Opium flower storys name?

Question

a few years ago i read a book by lawernce yep called ''dragon wings'' and i want to find pout the name of the chinese story where it explains a myth or story of where the opium flower came from what i remeber was that black dog was talking to the main charecter telling him about an ugly wife and an abusive husband who accidently or purposly killed his wife her body made the opium flower which he took the ball and smoked it as a pellet or sumthing if anyone could tell me the name of the short story in the story or send me all that was given from the story i would really apreciate it :) thanks

Answer 1

I can't find a chinese legend, but there is a Greek one:

According to Greek legend, the poppy was created by Somnus, the god of sleep, to help Ceres, the corn goddess, who was exhausted by the search for her lost daughter that she couldn't make the corn grow. The poppies soothed her to sleep, and when she rested, the corn grew again, giving rise to the belief that the presence of poppies was essential to grow corn.

Demeter,so the legend goes, created the poppy for the purpose of getting some sleep after the loss of her daughter Persephone. The twin brothers Hypnos and Thanatos (Sleep and Death) were represented as crowned with poppies or carrying poppies in their hands. Obviously the Greeks were aware of the fact that a merciful sleep induced by opium could lead to death.