“Rain comes at the Grain in Ear, farmers are busy planting rice in the fields.” Grain in Ear is especially critical for planting rice. There is a saying that goes, "If you don't plant rice in Grain in Ear, planting will be in vain." Grain in Ear, the 9th Solar Term of the year, begins on June 6 and ends on June 20 this year. During this term, the temperature in South China will rise dramatically and rainfall will increase.
According to Rao Yuansheng, a famous Cantonese cultural scholar, May and June are the seasons when plums become ripe in Guangdong, so there is a custom of drinking green plum wine during this term. There is a saying in Guangzhou, "when it’s Grain in Ear, food becomes to plentiful." It refers to the fact that before and after the Grain in Ear, the vegetables and fruits grew so fast that there is now much food to serve on the table. Green plums contain a variety of natural and high-quality organic acids and are rich in minerals. They can help clean blood, lower blood lipids, eliminate tiredness and improve one's looks. However, fresh plums are acerbic and need to be boiled before serving. Rao Yuansheng introduced that there was an allusion that Cao Cao and Liu Bei, two main figures in the Three Kingdoms period (AD220-280), talked about heroes while boiling green plums.
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