Zhu Xiaoping's Thoughts on Trees

The three eucalyptus trees in my backyard yard grow stronger and stronger, which are at least nearly ten meters high by visual inspection, covering the east window and the sun. Suddenly found that "trees attract the wind" is not an empty talk, sometimes the wind will blow in the middle of the night, branches and leaves swaying; In case of rainy season, only one night will the leaves fall to the ground. This scene often reminds me of the "morning and evening scrolls" and "rain wind films" in Tang Xianzu's Peony Pavilion. I once wrote a little poem to commemorate it:

Holding the tree for several weeks, I called the leaves in the backyard to urge me. On the pole, the moonlight shone through the window, and the clothes were covered with hazy blue.

Ailanthus altissima is also called Ailanthus altissima. Scars caused by leaves falling off in winter are also called "tiger trees". Aralia belongs to Aralia family, which is different from Toona sinensis of Meliaceae. Because the leaves of Ailanthus altissima and Toona sinensis are similar in shape and belong to dicotyledonous class, but the leaves smell different. There used to be many Toona sinensis trees in Beijing. Toona sinensis leaves can be eaten, so can Toona sinensis leaves. After scalding with boiling water, wash with cold water, which is tasteless. In the past, the poor encountered famine and regarded it as a lifeline. The ancients said that eucalyptus "smells bad", which was probably an exaggeration. The eucalyptus in my backyard has no pungent smell. I also found that in the past, when scholars wrote letters, they often used "wood" and "oak" to express modesty, and some people used "oak" as the name or title of their own research. For example, Mr Yao Dianzhong, a famous educator and calligrapher, named his study "Lu Lu Lu" and Zhi 'an's anthology "Lu Lu badminton".

"Gui" is naturally more elegant than "Ailanthus altissima", so it has a unique charm as the name of the study. It is extremely difficult to find the meaning of a word. For example, there is a kind of Ma Yinghua in Beijing, which is also called acacia tree and velvet tree. The name is apt, but the ancients called it "Castanopsis fissa". Scholar Wu Xiaoling named his study "Double Acacia Bookstore" because there are two acacia trees in the wicker house of Dazhiqiao School, which is much more elegant than "Double Acacia Bookstore", but the meaning of "Acacia" is really puzzling. Since ancient times, it has been concluded that a dead tree will decline, which shows the dialogue between Keiko and Zhuangzi in "Happy Travel". Keiko said, "I have a big tree. People call it dying." Its big roots are swollen but not in rope ink, and its branchlets are irregularly curled. The way to stand, the craftsman ignores. The son's words were too big and useless, so everyone followed. "Because eucalyptus can't be used to make furniture, it is regarded as inferior by carpenters. Zhuangzi's answer is very philosophical: "There are big trees today, and it is useless to suffer from them. Why not plant them on the land with nothing, spread the wilderness, wander around, do nothing and lie under them? "Don't kill axe harmless. Nothing, it's hard to be safe! "For a tree that people think is useless, Zhuangzi still treats it with the mentality of" inaction "and" freedom ",which is really admirable.

There is a dialect in Jiaodong, my hometown. It is useless to describe a person's honesty, and it is very vivid to say "Mu Mu Cuo". But are trees really useless? In ancient times, there was a gambling game called "Sui Pu", which could not be tested. It makes sense to read the literature. Are leaves and cattails used as gambling tools? There is also a kind of silkworm called "dead silkworm", also called "Toona sinensis". Dead silkworm larvae eat dead leaves, castor leaves, etc. Search from the Internet shows that the bark, roots, leaves and fruits of Aralia elata can be used as medicine, which has the function of clearing away heat and promoting diuresis, and seems to be useful. But I'm sorry I'm ignorant. I haven't heard of this kind of medicine sold in Chinese medicine shops? Mr. Wang Zengqi appreciated Mr. Wu Qizhuo's "Long Test of Plant Names". I haven't seen it. I wonder if there is any record about that tree in it. There is also a rare ancient and modern test tree name (Shandong Forestry Department 1987 mimeographed version), which is similar to "engraving" in typology. It is said that we seldom talk about dead trees. Now eucalyptus is widely used in papermaking, and its texture is very good, which may be related to its unique fiber structure. There are also beech trees abroad, which are planted on both sides of the road and are called "paradise trees". It seems that this tree can not only "lie down with peace of mind", but also "plant on the land with nothing and spread out in the wild" for the benefit of mankind. But in my opinion, the most admirable thing is its tenacious vitality.

The female parent of Ailanthus altissima in my backyard was originally drilled from the front yard. For several years, no one lived there, and the peanut trees were lush. During the renovation, all the trees in Shi Zhuan were cut down, and the ground was paved, and there was no trace from then on. I don't know when the twig came out from the crack in the concrete floor in the backyard. At first, I didn't care much, thinking that the green branches were swaying, which could be counted as a scene. Unexpectedly, after only five or six years, the three trees separated, tall and straight, and thick leaves fell off every year, and the concrete floor cracked. I'm a little worried: will it endanger the city wall? It's good to have trees, but it doesn't matter if there are no trees. Report to the garden department for logging? A little reluctant, an unspeakable feeling.

I was deeply impressed by the tenacious vitality of eucalyptus, and I was hesitant to cut it, which reminded me of others. For example, when people make friends, they will know, and when they know, they will know, whether they are loyal or sparse. Just like this tree, it has not failed you, and you have not failed it, but once it interferes with people's living and disturbs peace, it is easy to get bored. Maybe it only knows "natural selection, survival of the fittest", regardless of people's feelings? Cut it, it has a home, I have peace, and the heavens and the earth no longer intersect. Maybe people and trees will say goodbye?

How can a man deserve such a tree? When I was a child, I liked to call my friends and introduce others. Whenever I meet a careless friend, I can't help worrying. As you get older, you become more experienced, avoid noise and seek more peace. It is the realm of Confucianism to "complain about others and repay kindness with hatred". Although there is no principle of regretting being a man now, there is less fierceness and arrogance. Even if you don't completely do what Li Shutong did, "think of others when you are in trouble, and think of yourself first when you are in trouble", you should try to be respectful and stay out of it when you meet people. Principles can be adhered to, and small things can be confused. Of course, "hard to be confused" is easier said than done. If you are there, you will also have countless troubles. You really need to cultivate your concentration.

So I'll figure out the best way to deal with the eucalyptus trees that thrive in the backyard, right? Holding a pen, just when it began to rain, I looked up at the lush branches and leaves of the tree, which were particularly green after being washed by the rain. The place where you looked intently was refreshing, and I hummed a little poem and thought it was over:

A light rain and a feeling, last night's dream seemed intermittent. Just look at the green trees by the window and gently make the sound of branches in the yard.