Lu Jingxuan(陸敬軒), the magistrate of Yongcheng County(永城), is from Xiaoshan(蕭山), Zhejiang(浙江). He was tasked with renovating the Yongcheng yamen(administrative office or residence for government officials in imperial China) and decided to use local materials. There was an original willow tree within the yamen, which Lu Jingxuan chose to use for the renovation.
When the carpenters felled the willow and sawed it into boards, they discovered that the grain on the boards formed an exquisite landscape, resembling a painting created with light ink. The left half of the painting depicted a towering mountain peak, while the right half showed a cliff with an ancient pine tree entwined with vines, its branches hanging low. Beneath the ancient pine stood an elderly man leaning on a cane, wearing a tall hat and long sleeves, his facial features vividly portrayed. His left hand was hidden in his sleeve, resting on his chest. His right foot was stepping forward, revealing the sole of his shoe slightly, while his left foot was concealed beneath his trousers. He appeared as if he were turning back to listen to the tinkling sound of a spring.
Lu Jingxuan regarded this natural wooden painting as a treasure and took it back home. This occurred on the thirteenth day of the tenth month in the forty-eighth year of Qianlong.
Translated from《木畫》in 《子不語》:
永城尉陸敬軒，浙之蕭山人，修署截木。署舊有柳樹一株，鋸之，板中現天然畫一幅。如淡墨寫成：左危峰，石懸崖，崖上松一株，山樹一株，枝葉倒垂，松上纏藤累累；中有一叟扶杖立，商冠長袖，鬚眉如活，左手納袖中著胸前，右足前行露舄，左舄隱衣下，回顧若聽泉狀。尉寶之，攜歸其家。時乾隆辛酉十月十三日事。