Mirror vetch is a plant with purple-red flower buds. In our local Fenhu area, people simply call them flowers and plants (red flowers are called red cauliflower, and yellow flowers are called golden cauliflower).

That day, I was surprised to see a small patch of flower meadow planted by my neighbor near my parents’ vegetable field. I was extremely happy. Although it was not a large area in my memory, after so many years apart, I saw it again. Still can't help but feel attached to it.

Yes, I love flowers and plants. Flowers and plants are part of the beautiful memories of childhood.

In the countryside at that time, there were roughly only three types of plants in the spring fields - rapeseed, wheat seedlings and flowers. The three types of plants are planted at intervals. In early spring, they are all a sea of ??green. As the weather gets warmer and they bloom separately, the fields have three colorful colors: the wheat is still green, the rapeseed flowers are golden, and the flowers and grass are purple. The beauty of the spring fields is like a painting that still fascinates me.

When I was a child, I didn’t like eating flowers and plants for two reasons. First, picking flowers and plants is troublesome. The flowers and plants in the fields are planted in a large area, and there are various weeds at intervals. Especially the fine grass is sandwiched among them, which is difficult to distinguish. Therefore, you must be patient when picking flowers and grass. Squat down, lift up the dense flowers and grass, and pick out the roots one by one. Select, pick off the tender parts... A basket of flowers and plants, I don’t know how many flower and plant cores there are. People who are impatient are often defeated by the soreness and numbness of their legs and feet and give up halfway. Secondly, the flowers and plants at that time were both used as fertilizer and as feed for the pigs. People who ate them always felt unappetizing. In addition, at this time of year, flowers and plants were found in almost every meal on the dining table, and they had long been tired of eating them. .

In fact, what I love is the purple buds of flowers and plants. The flower buds of the flowers and plants are very beautiful, round and spherical, decorated with purple calyxes, like butterflies. The girl's love arises spontaneously. My friends and I picked a large number of flower buds, and when we got home, we put them on threads and made them into flower balls. We connected them together to form flower ball necklaces and hung them around our necks, lingering and fragrant, feeling beautiful!

In addition to the colors, another scene in the fields in spring is the bees among the flowers. They come to collect honey. It is said that milkvetch honey is of excellent quality, so beekeepers usually place beehives near milkvetch fields to make it easier for bees to collect honey. Bees buzzed in swarms, and in the blink of an eye they got into the buds to suck nectar. Villagers often go to beekeepers to buy honey. The honey at that time was absolutely wild and original. Honey water contains a light plant fragrance.

Decades have passed, and the vast swathes of purple flowers and plants are no longer traceable. But for flowers and plants, I am nostalgic but also longing for them. Whenever I see vegetable farmers selling flowers and plants, I have to buy them and taste them no matter what. Not only to reward my taste buds, but also to pay tribute to my lost childhood.

After rinsing the flowers and plants, stir-fry them in an oil pan, add salt, and a spoonful of good white wine. Stir-fry them for a few times, and a pot of green flowers and plants will be served steaming hot. The aroma of vegetables and wine is tangy and refreshing, making you feel relaxed and happy, and your appetite will be whetted.

People’s tastes change. Flowers and plants that I didn’t like to eat in childhood are now delicacies.

(Some pictures come from the author "Xiang Meizi", I would like to express my deep gratitude)