Author/Bi Yanjie
In the afternoon, the sunshine in early spring is warm and the weather is fine. The wife who was sunbathing on the balcony suddenly said, "It would be nice to dig some fresh shepherd's purse in the field."
"I can take you there. I know a place where there are many shepherd's purse. "
The wife was very happy, so she took three convenient bags and a small shovel and drove away. We left the national highway, took to the country road and parked next to a wheat field. As soon as my wife got off the bus, she found some shepherd's purse on the ridge and was in a hurry to dig it. I was able to see the true meaning of shepherd's purse carefully.
"There are too few people here. I'm going there to have a look. " I pointed to the clearing in front of me, that is, the clearing full of weeds and wild vegetables that I had found.
There really is shepherd's purse, and there are many! I hurried to call my wife.
"Wow, so many!" The wife shouted in surprise and bent down to dig, as if afraid that someone would compete with her. Soon she dug a bag full, but she couldn't bear to stop and bent down to dig.
There are really many shepherd's purse here, big and small: some just turn green, tender and green; Some have already opened small white flowers, which are divided very finely; Some grow together, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder; Some are slightly scattered, like children who are squatting on the ground and listening to stories carefully; Others playfully hide in the grass, as if deliberately playing hide-and-seek with you. ...
"Just bring a small stool, so many, basically don't have to move the place." The wife said.
"Let me come, you have a rest! Tell me what is tender and what is old? " I knew my wife was tired, so I said, but I didn't know what I needed to dig. "Is it tender or old?" I asked casually again, in this respect, I am simply a pupil in front of my wife.
"Of course, some tender delicious. But now it has just blossomed, it is not old, and it can still be dug. " My wife said, pointing to a shepherd's purse and teaching me how to distinguish between old people and young people. I picked up a shovel and dug up quickly. Mainly picked the tender shepherd's purse that didn't bloom. In a short time, the three convenient bags we brought were dug out. My wife is still very reluctant. Seeing those fat and tender shepherd's purse, she still bends down to dig from time to time. I said, "There are so many shepherd's purse, which means that most people here don't know how to eat or haven't found a place to eat. You can dig again tomorrow or the day after tomorrow! "
At my urging, my wife reluctantly left. In fact, my wife has never eaten shepherd's purse before, or even seen shepherd's purse. It was not until 2004 when we were working in Qingdao that she first saw and ate shepherd's purse. At that time, Zhang Li, a female colleague from Heilongjiang, recommended a delicious and common wild vegetable, shepherd's purse, to his wife. On the weekend of early spring, my wife often digs shepherd's purse with Zhang Li, and the two cooks often discuss various practices of shepherd's purse: first, pick the dug shepherd's purse home and pinch off the grass scraps, dead leaves and rotten leaves; Rinse with clean water; Then soak it in boiling water and squeeze out the water, and it can be used as a food ingredient; You can make salad, scrambled eggs, fried pork slices and jiaozi with garlic paste. It can also be used to make pancakes and soup, such as shepherd's purse bean curd soup and shepherd's purse egg soup. Later, my wife went to Yangzhou to work for more than ten years, and she still went to dig shepherd's purse in the field in early spring, and bought some home when she couldn't find it or was busy. Therefore, our family can enjoy fresh "game" every spring.
We took three bags of shepherd's purse home. My wife is a little tired, but she is also full of joy. After dinner, my wife poured shepherd's purse on the balcony and sat under the lamp with the nanny, picking it one by one. My wife also lost no time in telling the nanny about shepherd's purse knowledge: shepherd's purse can relax bowels and promote digestion; Can prevent cancer and enhance resistance; Shepherd's purse contains a lot of carotene, which has the effect of protecting eyesight; Shepherd's purse also has the functions of lowering blood fat, lowering blood pressure, diminishing inflammation and resisting virus; Don't even throw the shepherd's purse roots. The root of shepherd's purse is rich in carotene, vitamin B 1, vitamin B2, vitamin C, plant fiber, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and other nutrients. It has the effects of benefiting liver, five internal organs, improving eyesight and stomach, and has a good dietotherapy and health care effect on human body. ...
My wife once taught biology in junior high school and occasionally told students something about shepherd's purse. When digging or eating shepherd's purse, she sometimes tells others something about shepherd's purse. Therefore, the nutritional value of shepherd's purse can be said to be "casual" for his wife. The nanny was shocked: Are these wild vegetables that nobody wants in my hometown, which even pigs and sheep don't like to eat, so effective?
While chatting, they picked and picked, and they soon sorted it out. Then put it in the pool and wash it repeatedly until the washed water becomes clear. Needless to say, the hay-like shepherd's purse used to be green and full of temptation after being picked and washed! My wife boiled half a pot of water and put those clean shepherd's purse in boiling water. Then squeeze out the water, and the shepherd's purse will "unite" together and become a big green vegetable ball; Then spread these jiaozi out and dry the water stains outside: you can cook and make soup immediately, or you can put them in a small convenient bag and put them in the refrigerator for refrigeration. This can be eaten in spring, summer, autumn and winter, and fresh shepherd's purse can be eaten all year round. If it is during the Spring Festival, you can eat delicious green shepherd's purse around the hot pot in the world of ice and snow outside. Think about it. Isn't it wonderful?
I know, tomorrow we can eat fresh shepherd's purse, and maybe even shepherd's purse jiaozi!
Bi, a teacher of No.1 Middle School in Juancheng County, Shandong Province. He is the author of three personal collections: Men on the Journey, I Love My Family and Notes on Life. Editor-in-chief of Photos of Youth (volume 1.2.3), Teaching You to Write by Hands, Intensive Reading Training and Contemporary Teaching Forum, and participated in the compilation of Intensive Reading Training and Writing Guidance. There are more than 400 novels, essays and poems scattered in newspapers or online platforms at all levels across the country, and more than 200 students' compositions have been published or won prizes.