In spring, it is another season of lush wild vegetables. If there is one or two light rains, they will sprout like bamboo shoots on the soft earth. For those who like to eat wild vegetables, a period of feasting is ahead. The freshness, beauty and tenderness of wild vegetables are like a trickle, flowing through our taste buds and becoming an eternal memory on the tip of the tongue.
We "post-70s" have deep memories of wild vegetables. The ups and downs of the past are like the drop of crystal clear dew on the tips of the leaves of various wild vegetables such as dandelion, purslane, shepherd's purse, cabbage, alfalfa, bitter greens, broom seedlings, leafy greens, and Suaeda. There will always be a bright light flashing in the depths of my mind.
The beauty of wild vegetables lies first in their wildness. Born in fields, wild slopes and ridges. No matter how barren or desolate the corner is, as long as there is sunshine, rain and wind, weeds will grow wildly everywhere. There is no need for human care like crops, no need to fertilize or spray pesticides, and no need to worry about strong winds, rains and insect pests. It grows silently, even if no one cares about it, it spreads its green leaves and blooms stunning flowers in the desolation. If someone picks it, they will willingly give away the unique deliciousness. It can satisfy the hunger during the famine experienced by the elders, and it can also become a delicacy carefully prepared by people today. Wild vegetables are actually both elegant and popular things. They can be used in the kitchen as well as in the hall.
In addition to its unique taste and texture, each wild vegetable also has its own unique medicinal value, which can improve physical fitness for different groups of people. Shennong tasted all kinds of herbs, and Li Shizhen's "Compendium of Hundreds of Herbs" has left precious legacies to our descendants, and most of the wild vegetables we are familiar with and often eat are included in them. Nowadays, life is getting better and better, and more and more people are aware of the importance of dietary therapy for physical health. Wild vegetables have naturally entered our lives and various eating places, becoming an indispensable "new favorite" on the table.
The reason why wild vegetables are welcomed and loved by everyone is that the most important thing about wild vegetables is that they are wild! When wild vegetables grow wild, each one enjoys his or her own beauty. Wildness is a characteristic, and wildness is a state of free growth of life. Because it is wild, it has not been disturbed by more human activities and has not been affected by more chemical fertilizers, pesticides, pollution, etc. As a result, wild vegetables are cleaner and purer, and they are safer to eat. Wild vegetables have finally found their own way.
Children of our time were all like this wild vegetable. They were all wild children in the eyes of adults. Parents and elders are busy making a living all year round, and there are too many children in each family to take care of them even if they want to. Simply ignore it and let it grow. I run around the streets all day long. When I've run enough in the village, I'll run into the fields. When I've run enough in the fields, I'll run to the neighboring village. The sky is high and the sky is vast. I never thought that I would not be able to return home, and I never thought that I would encounter any danger. Catching birds and fish, going to houses and climbing trees to dig out bird's nests. Sometimes if you are not careful, you will inevitably encounter bumps and bruises on your body. Even if it's more severe, I don't dare to tell the adults if my arms and legs are twisted, I just endure it quietly. After being naughty, make a small cut and bleed a little, then find some dandelion leaves from the ground, rub them with your hands, and apply the green juice to the wound, and it will be cured within two days.
I remember one time, I went into an apple orchard with a few friends, stole a few apples, and was chased by the dogs in the garden. The apples in your pocket will fall out as they run away. If you still have one in your hand after escaping, it is considered a victory. Although our generation lacks the care and teachings of our parents, it grows like wild vegetables on the land. Wild means a bit indulgent, but it is also a kind of true freedom. Freedom gives us more freedom to express our temperament. Faced with various situations, you can have the courage or a character that is not afraid of anything. If you think about it, being wild also has its benefits.
When I was young, even though the living conditions in rural areas were not very good, I basically didn’t have to worry about food. Each family has its own small vegetable plot and also raises chickens, ducks and geese. Children like us, when we are greedy, will also use our little cleverness to think of ways to enjoy the tooth festival. Catching fish and shrimps in the river, grasshoppers on the slopes, and mushrooms in the woods can all satisfy our appetite. It’s common to forget to eat when you’re playing outside. The cucumbers and tomatoes in the vegetable garden, the peanuts and sweet potatoes in the crop fields, no matter who owns them, are eaten first, and no owner has ever scolded or come to the door. things.
Sometimes if you really can't find anything to eat, if there is a locust tree nearby in May, you can just eat some locust flowers. If you have too much, you take it home and ask your parents to put some batter in it to bake pancakes. There is also Yu Qian'er. I think many people have such experiences and memories. They hold the branches of elm branches with their hands, gently stroke them, and stuff them directly into their mouths. The faint and sweet taste is still unforgettable to this day. Nowadays, there are relatively few elm trees in the city. If I encounter some elm money, I can’t help but grab a handful and try it.
Common wild vegetables such as dandelion, purslane, shepherd's purse, bitter greens, sweet potato leaves, etc. were often brought home by adults when they were children. Bitter greens can be used as cold dipping sauce, dandelion, purslane, and shepherd's purse can be made into big buns or served cold, or mixed into cornmeal to steam steamed buns. Sweet potato leaves can be cooked with crushed peanuts. In short, at that time, we children only cared about Eat. I'm not hungry after eating, and I don't think about the medicinal value of these wild vegetables. As I get older, I hear more from the elders and know more, and I will try my best to get some wild vegetables to eat. It's just that wild vegetables are rare in cities nowadays. Many wild vegetables in the surrounding fields are not clear whether they have been treated with pesticides, and they dare not dig them randomly. If I see one for sale in the market, I will buy some and eat it as a meat dish.
The year before last, my father was hospitalized, and he met a friend who came to visit from an uncle in the same ward. Although he is almost 70 years old, he looks like he is in his 50s. He is thin but strong, his ears are clear and his eyesight is clear, he is talkative and thinks clearly. Unable to resist my curiosity, I chatted with the old man about how he maintained his health and maintained his body so well. The old man told me three reasons that he thought were useful. One is to maintain an optimistic attitude, face and deal with things calmly, and not be pessimistic or blame others. Second, soak your feet in boiled water with mugwort and pepper every night, which can activate blood circulation and remove dampness. Another thing is that the old man drinks a cup of homemade "bitter water" every day. This "bitter water" is prepared by drying the artemisia and dandelions that he picked himself. It turns out that the secret of the old man's health lies in these wild vegetables. It seems that these wild vegetables, which were used to fill his stomach during the famine, also have the wonderful effect of delaying aging and improving the body.
Many people know that dandelion and white wormwood are not only edible, but also have anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing and detoxifying properties. Dandelion, also commonly known as "Grandma Ding", we are familiar with its appearance because of its fluffy and light flowers. When we were children, we all liked to put it to our mouth, blow it gently and watch it scatter away into the distance. Many people may not be familiar with the appearance of Artemisia annua. Artemisia annua has relatively slender and trivial leaves, which are somewhat similar to the green vegetable chrysanthemum. It is called white mugwort because the newly grown white mugwort looks like it is covered with a thin layer of white fern, which is like the color of mugwort leaves. At this time, in addition to being fresh and tender, the white artemisia has the best medicinal value.
Artemisia is the forerunner of spring green. Under the gentle spring breeze, it germinates before other grasses in early spring. "In the first month there are white wormwood and in the second month wormwood is harvested and used as firewood in the third month." This refers to the importance of seasonality to wild vegetables. In the first month of the lunar calendar, the white wormwood is called white wormwood and is still in its infancy; in the second month, the white wormwood is a wild vegetable and can be eaten; in the third month of the lunar calendar, the white wormwood has become thatch and can only be burned as firewood. In March, in the fields, under the wormwood that has not yet decayed, clusters of new seedlings are covered with a layer of soft gray-brown hair. The young stems and leaves are green with white, growing softly, like green. White wormwood on the ground. Around the Qingming Festival, when the white artemisia is in its prime, people go out for an outing in the wild and collect some by the way, thus adding a delicacy to people's table life.
For me personally, dandelions have become the most memorable wild vegetable because of a special experience. Not because of its taste, nor because of the flowers I loved, but because of my late uncle. I must have been seven or eight years old at that time. It was the busy wheat season and my father was working in Gansu and could not come back. After the wheat is harvested, it is dried on the wheat field. After drying, the wheat stalks are removed with a guillotine, and then the wheat grains are crushed with a stone roller, and then the wheat is lifted up on the wheat field before being bagged and transported home for storage. When the uncle was helping my family cut wheat straw, the guillotine accidentally fell on the wrist on the back of his hand, and blood immediately flowed from the long opening. My elder brother and I were at the scene at that time. As young children, we were all frightened to death.
The uncle covered the wound with his other hand, but blood continued to pour out. The uncle asked his brother to find some dandelions from nearby fields. After rubbing out the green juice, he applied it together with the dandelions on the back of his hand, and temporarily bandaged it with a piece of cloth.
We all thought that the magical dandelions could heal the uncle's wounds and nothing would happen. However, the uncle himself may not have thought that this wound would take his life. A few days later, the uncle's wound became suppurative and infected, and it was too late to go to the hospital. At that time, I knew that there was tetanus; at that time, I deeply remembered the dandelion; at that time, I saw the tears of my relatives; at that time, I realized that separation between life and death is a deep pain. It hurts so much that it has become a scar deep in my heart in this life. It hurts so much that when I think about it now, blood still oozes from my heart.
Spring is here, and all kinds of wild vegetables are growing wildly in the fields. I think after the epidemic, I should take my seven-year-old son back to my hometown to visit. Take him to dig for wild vegetables, taste the taste of various wild vegetables, and get to know what these wild vegetables look like and what they are called. Let your son run around as much as he wanted in his hometown. Wild vegetables like these in the fields can grow wildly. To be wild means to show one’s own personality and nature; to be wild is to show the mind of this land. No matter whether it is barren or rich, when spring comes, I am willing to give everything I have to give to the people here and all the life here. (Shuocheng)