The “Seven-Sister” Tree of Camphor

[wenzili]

:flare: Part 1. An Ancient Story

A mere 200 meters away from my house, there was a huge camphor tree with a diameter over 6 meters in the north-west side of Dongshan Mountain. It’s trunk was very short. However, there were seven spread branches with cross sections as large as round dinning tables, as if seven sisters were sitting around side by side. Therefore, it was known as “Seven-Sister Tree”.

No one knew how many years had this tree grown up. Its greatness and flourish had always given admiration and breathtaking impact to whoever met it.

I still clearly remembered whenever I raised my head to look at the northward sky, I could seen nothing but a vast of dark green leaves. They were the numerous twigs and leaves of “Seven-Sister Tree” that covered half of the sky. When a gust of wind sweeping through, the endless leaves were falling down and swirling to everywhere. Even in our courtyard, we were able to collect hundreds kilogram dead leaves each year. It was a sort of wonderful firewood supply to us. Every time, when the pleasing fragrance came out from our kitchen range, we couldn’t help recalling an ancient story…….

It has been said, one day in ancient time the Queen in heaven had a peach-banquet to host her ministers, which is a routine for every thousand years, since it is the right period for the valuable peaches to fully grow up.

The longevity god who lives in the South Pole arrived in hurry with his sleigh driven by 7 spotted deer. He had no time and simply tied his equipment and beasts outside the Queen’s peach garden.

As luck would have it, a group of fairies, Seven Stars, which forms the Triones dropped in nearby and untied the deer. They drove them away and descended to our earth to free from the loneness in the sky. They spotted a beautiful pond on the top of Dongshang Mountain in our hometown. They failed to resist the temptation of bathing and swimming and went down with clothes. They had a good time for splashing water to each other. Then, they went down the hill and stripped themselves and put the clothes on the bamboo bush on the westward slope for drying.

They were nakedly sitting together side by side and making fun to each other, when the sky got to dark in a second. A terrible voice appeared in the sky together with thunder and lightning. “How dare are your girls! You all go so far as to escape from our holy heaven without Queen’s permission! It’s time for you all pay the penalty now!” The seven sisters were in such scare and hurry that they merely had time to dress up and had to hug together.

This situation was resulted from its exposure at the end of the banquet. The Queen was astonished most and had a mad on such a behavior. She immediately sent the Gods of Thunder and Lightning to punish them. From then on. they had become a camphor tree with seven branches. Their colorful clothes had changed to azalea, which exclusively covering all over the west slope in Dongshan Mountain. Their white headwears had turned to hundreds egrets which were singing and multiplying in the camphor tree ever since.

After unknown years, at that time when I brought up, the Seven-Sister Tree became so huge that dozens of our children even could not hold it by hand to hand.

Every day, the egrets were twittering in the dawn and awaking us up. Then, they fluttered and flew to a vast lake nearby. They either soared in the sky to accompany the rising sun or floated on the water harmoniously responding to the waves.

During the sunset, they all cheerfully flew back and perched on the top to decorate the tree crown with their white feathers reflecting on the evening sunshine.

Our parents said this tree was the geomantic omen of our hometown. Its vicissitudes of growth represented the fortune of our hometown.

It was also a divine tree. Its stem could never be damaged. With the blood splashing out, its bark was able to recover immediately after every cutting.

Whoever dared to injure her, a deadly disaster would instantly fall to him or her. Therefore, no one was bold enough to tough it ever since the unknown prehistory.

(To be continued by P2: A Fallen Family)

[wenzili]

Part 2：A Fallen Family

In fact, the tree was in one of my neighbors, Mr. Zhang’s backyard.

His ancestor was very rich. He inherited not only a commodious house but also an immense courtyard where the giant camphor tree was growing up together with abundant bamboo bushes. In the west of this yard there was an exquisite pond which gently held the tingling spring droplets from the hill and harmonized by unknown insects and frogs’ singing.

Needless to say, Mr. Zhang’s family must have a brilliant history. However, it was getting fallen from his generation.

Since my mother shared same family name with him and from the generation counting, Mr. Zhang was one generation less than mum, therefore, we called him as grandfather.
With age about 67-68, grandfather was slim and bony. A pair of glasses fit in rusty frame always covered half of his little face. Therefore, he was known as “4 eyes” stealthily by our neighbors.

Every day he passed to and fro my door with arms cross on his bowing back. When I was a boy, I never saw his face light up. He always frowned as if he was haunted by numerous grieves.

With scarce population, his family was not as prosperous as usual. He got an only son named Qiming (enlighten) with an ugly and humble appearance. There was a huge purple scar on his right temple, which strained his eye even larger than cow’s.

He was succulent in both his right eye and mouth. His faltering and vague words always puzzled whomever he talked to.

“Qiming, could you swallow something down first, before you talking to us?”someone mocked to him.

“Wh…at a…re you tal..king a..bout? I ha…ven’t ea..ten a…ny..thing ye…t!” He was mumbling and explaining hard when his scar turned dark and shining.

He had never got a permanent job before age of 40 and just relied on his father, a part-time tutor and his wife, a tailor. As a dawdler he was just wandering on the street all day.

In the early 1950’s, new government had already set up modern public schools everywhere. No one wanted to be privately tutored. Besides, his father was really getting old; he had no way but managing to serve as a peddler. By shaking a little drum on hand to draw country persons’ attention, he shouldered 2 baskets of small items, such as needles, threads, pencils etc and sold to them every day. In this way he might make a little profit.

On the contrary to Qiming’s humble image, his wife, named Feng (phoenix) was a pleasant and smart beauty in our town. She was a versatile tailor with multiple skills, such as fashion design, cutting out, sewing and ironing.

At that time, there was no sewing machine, no electric iron available. Therefore, she had to done all processes manually. Every time when I saw her in sewing, I could see nothing but her arms’ waving as quick as lightning.

After she married to Qiming, she got one boy and two daughters. However, this emotionally baseless marriage would inevitably cause vital collisions. This young couple’s wrangling and fighting never stopped.

I still clearly remember whenever a huge noise rose from their courtyard, my mother always put down her business on hand and dash to their home to reconcile them, until a peace recovered again under the Seven-Sister tree.

(To be continued by P3: A Miserable Marriage)
:flare:

[wenzili]

Part 3: A Miserable Marriage

Part 3: A Miserable Marriage
At that time I was too young to understand the love between men and women, however, I just dimly feel the match between aunt Feng and uncle Qiming being very weird. I kept asking my mum what’s the reason.” Take no care to adolescent’s affair. It’s none of your child’s business!” She always firmly rejected my inquiry. ” You shouldn’t put your nose into someone else’s garden. Ask what you should know.” Then, it became one of the unshakable faiths. When I was brought up and known the sad story well, I completely understood my mum’s real purpose: to avoid hurting someone by children’s naive rumor.
Aunt Feng was born in a come down family with 5 pretty sisters and no boy, as people put it “a family with five golden flowers”. Since no successor, her father, Old Din, was so depressive, that he was always indulged in alcohol to relieve him self. Even worse, he became an opium addict later on.
To pay for drug expenditure, he had sold 4 of his daughters already. A Feng was the oldest one. She had been survived entirely because of her great ingenuity to assist her mum in sewing work. “She is my arms and money maker” her mum argued angrily, whenever, her husband intended to sell A Feng.
Once, Old Din’s had an outbreak of drug addiction, he dashed to the Opium Shop and had a thoroughly enjoyment. Then, he had some trouble for having no single penny left to pay.
The shop owner detained him and told him he had better to pay it immediately or he would call the police. He had no way to get out the trouble, until he saw Mr. Zhang who lived under the “Seven-Sister” Tree and pass by the shop. He suddenly showed his resourcefulness in an emergency and stopped him:” Hi. Mr. Zhang, I had a good idea to solve your top anxiety……”
Sure enough, he made a deal with him, that he sent his fairy-like daughter to Mr. Zhang’s son, Qiming to be his child bride. As a prepay dowry, Mr. Zhang had to pay a great sum of money to Old Din.
In this way, Old Din got rid of his trouble easily, but also put his golden flower into Qiming’s cow dung in one word. **

After the liberation in 1949, new government called on “Women’s Turn Over”, since they had been oppressed by men for thousands years due to Chinese feudality. The devoice demands and family recomposing for child brides, matchmakers or parents-pointed couples came to be a fashion.
During these days, aunt Feng’s marriage was also in crisis. They had separated for 6 months already.
One midnight, aunt Feng had already slept soundly together with her silly daughter A Bao. Perhaps driven by sex hormone or reminded by his parents to rescue their marriage in danger, Qiming broken her window bars and slid into her room. Awaken by his rough action, aunt Feng, with so kind mind, even couldn’t bear the thought to fight and drive him away. After a gentle rejection, she reluctantly obeyed his will and went to their excitement soon. At that very moment, her groaning awaked A Bao who hadn’t inherited her mother’s smartness at all. Under dim moonlight, she saw her mother was under her damnable father and fiercely struggling against him. She thought her mother was in murdering. She leaped out and deadly shouted out “Help! Help!”” My fiendish dad is killing my mum!” Her shouting frightened those mandarin ducks *on bed. Aunt Feng immediately pushed him away and dressed up in hurry.
Being ashamed into anger miff, she got up much earlier and applied a devoice certificate from Street Administration. Then, she led her daughter and left the Seven- Sister tree in no time.

* Mandarin duck is a sort of ducking with colorful feathers and always appealing in closely accompanied couple. It is always used to describe a young couple who are in happy time.

** “A piece of golden flower is put into cow's dung.” is a famous Chinese saying to describe an unmatched couple or a beauty’s miserable marriage.
(To be continued by P4: Seven Sisters Flew Away)

[Avalive]

Are you a professional writer, mr li?

[wenzili]

Part 4: The “Seven Sisters” Flew Back

In the year of 1958, the crazy tide of “Great Leap” brought people of previously unknown boldness and enthusiasm to Gan Yue County.

“ One day equals to 20 years! Run to communism with great leap!”

Everyone worked day and night for this great goal. Small steel-making furnaces were smoking everywhere.

At this critical moment, a coal shortage became the major barrier for the fulfillment of the sacred target of “ Catch up USA and Overtake UK in 15 years”.

One day, the chief commander of “Iron & Steel Campaign Headquarter In Yu Gan County” had been told that a silly girl, A Bao, who lived under the “Seven-Sister” tree had talked to somebody about a promising story…….

She revealed the fact that her grandparents had found a coalmine under their pig shed and even dug out some lumps of coal. At that time our citizens knew nothing about coal burning in domestic kitchen ranges.

A Bao’s grandma mistakenly mixed and burned the coal with firewood. Undoubtedly, she got, no fire, but a cloud of heavy choking smoke.

This news delighted the chief alot. He immediately issued an order:” Go to Mr. Zhang’s home and demolish his house! Dig the coalmine as soon as possible!”

Official commands could never be delayed.

That same day, grandfather’s family was moved away from the inherited premise.

The next night, several kerosene lamps cast glaring light on his wrecked ruins. A group of teaches and students were temporarily maneuvered from Gan Yue Middle School to work here.

At midnight, a cheerful hail together with the striking of drums and gongs announced the discovery of “Black Gold”.

This wonderful news pleased the chief so much he immediately got up and presented himself on site. Then, he found the mine bed was spreading to northeast direction, i.e., toward to the root of the “Seven-Sister“ tree.

“Cut down the tree and dig forward!” he firmly ordered again.

“ A terrible thing is going to happen!” people living nearby exclaimed, when they heard this news. They were mumbling and secretly passing the news to each other.

“ Who knows how huge and how many disasters are going to befall us after cutting down this ancient tree?!” People immediately went into a panic.

A storm team for ancient camphor cutting was found instantly.

The cutting was started from branches with the most primitive tools, such as saws, axes etc.

This sort of rude activity largely disturbed thousands of egrets and other birds nesting in it. They were frightened so much and kept flying, perching and whining all night. Their sad and shrill weeping resounded in every direction.

Whole Dongshan Mountain was shivering and boiling. Even the earth and sky were shocked and trembled! ……

The cutting was conducted more than one week, The “sisters” were fallen down one by one. Then, only a bare stem left. Since the size was too large to cut. They had to use dynamite to blast it off.

After their so hard struggling, this ancient tree of camphor entirely destroyed.

No mysterious blood ever appeared from the cutting of its bark, nor any instant wound recovery happened, neither any disaster befallen upon us, like our parents had told us before.

One word, nothing unusual happened, except in the last day.

Immediately after the blast, a heavy thunderstorm and downpour occurred, which caused severe landslip on the site of coalmine. A student was miserably crushed to death.

People said the “seven sisters” flew back to the heavy and brought a young company home.

The camphor tree disappeared, no one dare to complain, only thousand of egrets were wandering around the remains. With their tearful moans, they were constantly flying up and down for 2 days. Then, in third day, they completely disappeared.

“Seven Sister” tree had vanished in Dongshan Mountain forever.

Parents said:
The sisters flew back to the heaven; therefore, there is no camphor tree left in Dongshan mountain any longer.

They brought their clothes back; therefore no more azaleas existed in the west slope.

They withdrew their headwears; therefore no single egret was ever tittering and soaring above Dongshan Mountain and Shihu Lake ever since.

The “Seven Sisters” came here with that sadness and they leaved here even much sadder.

Half a year later, 1 third of the residential houses in my hometown were demolished.

One year later, Guan Yue people met a historical famine in 3 sequent years.

(The End)


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