Several elderly men were sitting in the hall, craning their necks in anticipation. When they saw the servant carrying the box walking quickly over, they couldn't help but stand up to greet her.
"Oh dear, how can you just put orchids in a cardboard box like that!"
Seemingly distressed by the poor treatment of the orchids in the box, she quickly took one out herself, carefully examining it from left to right, muttering "good flowers, good plants," just reluctant to put it down.
"Elder, that's enough. Put it down so we can see it too."
In their small circle, competing in wealth or family connections is meaningless; what matters is their discerning eye. Finding antiques and rare plants is where they put their expertise to the test.
When you come across something good, the best thing to do is to act quickly. As for friendships, those are just for show and people to admire and envy after you've got the good stuff.
"With its pure white crown, lotus-like top, lotus petals, and delicate leaves, this orchid is elegant and graceful. Even before you get close, a refined fragrance wafts over. The entire plant is exquisite and translucent, making it a rare and exceptional plant. Have you ever seen an orchid like this?"
As soon as the ceramic pot was placed down, an elderly gentleman couldn't wait to examine it and gave it an unprecedentedly high evaluation. Even with his extensive knowledge, he had never seen such an orchid before, and thought it must be a mutated variety never heard of before.
"This one over here is also very nice. It looks like a Cymbidium goeringii variety, a standard dwarf round-headed type, with a short and sturdy plant shape. Its flowers are golden yellow, large, with lotus-shaped petals, a pure white center, and no other colors. Is this Tianyihe?"
Tianyihe orchids have become one of the most expensive orchids in recent years, and this exhibition features a variety of Tianyihe Dutch grass. The old man was extremely tempted by it. He might not be able to buy the Tianyihe at the orchid exhibition, but he could definitely compete for this one!
Thinking this, they began searching for the flower's owner. Bai Mei and Chang Jing stood quietly to the side, chatting in hushed tones. In fact, they were introducing the identities of several elderly men.
"Xiao Mei, is this young man your friend? Is he the owner of these two orchids?"
Having received an affirmative answer, the old man stepped forward and immediately asked.
"Young friend, are you selling these two orchids? I've taken a fancy to that Tianyihe orchid; I wonder if you'd be willing to part with it? The price is negotiable."
"You old man Chen, we've also taken a liking to these two orchids. Why are you the only one who wants to talk to the owner in private? Are you trying to take all the orchids for yourself before we even realize what's going on?"
The elderly man surnamed Yuan, who had good hearing, immediately began to scold the elderly man surnamed Chen.
"Aren't you hard of hearing? How come your ears are so sharp now? Aren't there two pots over there? I was talking to my young friend about the Tianyi Lotus, and I left the other one for you, didn't I?"
"Xiao Mei, why don't you introduce your friend to your grandfather? Come, sit down and have a good chat."
Bai Bancheng was pleased with himself. His granddaughter's friends should be closer to him, right? He should at least get a pot of orchids later.
“Grandpa, this is Chang Jing, the friend I told you about. He's the one who found the best jade when we went to Ping County to buy jade last time. He's so lucky.”
Bai Mei pulled Chang Jing to sit down, and while pouring tea for her grandfather, she introduced Chang Jing to him. In her heart, she hoped that her grandfather would also like Chang Jing.
Bai Bancheng sized up the young man before him. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a angular face, and a tall, slender figure. However, the composure and determination in his eyes seemed out of place for his age.
"Xiao Jing, right? I've heard Bai Mei mention you. Thank you for taking care of Bai Mei. My granddaughter is a bit spoiled and willful. It's rare that you two get along so well. We should visit each other more often in the future."
My granddaughter doesn't have many friends. The only friends she can bring home are this guy surnamed Chang and the one surnamed Liang. It's good for me to observe my granddaughter's friends as soon as possible.
With this in mind, the old man began to subtly inquire about Chang Jing's family, including his studies and future plans, and he found out everything clearly.
The elderly men nearby all glanced sideways and guessed: Was Bai Bancheng, that old scoundrel, interrogating his grandson-in-law? Asking so many questions so clearly and thoroughly.
"Alright, we've been waiting for you to introduce us to Xiao Chang, but you haven't made a move all day. Lao Bai, you're not being fair!"
Old Chen shoved Bai Bancheng away and then began introducing himself.
"Xiao Chang, right? My surname is Chen. My family is in business, just like Old Man Bai's. You can call me Grandpa Chen, just like Bai Mei does! Did you grow this orchid, Xiao Chang, or did your elders grow it?"
It's hard to believe someone so young could grow such beautiful orchids. Old Man Chen thinks it must have been grown by an elder in Chang Jing's family.
"Hello, Mr. Chen. I didn't grow this orchid at first. I picked it up at a flower shop. It was a half-dead plant. I managed to save it and then it bloomed after half a year. That's when I found out it was a mutated orchid."
When he was first reborn, he did go to the flower shop to pick up some bargains. He took those half-dead flowers and plants into his space and nurtured them. After watering them with the spiritual spring water in his space, those flowers and plants grew better and better, and some even mutated.
These two orchids were the ones he selected. One is the already known, exorbitantly priced orchid variety, Tianyihe, and the other looks like a variety that will only appear in the future, Suguanheding.
After selling these two pots of orchids, he won't be short of money for the next few years. He won't take out the remaining exorbitantly priced flowers and plants in his space anymore. Scarcity makes things valuable, and they're just too eye-catching.
If it happens once or twice, you can say he's lucky and gets lucky, but if it happens many times, it's not just good luck anymore, and it will make others suspicious or keep an eye on him.
"You got it by chance? Looks like Xiao Chang is a lucky guy! You managed to revive a half-dead orchid. Has Xiao Chang studied gardening?"
Orchids are notoriously delicate and difficult to care for; it's quite remarkable that an orchid that's half-dead can be brought back to life.
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