Grain in Ear is the 9th of the 24 solar terms and the 3rd solar term of summer, indicating the beginning of midsummer. Grain in Ear, pronounced "Mang Zhong" in Chinese, literally means "awned wheat should be harvested quickly, awned rice can be planted". "Mang" is homophonic to the word "busy" in Chinese, indicating that all crops are "busy planting".