Chapter 185 Wild Vegetables Sprouting from the Soil
During this period, the primitive world was plagued by torrential rain. After the torrential rain finally ended, a period of light rain followed. After the rain stopped and the sky cleared, many wild vegetables that had not grown much before began to sprout from the soil. Xu Que remembered that after climbing the mountain that time, they were very tired, but instead of going home to rest, they went to a ditch where there were many wild game.
"Upon entering the valley, it resembles a grand gate, with towering cliffs on both sides like two warriors, guarding and protecting every blade of grass and tree here. Not far inside the valley, there are two options: go up the mountain clockwise or counterclockwise. I had only heard about the valley from my elders before, but this was my first time actually visiting it, so of course I chose to go clockwise around the mountain."
Despite encountering minor difficulties from time to time, the journey was generally smooth. Descending from a ridge, we were surprised to find several dilapidated houses nestled in a valley, which had once been the home of a village group.
Continuing south from the valley, the path becomes less clear in the shady areas. Fortunately, the path ahead isn't a sheer cliff, and the slopes aren't too steep. We simply found a ridge to climb, and sure enough, a path appeared on the watershed. From the sunny side of the hillside, we could clearly see a very obvious geographical marker at the bottom of the ravine in the distance. At this point, we knew we had successfully explored the first half of the route. The ravine floor was teeming with wild game, including purslane, shepherd's purse, dandelion, and bracken.
Purslane is generally reddish-brown with thick, obovate leaves. I've heard it contains nutrients such as protein, thiamine, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid. Because it contains a relatively high amount of acids, I find it slightly sour. I've also heard that purslane has medicinal properties, including clearing heat and detoxifying, cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, and lowering blood sugar levels to maintain stability, thus having a certain effect on diabetes. There are many ways to eat it: it can be blanched and then stir-fried, used in salads, or as a filling. Examples include purslane salad with garlic, stir-fried purslane with eggs, purslane-filled buns, and purslane porridge.
Shepherd's purse flowers can often be seen dotting the edges of fields. Its medicinal properties include cooling the blood and stopping bleeding, tonifying the spleen and stomach, and clearing heat and promoting diuresis. In spring, pick some tender stems and leaves or overwintering buds of shepherd's purse, blanch them, and then use them in salads, dips, soups, or stir-fries. Shepherd's purse dumplings and wontons are indispensable delicacies on the spring table. It can also be made into a delicious shepherd's purse porridge.
Dandelion, also known as "Grandma's Nail," has pollen containing vitamins and linoleic acid, while its branches and leaves contain choline, amino acids, and trace elements. Dandelion functions to clear heat and detoxify, reduce swelling, promote urination, and has antibacterial properties. It can stimulate the body's immune function, achieving choleretic and hepatoprotective effects. Its main components include taraxacin, taraxasterol, taraxacin, pectin, inulin, and choline, which can help prevent and treat lung cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, and various tumors. Dandelion can be eaten raw after blanching, stir-fried, or used in soups. It can be mixed with jellyfish skin, stir-fried with shredded meat, or combined with green tea, licorice, honey, etc., to make a dandelion green tea that can clear heat, detoxify, and reduce swelling.
Bracken fern, also known as fern shoots or dragon head vegetable, is a common wild vegetable. It is believed to have cooling, laxative, phlegm-reducing, diuretic, and calming effects. With its tender and smooth texture, it is known as the "King of Mountain Vegetables." Bracken fern can be prepared in many ways, including stir-frying, braising, stewing, and simmering. Famous dishes made with braised bracken fern include stir-fried bracken fern with shredded pork and wood ear mushrooms, stir-fried bracken fern with dried shrimp, stir-fried bracken fern with meat, and crispy bracken fern. These dishes are popular for their reddish color, tender texture, and rich aroma. "When the bracken fern leaves are curled, it indicates that it is relatively tender; as it matures, the leaves will unfurl," Pingyao said, patting her head.
Xu Que said to Hou, Hagang, Pingyao, and the other members behind him, "I remember that time we finished foraging for wild game and went south from the watershed, then cut west, heading towards the main peak of Shizixiu Liang from the north side of Dayangjuan. Since it was a route we'd taken before, we didn't really feel how far we went before we reached the top. Although I'd been here before, this was my first time here in winter. The winter scenery is naturally different from other seasons, and many sights felt very novel, so we took a lot of photos. At the top, we even met a hiker from Xingtai, who was climbing Shizixiu Liang alone. We wished each other well and exchanged good wishes. We went north, and he went south down the mountain."
On the shady side of the mountain, the snow was even deeper in the woods, reaching above knee-deep in some places. Walking was difficult, but thankfully I had homemade hiking poles, allowing me to test the waters before taking each step. This naturally slowed my pace. Fortunately, this section wasn't too long; emerging from the woods, I found myself on a hillside resembling a grassland, the thick grass gleaming golden in the sunlight. I could imagine how vibrant and beautiful it would be in spring.
After descending the grassy slope, we walked down a rather steep hillside. Although it was steep, the dense forest obscured our view, so we weren't particularly afraid. We successfully reached the entrance to the path we had taken that morning.
"Our first expedition was a resounding success, successfully taking down the highest peak in Xingtai. The pride and sense of accomplishment we feel are beyond words. This safe and successful expedition also signifies that in the new year, we will always have the protection and blessings of the mountain gods."
I remember that time when I climbed Pingyao, my father and I got home quite late!
Pingyao clearly remembers carrying these wild game pieces she had picked from the wild in a black plastic bag.
Pingyao's mother glanced at it and scoffed, "So you mean you want to eat this?"
Pingyao and her father answered in unison, "Yes!"
Pingyao seemed tireless, or perhaps oblivious to everything.
Pingyao, along with her father and grandfather, began picking through the wild vegetables that Pingyao had brought back from the wilderness, removing insects, soil-covered roots, and damaged leaves.
After picking them up, I rinsed them several times with clean water.
After rinsing them, I found a vegetable basket and put the wild vegetables in it, intending to stir-fry or boil them.
Pingyao asked her grandfather and father for their opinions: "Do they prefer these wild vegetables stir-fried or boiled?"
Grandpa Pingyao looked at his son, and the two of them said to their grandson at the same time, "If you want to stir-fry, we'll stir-fry; if you want to boil, we'll boil!"
Hearing what Pingyao's grandfather said, Pingyao's father nodded repeatedly, "Yes! Whatever way you like to do it, we like it!"
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