Chapter 7: Revival

Zhuo Qing listened to Ji Liao's words and couldn't help but admire her young master. Although he couldn't see, he responded so casually and lightly. If she didn't know the truth, she would have thought that the young master was seriously examining this potted plant.

The old man said: "If you have no guilty conscience, why are you afraid to do as I say"

Ji Liao Dao: "Thank you for the reminder, sir. To be honest, I am aware that the roots of this bonsai have rotted, but I have a method to bring it back to life, which is why I am willing to pay for it"

Zhuo Qing looked at this young gentleman of perfect appearance and refinement, truly unable to associate him with a despicable person.

"Did the young brother also take a liking to this Ninefold Heaven?" An aged voice came forth

The old man said: "Then do you dare to make a written agreement with me? I will offer five hundred taels of silver to buy this bonsai, and then we will dig up the soil in the pot right here. If the roots inside are all rotten, not only will you have to compensate me for the silver, but I will also send you to prison"

Ji Liao shook his head and then said, "I am planning to buy a bonsai to give to my father"

After Ji Liao completed all of this, he was very curious about what Jing Zhe would feel upon learning of it. In an instant, he felt that he was being a bit too boring, and then he remembered that there was still a full day until the secret meeting of the twenty-four solar terms. It was rare for him to leave the mountain villa, so he should take advantage of this leisure time to do something else. Then he recalled having told Xiao Qin that he was coming down the mountain to select a birthday gift for Ji Shan.

The old man made his point clear, yet Ji Liao remained obstinately unyielding, saying: "Little brother, are you perhaps feeling sympathy for him? There is no need for that." Although the shopkeeper had put in a lot of effort, in business, where can one avoid risks? In his view, Ji Liao had no reason to feel sympathy for this shop owner

The old man, seeing the courteous demeanor of Ji Liaobin, felt a sense of fondness and said, "Young brother, are you also interested in bonsai?"

Subsequently, Ji Liao had a quiet meal, while also terminating the contract with Zhuo Qing and establishing a bond with her. From that point on, Zhuo Qing became Ji Liao's attendant, her freedom was somewhat restricted, and she was also closer to her goal of achieving prominence.

The old man fell silent, as the shopkeeper's words were indeed reasonable. Normally, the Ninefold Heaven is worth the price of three thousand taels. If an official were to seek a favor and purchase it as a gift for a superior, even five thousand taels would be justified. The painstaking effort put into cultivating the Ninefold Heaven to its current state is certainly worth more than five hundred taels.

The old man knew that there was a problem with this bonsai. Originally, he did not wish to say much, as Ji Liao was not a kindred spirit. However, seeing Ji Liao show such respect for the elderly, he ultimately felt a bit reluctant and subtly remarked, "This Nine Heavens is not easy to keep alive; you might as well consider something else."

He said to the shopkeeper: "If I couldn't save it, it would indeed be worth nothing, as the old gentleman said, not even 100 wen. Now you have two choices: either sell it to me now, or wait for it to wither and die in a couple of days"

On the other side, the shopkeeper approached and said: "Young master, you have a keen eye. This Ninefold Heaven is the treasure of our store. As long as you purchase it, we will fully inform you of the care methods, and there will be no situation where it cannot be kept alive"

The old man, upon being stared at by him, became even more enraged and said: "What a heartless shopkeeper, the Nine Heavens Root is completely rotten, yet you still want to charge someone five hundred taels of silver"

The shopkeeper felt considerable pressure and hesitated for a moment before saying: "Young master, if you truly possess the means to revive the withered, I am willing to give it to you for free, however..."

The shopkeeper, fully aware that this Ninefold Heaven bonsai is cursed, naturally refused to engage in conversation and stated: "Our store's policy is that once the goods are sold, they are non-returnable"

Ji Liao suddenly spoke: "How about this, I will offer one hundred taels, and you will sell it to me."

... ...

Ji Liao finally stopped in front of a bonsai pine tree

That is not correct; Zhuo Qing thought that the young master clearly cannot be seen.

Zhuo Qingshun looked back and saw an elderly man dressed in a blue silk shirt, who clearly appeared to be well-read and knowledgeable.

The shopkeeper said: "Five hundred taels of patterned silver, no deception towards young or old." As he spoke, he glanced at the elderly man, implying that he should refrain from saying too much

Ji Liao nodded and said: "I think this bonsai is quite good. Could it be that the old gentleman is interested in it? If so, I can look for something else."

One can only see the tall and straight green pines, with branches and leaves piled up like clouds, forming a total of nine layers, resembling the nine heavens. Even if they are artificially pruned, to grow to such a state is indeed quite rare

But to be honest, with Zhuo Qing's appreciation for potted plants, he found that the potted plants in these flower shops were all very beautiful. Therefore, he believed that his choice was no different from that of Young Master Meng choosing blindly. With this in mind, Zhuo Qing simply chose to remain silent

Zhuo Qing really wanted to say, "Young master, are you not just boasting?"

It soon occurred to him that even if Ji Liao wanted to boast, he would not do so in front of him, as the disparity in their identities and statuses was too great.

Ji Liao Dao: "If you want to ask me how to revive it? It's not that I want to conceal it, but this method, apart from me, no one else can accomplish."

The shopkeeper, seeing the old man pressing hard, knew that anyone who was not a fool, like Ji Liao, would be able to discern the issues with the bonsai and would not make a purchase. Thus, he pleaded, "Old sir, you are also an expert. Someone once offered 3,000 taels for this Ninefold Heaven, but I refused to sell. I have set the price at 500 taels. If this young gentleman buys it out of greed for a bargain, that would be his lack of discernment. If he discovers something amiss and chooses not to buy, I will not press him further. Moreover, I have nurtured it for ten years, treating it like an ancestor, to grow it into its current form. Is it not worth 500 taels?" He conducted his business with a friendly demeanor, and even if Ji Liao did not buy, he still hoped not to offend the other party. Otherwise, if the item remained unsold, he would not only lose the sale but also gain a bad reputation, which would be even less worthwhile.

Ji Liao nodded and said, "Then I will trouble you, may I ask how much it costs"

The shopkeeper was taken aback by the old man's bluntness as he directly revealed the secret of the Nine Heavens. He hurriedly said, "Old sir, we have no grievances in the past and no enmity in recent days; you must not speak recklessly and tarnish my reputation"

The old man said: "Are you now interested in this Nine Heavens?"

Ji Liao smiled and greeted the old man, saying: "So this bonsai is called Nine Heavens, which is quite fitting."

Zhuo Qing has already accompanied Ji Liao to visit six shops in the flower and tree market in the southern part of the city, and the various potted plants have dazzled his eyes. It can be said that he had never imagined that those ordinary flowers and trees, after careful cultivation and pruning, could possess a grace beyond his imagination

He thought that perhaps it was because the young master could not see, which is why he did not choose any potted plants. Since he followed the young master, he should act as the young master's eyes and remind him which potted plants are exquisite and beautiful

Upon hearing this, the old man felt a sense of regret and thought to himself: "Indeed, it is as I suspected. Bonsai is one of my great passions, yet among the people I interact with daily, there are very few who genuinely appreciate it. Those wealthy families who cultivate bonsai do so mostly for decoration and to suit the occasion, rather than out of true affection for the art. Now, seeing this polite young man, I felt a fondness and could not help but ask further, only to find that he too does not have a particular interest in bonsai."

After Ji Liao finished speaking, his pitch-black eyes, devoid of any fluctuation, calmly gazed at the shopkeeper

The shopkeeper said: "Young master, with such skills, it is certainly not easy to come by. However, I have a plant of golden wind and jade dew that is on the verge of dying. I would like to ask you to save it. If you are willing to help, I will give you the Nine Heavens for free. If it cannot be saved, I would not dare to sell you the Nine Heavens, and I only ask that you do not speak of today's events."

Moreover, if Ji Liao were to act in this manner, it would be rather disgraceful for a person.

Upon seeing this, Zhuo Qing could not help but secretly admire it in his heart

There were several exquisite potted plants that captivated him, yet Ji Liao was completely indifferent to them

What Ji Liao said is indeed the truth; with his clever mind, he cannot possibly conceive of any means to accomplish what Ji Liao mentioned. Apart from coercion and poisoning as threats, could it be that Ji Liao has other methods

However, he believes that a person like Ji Liao would not resort to such means, even though they have only known each other for a short time

Ji Liao smiled and said, "Thank you for the reminder, sir. However, my gardener at home is quite capable and should be able to take care of it."