although the female flowers do not bloom densely, each flower will bear a green fruit and will never bloom in vain. Young trees generally have only female flowers and no male flowers. As the tree ages, the number of male flowers gradually increases. The larger and older the tree, the more "walnut flowers" there will be.

Nowadays, dwarf walnut trees are being promoted on a large scale. The new varieties of trees are very short-lived and do not grow very high. There are no "walnut nuts" falling in spring, but they are already fruitful in autumn. From this point of view, in the near future, "Walnut Niuniu" will become increasingly rare and slowly become a rare treasure.

Persimmon flower

If you observe carefully, you will find that some of the many flowering trees bloom first and then produce young flowers. Tender thin leaves, some grow leaves first, and then bloom. Persimmon is a tree species that produces leaves first and then blooms.

When all kinds of flowers are blooming one after another, and people are rushing to a New Year party in a lively manner, the old persimmon trees in the village stretch out leisurely and are covered with light green clothes. Petals of light yellow leaves emerge from the branches, fresh and soft, opening their round smiling faces to greet people in the breeze. The thin leaves slowly grow up, becoming more round and round, and the color changes from light yellow to emerald green, which is bright green.

At this time, you will see small yellow lanterns peeking out from the leaves. Just like walnut trees, persimmons are monoecious and have different flowers. The male flowers are as big as corn kernels, like small yellow lanterns. They bloom in large numbers and last only for a short period of time, falling slowly in the wind. The shape of female flowers is the same as that of male flowers. The flower discs are supported by three or four diamond-shaped leaflets, but they are slightly larger than male flowers. When the female flowers are in full bloom, the rudiments of fruits have already grown in the middle of several diamond-shaped leaflets. , after a few days, the young green fruit will gradually bulge, and the petals will naturally separate from the fruit body. Whenever I see the petals of female flowers falling, I think of green fruits as big as fingers appearing among the branches and leaves.

The days when persimmon flowers bloom also bring us a lot of fun. When you wake up in the morning and walk under the persimmon tree, you will always be attracted by the small yellow lanterns all over the ground.

Bend down, carefully pick up the flower cup in the palm of your hand, curiously pick up one with your fingers, put it in front of your nostrils and smell it, a refreshing fragrance penetrates your heart.

I couldn't help but pick off the small leaf pods, throw the flower bones into my mouth, and chew them carefully. The sweetness has a slight astringent taste. Although it tastes sweet, eating too much will cause diarrhea.

Sometimes, a few friends would find thin threads and string the small flower cups together. The long string was connected from end to end and hung around the neck. It really looked like a flower. What a living gold necklace! However, after wearing it for a while, the fresh flower bones withered and fell to the ground one by one.

We have never lacked patience. After they fell and scattered, we picked them up again, strung them up, and put them on until the flowers bloomed and fell, and the green berries on the tree grew bigger day by day. Willing to give up.

Where there are flowers, there are fruits. When the persimmons grow to the size of green walnuts, scattered persimmons on branches with dense fruit gradually turn yellow and slowly fall from the trees. Maybe the persimmons on those branches are too numerous, and the green fruits are scrambling to absorb nutrients. Some fruits have fallen behind in the competition. Perhaps it is to make other fruits grow stronger and mature well in the end. They are intentional. Take the initiative to give way to talents, and withdraw from the growth stage voluntarily! Secretly I felt sorry for these fallen green fruits, and even more admired their sacrificial spirit.

In those days, the green berries falling from the trees happened to be condiments for pig food. Every family is feeding a big fat pig. Passing by the persimmon tree, they see the persimmon eggs falling on the ground, so they pick them up and take them home. They accumulate them and let them slowly turn yellow and soft. When they are fed to the pigs, they Add the softened persimmon eggs to the trough, mash them with a pig's food stirrer, and let the pigs swallow them.

When Persimmon was growing up, I followed my mother to the persimmon trees every day to pick up persimmon eggs. I visited almost every persimmon tree. We went out with the basket at dawn, thinking that we were the first. Who would have thought that there were people earlier than us, and not a single fruit fell under the persimmon tree. Of course, there is also the earliest time to go out. You will definitely gain a lot from this day and return home with a full load. When the green fruits no longer fall from the trees, the persimmons are almost ripe.

Clusters of persimmon flowers are like small lanterns. When the persimmons are ripe, the red fruits are like hanging lanterns. Cut the persimmons into persimmons and hang them on the shelf. On the roof, there are simply bright and bright lanterns. Let’s just call the persimmons lantern fruit!

Dandelions

As long as you pay a little attention, you will find that dandelions can be seen in every corner of the earth. . Regardless of the city or the countryside, whether it is a mountain or a river dam, whether it is on the ridge of a field or in the grass on the roadside, wherever there is soil, whether it is fertile or barren, dandelions will grow freely and tenaciously.

In mid-spring, some trees are already covered in green, some trees are quietly sprouting, some flowers have already bloomed, and some flowers are blooming. At this time, when walking on the road, you will be pleasantly surprised to see dandelions in the dense and fluffy grass beside the road. Several thin pinnate leaves are spread out and spread flat on the grass blades. Although it is only a few centimeters tall, it still blooms with a bright yellow flower the size of a coin, standing proudly and standing out.

In places with fertile land, dandelions will also grow very luxuriantly, in clumps.

In clumps, with green leaves and five or six flowers in full bloom. , decorating the land under your feet, making people’s eyes brighten.

In my hometown, people call dandelions "yellow flowers". When I was a child, I often followed my mother all over the mountains and fields to pick up wild vegetables, chicory, daylilies, and rice vegetables. My mother washed these wild vegetables and brewed them in a sauerkraut vat. They would be ready to eat in a few days. The sauerkraut brewed by "Huanghuaer" tasted unique.

Decades passed in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I had entered the age of knowing my destiny. I have been living in the county town for decades, and I can no longer eat sauerkraut made by "Huanghuaer". At the end of spring and early summer last year, I suddenly thought of digging out some dandelions and drinking them as tea in the middle of summer, which is a great way to cool down and dissipate heat. So my wife and I searched for dandelions in the wild fields along both sides of the Bailong River, but we only managed to pick out some here and there. When I came back, I met a few acquaintances. They said that some time ago, they went to the North and South Mountains to cut out dandelions, but only a few of them had been cut out. Then I remembered that in recent years, people have been eating wild vegetables, not to mention that cold dandelion is a delicacy to relieve the heat in summer!

Dandelion is also a widely used traditional Chinese medicine. According to the "Compendium of Materia Medica", dandelion is mild in nature, sweet and slightly bitter in taste, and has many functions such as clearing away heat, detoxifying, and reducing swelling.

I remember there was a supply and marketing cooperative store on the old street in the village. When I was in elementary school, I always loved to run into the store every now and then, and gradually became obsessed with the various stationery on the counter. , I especially like the pen with the little rabbit head. The rabbit's two ears stand straight up, and the two black and shiny little eyes are very energetic. Looking at the cute appearance of the pen elf, I was imagining what it would be like to hold the pen and write. That would definitely attract the envious eyes of my classmates!

That exquisite little rabbit-head pen only cost fifty-six cents at that time, but it was a pity that I didn’t even have a penny on it! I don’t even dare to ask my family for it! I just happened to find out that the county medicinal materials company purchased dandelions in large quantities at a price of twenty-five cents per catty. In order to realize the dream of buying a rabbit-head pen, I made an appointment with some friends from the same village, and used the late school time or Sunday to dig dandelions on the hillsides in front and behind the village, and then poured them on the roof to dry.

The dandelions were light and airy after being dried, so I didn’t weigh them on the scale at all. After a dozen or so trips, the dandelions I harvested weighed just over four kilograms. On Sunday, another friend and I rushed to the county seat at dawn, and then followed the long queue in front of the county medicinal company.

I only got more than one yuan for more than four kilograms of Dandelion. When I got home, I couldn’t wait to buy the little rabbit-head pen!

Dandelions grow carefree like that, with a short flowering period. The round yellow flowers bloom for more than ten days, and then slowly form white fluffy seeds, like A ball of soft fluff, gently blown by the breeze, the delicate seeds will float up, like a tiny umbrella. Fly, fly, fly to the ends of the earth, float, float, float to every corner of the earth, take root, sprout, bloom and bear fruit.

When I think of dandelions, I think of the movie "Bashan Night Rain" I watched decades ago, and the childlike song echoes in my ears: "I am a dandelion seed, who I don’t know my happiness and sadness. My parents gave me a small umbrella and let me float in the vast world. The little umbrella took me to fly, fly! ”

Figs

Figs are magical and poetic fruits. When I first heard her name, it seemed that it did not bloom, but only bore fruit. In fact, it is not the case. At first, green buds bloomed between the branches of the fruit trees. The round buds slowly grew up, and the color gradually changed from dark green to yellow-green, from hard to soft, and then to purple. At first glance, it looked a bit... The purple-brown buds have thin slits at their tops. It is thought that the buds are about to bloom, but in fact the fruits are already ripe.

The fruit grows very firmly on the tree, unlike some fruits that fall to the ground when the wind blows when they are ripe. When we pick the fig, we gently peel off the delicate skin and break open the fruit, which is filled with layers of fresh and tender stamens. Put the broken pulp into your mouth, chew it a little, and the thick sweet juice will fill your entire throat. The honey-like sweetness goes straight into your heart. It feels refreshing and smooth, with a long lasting flavor.

Flowers are fruits, and fruits are flowers. It is better to say that what we eat is a fruit, but it is a flower bud that is about to bloom after maturity.

When I was a child, there were only a few fig trees in the village. That year I developed a small wart on my finger, which was sometimes painfully itchy. An old man reminded that when the figs are not yet ripe, if you pick the green fruits, you will see white milk flowing out of the fruit handles. Just put the milk on the warts several times in a row and it will be fine. .

I don’t have a fig tree at home. My mother had no choice but to lead me to the house of the owner of the fig tree. After telling me the whole story, the owner readily let me follow him to the tree. Then he stood on tiptoe and pulled off a green fig. Sure enough, I saw the stubble flowing out of the fig tree. White milk. I stretched out my hand and he put the milk on the wart on his finger. The white milk covered the scar.

The effect was immediate. I felt very comfortable at the time, and gradually I felt that it was not as itchy as before. In this way, after about four or five clicks, the wart on my finger was surprisingly cured.

The doll family is greedy. Whenever he came under the fig tree, the kind-hearted uncle pulled off a green fruit and remembered that when the figs were ripe, he would come back to their house and ask for a few more fruits to satisfy his craving. However, in midsummer, when the figs were ripe, I secretly came to the tree, only to see that there was not a single fruit on the tree, and only old leaves hanging on the strong branches were left. I felt strange.

After I came to the county town, I would always buy and eat figs several times every year when they were on the market. It was a feast for the eyes and made up for the shortcomings of my childhood. In the beginning, one yuan could buy three to five fruits, but now ten yuan can only buy about seven to eight.

In addition to being eaten fresh, figs can also be processed into preserved fruits, jam, juice, fruit tea, fruit wine, beverages, cans, etc. Dried figs have no chemical additives and have a rich, sweet taste. Fig juice and drinks have a unique refreshing taste, promote body fluids and quench thirst, and are suitable for all ages.

Figs also have a wide range of medicinal values.

"Compendium of Materia Medica", "Compendium of Materia Medica", "Compendium of Materia Medica", "Yilin Compendium" and other medicinal materials books describe more than a dozen medicinal effects of figs, which are mainly used for loss of appetite, epigastric distension and pain, hemorrhoids, constipation, and indigestion. Symptoms include anal prolapse, diarrhea, insufficient milk, sore throat, heat dysentery, and cough with phlegm.

In recent years, the cultivation of figs along the Bailong River has flourished. The annual fruiting period has gradually lengthened, the sales dates on the market have also become longer, and there are more varieties than before. Every sales season, you will see a dazzling array of new varieties. Some varieties introduced from Xinjiang have a single fruit several times larger than the old varieties, and sometimes one fruit can be sold for two to three yuan.

Broad bean flowers

In the green June, Wudu Maying, etc. Ground broad beans are in bloom. The green broad beans in the fields are growing happily, and the layers of fresh and bright bean blossoms are dancing in the wind.

The breeze blows gently, and from a distance, the flowers dotted on the branches are like lingering butterflies dancing lightly. When you get closer to the ridge and take a closer look, you will see that the flower colors are not monotonous. The white flowers are smooth and translucent, and the lavender flowers are graceful and elegant. The stripes on the petals are clearly distinguishable. The white flowers are interspersed with plump buds, just like fat white spring silkworms, and the lavender flowers are like the bows on a girl's collar, vivid and charming.

Although the broad bean flowers are not as beautiful as the flowers in the greenhouse, are not as elegant as the flowers in the greenhouse, and are not even favored by people, they have endured the baptism of wind and rain, bloomed and bear fruit, and given back to people a bumper harvest of fruits.

Broad beans are annual herbaceous plants with square stems, hollow centers, white or purple flowers, and pods. The seeds can be used to extract oil and make hot sauce and other foods. Broad beans are rich in vitamins C, E and other essential elements for the human body. Long-term consumption can nourish the brain and refresh the mind, strengthen the spleen and appetite, and delay aging. Broad beans contain high protein, starch and fat and are a good food for people to eat. People in Maying and other places often say: "Let the oxen plow the land and use the broad beans to eat." This means that the oxen are the most powerful and docile in plowing the fields, and the broad beans they eat are the most delicious, high in nutrition and good taste. , does not hurt the stomach.

The broad beans are soft and crispy in the mouth, with a waxy texture in the sand. They are tender and delicious. Whether eaten as a side dish or as a "snack", there are many ways to eat it.

After dry-fried broad beans, they taste crispy and refreshing. When frying broad beans, first soak them in salt water for more than 10 hours. After they swell, pour them into a wok with fine gravel and sand in advance. Stir constantly until they are crispy. Fried broad beans are a gift from local people during festivals. A great gift for family and friends.

Broad beans are deep-fried and carefully packaged to become a favorite snack for boys and girls. The bean flour processed from broad bean flour tastes smooth and refreshing. The bean chili sauce made from broad beans is a top-quality seasoning. The broad beans are raw. Bean sprouts have a unique flavor.

Pick the nearly mature broad beans together with the pods to make a unique stir-fry called fried green beans. Peel off the pods of fresh broad beans, boil them in boiling water for two minutes, remove and drain; heat a wok, add oil, fry some chives, then add the broad bean grains and stir-fry until the bean skin wrinkles, add Stir-fry some refined salt; finally add a little water and simmer for a few minutes. You can take it out of the pot before the water is completely dry. There are also versions that do not use chives and use mustard mustard, which tastes very good. The fried broad beans are emerald green and tender, full of country atmosphere and have a delicious taste, allowing us to appreciate the freshness and simplicity of the fields.

Broad beans are a treasure in mountainous areas. After harvesting broad beans, not only the seeds are the best raw materials for making various foods, but even the leaves, pods and poles, after being crushed and soft, are also the best for processing livestock feed. Raw materials, feeding pigs, cattle, horses, sheep and other large livestock will easily gain weight. The roots of broad beans become a natural fertilizer after being buried in the ground and rotting. They can produce a large number of root rot bacteria and are suitable for the growth of various crops.

Wang Zhen's "Agricultural Book" said: Broad beans are "the most advanced among the hundred cereals. They can be eaten by cooking and can be used as a substitute for rice to satisfy hunger."

Maying and other places have a long history of producing broad beans. According to the memories of local elderly people, broad beans began to be grown here in the early years of the Republic of China. At that time, they were just used as a simple food crop. The villagers mix the broad beans produced with barley, wheat, oats, etc. and process them into flour for consumption.

With the rapid changes in people's dietary structure, broad beans have become a popular product for villagers to exchange for high-quality rice and flour. In recent years, broad beans have become increasingly valued by merchants both inside and outside the province due to their high nutritional value and ease of processing into various high value-added non-staple foods. The villagers are keeping an eye on the market, adjusting the industrial structure, expanding the planting area, and treating broad beans as a big industry for alleviating poverty and becoming rich.

After the broad beans are mature and harvested, the broad bean trade on the market day is very prosperous. There is an endless stream of foreign merchants who come to buy and transport broad beans. Almost every village has designated merchants and vehicles for purchasing, which is powerful. It has promoted the development of rural economy in cold and humid mountainous areas.