The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 970 - 949 Various Flowers (Reward additional - for book friend "Hua")

Chapter 970: Chapter 949 Various Flowers (Reward additional Chapter for book friend "Hua")

"I bought them from a flower farmer; he grows a lot of different flowers," Manbao was tending to narcissus plants and hummed, "He wanted to trade chrysanthemums for my narcissus, but I didn’t want to trade."

Mr. Zhuang looked at the exquisite and beautiful chrysanthemums on the ground and then turned his head to glance at the few plants that looked like garlic in Manbao’s cracked and broken flowerpot...

Mr. Zhuang: ...

He couldn’t help shaking his head, turned, and walked back to his study with his hands behind his back, feeling increasingly perplexed by the people of today.

Manbao arranged the pots of chrysanthemums under the eaves to avoid the harsh sunlight and watered them daily as instructed by the seller, allowing them to adapt exceptionally well to their new environment.

Manbao was quite pleased with this.

Zhou Wulang and the others were busy with the shop, leaving early and returning late every day, and didn’t notice these things. By the time they did, the flowers Manbao had bought had already filled the corridors on both sides of the courtyard.

There were not just chrysanthemums, but also various other flowers they had heard of and some they hadn’t.

These were all recommended by the seller, who had gone to great lengths to get some useful information from Manbao. Many of the flowers were sold partially as gifts.

Perhaps it was because of her habitual digging and planting; Manbao had a special fondness for plants and flora. She wasn’t too interested when she hadn’t seen pictures, but once she saw them, she was very taken.

The seller promoted a variety of water lilies that could be grown in a water basin—a huge bloom with only two shy leaves hiding beneath it, pink and tipped with red—especially beautiful.

There was also a flower that looked very much like a rose, said to be called an old-time rose, which was the biggest research achievement of their farm over the years, with a genetic restoration rate of ninety percent; though stable only sixty percent of the time, it had still passed the standard.

Manbao was so enamored with what she saw that, in addition to the chrysanthemums, she bought several varieties of water lilies and old-time roses all at once.

The colors and shapes differed among them; some were still in bud while others had just a small green dot and couldn’t even be considered buds yet. Seemingly to tempt Manbao, the seller also gave her a pot with a blooming flower for each purchase.

When she carried them back, even Mr. Zhuang stood under the corridor admiring them for quite some time.

They were indeed very beautiful.

With such beautiful flowers displayed under the corridor, it would have been difficult for Zhou Wulang and the others to remain unaware.

He felt slightly reluctant, "Sell such beautiful flowers to our enemies?"

Manbao said, "For more than a hundred taels, you decide on the price, Fifth Brother."

Zhou Wulang blinked, "A hundred taels for one pot of flowers? Or all of them together?"

"Of course, for one pot," Zhou Lijun said, "Fifth Uncle, do you know how much we sold a pot of peonies for when we were in Yizhou City?"

Zhou Wulang shook his head.

Zhou Lijun then told him, which left Zhou Wulang with eyes wide open.

Manbao said, "Each of these flowers has its beauty, and although I find them all attractive, the people of Jin have a great love for peonies. So, the rare peonies can be sold for a higher price, while the other flowers are somewhat less valuable. By next spring, we will find some peonies to sell to them at a high price."

Bai Shan asked with dissatisfaction, "Are you planning to sell them for a few more years?"

In his opinion, it would be best to finish this matter this year; he didn’t want to live with them for several more years.

Manbao asked weakly, "They haven’t entered the capital yet, have they?"

"No," Bai Shan said, "I only heard that the emperor, out of compassion for the Empress Dowager, specially sent a message for the Prince of Yizhou to set out after the middle of the seventh month."

Bai Erlang was curious, "We are in the same Imperial Academy, how haven’t I heard these things? How many friends have you made?"

"None," Bai Shan said, "But our class really loves to gossip. As soon as class is over, they gather to discuss state affairs, and the news from the court flies everywhere. I sit in the front row, and it would be hard not to hear them."

Manbao and Bai Erlang gaped in astonishment.

Bai Erlang felt somewhat frustrated, "Why doesn’t anyone in our class talk about these things?"

"Because your class consists of twelve people with no real standing in the capital; where would you get such news?" Bai Shan had figured out the trick, "In our class of twenty-two students, besides the three of us, five came in through the grand examination, and the remaining fourteen are all by imperial grace, with grandfathers or fathers and brothers serving as officials in the court. It’s hard for us not to hear those pieces of news."

Bai Dalang suddenly interjected, "That is the difference between the students of the Imperial Academy and those of the other five academies."

He then glanced at his naive younger brother with a look of pity.

What a great opportunity, competing with only forty-seven people for the top three ranks. If he were a bit smarter, more diligent—he had already reached thirteenth rank. Advancing another ten ranks...

Bai Dalang shook his head, letting it go, letting it go. Destiny also had its part to play, and he was lucky enough as it was.

Bai Erlang got up from beside his brother and squeezed in between Zhou Lichong and Zhou Liwei, avoiding his elder brother, "When can your family’s shop open?"

Zhou Wulang immediately remembered the matter at hand, "Right, almost forgot about that. The shop’s all tidied up, we’ve scoped out all the places to sell vegetables and meat, and now we’re just looking for an auspicious day to open."

Manbao immediately said, "I can do that, let me calculate!"

"I know you can, that’s why we came back to ask you," Zhou Wulang knew Manbao had learned some skills in calculating auspicious days from Daoxu and Daohe at the Daoist Temple, which is why they returned to ask her.

It couldn’t be helped; he had inquired, and it cost quite a lot to choose an auspicious day at the Daoist temples in the capital, especially for the opening day of a shop.

Although they still had the silver Manbao had given them, he still felt it was best to save where they could. Even giving a red envelope with just two taels of silver, he thought about how long it would have taken their family to earn two taels of silver in the past.

Manbao was already clumsily counting on her fingers, and Bai Shan asked, "Have you decided on a name for the shop?"

Zhou Wulang said, "We’ve all thought about it. Since it’s a restaurant opened by our Zhou family, we’re calling it Zhou’s Restaurant."

Bai Shan: "...A very fitting name."

Manbao turned to him and said, "I plan to design a shop emblem, but I can’t draw well. Could you help me draw it later?"

Bai Shan smiled and nodded, "Sure, I can also write the sign for you, can’t I?"

"No need," Manbao said, "I want to ask a teacher to write the sign."

Bai Shan felt a slight pang of regret.

Bai Erlang raised his hand and asked, "What can I do?"

Manbao thought for a moment and said, "You can help us by inviting guests. On the opening day, invite your classmates and friends who get along well with you to come and warm the place."

Counting on her fingers, Manbao said, "Shopkeeper Zheng and Doctor Gu from the pharmacy will be there, as well as our own people, and with your friends and classmates, although the number will still be a little low, it should be enough."

Bai Shan thought for a moment and then said, "Then I will invite a few people too."

Manbao asked, "Who?"

"Peng Zhiru and Lu Xiaofu," Bai Shan paused before adding, "and Feng Zongping and the others."

Although he wasn’t exactly friends with them, they would occasionally speak at the academy, and if he invited them, they would probably come.

Manbao, delighted, said, "Good, whoever else you want to invite, feel free to invite them."