The legend of Jacaranda

legend

On a street in Dehua, a small mountain city in southern Fujian, there stands a Jacaranda tree. Around the Dragon Boat Festival, the flowers on the tree bloom in full bloom, and from a distance, it looks like a burning blue flame. What’s even more strange is that the branches and flowers all face south, just like a girl in a blue flowered skirt, leaning against the window, looking south, waiting for her lover to return.

It is said that 11 years ago in the Republic of China, there was no Jacaranda tree here, and the richest man in Dehua, Song Tianlai, lived here. The Song family is wealthy and powerful, with tens of millions of dollars in assets, but they lack male descendants. They only have a daughter named Xiaolan. Although Xiaolan was born into a wealthy family, she does not have the temper of a spoiled girl. Not only is she naturally beautiful, she is also proficient in poetry, music, calligraphy and painting. When he was only fourteen years old, there was a constant stream of people coming to propose marriage to him. The master of the Song family is quite open-minded and allows Miss Xiaolan to decide her own life. However, Miss Xiaolan did not like any of the people who came to propose marriage, no matter if they were from wealthy families or scholars. The master of the Song family was very puzzled. Hey, which guy does my daughter like?

No one would believe it if I told them, but Miss Xiaolan fell in love with Huang Xinying who lived next door to her. Huang Xinying is a pretty girl, and she was educated before, but her family fell into poverty. Now she is destitute, let alone marrying Miss Xiaolan. She can't even afford the gift money to propose marriage! Seeing so many people coming to propose marriage, the two young men were extremely anxious. What would they do if this continued?

Go to Southeast Asia! This was the only choice Huang Xinying had. Only by going to Southeast Asia to pan for gold could she change her family's poverty and allow the two of them to be together forever. So they agreed that three years later, no matter they were rich or poor, they would be together forever.

In the 11th year of the Republic of China, Xinying brought back a letter from Southeast Asia, which read: "Xiaolan, I miss you so much that my heart is broken, but the mountains are high and the waters are far away. I am sending you a jacaranda tree so that I can accompany you and relieve your pain of missing you." So Xiaolan carefully cultivated the jacaranda tree in her garden, and waited for her lover to return every day.

But I waited and waited until the 14th year of the Republic of China, but Xinying did not come. Instead, I saw a letter saying: I am now in Silla, and have established a family and a career. I am sending you back the token of love. I miss you so much!

How could Miss Xiaolan bear such a blow? She immediately fell seriously ill. After she recovered, she was arranged by the master of the Song family to marry Mr. Li from the west of the city. Before getting married, she suddenly heard Huang's mother crying and couldn't help asking her about it. It turned out that Xinying had contracted a serious illness and died in Silla. He was afraid that it would affect the young lady's life, so he lied that he had already got married.

Miss Xiaolan burst into tears and composed a poem that night: Our childhood sweethearts are as strong as gold, and if my husband goes to hell, I will follow him. Now, under the gentle breeze and bright moon, I accompany you every day to relieve your loneliness. So he jumped into a well and committed suicide.

Nowadays, when walking on the busy Longjin Road in Dehua, you can still see a well in the middle of the road, which looks like the affectionate eyes of a young girl. People say that it is the incarnation of Xiaolan. Legend has it that when the jacaranda trees are in bloom and the moon is full, you can hear whispers coming from the treetops. If a couple makes a wish under the tree, they will grow old together and hold hands for the rest of their lives. Moreover, when the leaves of the Jacaranda fall off in winter, it represents despair, but when spring comes, it blooms with purple flowers and stuns everyone. That's why it's called waiting for love in despair.