Daily Life in the Countryside After Being Reborn-Chapter 228 - 29: Rare Pink Camellia (Part 2)

"Speaking of Sichuan, this camellia was brought from there," Bai Juyi seemed different from Zhu Shijun, living alone for decades with no one to talk to, now his oil was spent and the lamp dry, he now wanted to talk more, though each word was accompanied by a bloody-tasting thick phlegm bubbling up in his throat.

"Okay, Mr. Bai, I’ll listen, take your time," Xiao Xian sat beside the bed.

"Ha ha, good child, don’t mind my rambling, she always used to complain about it," Bai Juyi started reminiscing. Every old person has this common ailment, they all like to talk about ’back in the day’, but Bai Juyi’s ’back in the day’ actually had some interesting stories.

From Bai Juyi’s narration, Xiao Xian learned that Bai Juyi was from Xiangtan, had lost his father in childhood, followed his mother to Yunnan, and started working in gardening at the age of six, from a soil cultivator, to a pruning master, to later a gardener.

"Actually, Old Man Bai here doesn’t really have much to talk about in life. Throughout the decades, I’ve only worked one job, even using the same pair of scissors for pruning flowers. Do you know what kind of flower I am best at growing?" After saying a few words, Old Man Bai was in a better mood, and his complexion looked a bit healthier too.

Xiao Xian glanced at that pot of camellia, calling it a camellia might not be right, that pot of ’Red Powder Eighteen Scholars’ looked pretty fine, but from Xiao Xian’s discerning eyes, accustomed to unique and exotic flowers, it wasn’t the rarest. Bai Juyi... "Could it be chrysanthemums?" His name did include the character for chrysanthemum, so it must be chrysanthemums.

"Ha ha... cough cough, many people guess the same way as you, thinking it’s chrysanthemums, actually the name Bai Juyi was changed by my mentor back then, we had five people learning gardening together including Plum, Orchid, Pine, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum. I was the last to join, so I took the word for chrysanthemum. My original name is Bai Juyi, my mentor thought it sounded too literary, so he changed it." Mr. Bai brightened up when talking about his past learning experiences.

While they were talking, Zhuo Feng came in, she had brought some porridge earlier, seeing that Mr. Bai had little appetite, she went out to buy some bananas. Seeing Xiao Xian there too, with Mr. Bai chatting and laughing, her face, which had paled a bit from running around these past few days, now had a touch of a smile.

"What are you talking about, so happily? Why is there a pot of camellia, it looks so familiar, isn’t this the camellia from Mr. Bai’s home the other day? Wait, this plant looks really special, Eighteen Scholars?" That day when Zhuo Feng came downstairs at the sound, she also saw the potted plants at Bai Juyi’s house, without time to reflect, she conflicted with those villains. Zhuo Feng studied agriculture at university, her family had started a garden at home since her grandfather’s time, having also grown several ’Lion Roar’ camellias.

As a child, she occasionally heard her grandfather mention a precious variety of camellia called ’Eighteen Scholars’, never having the chance to see it, but accidentally saw it in the hands of a quarrelsome old neighbor.

"Didn’t expect you to be a kindred spirit of mine. Here’s what, rather than have that boy sell all the potted plants, better to give them to you. Miss Zhuo, about the past, this old man was in the wrong, always frowning, couldn’t stand seeing others happy. Here is the key to my house, you would also trouble yourselves to move out all the matching potted plants you find inside. Whether to sell or give them away, it’s all up to you." Bai Juyi didn’t say why he eventually moved from Yunnan to Beijing, nor why he was all alone.

Upon hearing this, Zhuo Feng dared not accept, continually trying to decline, Xiao Xian even moving one pot would be getting an ’Eighteen Scholars’, Bai Juyi was arguably too generous.

"Take it, if I remember correctly, this camellia originally came with a Late Qing porcelain pot, that animal doesn’t understand flowers, selling it is undervaluing it, better to give it to someone who cares about cultivating it. If you really feel uneasy, just agree to an old man’s request." Bai Juyi was passionate about flowers, thinking about those who only measured his precious plants in terms of money, he felt uncomfortable.

Xiao Xian recounted the incident she had encountered those guys before coming, then the camellia being smashed, and her packing it into a foam box, Zhuo Feng listened and also frowned continuously, weighing the situation, she finally took the old man’s key.

As for Bai Juyi’s request, it was rather simple, just asking them to find a daffodil pot in his home when moving flowers, as well as a daffodil bulb drying on the balcony corner.

After Zhuo Feng and Xiao Xian left Mr. Bai’s ward, he laid back down on the bed. The old man’s earlier vigor was like a flash in the pan, Bai Juyi looked at the empty bed next to his, the sheets had already been changed, clean but carrying a whiff of disinfectant.

"Little girl, Old Man Bai is not really best at camellias, nor chrysanthemums, what I’m really best at is gardening and pruning. My time is running out, that ’Shen Zhou Daffodil’ may never have the chance to bloom now, oh my dear, I still failed your expectations," Bai Juyi’s heart raced, covering his mouth which was coughing ceaselessly with his hand.

A warmth spread through his hand, when he opened his palm, it had a pool of heart blood, a deep red, like a red chrysanthemum blooming in autumn.

Zhuo Feng asked Xiao Xian about her recent condition and spoke about Mr. Bai, "Alas, I asked too, he has no relatives. His spouse seems to have died many years ago, he didn’t remarry, and he doesn’t have any children, I think his days are numbered."

"Aunt, we can’t let Mr. Bai pass away just like that, let’s help find that flowerpot he mentioned, and those potted plants, I see that they are also a worry for Mr. Bai, we absolutely can’t let those bad people spoil those flowers." Back at home, Feng Xing had also come back from work.

The three discussed, and while Mr. Bai’s unfilial nephew hadn’t come yet, they decided to sort out all of Mr. Bai’s flowers first, planning to bring the daffodil bulb and flowerpot to Mr. Bai tomorrow morning.

When they reached downstairs, as soon as they opened the door and turned on the light, all three were stunned.

**

Thank you ’Fen Shou’ for a pair of pink tickets, a good remedy for fatigue~ Sneaking smiles in the corner, the added part tomorrow is delayed, a bit stuck in the story.

The added part will probably be around three o’clock in the afternoon, the other three parts are during regular hours, was originally planning to read the stocked books on the shelf this weekend, now only a small handkerchief awaits the National Day holiday. Again, thanks for everyone’s support. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to Qidian.com to vote your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket, your support is my greatest motivation.) freēnovelkiss.com

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