Strange Life of a Cat
Chapter 384 - Chapter 384 Chapter 373 Why is there another Cat

Chapter 384: Chapter 373 Why is there another “Cat”? Chapter 384: Chapter 373 Why is there another “Cat”? No matter the type of well-known flower, people always like to give it a personal name that seems deep and tasteful, either fresh and artistic or cool and flashy, for example, “Iron Bone,” “Old Duoyun,” “Flying Phoenix,” “Tang Dynasty,” “Dharma Ruiyu Art,” etc. A name instantly elevates the flower to a class that feels high-end and sophisticated to the average person.

As for Old Man Lan, who the orchid friends regard as the discoverer of this natural mutant orchid, he too would follow the “rules of the trade” when naming the flower.

However, three years ago, when Old Man Lan got the orchid from the Jiao family, he had already discussed it with Mr. Jiao. At that time, the Jiao family didn’t value this orchid much and didn’t know how to care for it. The Jiao family said it was a gift to Old Man Lan, but he never really accepted it. He merely took it under his care, and the Jiao family had long since forgotten about it.

But now it was different. Experts could tell that this orchid was valuable. Although there were indeed many natural mutants, this variety that left people stunned, immersed, and feeling refreshed after smelling it, and whose subtle fragrance lingered in one’s nose for several days–its valuation, if estimated, would likely set a new record. Some people were already mentally pricing it in the tens of millions.

Valuation was other people’s enthusiastic concern, but what Old Man Lan was now thinking about was the naming of the orchid.

Who discovered the flower?

Black Cat.

And who is Black Cat?

The Jiao family’s cat.

Going back to the root, naming rights would naturally belong to the Jiao family. Even though Old Man Lan reflexively thought of many names when the flowers bloomed, it wouldn’t be right for him to decide.

So, after carefully arranging all the protective nets in the small flower bed, Old Man Lan set off for home, bringing this issue with him.

Zheng Tan had left as soon as those old men did, sensing that Old Man Lan was pondering something and kept glancing his way, making Zheng Tan a bit uneasy, so he slipped away.

That evening, after dinner, as Mr. Jiao wasn’t working overtime at the Life Science Institute, Old Man Lan made a phone call to confirm the Jiao couple was at home before heading upstairs.

It was rare for Old Man Lan to visit, so Jiao Ma bustled about, making tea and offering fruits.

“No trouble needed, I’ve just had my fill. I just came to say a few words and then I’ll leave,” indicated Old Man Lan, signaling Jiao Ma not to bother washing the fruits.

Without further ado, he went straight to the point.

Old Man Lan informed Mr. Jiao and Jiao Ma about the orchid and what the insiders thought of it. He also mentioned the price estimates–a crucial point, as for many who aren’t particularly fond of plants, a plant’s worth is just stacks of RMB. Disputes often stem from this, so Old Man Lan had to be clear.

When they heard the value could reach tens of millions, the Jiao couple was definitely startled.

“How can it be so expensive…” Jiao Ma murmured. She couldn’t understand how a potted plant, once evaluated, could range from tens to hundreds of thousands, and now even tens of millions, which made Jiao Ma’s heart pound. It wasn’t out of greed but sheer shock at the information.

They’d heard about Old Man Lan selling orchids for millions before, and some rare ones awarded special prizes reaching the tens of millions, sums that ordinary people might never see in a lifetime.

But those were just stories, experiences of someone on Old Man Lan’s level, things the Jiao family had never imagined happening to themselves.

“One pot is nearly ten million!” Jiao Ma exclaimed in a low voice.

Old Man Lan lifted his eyelids slightly and said quietly, “In my experience, it’s not one pot nearing ten million. Usually, it’s by the shoot, and there’s more than one shoot in this pot.”

Jiao Ma’s breath caught. Her first thought was, their cat could make more money than the two of them; a casual fetch of a couple of shoots could turn them into instant millionaires, outclassing Mr. Jiao’s strenuous project work and research.

Who discovered the orchid? Who brought it back from afar? All three of them were well aware.

Mr. Jiao saw that Old Man Lan was very attached to the orchid, not for its price, but for the flower itself. Since the orchid was so valuable, even if the Jiao family offered it as a gift, Old Man Lan would never brazenly accept it. The old man was stubborn.

After some thought, Mr. Jiao said, “Could we trouble Professor Lan to continue caring for the orchid? As you know, no one in our family understands this, and if we were to take it, it’s likely to be ruined within a few days.”

Old Man Lan understood this well, and being able to keep the plant a while longer pleased him immensely. If it were to be ruined, he would be the first to faint in the flower bed.

“Alright, I’ll look after it for you. Whenever you want to take it back, just tell me. Another reason I came today, aside from discussing this matter, was to ask how you want to name the flower. It will have to be written clearly at the flower exhibition.” Old Man Lan had already consulted with Mr. Jiao by phone about the exhibition before agreeing to participate, and of course, Mr. Jiao had no objections.

Naming the flower wasn’t Jiao Ma’s forte, and Mr. Jiao wasn’t certain about it when it came to plants, so, after exchanging a glance, might it be best to leave the naming right to the expert, Old Man Lan? They glanced at the Black Cat sprawled on the sofa with its limbs stretched out, seemingly without any objection.

During his consideration, Mr. Jiao had already made up his mind.

“As you see, we don’t really understand these matters, so we’ll leave the decision to you, Professor Lan. You have been the one taking care of the flower, and its current state is all thanks to you. We haven’t contributed at all; we had even forgotten about it.” Thinking back to the originally unimpressive seedlings they had brought home and listening to Professor Lan’s description now, the couple felt this had nothing to do with them.

Zheng Tan had been watching Old Man Lan’s expressions. When Mr. Jiao suggested that Old Man Lan decide on the flower’s name, Lan couldn’t help but crack a smile. It seemed he had exerted great effort to maintain his dignified appearance–had he not been concerned about losing face here, Lan might even have jumped for joy.

Naming a treasure is a matter of great significance for many. It would make one famous in the present and be recorded in history. In thousands of years, when people open the records or engage in research, they will mention the name of the treasure, and they might even casually mention the discoverer and the one who named it. Even if their own names aren’t mentioned, they would still be pleased. It was they who had named it!

Mr. Jiao and Jiao Ma pretended not to notice the expressions Old Man Lan couldn’t suppress.

“Then, Professor Lan, have you thought of a name for that orchid yet?” Mr. Jiao asked.

“Ahem, I haven’t decided yet. I need to think it over,” Old Man Lan straightened his face and said.

Not just Zheng Tan, even Mr. Jiao didn’t believe that. Old Man Lan likely had made up his mind long ago, but now he was playing coy. However, Mr. Jiao didn’t point it out, as Old Man Lan was concerned about saving face and Mr. Jiao didn’t want to embarrass him.

Since he had obtained the naming rights, Old Man Lan was in a particularly good mood and wasn’t so stern anymore, causing Jiao Ma to feel the atmosphere relax immediately.

Old Man Lan glanced at the time and said, “How about this, make some time tomorrow, and I’ll take you to see the flower. I’ll arrange it then.”

And so, the next day, the Jiao couple, Zheng Tan, and Little Youzi, three people and one cat, followed Old Man Lan to the small flower bed.

Upon seeing the flower, all three were involuntarily mesmerized for a moment. If it weren’t for Old Man Lan and Zheng Tan, they might have continued to stare in wonder.

“It’s… it’s beautiful!” Jiao Ma exclaimed. She had always preferred jade over gold and silver. Despite the simple shape of the flower, it seemed more pleasant to look at the more she did. When she came back to her senses, Jiao Ma even wanted to reach out to touch the flower, to check if it was an actual flower, not a piece crafted from jade.

Jiao Ma hadn’t even touched it when Old Man Lan stopped her. He cherished this orchid dearly, fearing that Jiao Ma might damage it. Nevertheless, he allowed Jiao Ma to carefully touch it very gingerly.

As she touched it, Jiao Ma was nervous, merely grazing it lightly, barely feeling anything before quickly retracting her hand. It was, after all, a treasure estimated in the tens of millions, and she feared that an accidental tremor of her hand might ruin the flower.

“If this were a jade carving, it would also have to be a high-quality piece, or even exquisite. And this flower before us is like… living jade,” Jiao Ma remarked.

No wonder Professor Lan was so confident in his high estimate.

Zheng Tan had always found the orchid rather mysterious, but since nature was adept at creating miracles and it was a natural mutant, Zheng Tan stopped contemplating it further. Of course, to many people, orchids have always symbolized positive attributes, so what seemed mysterious to Zheng Tan might appear to be infused with an immortal aura to Old Man Lan and others.

Like jade, like the celestial.

The God-like nature.

After seeing the flower, Mr. Jiao was even more resolute in his internal decision. He left the flower with Old Man Lan, and as for when he might take it back, Mr. Jiao didn’t say. Moreover, he advised Old Man Lan that when the time came for exhibitions or other events, to list the “Presenter” or the flower owner’s information under Old Man Lan’s own name.

Old Man Lan felt the Jiao Family was taking a big loss, so he drafted an agreement for Mr. Jiao to sign, as the flower was no ordinary item. Old Man Lan didn’t want any ambiguity regarding its ownership, and having everything clear and signed would help him sleep better at night when showcasing the flower.

The Jiao couple felt the flower too hot to handle; not to mention the aftermath of a flower exhibition, just the news reaching people would have them showing up at their doorstep the next morning. The Jiao couple had seen several instances where people blocked Old Man Lan’s residence, imploring him to sell them an orchid.

As for whether to sell this particular orchid, Mr. Jiao hadn’t thought about it, and Old Man Lan didn’t recommend it either. Since it wasn’t famous yet, the price could be pushed down, not a good deal in monetary terms, and Old Man Lan felt it beneath him to discuss price for this flower. To him, it was priceless.

“Many flowers fetch such high prices because they are hyped up. Perhaps in a few years, they will fall into the ranks of the ordinary. With orchid speculation, some become overnight millionaires while others go bankrupt.” Old Man Lan said, “However, this orchid is different; it doesn’t need to be hyped at all. Even after several years, it will still captivate people.”

The next day, Old Man Lan visited the Jiao’s again, bringing an ink painting he had made himself, depicting the orchid, and beside it, in flowing script, the six bold characters of Iron Bone Jade Cat Fairy were inscribed.

So, “Jade Cat Fairy” was the name Old Man Lan gave to the flower. Whether it was for exhibitions or for attending meetings, the column for “Signature Name” in the flower’s information would be marked with the three characters for “Jade Cat Fairy”, and from then on, when people refer to this flower, they would call it by “Jade Cat Fairy.”

The Jiao Family clearly understood the meaning of the name, but a few other old timers were puzzled after learning about it.

“Jade Immortal” might be fine, they acknowledged, since the flower did seem quite celestial, but why add “Cat”?

Where did the flower resemble a cat? (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we invite you to visit Qidian (NovelFire.net) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.NovelFire.net to read.)