NOVEL NEXT 92
Chapter 92
At least, for He An, it was an unwelcome guest.
He glanced at Luo Zhanming, dressed in purple with a folding fan, and turned away with a pout. Although Luo Zhanming and his servants hadn’t come frequently, they had visited a few times. Unfortunately, the resentment from their first encounter still lingered, and He An remained unfriendly towards him.
Seeing He An’s reaction, He Ze shook his head and stepped out from behind the counter to greet Luo Zhanming. “Brother Luo.”
“Brother He, I hope you’ve been well,” Luo Zhanming responded cheerfully. He tilted his head to glance at He An behind He Ze, then winked at He Ze, “I heard you’re getting married soon. Make sure to invite me to the wedding feast!”
“Of course. I still owe you thanks for last time,” He Ze replied, referring to the time Luo Zhanming had invited County Magistrate Zhou to the flower shop’s grand opening.
After exchanging pleasantries, the two appeared to be enjoying each other’s company, much to He An’s frustration.
“As it happens, I have a legitimate reason for coming today,” Luo Zhanming said, closing his fan and lowering his head in complaint. “Do you remember the pot of Yao Huang my brother-in-law won at the flower shop opening? It’s been wilting for several days. No matter how the gardeners at home tend to it, it doesn’t get better. My brother is so worried he can’t eat, and he specifically asked me to invite you over.”
“Wilting?”
He Ze instinctively looked at the other pot of the peony king, Wei Zi, in the flower shop. It still glowed with a purple radiance, its petals tender enough to squeeze water from.
“This place of yours really is a paradise. Your pot has been indoors all this time, yet it looks better than the one my brother’s gardeners tend to with such care. It’s quite strange.”
“Young Master Luo, that’s not right,” Cai Xing, who had just finished watering the potted plants, said unhappily as he wiped his hands on his robe. “This Wei Zi is treated with utmost care. It was just sunbathing in the backyard. While your gardeners tend with care, we do the same here.”
“…My apologies, Master Cai. I misspoke,” Luo Zhanming said, raising his fan and smiling apologetically.
Cai Xing wasn’t truly angry and quickly shifted the topic back to the Yao Huang. “I heard from the young shopkeeper that these two, Yao Huang and Wei Zi, are of the same species and bloom around the same time. Could it be that the Yao Huang is not acclimatized to the new environment?”
“That seems unlikely… such a small distance,” Luo Zhanming replied.
“The exact situation will only be clear after examining it. Let’s do this: after lunch, I’ll head over immediately,” He Ze suggested, glancing at the sun. “Why don’t you join us, Brother Luo? My treat.”
Luo Zhanming didn’t decline; he was eager to build a closer relationship with the He brothers. Since it was a treat, He Ze decided to invite everyone from the flower shop, along with He An and their hesitant father. Closing the shop for a short while didn’t seem to be a big issue.
Having grown accustomed to eating at Yu’s Restaurant, the group took a detour. As the saying goes, ‘friends made over food and drink,’ and after sharing a meal, He Ze and Luo Zhanming’s friendship deepened a bit, becoming less formal. Even He An’s attitude towards Luo Zhanming improved slightly.
After the meal, He Ze followed the two servants to the county magistrate’s residence. The front part was the yamen (government office), and the back part was the residence.
This was He Ze’s first visit.
Luo Zhanming, being a regular guest at the Zhou residence, was recognized by the gatekeeper, who let the three of them in without any formalities.
“Would you like me to take you to visit my brother-in-law first?”
“No need, just take me to the garden. Magistrate Zhou is busy with official duties; we shouldn’t disturb him,” He Ze replied, waving his hand and letting the servant lead the way to the back garden.
“But…”
Luo Zhanming hesitated, then quickly gave a signal to Ah Mu and hurried after He Ze.
“Shopkeeper He, here it is, this Yao Huang. Both my master and his wife adore it and come to see it every afternoon, but lately, it has lost many petals, and even the leaves are turning yellow.”
The mansion had a dedicated gardener for the peonies. Hearing that the magistrate had specifically invited someone to “diagnose” the plant, the gardener hurried over, nervously explaining the Yao Huang’s condition to He Ze.
Having run the shop for some time and with Cai Xing, a skilled gardener, as a mentor, He Ze had picked up some knowledge about various plants.
Peonies have four key characteristics: they prefer coolness but not cold, warmth but not heat, light but not shade, and dryness but not wetness. Potted peonies have even higher requirements for soil and water. He Ze touched a yellowing leaf, channeling a bit of his ability into it, and immediately sensed the plant’s joy and dependency.
However, he quickly let go of the leaf, not wanting to reveal his ability in public. The gardener, seeing He Ze’s silence, became anxious. “Shopkeeper, is… is this Yao Huang going to die?”
He Ze shook his head. “Let me ask you, how often do you fertilize it each day? How often do you water it? How long does it get sunlight? Has it been pruned in the past month?”
“I only fertilized it the day after the master brought it back, loosening the soil and adding some dried cow dung and grass clippings. Later, the master complained about the smell, so I started using ash mixed with water, twice a day for both watering and fertilizing. As for sunlight…”
“Alright, I get it. You’re over-fertilizing it, combined with overwatering, causing root rot. In another ten days or so, it will probably die. Potted peonies should be fertilized once every half month after blooming, with fertilizing and watering done once every seven or eight days. Clear water should be used daily, preferably in the early morning or when it’s cool…”
He Ze continued explaining from fertilizing, watering, and sunlight to loosening soil, weeding, pruning branches, and even selecting and planting seedlings. Luo Zhanming was increasingly amazed as He Ze spoke more and more. “These peonies are so delicate! So much fuss just to grow a flower?”
“Flowers, they all require meticulous care, especially those that are more beautiful. Only the peony truly embodies the national beauty; when it blooms, it moves the capital. Even ordinary flowers are like this; naturally, peonies are no exception.”
“Well said!”
As He Ze finished speaking, another voice came from the corridor. Shortly after appeared County Magistrate Zhou Wenda, accompanied by Liu Yangji and servant Ah Mu.
“Only the peony truly embodies the national beauty; when it blooms, it moves the capital. Hearing Little Brother He speak so elegantly, unlike this crude fellow,” Zhou Wen descended the steps, pushing Luo Zhanming aside. “Appreciating flowers requires a refined taste; how could he understand!”
“Brother-in-law, that’s not fair! How can you say I don’t understand? Your literati’s ways…”
“What’s wrong with our ways?” Zhou Wen shot him a sideways glance, ignored him, then turned to He Ze, his face showing uncontrollable joy. “With this intervention, is there hope for my Yao Huang?”
“Of course. Your Excellency, rest assured,” He Ze replied confidently. “I’ve already instructed the mansion’s gardener on the necessary steps. Following these guidelines for ten days to half a month should resolve the issue. Of course, I will also come by to observe and take care of it these next few days.”
“That’s great, that’s great! Now I can rest assured!” This Yao Huang was worth three thousand taels, a rare and precious flower. Even his teacher in the capital didn’t have one. If it died under his care, he would have no place to cry.
Zhou Wen couldn’t contain his joy, giving He Ze a grateful glance.
With the matter settled, He Ze didn’t delay any longer and took his leave. Luo Zhanming followed him to see him off. When he returned, Zhou Wen was lecturing several gardeners, reminding them not to overlook He Ze’s instructions.
“Brother-in-law, am I wrong? Professional matters require specialized talents. You’ve been worried for so long, yet no one’s words have been effective.”
“I was just anxious for a moment. When Master Cai was here, we never encountered such problems. Perhaps it’s their lack of skill… By the way, is Master Cai still assisting at the First Fragrant Flower Shop?”
“Yes,” Luo Zhanming knew what his brother-in-law was thinking as soon as he heard this. “You shouldn’t keep thinking about it. He has signed a contract and will be there for three years!”
“Master Cai is proud. Being able to work at the He family’s flower shop shows that He Ze must have real ability.” People’s reputations are tied to those they associate with; Cai Xing has considerable expertise in planting flowers and has often been invited to care for some precious flowers at the mansion, so they naturally have had dealings. “Hey, you’re familiar with He Ze. He speaks and acts like an educated person, so why didn’t he go for the imperial examination and instead…”
“I’ve heard Uncle He mention this. He Ze studied for seven or eight years, but never achieved much, so…”
“Is that so… It’s a pity.”
Zhou Wen sighed, although it wasn’t clear what he was pitying. He looked at the Yao Huang for a while longer, instructed the gardeners to take good care of it, and then took Luo Zhanming to the main hall. “Stay for dinner today; your eldest brother has been asking about you these past few days.”
“Sure thing!” Luo Zhanming replied with a smile.
…
On the other side, when He Ze returned to the flower shop, it was just before the hour of You (5-7 pm). There wasn’t much to attend to in the shop, so he promptly took the ox cart and headed back home with He An. He An hadn’t been home for several days, and Dad Li was probably eager to see him.
Sure enough, when the ox cart returned to the village, Dad Li, sitting in front of the courtyard washing clothes, watched the two brothers return together. He intentionally cooked an extra braised fish. However, before He Ze could enjoy Dad Li’s cooking, Patriarch He Hong leisurely knocked on the door of his house.
He Hong didn’t enter the house either. With his hands behind his back and slightly bent at the waist, he began talking about buying land and opening a shop. He even praised He Ze several times. Hearing this, He Ze felt uneasy and decided to speak openly, “Grandfather, you usually don’t come unless there’s something important. What is it that you want to tell me directly?”
“It’s about…” He Hong sighed, looking straight at He Ze with intense eyes. “Let’s talk straight. Since you’ve called me Grandfather, tell me honestly: have you done something outside that offended the Shi family?”