The Spring Festival is a special symbol deeply etched in the hearts of the Chinese people, carrying the warmth of family reunions, hopes for the future, and countless cherished memories. The Spring Festival of the Year of the Wood Snake in 2025 is filled with warmth in the midst of ordinary life, where those small yet beautiful moments shine brightly in our memories.

On the eve of the Spring Festival, the warm sun shines on the ground, and a gentle breeze sweeps through. In a time when the concept of healthy eating is gradually becoming more ingrained in people's minds, we learned that shepherd's purse is rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, making it a pure, natural green ingredient. My wife, child, and I went to the fields together to pick shepherd's purse, preparing to make dumplings with this fresh ingredient.

Stepping into the fields, the tender green shepherd's purse was scattered like stars throughout the land. Each of us held a small spade, focused on searching, while the child excitedly ran around, occasionally causing the whole family to laugh when they mistakenly picked something other than shepherd's purse. As I taught my child to recognize the herb, memories of my mother teaching me came to mind. In that moment, I truly felt the power of tradition and understood that the pursuit of a healthy life had already become a part of this heritage. Perhaps in the future, when the child grows up, they will recall the hurried days when their parents took them to gather wild herbs.

The child curiously asked about the benefits of shepherd's purse, and my wife patiently explained, "This herb is natural and free of pollutants. It's rich in nutrients, promotes digestion, and is very good for the body." Reflecting on the past, when we ate shepherd's purse just to fill our stomachs, it is now about health. In the bustling city of Shenzhen, a bowl of shepherd's purse dumplings can cost as much as 20 yuan, and it might not even be made with real shepherd's purse. Times have changed, and so have our pursuits in life.

 Soon, we had harvested two full baskets of shepherd's purse. I imagined the scene of the family sitting together to share dumplings, feeling excited and full of anticipation. Once we got home, my wife swiftly washed the herb, blanched it, and prepared the filling. Then, we all gathered around to make dumplings together. Watching the focused expressions of my family, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of appreciation. This is the purest essence of life, the true warmth of everyday moments.

 On Chinese New Year's Eve, the family gathered around the table for the reunion dinner, and laughter filled the room. This meal was the result of the family's collective effort, with each dish carrying their care and love for one another. On the table, the stuffed tofu emitted an irresistible fragrance, its golden crust encasing tender meat filling, with a rich and flavorful broth that made one’s mouth water.

The father picked up a piece of stuffed tofu and, smiling, began telling his grandson about its origin: "Child, this stuffed tofu has a long history. A long time ago, the Hakka people migrated south and missed the dumplings from their hometown. But when they arrived in the south, there was less flour and more beans. The clever ancestors used tofu as a substitute for the dough, wrapping it with meat filling, and that's how stuffed tofu came to be." The child listened intently, his eyes wide open. "So that's how it came to be! Has the method changed now?"

The mother chimed in, "Of course! In the past, the recipe was simple, just to fill the stomach. But now that life is better, the way we make stuffed tofu has become more refined. We select the ingredients more carefully. The tofu must be fresh and smooth, and the meat filling is often mixed with mushrooms and shrimp to enhance the flavor. The seasonings are also more varied, making the stuffed tofu taste even better than before."

I also reminisced, saying, "When I was a child, we could only eat stuffed tofu during the New Year, and at that time, I thought it was the most delicious food in the world. Now that life has improved, we can eat it anytime, but it still feels especially fragrant when we have it during the New Year." The family exchanged words, sharing memories of stuffed tofu, feeling the passage of time and the power of tradition being passed down.

After dinner, I took the child to the yard to set off fireworks. As the fireworks soared into the sky, they exploded into a burst of colorful light, illuminating the night. The child bounced up and down with excitement. Looking at the child’s innocent smile, my heart was filled with hopes for the new year.

The Spring Festival is the beginning of the year, a moment to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new. Watching the brilliant fireworks, it felt as though all the worries and exhaustion vanished with the fading lights, leaving only a beautiful expectation for the future. During this traditional festival, fireworks carry people’s love for life and their longing for happiness. They immerse us in the festive atmosphere and remind us to cherish the time spent with our family.

The Spring Festival of 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake, was marked not by grand events, but by simple and sincere joy in every corner. The warmth of gathering wild herbs and making shepherd's purse dumplings, and the beauty of setting off fireworks on New Year's Eve, all became precious memories that will last a lifetime. As the fireworks soared, the blessings for the new year began. May the years ahead be smooth and full of happiness.

About SLKOR：

Song Shiqiang is the founder and general manager of two high-tech enterprises, SLKOR Semiconductor and Kinghelm Electronics. He is also the first scholar to conduct in-depth research on the "Huaqiangbei Spirit" and to summarize the "Huaqiangbei Culture." Song is a researcher at the State Council Economic Development Center, specializing in the private economy, and an expert at the Chinese Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese Institute of Electronics, and Huaqiangbei Commercial Research. Additionally, he is a science popularization columnist.

His work on Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei and macroeconomic research has been widely reported by over 100 mainstream media outlets, including the People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Sina Finance, Guangming Daily, as well as international platforms like the Associated Press, Twitter Tech, Wall Street Journal, Hollywood News, European Times, Global Financial Network, BBC News, and others.

Founded in 2015, SLKOR Semiconductor focuses on the design, production, and sales of power components. With a professional R&D team, the brand "SLKOR" has become globally popular with products such as TVS diodes, regular diodes, transistors, and Hall elements. The company has launched over 2,000 products, which are widely used in communications, medical devices, consumer electronics, battery-powered equipment, GPS navigation, automotive positioning, and other fields.

Headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, SLKOR is a national high-tech enterprise that drives its development with new materials, technologies, and products. The company provides global customers with products and comprehensive services. The R&D team mainly consists of experts from Yonsei University in South Korea and Tsinghua University in China, mastering internationally leading technologies in the production of silicon carbide MOSFETs and the fifth-generation ultra-fast recovery power diodes. Originally a FABLESS design company, SLKOR has evolved into an integrated company offering design, R&D, manufacturing, system solutions, and sales services. The company holds ISO 9001 quality management certification, and EU RoHS and REACH certifications, ensuring high-quality products and facilitating rapid development both domestically and internationally.

Qiu Huilin

Author's Profile

Name: Qiu Huilin

Position: Director of Foreign Trade at SLKOR

Hometown: Shaoguan, Guangdong

Vision: To forge a beautiful life through hard work.