Chapter 8: The Imitation of the Pure-hearted Orchid

After hastily eating the leftover dumplings with three fillings from yesterday, I informed my mother and took a taxi with Aunt Zou, heading towards Zizhu Bridge

Zou Yue'e hurriedly stopped me: "Sister Cui, there's no need to trouble Xiao Jing, I will go and clean it later."

Zou Yue'e, stepping out of the room, exuded an extraordinary elegance. She wore a white silk camisole on top, paired with low-waisted hot pants and high-heeled sandals. Under the direct glare of the sun, her two fair and beautiful legs shimmered with an enchanting glow. My heart raced, and I averted my gaze slightly, trying my best not to look at her.

"Orchid?" Zou Yue'e relaxed her brow and agreed, saying: "Good, orchids are excellent; they possess both taste and depth. Moreover, unlike antiques, there is no constant worry about purchasing a counterfeit. Yes, yes, you really have a good idea."

I politely said: "Hello, Grandma Zou. Um, has Aunt Zou moved over as well? I have an appointment with her to go to the bird market this afternoon."

Have you moved in so soon

We inquired about the exact address from an elderly man selling newspapers, and then we continued westward, crossing the pedestrian overpass

I said "Alright," picked up a brush from a corner, and walked into the southernmost room

The siheyuan where my family lives is not very large, with a square layout. The two rooms in the north and the study are occupied by my parents and me, respectively. The two rooms in the west are rented to a couple from Wenzhou; they sell shoes and have some financial means, using this place mainly as a storage, so they rarely come back. On the east side, one room is our kitchen, and the other belongs to our old neighbor, Aunt Liu. However, when Aunt Liu's son got married, he took her to live with him, leaving the house vacant.

After finishing washing up by the faucet in the center of the courtyard, I discussed the time to go to the bird market with Aunt Zou, then turned to my mother and asked, "Mom, where did I put those cricket jars from middle school?"

Zou Yue'e was the first to walk over and crouch down, "Oh, why does your Jianlan look a bit different from the one I have seen before?"

The next day, as soon as I opened my eyes, I crawled up from the sticky cool mat. Looking at the clock, it was already 11:10.

My mother frowned for a moment, but soon replaced it with a smile, chatting and laughing with Grandma Zou and Zou Yue'e.

"How?" Zou Yue'e was perplexed.

The course of history has gradually shifted; originally, a middle-aged couple who ran a small convenience store was supposed to move into Aunt Liu's house

As I walked while holding the cricket jar, my eyes scanned the surroundings, and suddenly I noticed something bright. I pointed to a few small stalls on the overpass and asked, "How about the orchids?"

Oh dear, you really know how to bargain, I am impressed, truly impressed, shall we finalize the deal?

"She is tidying up the house inside; I will call her for you." Grandma Zou shouted twice towards the east room

As Zou Yue'e smiled and took out her wallet, I recalled a piece of news from the evening newspaper, "... ... and so on."

Grandma Zou also said, "Yes, Xiao Cui, don't let your son work too hard."

My mother asked me in confusion what I was doing at the bird market. I explained to her about Aunt Zou giving gifts, but I did not tell her that I was going to sell crickets

However, it is worth mentioning that before leaving, my mother gave me a puzzled glare, which left me quite bewildered

Zou Yue'e's hips are both perky and full. When she squatted down, the back of her low-rise pants revealed a strip of purple lace right in front of me. I wanted to remind Aunt Zou that she was exposed, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. Upon reflection, I realized that I had only ever seen women exposing their thermal underwear while riding bicycles, which is quite common. So, I remained silent. Perhaps she didn't care about this, or maybe it was intentional.

The middle-aged man chuckled and said: "You mean there are no spots on the petals, right? This is a premium variety, known as Su Xin Jian Lan"

Subsequently, I bent down to pry open several dust-covered pine chests and discovered a few cricket jars. As the saying goes, a good horse deserves a good saddle; if I want to sell my large-headed cricket for a good price, I must have some proper packaging. I selected a fine jar made of clear glaze clay, rinsed it with clean water, and carefully transferred the crickets from the plastic bottle into the jar.

I couldn't help but exclaim "Good!" as I rubbed my hands together, feeling even more confident about it

After finishing scrubbing Aunt Liu's wooden bathtub, I also took the opportunity to clean the bathtub on the other side of the screen in my home

"They are all piled up in the box; you can rummage through them, as I have forgotten too." She pointed with her chin towards the makeshift hut on the south side: "Perfect, just help your mother with some chores. Brush the bathing tub that Aunt Liu left in the south room, so that your Aunt Zou can use it for bathing tonight."

The official garden bird market has moved to a new location, and neither the driver nor we are familiar with the route, so we simply parked the car by the roadside

That particular Su Xin Jian Lan is indeed very beautiful, with broad and thick leaves that stand upright like swords, and petals that are relatively plump, resembling bamboo leaves

Between the two stalls selling nude playing cards and books, and the one selling little white rabbits, there sat a middle-aged man on the ground. Under a large sunshade, he displayed several pots of exquisite orchids. As the blooming season had passed, only two pots of the commonly known four-season orchids were in bloom, while the remaining pots could only be identified by the cards placed in front of them. There were varieties such as the Dongshan Lotus, Crystal Plum, and Jade Rabbit. Goodness, all of them were mid to high-end precious varieties

In the past, our family had a very good relationship with Aunt Liu, and this house was built with our joint investment. Although it is not included in the property area, having multiple rooms is always more comfortable. The items that neither of our families could part with were stored inside, and it also served as a place for bathing and doing laundry, which was very convenient

Holding a basin and a toothbrush, I stepped out of the house and noticed an additional person in the yard, an elderly woman from the countryside, not yet sixty. She was sweeping the coal cinders and ash at the entrance of the east room. My mother was also resting today; the eighteen thousand from the Ming and Qing account had made her much more spirited these days. She shook out a few damp clothes from the basin and hung them on the woolen rope strung between the branches of the Chinese toon tree. Seeing me come out, she introduced, "This is Grandma Zou; your Aunt Liu has rented the house to her, so we will be neighbors from now on"

I squatted down without looking away, and at that moment, Zou Yue'e was already bargaining with him

"Since you are both colleagues and neighbors, there is no need for you to be polite with me." My mother gestured with her lips and said, "Why aren't you going quickly?"

I leaned my head closer to Jianlan, and a few seconds later, I frowned and said, "Sir, you are being a bit unreasonable, aren't you?"

As expected from someone with a sales background, Zou Yue'e's bargaining tactics are numerous. "Look, I've already called you 'big brother,' and you still have the nerve to haggle with me over a few hundred yuan?"

Continuing, I found a cricket probe made from a mouse's whisker in an empty chess box at the very bottom of the trunk. I brushed off the dirt from its fur and gently used it to prod the cricket's antennae. Immediately, the black-headed general charged forward, biting with its dark yellow teeth, while flapping its wings to produce a deep, resonant call, exuding an extraordinary presence

Xiao Jing, I need to go to the client’s place around 7 PM. What do you think would be appropriate to bring?" Zou Yue'e tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled with a hint of distress: "It would be best if the price is around 2,000 yuan, and it should be tasteful and meaningful. Sigh, this client is very important to our company, so you must help me out.