奇速英语

Lesser Fullness is the eighth solar term of a year. It’s also known as “Xiaoman” in Chinese. It marks the second solar term of summer. People explain Lesser Fullness differently in southern and northern China. In the north, they think it’s when the seeds from the wheat are growing full but aren’t ready to pick yet. While it gradually becomes hotter and wetter, the wheat grains grow fuller. But in the south, Lesser Fullness means lots of rain. There’s a saying that goes, “When it rains a lot, the river gets full.” During this time, it gets really humid and rainy.

Rain is important for farming. So, in some villages, people will make offerings to the god of waterwheels, as they help with irrigation for many centuries in China. Irrigation means watering the land and helping the plants grow. They usually do this by placing fish, meat and candles in front of the waterwheel. People also pour a bottle of water on farm lands, wishing for a lot of rain that farming needs.

In southern China, people celebrate the birthday of the Goddess of Silk on Lesser Fullness. It’s said that she was the first person to raise silkworms and teach people how to make silk. During this time, the silkworms make cocoons (茧). People collect these cocoons to make silk. They pray to the Goddess of Silk for lots of silk.

During Lesser Fullness, the temperature rises. People are encouraged to keep healthy by eating more vitamins. Chinese people collect sowthistle (苦菜) from the wild. It tastes bitter but can help calm the body in increasingly hot weather. People cook it in different ways like boiling or making salads. Besides, it is also a good time to eat fat fish as the rising water level results in rich freshwater food across China.