Stories 续子不语 Those Who Kill Themselves Become Trees
人变树
The people of the foreign Wulute and the Muslim regions never will kill themselves. They say that one who kills himself is bound to become a tree, and a tree easily attracts cutting and lopping, so they are unwilling.
So says Jiang Yunxiang, prefect of Qinzhong.
外国兀鲁特及回部民从不肯自尽，云自尽者必变树，树易招斩伐，故不愿也。秦中明府蒋云骧云。
Complete text of 《人变树》, Xu Zibuyu juan 4 — the whole tale is two sentences. Yuan Mei's contribution is to record it as belief, with a reason attached.
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