"Then come to my house for dinner tonight! Consider it a farewell dinner." "No need, we need to rest early tonight, we have to catch a flight tomorrow."

Next time we come, we'll come to your house for dinner. Don't worry, we'll be troubling you a lot in the future.

When you go to Beijing, be sure to call me. We should also do our part as hosts and treat you well.

Why don't you bring your child to our house to get acquainted with us? If you need anything, just ask. We're not strangers!

We won't stray from you, but don't go too far with us either.

Since she didn't need to see him off at the airport, Chen Hong went home with ease. Her dough should be ready by now, and it was time to steam the buns.

When I got home, I first scooped the peanuts and edamame from the big pot into a basin, washed the pot and added water, and prepared to steam cornbread. The cornbread tastes even better when it's cold.

Shape the rested cornmeal into small buns and steam them with thistle first.

After kneading the risen dough to release the air and let it rise a second time, take out the simmered shepherd's purse and meat filling, and start rolling out the dough to make big buns.

The steamed buns were all wrapped, and the vegetable cornbread was cooked. As soon as the lid was lifted, a fragrant aroma of thistle, along with the scents of beans and corn, wafted out.

This flavor is so addictive, it's making my mouth water and I feel a little hungry!

Chen Hong hadn't thought of making thistle buns for two or three years. Now, the way she's made coarse grains into something special reminds her of her childhood.

Back then, their hometown was a mountain village where irrigation was not possible. Apart from planting some drought-resistant broad beans and dry beans along the edges of the fields in the gullies, they had to buy all other vegetables at the market.

Wild vegetables make up the majority of their family's recipes and cookbooks, and Chen Hong is absolutely skilled at cooking wild vegetables.

After finishing the pot of steamed buns, Chen Hong washed the pot again, added water, mung beans, and millet, and cooked a pot of mung bean and millet porridge.

A steamer basket was placed on top, and the large steamed buns were steamed on it. A fire was burning under the large pot, and Chen Hong then used a flatbread to bake the leavened dough.

When Xiaoyun and the others returned, Chen Hong had already prepared the meal.

Thistle buns, coarse grain steamed bread, shepherd's purse and pork buns, and a big pot of millet and mung bean porridge.

The dining table was laden with several dishes of wild vegetables: fried prickly ash shoots, stir-fried toon shoots with eggs, toon shoots mixed with tofu, dandelion, soybean and egg sauce, and shepherd's purse mixed with minced garlic.

There was also a plate of braised beef, a large plate of chili sauce, and a dozen or so salted duck eggs that were sandy and oily.

Three large plates of boiled peanuts, boiled edamame, and boiled tender corn.

Everyone put their baskets down in the yard, not bothering to tidy up, and washed their hands and feet under the tap in the yard before eating.

Guan Tao was quick; after washing up, he went into the restaurant and grabbed a big steamed bun, taking a bite.

"I was starving. I ate an apple in the field, but the more I ate, the hungrier I got."

Sister Chen Hong, what kind of filling did you make in these buns? They smell so fresh and delicious!

The colors are beautiful too—snow-white bun skin, crisp green and juicy filling. Not only do they taste delicious, but the colors are also very appealing!

Chen Hong said with a smile, "Tonight's meal is all about wild vegetables, with only beef being the main dish."

You can eat without worry. Eating too much won't make you gain weight. Wild vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, so they're nutritious and help you lose weight!

Everyone quickly washed their hands and sat down to eat. We had some millet and mung bean porridge, which is cooling, refreshing, and nourishing—all grown on our own.

Everyone rushed forward, sat down, and began to eat. When Director Jin and Mrs. Guan sat down at the table, they smiled and said:

"The way you prepared these wild vegetables makes them look so tender and green on the plate; they look delicious."

You just made this chili sauce this afternoon, right? It smells so tempting! It's perfect with steamed buns or dumplings in the summer.

The two of them each took a cornbread and a steamed bun, took a bite, added some wild vegetables, and nodded repeatedly.

"No wonder Xiaoyun said you're really good at cooking wild vegetables! These wild vegetable buns are so delicious, they have the fresh aroma of vegetables, the sweet aroma of corn, and the fragrance of soybeans."

Actually, even without cooking any other dishes, I can eat two big steamed buns on their own.

Xiaoying, Guantao, you two shouldn't just focus on the white bread.

These cornbreads with thistle greens are the real treat! You'll want to eat them again and again after just one bite!

Guan Tao finished the shepherd's purse bun in a few bites and obediently picked up a cornbread. "Listen to advice and eat your fill!"

I'll try the cornbread made with thistles too! Wow, it's really fragrant, and you can't taste any of the thistles at all.

When Sister Xiaoyun was picking the weeds, I said to her, "This weed is truly aptly named, it's covered in thorns."

How could anyone eat this? It would probably prick your mouth. The thorns are so fine and small, you couldn't even pick them out.

"The working people are truly ingenious; they can even turn this thorny ingredient into a delicious dish. Sister Chen Hong, you're amazing!"

Guan Tao chewed on his steamed bun with vegetables while giving Chen Hong a thumbs up.

Chen Hong laughed at his words: "If you like it, eat more. Thistle is a good thing!"

Don't be fooled by its thorns. In my hometown, we call this vegetable "seven vegetables." When I was a kid, if I got hurt while working in the fields, we would crush it and apply it to the wound to reduce inflammation and stop bleeding. It worked really well.

When it's tender, it's delicious whether steamed into buns, used in cold dishes, or made into a porridge.

This vegetable has a delicate fragrance without any unpleasant taste, and it tastes delicious no matter how it's cooked.

Now we know this stuff can also treat high blood pressure, and it's become a treasure in the market.

Chen Hong distributed a piece of fried wild prickly ash sprouts to everyone, saying, "Try this wild vegetable and see if any of you recognize it."

These edamame, peanuts, and corn are all delicious too. Help yourself to whatever you like, don't be shy!

Mrs. Guan took only one bite and then laughed, "We won't stand on ceremony with you. Chen Hong, where did you get these tender shoots?"

This tastes so good! This thing is known as the king of wild vegetables. Except in Northeast China in spring, it's not easy to find a bite of fresh wild aralia shoots.

Where did you get this? It's so well preserved, it smells amazing!

This stuff isn't cheap when it's in season; it's even more expensive than meat, so I can't bring myself to buy it.

I never expected to be eating wild prickly ash shoots in the middle of summer in Shandong! Isn't that amazing?

Xiaoyun hadn't even had a chance to say a word since she sat down; she was only focused on eating.

Having eaten almost all of it, they finally turned their attention to the topic of wild vegetables.

"Sister, I remember you sent us some prickly ash shoots before. Do you have these prickly ash shoots in your mountains too?"

"Yes, I found a ravine in the mountains in the spring, and it was full of these tender shoots."

People from Shandong don't recognize this wild vegetable. This tree is called "Bird Doesn't Stand" in Shandong. It's covered in big, thorny bumps. Nobody picks it, so it's all gone to me.

I blanched a lot and froze them; if stored properly, they can be eaten all year round.

Xiaoyun took a sip of mung bean porridge and said contentedly, "Wild vegetables are still the best. Sister, only your cooking tastes like it did when I was a child."

Every spring, I often think of the various wild vegetables I ate when I was a child, such as sesame salt mixed with wild vegetables.

Purslane buns, amaranth buns, sweet potato leaf steamed buns, locust flower buns, and elm seed tofu.

Artemisia, sow thistle, plantain, rice wormwood, and noodle greens. The more I think about them, the cravings get stronger! As my grandma would say, I'm becoming increasingly insatiable.