Grain Rain: Rain gives birth to a hundred valleys and peony blossoms (decoding the twenty-four solar terms)

  Grain Rain, which means the rain of the valley, the old saying goes: "Rain produces a hundred grains", "Qingming should be sunny, and Grain Rain should be drenched".

The expectation of rain in rice farming is just like the expectation of scholars in ancient times for fame, so there is a saying that "a rain before and after the Grain Rain is better than the success of a scholar".

When the seedlings are planted, the rain is called Ganlin and Shiyu, hence the name of the Grain Rain solar term.

  Grain Rain is the sixth solar term of the twenty-four solar terms, the last solar term in spring, and one of the most closely integrated solar terms in agricultural time and phenology.

The solar term is between April 19th and 21st in the Gregorian calendar, and this year's Grain Rain is April 20th.

Grain Rain is the solar term in late spring. At this time, the temperature gradually rises and stabilizes. Therefore, there is a proverb that "clear snow breaks, Grain rain breaks frost".

After the Grain Rain, the cold wave is basically over and the earth is warm.

In ancient times, Grain Rain was divided into three phases: "The first phase is when the Ping is born, the second phase is when the dove is flicking its feathers, and the third phase is when the hoopoe is on the mulberry." This means that during the Grain Rain season, the duckweed begins to grow, the doves chirp, and the hoopoe falls. On the top of the mulberry branch, a scene full of vitality.

  Grain Rain is a busy season for spring planting.

In the rice farming area of ​​the Yangtze River, people scatter the dipped grain seeds evenly into the mirror-like seedling fields under the call of cuckoo birds.

Legend has it that the cuckoo is the incarnation of Emperor Wang of the ancient Shu Kingdom.

Wangdi was a wise emperor, he cared about farmers and farming, and he still did so after his death.

Every spring, he turns into a Zigui bird (cuckoo) to remind and persuade the people to do farming.

In the North China Plain, people began to grow melons and beans at the same time as winter wheat field management.

  Jiangnan is now in the silkworm month.

"Gu Yu is close to the silkworm".

Since Guyu, every family has been busy picking mulberries and breeding silkworms.

The silkworm farmers have a special silkworm room, and the silkworm mother is responsible for the breeding of spring silkworms.

They are very attentive to the care of spring silkworms.

In the old days, there was no corresponding monitoring equipment and technology for silkworm breeding. Feeding leaves and heating the silkworm babies should be based on the physical feelings of the silkworm mother: when the silkworm mother was hungry, she fed leaves to the silkworm baby; when the silkworm mother felt that it was cold, a fire was built in the silkworm room. Heating.

There is also the custom of "closing the silkworm gate" in the silkworm township in the south of the Yangtze River. When the Grain Rain arrives, the gates of every household are closed, officials do not go to the countryside, relatives and friends do not communicate, and even businesses close down.

As Mao Dun said in "Spring Silkworm": "A 'martial law' was also promulgated invisibly." All of this is for the safety of the delicate silkworm babies.

The silkworm farmers carefully guarded the spring silkworms, forming the unique Grain Rain custom in the silkworm township in the south of the Yangtze River.

  Grain Rain is not only an important solar term for rice farming, but also an "Ocean Opening Festival" for fishermen engaged in marine fishing.

Coastal fishermen hold sea sacrificial ceremonies when Grain Rain arrives, collectively offering sacrifices to the sea gods, singing operas to cheer, feasting and cheering.

After the Gu Yu sacrifice to the sea, the production activities of fishing in the sea started.

  Guyu is also the season when flowers are prosperous.

"Look at the peony in the three dynasties of the Grain Rain", there are three flower letters in the Grain Rain solar term, namely the peony, the tea and the neem.

After these three flower trades, the twenty-four flower trade winds that started from Xiaohan ended.

During the Grain Rain season, the peony is in full bloom. Because of its national color and fragrance, the peony is particularly loved by the Chinese and is called "Grain Rain Flower".

Peony was originally grown in China's Yellow River, Yangtze River and other places, and artificial cultivation of peony began around the Han Dynasty.

During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, peony entered urban life as a horticultural flower and gained a prominent position.

Emperors of Sui and Tang dynasties all loved flowers. Emperor Yang of Sui opened up Xiyuan in Luoyang to plant flowers, among which were the peony of various colors that Yizhou paid tribute.

In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, although there was a legend that Wu Zetian denounced the peony, with the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, the magnificent and luxurious peony became more and more popular.

Liu Yuxi of the Tang Dynasty said in a poem: "Only the peony is the true national color, and it moves the capital when the flowers bloom." It can be seen that the Tang people have deep feelings for the peony.

In the Song Dynasty, peony went out of the royal palace and entered the homes of ordinary people, and was planted on a large scale in China.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was the custom of urban residents to look at peony in Guyu.

"Qing Jialu" records that at that time, whether it was the home of a wealthy family or the courtyard of the literati, whether it was a monastery, a Taoist temple or a guild hall, "there is no room for planting, that is, a small study. ".

Peony has also spread to Japan, South Korea, Italy, France and other countries, fragrant all over the world.

  Tea before the rain is the treasure of tea drinkers.

Xu Cishu, a tea researcher in the Ming Dynasty, said in "Tea Shu": "Qingming Grain Rain is also the time to pick tea. Qingming is too early, Lixia is too late, before and after Grain Rain, the time is right." As sung in "Tonglu Bamboo Branch Ci": "Guyu Village picks tender buds, and the fragrance comes out of the fence." Compared with Qingming tea, Guyu tea has better quality, stronger fragrance, and is easy to store.

Biluochun is a tribute tea in Suzhou in the Qing Dynasty. It is said to be produced in Biluo Peak, Dongting Mountain, Dongting, Wu County.

During a Grain Rain season during the Kangxi period, people picked tea here, but the tea pickers were full of tea baskets, so some people put the tea leaves in the front of their shirts, "The tea is hot, and the fragrance is suddenly released, and the tea pickers are screaming and frightening. Fragrance".

During Kangxi's southern tour, local officials used this tea, and the emperor named it "Biluochun".

Guyu tea is a health tea, which not only has the effect of clearing the heart and improving eyesight, but also can be used for tea therapy for dispelling phlegm and dampness.

  After Grain Rain, the temperature gradually increased and the pests became active.

In the northern region, people take the Grain Rain Day as an important opportunity to remove scorpions.

In Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi and other places, people put up scorpion-free posts on the wall on the rainy day. There are pictures and text on the posts, and the incantation says: "In the rainy day of the valley, in the morning of the rainy day, three cups of tea and three rounds of wine will turn into a thousand miles against the scorpion. Dust." Although it is only a form of witchcraft, it expresses people's willingness to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages.

  Chinese invented writing very early.

There is a legend that the origin of Guyu is related to Cangjie's creation of Chinese characters.

In ancient times, Cangjie created hieroglyphs on the orders of the Yellow Emperor.

This human action triggered a huge response: "The sky rains millet, and the ghosts cry at night." That is to say, the spectacle of millet and valley falling from the sky, and the valley falling like rain.

Later, people designated this day as the Grain Rain Festival to commemorate Cangjie.

Up to now, Cangjie Temple in Baishui, Shaanxi still holds a traditional temple fair during the Guyu solar term to worship Cangjie and thank him for his great achievements in inventing writing.

  Grain Rain is a solar term and a festival that embodies agricultural civilization.

In the Grain Rain season, let us welcome the splendid summer while enjoying the joy of traditional solar terms and civilization.

  (The author is Xiao Fang, a professor at Beijing Normal University)