Folk customs begin with the entire funeral procession

Chapter 65 The Locust Tree in the Courtyard, Weeping at the Spirit Tablet

Chen Guokun, who was following behind Yue Xiaodao, noticed something was wrong after walking for a while.

Because Yue Xiaodao's direction wasn't towards the outside of the orphanage!

"Yue Na's grave is in the orphanage?"

Chen Guokun asked in surprise.

Yue Xiaodao didn't say anything, but simply led the three of them toward the courtyard behind the orphanage building.

As soon as they stepped out of the building, the three of them were drawn to the three locust trees in the backyard.

The three locust trees were all very large; it would take two people to hug the trunk of each one.

The three trees were planted very close to each other, and from a distance, they looked like a huge and lush locust tree with its branches split open.

Many red ropes were tied to the branches of the locust trees, and some branches also had things that looked like wishing plaques hanging on them. It seemed that the children from the orphanage had used these three big locust trees as a place to make wishes.

Besides these, what attracts the most attention is the small wooden house built on the small open space between the three locust trees.

As they got closer, the three of them gradually saw more details about the wooden house.

The wooden house is about waist-high, with windows, doors, and wind chimes.

The original color of the wooden house is no longer visible because the walls outside the house are covered with various cartoon patterns.

It's obvious who painted those patterns on the wooden house.

At this point, Chen Guokun already had a guess about what was inside the small wooden house.

"Xiao Dao, is Yue Na's ashes kept in that wooden house?"

"Ah."

"Why wasn't it buried?"

Yue Xiaodao turned and glanced at Chen Guokun.

"Then why did you find this place?"

Yue Xiaodao's rhetorical question left Chen Guokun speechless.

Yes, is it because they don't want to bury it?

They won't let me bury you!

It was buried, but it's been dug up!
Chen Guokun looked at Yue Xiaodao and was surprised to find that Wen Qiubai was right; the child was mature beyond his years.

However, considering what Yue Xiaodao went through, it's understandable.

Just then, Chen Guokun suddenly heard Chen Miao speak.

"Planting locust trees in the yard and placing ashes under them... Was this the decision of your dean, or your decision?"

Chen Miao's words made Yue Xiaodao stop in his tracks.

He turned around and looked at Chen Miao.

"Is there anything wrong with the decision made by the Dean?"

Tong Yu, who had been silent all along, suddenly froze.

He looked at Yue Xiaodao, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

Chen Miao didn't notice this scene. He smiled at Yue Xiaodao and then said:

"I'm sorry, I work in the funeral industry, so I'm bound to know a bit about some folk taboos."

"The locust tree generally has both positive and negative connotations in folk culture."

“In some regions, there is a saying that ‘a locust tree in front of the door brings wealth,’ and there is also a saying that ‘locust’ is a homophone for ‘heart’, which means to have a righteous heart and to embrace good deeds.”

"But these statements are usually combined with the planting location of the locust tree."

The three of them listened as Chen Miao spoke.

Chen Miao knew that Chen Guokun and Tong Yu were not in a hurry because it was still early and they didn't know anything else.

As for Yue Xiaodao...

Chen Miao looked into the other person's eyes, which were devoid of any childlike innocence, but he had no idea what the other person was thinking.

"The saying 'A locust tree in front of the door brings wealth' refers to planting a locust tree in front of the house. However, it is usually not planted directly in front of the house, but rather slightly off-center, and at least five meters away."

"I don't know the mystery behind this explanation, but it makes sense scientifically." "Because locust trees have extensive root systems, if they are planted too close to houses, they will affect the foundation of the houses."

"As for the saying that '槐' is interchangeable with '怀', there is no scientific explanation, but it is generally a symbolic meaning."

"For example, to cultivate virtue, the locust tree should be planted outside the courtyard. This type of locust tree is commonly seen in traditional courtyard houses."

"There are many other interpretations of its symbolic meaning, but I won't go into them one by one."

"Besides these positive statements, there are also negative statements."

Chen Miao looked at Yue Xiaodao and asked with a smile, "Xiaodao, have you ever heard a proverb?"

"Don't plant mulberry trees in front, don't plant willow trees behind, and don't plant 'ghost clapping' trees in the middle?"

Yue Xiaodao didn't speak, but shook his head.

"Yeah, it's normal that you haven't heard of it. Our generation has heard of it more often."

"Of course, this has nothing to do with locust trees. They are mulberry, willow, and poplar trees respectively. The 'ghost clapping' refers to the poplar tree because when the wind blows, the poplar leaves look like a person clapping their hands. Isn't that a vivid description?"

Chen Guokun nodded in agreement.

Regarding the locust tree, there is a saying: "A locust tree behind the house, a ghost will pat your chest; a locust tree in the courtyard, a spirit tablet will weep."

"As for why there is such a saying, according to modern science, in addition to the extensive root system, the decaying leaves will produce bad luck, which is a kind of bad gas that can easily make people sick."

"Furthermore, if the tree canopy is too large, it will block the sunlight, resulting in insufficient sunlight in the home. This imbalance of yin and yang makes people more susceptible to illness and also makes it easier for mosquitoes to breed."

“We can easily understand these things with our modern thinking, but in ancient times, there was no such scientific explanation, so people would think about other aspects, which eventually led to some folk sayings.”

"For example, locust trees are considered yin and easily attract wandering ghosts; for example, hollow locust trees can be used as nests by evil spirits; and for example, sitting under a locust tree can easily lead to 'sleep paralysis' and so on."

"When people say it a lot, they take it as a default rule. Over time, it becomes a folk taboo, a kind of ancestral instruction that has been passed down."

"So I was a little surprised when I saw three locust trees in the yard, but since these trees are quite old, I didn't say anything."

"It wasn't until I heard you say that you also placed Yue Na's ashes under the tree that I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity."

Chen Miao looked at Yue Xiaodao.

"Since it was your dean's decision, she must have her own reasons."

"By the way, are those red ropes and such on the trees also for the dean to hang?"

Yue Xiaodao looked directly into Chen Miao's eyes and nodded.

"Yes, the headmistress said it looks festive."

Chen Miao nodded, and as his gaze swept around, he saw Tong Yu frowning.

With a sudden thought, he continued, "Not only does it look festive, but I remember that hanging red ropes on locust trees is also said to ward off evil spirits. I suppose your headmistress must know something about this, but she felt it was a pity to damage these three trees, so she did it this way."

After Chen Miao finished speaking, Chen Guokun exclaimed, "I didn't expect you guys to know so much about this industry."

Chen Miao smiled, and just as he was about to speak, Tong Yu spoke up.

Compared to Chen Miao, Tong Yu was much more direct.

"Yue Xiaodao, do you believe in ghosts?"

Tong Yu bent over slightly, looking directly at Yue Xiaodao, who was standing there holding a book.

Chen Guokun frowned, about to say something, when he suddenly saw Tong Yu making two hand gestures behind his back.

That was a gesture that Chen Guokun and Tong Yu had come up with before when it was inconvenient to speak.

The first gesture indicates that Tong Yu is taking a lie detector test; the second gesture indicates that he has already lied twice!

Chen Guokun silently turned his gaze to Yue Xiaodao.

He's already lied twice?
Which two times?

"Do not believe."

Just then, Yue Xiaodao spoke again.

At the same time, the gestures behind Tong Yu also changed.

the third time.

……

P.S.: Thank you for the generous donations, bosses!
Please read Monday's chapter! If you read enough, it might be released a little later so I can add more free words.
(End of this chapter)