The faint lyric prose of wormwood incense

Once upon a time, there was a faint scent of wormwood in the alley I used to pass by. Inadvertently, the years entered the lush May. May is extraordinary because of labor; May branded a world belonging to them in the booming era.

"May 5th is Duanyang, with wormwood inserted and sachets hung; Multicolored thread, wrist tied; Eat zongzi and dip in sugar; The dragon boat is happy to go into the water. " As soon as I mentioned this nursery rhyme, the faint wormwood seemed to smell it. Folium Artemisiae Argyi, commonly known as Artemisia argyi, has a strong aroma and is brown or grayish brown. It is a traditional food in the south and has strong medicinal value. Every family always hangs it on the door to ward off evil spirits on Duanyang Festival, and wormwood can be seen everywhere in the south.

Walking in the deep alley where I used to wander, I can smell the faint fragrance of wormwood from time to time. When I smell this fragrance, it will cause deep nostalgia hidden in my heart. On the hillside of my hometown, wormwood is densely covered with green and lush, especially in May when everything is lush, and it grows particularly green and lush, and occasionally emits a faint fragrance.

When I was a child, my mother always collected wormwood and dried it. Moreover, in midsummer, when used to smoke clothes, it can not only repel mosquitoes, but also has a faint fragrance. On the day of Duanyang Festival, wormwood is hung on the door to ward off evil spirits. At that time, I didn't know it was wormwood, let alone its purpose; Although my mother talks about its use ... I know nothing about it except its name. Unlike other species, wormwood produces charming little flowers. It just grows straight on the ground, with a green plant and a faint smell of wormwood from time to time. To tell the truth, I have never forgotten it, but its faint scent of wormwood is not only its aroma, but also its taste, because it can not only be smelled, but also eaten. How incredible it is to eat wormwood!

Wormwood intoxicates me.

My hometown is located in the south, and summer is a hot season. Especially in July, my mother calls it "autumn dryness". Every year at this season, my mother often makes us some fairy tofu to cool off the heat, one of which is to use wormwood as raw material. Every time my mother cooks this summer dish, she always goes to the hillside around my house and says, "Make more fairy tofu. You send a big bowl to Shen Bo, the neighbor, and another bowl to the bean next door." Wormwood is the most commonly used raw material for making tofu in Cao Xian. The summer food made of wormwood can at least have a sweet and delicious summer food in this hot summer, not to mention its fragrance and refreshing. Mother always chooses those green and delicate mugwort leaves when cooking this summer dish. If it's dark green, it's not so fragrant. Collecting mugwort leaves is the key to making tofu in Cao Xian, and it is also a great event for me.

Every time I follow my mother to pick mugwort leaves, I always stare at my mother: "Mom, why don't you pick those big and dark mugwort leaves?"

She always said, "tender, fragrant and delicious."

I got it. Help my mother pick up those green mugwort leaves. In an instant, the faint fragrance of Artemisia argyi covered my hands, and it even incense my clothes. Mother washed her hands, washed mugwort leaves with water to remove dead branches and weeds, wrapped mugwort leaves with gauze, rubbed them in clean water and squeezed out thick juice; Then wait for three to five hours, then freeze it into a transparent jelly, pour it into cold water, add mint water, and it tastes delicious. Those extra mugwort leaves are spread in bamboo poles, dried, wrapped in paper and put in cabinets to fumigate clothes and repel insects, in exchange for the fragrance of mugwort leaves from family all year round.

Time flies, now we no longer smoke clothes with wormwood, and we rarely use wormwood leaves to make tofu in summer. But every year in the sun, we still insert wormwood in our door to ward off evil spirits, and occasionally use wormwood leaves to make wormwood tofu or smoke clothes in summer.

Wandering in the faint scent of wormwood, looking at the lush wormwood everywhere, it is its vitality that branded their world.

When I came home, I brought back a handful of wormwood incense. My mother always said, "No matter how fragrant the wormwood leaves are here, they can't compare with the wormwood incense around the hillside in my hometown."

Therefore, I always think of the faint scent of wormwood in my hometown in May.