Don't cut up dead branches on the mountain for firewood - they're a rare treasure, and one can sell for ten thousand yuan

Farmer friends living in mountainous areas often go up the mountain to pick up dead branches and carry them home to burn as firewood. Some dead branches have very peculiar shapes, and in the eyes of people who don't know their value, they are nothing but firewood. But in the eyes of those who know, these oddly shaped dead branches are rare treasures - a single dead branch with an intact form can sell for around ten thousand yuan. This kind of dead branch is commonly found in large mountainous areas, growing in cracks between rocks, and its name is "Yabai" (Chinese arborvitae).

Yabai, as the name suggests, is an arborvitae growing on cliffs. This kind of arborvitae belongs to the Oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis); if it grows on flat ground, it is the common arborvitae that people see everywhere, shaped like a pagoda, and very common in mountain woodlands. When the seeds of the arborvitae are carried by wind or birds into cracks in the rocks, they will take root and sprout, but they grow extremely slowly, because the conditions are simply too harsh, and it is called "taking stone as its mother, and dew as its meal". Its nutrients can only come from rain falling from the sky, and surviving at all is truly not easy.

Under such harsh conditions, Yabai concentrates all its nutrients in the trunk. When strong winds break off its branches, Yabai secretes resin to repair the wounded areas. Over time, the resin of Yabai permeates the trunk, giving it a distinctive fragrance; high-quality Yabai will even sink in water, somewhat similar to agarwood. Then, under the force of the wind, the trunk twists in various ways, forming beautiful layer upon layer of grain, with great ornamental appeal. Therefore, Yabai can be used to make all kinds of carvings, bead bracelets, furniture and so on, and is of very high value.

However, it should be noted that Yabai only has value after "aging", that is, only the Yabai that has died and dried is truly a valuable rare item; living Yabai is a protected plant, may not be dug up, and is not worth money. This is because after Yabai dies and dries, through wind and sun, it is gradually oxidized, making its grain and fragrance more prominent, and it is also called a "living plant fossil". It not only has extremely high collectible value, but also very high research value, and is of great significance for studying the geological environment.

Dear readers, have you ever seen Yabai? If you pick up this kind of dead branch on the mountain, don't cut it up and burn it as firewood - it is a rare thing that can only be found by chance, not sought after!