The children are called to pick locust flowers, and the fallen flowers fill the empty courtyard. In a blink of an eye, it’s the season when locust flowers are in full bloom. During the May Day holiday, when people were enjoying the holiday banquet, the Sophora japonica flowers on both sides of the dam also rushed to join in the fun, and they bloomed quietly together. Waves of intoxicating fragrance of flowers spread over the mountains and fields, flowing through the canals, brushing the brows of passers-by like bees and butterflies, and getting into people's nostrils.
People who smelled the fragrance of the flowers dropped their work to call their friends, took their young children and family members and ran all the way along the pastoral path, just to see the beauty of the flowers and take them with them. Take home a few handfuls of acacia flowers.
In the age of material affluence, people in the countryside still love acacia flowers, and the love that is ingrained in their bones remains the same as before. These wild dancing behaviors took my mind back to my childhood, the memory of my relationship with Sophora japonica.
When I was a child, the acacia tree was one of the most common and best-fed species in the countryside that did not compete with the soil. It's everywhere. Big and big acacia trees, with their innocent faces, stand up to welcome the sunrise and send away the sunset every day, kissing this dark land every day of the year, every month.
In the hot summer, they stretched out their fists and legs to hold up huge umbrellas for the villagers. Groups of dark green tree crowns not only block the harsh sunlight but also bring refreshment to people. Children, the elderly, and adults after work were playing under the shade of the trees and chatting about this year's harvest. Funny jokes and legends of various strange gods fermented under the tree, making it the best place for people to spend time during difficult times.
In the lively month of April, the sky and the earth are already filled with flowers and willows, a spectacular scene of lush greenery. This exciting season is also the time when acacia trees are at their most abundant. The clusters of flower buds sitting on the branches like ears of wheat are already ready to move. Within a few days, small milky white and fragrant flowers secretly bloomed in clusters of two, three or six. The flowers sway in the wind and float on the branches, like strings of white pearl necklaces. They were flying around in front of people's eyes, causing adults and children to scramble to gather under the tree.
In the poor years, there was a lot of rain. There was a ditch in front of my house. Although the shallow water in the ditch could only cover people's feet, it still flowed slowly like a river. The gurgling water moistens both sides of the ditch, causing the acacia trees on the shore to grow lushly. As soon as spring arrives, the tall branches are filled with light green flower buds early, and soon they will bloom in the spring light according to the solar terms. When the first ray of floral fragrance fell from the branches into the village, I, sitting on the stone pier in front of the door every day, was the first to smell the fragrance.
The white and crystal clear acacia flowers attract the legs and feet of poor women and they can’t help but run after them. At this time, the mother, who was in charge of killing in the kitchen at home, called the aunties around, holding up a long pole with an iron hook in her hand, like an army of women and children of varying heights, rushing to the foot of the locust tree, Holding his head high and shaking his body, he gently pulled off the branches and vines covered with acacia flowers with a hook.
The branches of locust trees covered with heavy flowers are piled outside the door of my house. The green leaves, white flowers and black stems are intertwined and complement each other, and the fragrance of flowers surrounds the branches. Dry and swirling.
If hard work such as hooking locust tree strips is for adults, then picking locust trees is the most enjoyable activity for us children and the elderly. The old people sitting on the round table have their knees crossed, and each of them has a basket or an earthen basin beside him. They put the plucked locust flowers inside, sharing the joy with smiles on their faces and whispering, and their love for the locust flowers flowed freely. In their eyes, the purpose of eating these beautiful flowers is far more important than viewing them.
We children were the happiest at that time. Because you can't touch the tall tree trunks, you can't enjoy the fun of picking acacia flowers for the first time. All you can do is look away from the pile of flowers and leaves in front of you, use your chubby little hands to pick off the flower buds, fill your pockets, stuff them into your mouth, or put them in the cloth pocket you bring with you. The fragrant and sweet acacia flowers are better than the rough and unpalatable corn pancakes on the dinner table, and are much more delicious than the dry and hard dried sweet potatoes that choke the throat.
Its fragrance and sweetness rubbed between the lips and teeth, swirled in the mouth, and then quickly blended into the stomach and abdomen. The sweetness moistened the body and mind one after another, making the little belly feel satisfied as never before.
The acacia flowers brought home in a basket were quickly sent to the kitchen and enjoyed the highest level of treatment compared to other foods. Mother looked at the big pot of Sophora japonica, and her waist became thicker, and she felt confident to speak. She stayed in the kitchen all afternoon, busy picking out needles from leaves, washing and chopping. In the evening, the unforgettable sophora flower steamed buns that attract greedy insects are cooked.
The aroma of freshly baked buns is fragrant. Unlike other ingredients that are colored and tasteless, sophora flower steamed buns are full of color, flavor and flavor. They are a rare and rare delicacy among the people that can make people miss them all year long.
The season when locust trees are in full bloom is also the time when family members feel most at ease. Because acacia flowers come from nature, they are inexpensive and can fill the stomach, and they are very popular among people. Although the acacia trees in April suffered from the pain of having their branches cut off and split, after entering the flowering stage, adults began to take special care of them. Those trees that bear acacia flowers have become treasures in their eyes, and they pamper and drive out of the village those criminals who try to cut down the trees and destroy their branches. Compared with us children who have no worries about having enough to eat, adults always look to the future. In order to prepare for April next year, the acacia tree will be full of flowers on the branches and act as a protector.
Due to the strong reproductive capacity of acacia trees, many young acacia saplings can be seen on the cliffs of the fields in April. Some locust trees that are only as tall as a human are blooming with flowers, attracting a group of wild children to chase them and run into the fields. In spring, it is still the season when wild vegetables are abundant. Under the cover of helping the family hunt pigweed, the friends will run to the fields with their arms in their arms after school. The bright spring countryside is awash with green. Children, big and small, are running wild on the grass. They bravely climb onto the branches of the acacia trees to pick locust flowers and stuff them into their mouths to chew. The entire countryside seems to be a carefree world for children.
Rows of low acacia trees of varying thickness, with flowers blooming all over the field, not only enriched people’s dining tables, but the intoxicating fragrance of the flowers also attracted beekeepers to run back and forth into the village.
Beekeepers chase flowers all over the world. In March, they take their bees to the south of the Yangtze River to chase the flowering period of rapeseed. In April, they come to the north to chase the magnificent acacia flowers. . Beehives one after another are filled with elves who travel to various cities and are busy in groups.
Beekeepers’ tents are usually located next to the road. This place is closest to the sea of ??flowers, making it easier for people to take the sweet honey home. For people who cannot leave the village, their appearance is like sticky nectar, and the stories of their travels can stick to their bodies for days and nights.
When bottles of acacia flower nectar are brought home, people treasure them. Taking advantage of the fact that the adults are not around and taking a sip of honey can make us children miss the season for a whole season. The sweetness that lingers on the tip of the tongue for a long time is like the floral fragrance of acacia flowers, which is intoxicating.
However, childhood is like riding on the wind in the clouds, always disappearing inadvertently. Times have changed, things have changed, and many years later, the old house has been demolished to build a new one, and the ditch in front of the door has been filled in and flattened to become the wall foundation of other people's homes. Those tall acacia trees that once brought me joy and fragrance in my childhood may have served as pillars and become the citrons on the roofs of other homes, or they may have become firewood and added to the furnace to keep them warm throughout the seasons. Those acacia flowers with their intoxicating fragrance have never appeared in front of me again.
Nowadays, people's lives are better, and people no longer need to rely on acacia flowers to relieve their belly. In the vast land, every ditch and ridge has been replaced by some exotic and rare species. Old tree species like acacia, which grow very slowly in low-lying areas, are no longer valued and are rarely planted. There are only a few old trees, like octogenarians, standing helpless on both sides of the embankment.
Many years later, in my dreams, I would vaguely see the string of shadows as white as snow in front of the door, as if I was in another world. The fragrance of the little flowers left in my mind wandered between my nose, and it seemed to take me back to the time when the acacia flowers were fragrant.