On That Day of My Mother's Year, When I Picked the 'Yellow Yellow Miao', I Swore I Would Never Go Back
Gazing at my bedridden mother, just dozing off, I glanced sideways at the stool beside her, where my tearful father sat, my heart weighed down with sadness and desolation. I never imagined this would happen – my mother's years of relentless labor had finally taken their toll, leading to illness. My father, too, seemed to have aged overnight, his hair white, his waist slightly curved, his vitality gone. It pained me deeply, and filled me with sorrow.
My mind drifted back to three years ago, on a sunny day, I took my mother to the park for a stroll, we chatted and laughed along the way, our mood was exceptionally good. The park was vast and beautiful, with various flowers, artificial mountains, and expansive lawns; children and parents were boating on the lake, laughing and enjoying the scenery; playgrounds were filled with the joyful shouts of children and adults. It felt like the world's most beautiful things were unfolding before us, immersing us in happiness.
My mother particularly loved the expansive grassy area because she discovered there were useful plants growing there – we call them 'Huang Huang Miao' in our area, scientifically known as *Taraxacum officinale*, which can be used to brew tea, detoxifying and clearing heat. She told me these plants were beneficial, and we should gather them to brew tea for ourselves and our children, to cleanse and detoxify our bodies. So she stopped, carefully picking the *Huang Huang Miao*, I didn't agree with her at the time, constantly trying to dissuade her – with such wonderful weather, how could we come to the park to pick vegetables? I felt a little unhappy, sitting on the steps, watching her pick, without helping.
My mother bent over, meticulously searching for each plant, carefully digging it out. She told me it was crucial to include the root, as it would enhance the tea's effectiveness. I didn't say anything, and at that time, I was thinking that brewing these herbs was a laborious task, it would be more convenient to buy oral medications or Band-Aid root to drink, which wouldn't cost much money. I hurried to urge her, and she simply smiled and said, 'Don't rush, let's pick more for you to dry and store, you can drink it later. It won't grow in this season.' We spent a total of over two hours picking, I don't know where she found that plastic bag, but it wasn't empty, and it was filled with two large bags. We saw her face beaming with happiness and satisfaction.
My mother slowly rose, gently massaging her waist. I saw sweat on her forehead, and I quickly rushed to support her, handing her water, carefully leading her to sit on the steps, gently massaging her waist. I knew she was sore from sitting for too long, her waist and legs aching. I was both angry and touched, and ultimately, I could only advise her to avoid doing this in the future – I couldn't let her suffer for picking a few vegetable leaves. It wouldn't be worthwhile. Ultimately, this park visit ended with picking *Huang Huang Miao*.
Back home, my mother spread the *Huang Huang Miao* on the balcony, it filled the entire balcony, and it took four or five days to dry; after drying, she carefully stored the dried *Huang Huang Miao* in four large bags. That day, she brewed some and added a few grains of sugar, creating a yellowish tea with a slightly sweet flavor. It was quite good to drink.
Before the Lunar New Year, I was cleaning the kitchen, and I found a bag of my mother's dried *Huang Huang Miao* in the depths of the cupboard. Suddenly, I couldn't help but shed tears, remembering my mother's figure bending over to pick it, as vivid as yesterday. But now, my bedridden mother, pale and emaciated, could no longer pick *Huang Huang Miao* for me. Upon thinking about this, I burst into tears. I dared not drink this *Huang Huang Miao*, only wanting to preserve it carefully, because it was not only a beautiful memory left by my mother, but also the sincere love she had for her child.
Conversely, we are always full of excuses, and our time with parents is counted in a few fingers. I sincerely advise my friends to learn to express their love for parents bravely, and try to spend more time with them – whether it's a quiet meal together, or frequently taking parents out for a walk and chat. To care about and inquire about parents' diet and living conditions, if conditions permit, take parents on a surprise trip… Because our parents are slowly aging, and when you finally have the time to do it, it may be too late. Parents' bodies will no longer have the ability to accompany you to do what you want to do, which will be a lifelong regret!
Note: *Huang Huang Miao* is scientifically known as *Taraxacum officinale*, a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the daisy family.
*Taraxacum officinale* is a common medicinal herb throughout the country. It has a cold nature and a bittersweet taste, with functions of clearing heat and detoxifying, dispelling edema and dispersing stasis. It can be eaten raw, stir-fried, brewed into tea, or dried for preservation.
