The sudden warm wind follows the path of Xiaoshu. On the Gregorian calendar, from July 6th to 8th every year, when the sun reaches 105 degrees in the Yellow Meridian, it is called Xiaoshu. On July 6th this year, it was a small summer, during which the sunshine was scorching, the grass and trees were lush, the lotus swayed, the fruits and melons were fragrant, cicadas and frogs were chirping one after another, and the warmth and brilliance of all things in the world were fully displayed. Heat approaching dampness is like steaming, while heat approaching dryness is like drying. Xiaoshu is the eleventh solar term among the twenty-four solar terms and also the fifth solar term in summer. In the "Explanation of the Seventy Two Seasons of the Moon", it is said: "Xiaoshu is the sixth month festival." Shuowen "says that" shu "is also hot. In terms of heat, it is divided into small and small, with the beginning of the month being small and the middle month being large. Nowadays, the heat is still small." Xiaoshu is usually in the sixth month of the lunar calendar, so it is also called the "sixth month festival". In early June, it is a mild summer, and in mid June, it is a severe summer. The ancients believed that during Xiaoshu, the weather began to heat up, but it had not yet reached an extremely hot level, so it was called "Xiaoshu". In fact, during the heat wave season, it is often already a scorching heat wave. How hot is it really? Tang Dynasty poet Han Yu once said, "Like sitting in a deep steamer and being steamed for cooking." The steamer (z è ng) was a type of ancient pottery used for steaming rice. In the poet's mind, on a scorching summer day, people were like sitting in a rice pot and being fumigated by heat, which is similar to what is commonly referred to as the "sauna day" today. The ancients divided Xiaoshu into three stages: the first stage is when the warm wind arrives, the second stage is when crickets perch on the wall, and the third stage is when eagles begin to strike. The ancients believed that spring, life, and summer all benefited from the warmth of the wind. During the summer heat season, the warmth of the weather reached its peak, so it was difficult to have a cool breeze at this time. As soon as you left, the wind started like a heat wave; In the Book of Songs, the cricket is described as "in the wild in July, in the house in August, in the house in September, and in October, the cricket enters my bed." Here, "August" refers to the small summer heat season of June in the summer calendar. Due to the hot weather, the cricket leaves the field and hides under the corner of the courtyard to avoid the heat; During the Xiaoshu solar term, eagles also enjoy activities in cool high-altitude environments due to the high ground temperature. Sensitive animals search for cooling methods during the hot summer season. As the saying goes, "Small heat and big heat, steam on top and cook on the bottom." Who is hotter than small heat and big heat? Weather forecast host Song Yingjie observed that there is often no big or small difference between small and large heatstrokes. In some years, it is "small heatstroke is not considered hot, big heatstroke is a dog days"; Some years are characterized by a scorching heat during a mild summer, while a cool and leisurely heat during a severe summer; There are also some years where the heat is too small to cook rice. But overall, the strength of the heat of Xiaoshu and Dashu is only within a millimeter, which can be said to be "Dashu is big, but Xiaoshu is not small.". "Summer is as humid as steaming, while heat is as dry as baking." Entering Xiaoshu, the temperature in most parts of China will continue to rise, with some areas gradually entering the rainy season and others experiencing summer drought. As a result, there are completely different agricultural proverbs such as "Xiaoshu is like a small summer, with big water flowing" and "Xiaoshu rains like silver, and Dashu rains like gold". During the summer heat, North China and Northeast China enter a rainy season, while the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River often experience "one out and one in", that is, the plum blossom season gradually ends and the three hot dog days are about to come. "Traditional Chinese medicine believes that 'heat' is one of the six evils' wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire ', which can easily cause diseases." Liu Lu, the chief physician of the acupuncture and moxibustion Diagnosis and Treatment Center of Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, said that at this time, we should comply with the changes of natural solar terms, prevent the invasion of summer heat and moisture, adjust our daily life and diet, maintain the balance of yin and yang, pay attention to strengthening the spleen and stomach, helping transport, and eliminating dampness, so as to alleviate the discomfort from the tropical heat, and maintain physical and mental health. The saying goes, "On the summer solstice, three gengs count when one's head is bent.". Starting from the summer solstice this year, the third "Geng Day" counted is July 15th, which means that this day officially enters the summer solstice, and the hottest time of the year is approaching. The traditional way for people to spend the dog days in the old days was to eat cool and cool food to relieve heat. In the northern region of China, there is a saying that goes "two fu dumplings and two fu noodles, three fu pancakes and eggs.". Eating dumplings on the head is a traditional custom. On the Fu day, people have a weak appetite and often become thinner than usual, commonly known as "bitter summer". Dumplings and other foods are considered appetizing and appetizing foods in traditional customs. During the Xiaoshu season, some places still have the custom of eating lotus roots. Lotus root sounds the same as "even", so people eat lotus root to wish for a happy marriage. At the same time, lotus roots, like lotus flowers, can grow in sludge without pollution, so they are also regarded as symbols of integrity and purity. Liu Lu introduced that lotus root has a sweet and cold taste, rich in nutrients, and has the effects of clearing heat, cooling blood, strengthening the spleen, and appetizing. It is suitable for consumption in summer. Fresh lotus roots are simmered over low heat, sliced and consumed with an appropriate amount of honey, which has the effect of calming the mind and falling asleep, and can treat blood deficiency and insomnia. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that nourishing yang in spring and summer, as well as the three dog days, are also important opportunities for health preservation and nourishment. For example, there is a custom in the southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu regions to eat summer sheep during Xiaoshu. In the eyes of the locals, eating lamb and drinking lamb soup during the dog days belong to "using heat to control heat". It can not only dispel cold and sweat, dispel dampness, but also nourish the body. Meanwhile, "sheep" sounds homophonic with "yang". The ancients believed that in summer, there was a greater loss of yang energy, and drinking sheep soup could increase yang energy. "On June 6th, pick up the girl and have a new wheat cake and lamb soup." "A bowl of lamb soup on a hot day, without the need for a divine doctor to prescribe medicine." This can be seen from local folk songs that people love eating summer sheep. In ancient times, there was a custom of "eating new food" during the Xiaoshu solar term. On this day, farmers will grind newly harvested rice into rice, boil it into fragrant rice, and every household will eat new rice and taste new wine; In some places, newly harvested wheat is stir fried, ground into flour, washed with boiling water and mixed with sugar to eat, known as "fried noodles". People use these methods to express the joy of a bountiful harvest and gratitude for the gifts of nature. "In the season with heavy dampness, dampness can easily trap the spleen and stomach, affecting digestive function. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the spleen and stomach, assist in transportation, and eliminate dampness. The diet should be light, avoiding spicy, greasy, and raw and cold foods to prevent damage to the spleen and stomach." Liu Lu said that at this time, we can eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, drink more mung bean soup, Winter melon soup, lotus seed soup and other heat clearing and heat relieving soups, maintain water balance in the body, and prevent heat from hurting fluid. At the same time, one should pay attention to hygiene and exercise moderation in their diet to avoid overeating and reduce the burden on the digestive system. During the Xiaoshu period, there are also folk customs of drying calligraphy, painting, and clothes. As the saying goes, "On the sixth day of the sixth month, people sun their clothes and dragons sun their robes.". The sixth day of the sixth lunar month is called the "Ku à ng Festival", also known as the "Festival of Heavenly Gifts". Due to the humidity and heat, clothes, books, and wooden furniture can easily become moldy, especially in the southern region where the air is in a high humidity state for a long time during the rainy season. Therefore, on sunny days, people tend to hang clothes stored in cabinets outside to receive direct sunlight, in order to remove moisture, prevent mold and damage. Therefore, in some places, it is called "Sunshine Clothes Festival" or "Sunshine Season". Liu Lu reminds that steaming with damp heat can easily cause skin diseases such as eczema and prickly heat. At this time, it is also important to keep the skin clean and pay attention to preventing heatstroke and dampness. Hiding away from the scorching heat, one's mind naturally cools down. As the saying goes, "After a small summer, it gets three minutes hotter every day." As the heat of the year approaches, the hottest period of the year is also approaching. How to relieve heat and cope with bitter summer has been a major issue from ancient times to the present. The ancients said: hide in seclusion from the scorching heat. The ancient people had limited ability to dissipate heat, and the best way to avoid it was to reduce going out. As the saying goes, "A small heat is not enough to be afraid of, and living deep is like retreating from hiding.". Some go to the mountains and forests, to the streams and pavilions to escape the scorching sun, and become hermits in the thick shade, singing birds and bamboo, and the sound of rain and the fragrance of lotus leaves; Or "sipping the flesh of melons in the summer, wearing coarse kudzu clothes, steaming the fresh air through the windows," wearing simple coarse kudzu clothes, and nibbling on sweet and juicy watermelons to cool down; Or invite two or three friends to drink tea and write poetry together, saying, "A bowl of tea brings more and more spring, but the small summer in Yuxi is pleasant."; There are also people who feel comfortable with snow lotus and ice peaches, and don't bother to cherish the blue tube to taste. The snow-white tender lotus and chilled peaches are refreshing, using lotus leaves as cups and stems as pipes to suck and drink. The taste of the wine is mixed with lotus qi, and the fragrance is colder than water, making it refreshing and comfortable. Among the diverse ways of cooling in ancient times, Bai Juyi's approach can be said to be unique. In his poem "The Eternal Silence of Master Zen Room in the Bitter and Hot Problem", he said, "Everyone walks like a madman to avoid the heat, and only a Zen master does not leave the room. However, the Zen room does not have heat, but the body cools when the mind is calm." In another poem "Cooling the Heat", he said, "Heat dissipation comes from the stillness of the mind, and coolness becomes emptiness in the room." In Bai Juyi's view, when the mind is calm, dryness and heat subsides, coolness becomes everywhere. This is the best interpretation of "the calmness of the mind naturally cools." This method of cooling the heat is still highly praised by many people today. "Traditional Chinese medicine believes that summer belongs to fire and corresponds to the heart. It is also advisable to maintain a calm mind for summer health." Liu Lu introduced that in traditional Chinese medicine, all life activities are concentrated manifestations of the circulation of qi and blood in the five organs and six organs, and all of this is dominated by the heart. Therefore, there is a saying that "if the heart beats, all the five organs and six organs shake". Since ancient times, calming down has been regarded as a superior method of nourishing the mind. Heat can easily lead to restlessness, and at this time, methods such as listening to music, sitting meditation, etc. can be used to maintain mental tranquility and avoid excessive emotional fluctuations. Every time it falls into the summer, people in various traditional Chinese medicine hospitals will queue up to apply the three fu patches. "Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes the treatment of winter diseases in summer." Liu Lu introduced that "winter diseases" refer to diseases that are prone to occur or worsen in winter. Treating and nurturing these winter prone diseases in the summer when they have not yet occurred and have strong yang energy can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the Three Fu Days are the hottest period of the year and also the period when the Yang energy of nature is most vigorous. At this time, the body's yang energy is strong and the meridians are loose, and the circulation of qi and blood is also relatively smooth. Treatment such as Sanfu plaster and Sanfu moxibustion is beneficial for drug absorption and penetration, and is the best time to dispel the cold in the body. "However, San Fu Tie is not a 'universal patch'." Liu Lu reminds that it is suitable for people who are prone to chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, allergic rhinitis, and other people who are judged by traditional Chinese medicine to have yang deficiency in winter. These people usually have cold hands and feet, are afraid of cold and wind. At this time, treating winter diseases in summer has the good effect of "starting and sinking diseases, restoring yang qi, and promoting blood circulation". The warm wind blows slowly, and the small summer has arrived. In the blink of an eye, 2024 has quietly passed halfway. Time flies like an arrow, don't let it down. May we welcome the second half of the year with full spirit. (Lai Xin She)