The orange south of the Huai River/Carlos Pueblo

 

The orange south of the Huai River/Carlos Pueblo

The other day, I went to pick a pomelo from my neighbor’s yard. Amy came along with me because that she felt curious. I used a broken metal head of a trimmer to make a hook to pull down the fruit. After testing the fruit, I was very disappointment because that it was dry yet not sour. My neighbor told me that was not ripe otherwise it should be sweet. It reminds me an ancient story in China about the orange south of the Huai River.

It was happened about the time of Confucius more than 2,000 years ago in the same territory of current day Shan Tung Province, China. One day, Premier Yen of Kingdom Chi was visiting a neighbor Kingdom Chu down to the south current day Wuhan, the outbreak of the corona virus. Both Chi and Chu were much stronger and larger kingdoms than Confucius’ Lu Kingdom. Both two were two of the big five out of a thousand small local noble in the Chou Dynasty. The Chu’s King brought in a theft from Chi and questioned Yen what happened of the Chi citizen were all criminals. This is one of the intelligent answers recorded on the Yen’s History which is taught at the college freshman Chinese language art class. He says that the same orange tree grows orange south of the Huai River, the border of these this two Kingdoms while grows to Tse north of the Huai River. Tse is a smaller in size and bitter fruit can only serve as a herb medicine. It implies the difference environment between the two kingdoms. The theft can be a good citizen at his home.

I think it over and quit my thought of growing two young plants which the owner provides me to grow on my back yard. I am too old to wait for the tree to bear fruits. Amy sees the leaves and recognizes the one which has been on our yard for years. We do have one pomelo tree. I wonder how come the other citric fruit trees are doing very well in Houston area of the Texas weather. It must be some other reasons for my disappointment.