Grain Buds (Xiaoman), the second solar term of the summer, falls on May 21 this year. As temperatures rise and rainfall increases, the grains of summer crops gradually turn plump, especially in China's Huanghuai Plain. Most striking is the wheat in the fields; as Chinese poet Ouyang Xiu once put it, we "love most the wheat on furrowed lands, smiling at fallen petals, in breeze it stands," bidding a serene farewell to late spring blossoms. The wetlands are lush with thriving vegetation, where oriental storks (Ciconia boyciana) glide gracefully through the air. All things reach a state of modest fullness, presenting a vibrant and flourishing early summer scene as far as the eye can see.