Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Lin Anran is proud and complacent...
When the flower stall owner heard Lin Anran's words, his first reaction was to turn around and pick up his orchid, then stare at Lin Anran closely with a hint of wariness in his eyes.
Lin Anran blinked. "Boss Cheng, are these the orchids you grow? They're really beautiful. Don't you need to watch the stall today?"
Cheng Dacai realized he was overly nervous and immediately put on his usual warm welcome smile. "My stall is being watched. Sister, why are you here today?" Cheng Dacai thought about how they wouldn't invite an outsider like Lin Anran to their orchid party, so he asked, "Are you visiting Donghu Park today?"
"Today is Sunday. My friends and I are visiting the park. What a coincidence that we ran into you, Boss Cheng," Lin Anran said with a smile, trying to be friendly while not forgetting her purpose. "Mr. He's having problems with his Clivia. Perhaps I could give it a try, but I only know you, Boss Cheng, here. I have extensive experience in keeping dying Clivias alive. Boss Cheng, could you introduce me to someone?"
When it comes to money, Lin Anran's skin is ten thousand times thicker than a city wall, and her words are naturally exaggerated. She can take the initiative to talk to Lao He, but if Boss Cheng helps her stand aside, or says a word, or even if she doesn't have to speak, the fact that she knows Boss Cheng can increase her success rate. Otherwise, she can't even think of getting close to this pot of Clivia that was once worth 50,000 yuan and is now dying.
As expected! Cheng Dacai narrowed his eyes, which often shone with brilliance. This customer who had patronized his stall twice was not a sucker. On the contrary, he, the boss, was more like one.
Lin Anran didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for taking advantage of Cheng Dacai. She smiled frankly and sincerely, "Boss Cheng, I'll go to your stall some other day to buy some more fertilizer and soil for growing orchids. My pot of green-leaf aloe is growing very well."
"..." Cheng Dacai suddenly choked. He was a businessman, and he could easily figure out why Lin Anran said these things to him without thinking. But he couldn't get angry. Lin Anran had a good attitude and all his calculations were out in the open, at least not annoying him. Cheng Dacai even admired his courage and cleverness, so he thought that harmony would bring wealth, and said, "Green leaf aloe vera is easy to grow. Give it enough nutrition, and it will grow quickly."
Lin Anran's smile widened, and he returned to the main topic: "Orchids are more delicate and more difficult to grow. However, if you understand the key points of orchid cultivation and pay attention to them in time, orchids can be easily grown."
Lao He's eyes lit up instantly. "Comrade, you said orchids are easy to grow? Really? How do you grow them?"
Old man Zhu quickly grabbed Lao He and looked at Cheng Dacai: "Lao He, calm down first. Xiao Cheng, is this female comrade a customer of your store?" Could she be a liar?
Old He calmed down a little. He looked at Lin Anran carefully, paying special attention to Lin Anran's hands. Although Lin Anran had always taken care of her hands, the original owner had done farm work for more than ten years, and she still had to take the trouble to maintain them in a short period of time. So her hands were obviously working hands at this time, and her face made her look not like a young person, which increased her credibility.
Old He thought Lin Anran was also a professional orchid lover, "Xiaocheng, can you introduce this comrade to us?"
Cheng Dacai frowned. He was considered young among this group of orchid lovers, but he had successfully entered this group by relying on the channels for obtaining flowers, and his network of contacts had increased rapidly. He needed to maintain good relationships with this group of orchid lovers. He said carefully, "She bought three orchids from my stall. One of them is a Clivia that looks similar to the one you have, Uncle He. But I don't know how well she is doing with her orchids."
Lin Anran secretly said "Ya" in his heart. Boss Cheng made the right move! What a good man, Boss Cheng!
After hearing this, Lao He said happily: "So she really has experience!"
Old Man Zhu reminded him: "Old He, didn't you hear Xiaocheng say that he didn't know whether she had managed to keep the Clivia alive?"
"Since she dares to stand up and say that she can do it, then she must be able to keep that Clivia alive. Otherwise, how could she dare to take it?" Old He turned his head to look at Lin Anran, who looked confident and high-spirited, and nodded.
Old Man Zhu looked in the direction Old He was looking. Lin Anran was in great spirits, different from the others. He looked so convincing, but Old Man Zhu still had a little bit of reason pulling him back: "What if she has no ability and just wants to cheat your Clivia?"
Old He snorted, "Who would cheat me out of this pot of Clivia? I gave it to someone, but they wouldn't want it. Of course, I can't give away my treasure."
"So you also know that no one wants your Clivia," Old Man Zhu was speechless. He added, "So she wants to cheat you out of a thousand yuan? No way. If you don't take good care of your Clivia, how can you pay her?"
Lao He is rich. He is generous when he wants to spend money, but stingy when he doesn't want to spend money. Old Zhu has never seen anyone take money from Lao He for free, so he thinks he is worrying in vain.
Cheng Dacai quickly added, "Including this time, I've only met this older sister for the third time, Uncle He and Uncle Zhu. I can't guarantee that she can take good care of Uncle He's Clivia."
"I know, there's nothing else I can do. Let's give it a try." Lao He knows his Clivia well.
Old Man Zhu was puzzled: "This isn't the first time you've raised a Clivia. How come your precious one died this time?"
"My Clivia is not dead!" Old He was angry, but he shook his head helplessly and sighed, "Don't mention it, it makes me angry."
Lin Anran stood there very attentively, not making any rash noise to disturb the not-so-quiet discussion of Cheng Dacai and the other two. She could afford to wait for such a short time, but Yu Jing was extremely worried about her.
Lin Anran used his eyes to tell her to be patient, she could do it, as long as she was given a chance.
Old He and Old Man Zhu glanced at Lin Anran, then turned back to muttering. Cheng Dacai walked over and looked at Lin Anran meaningfully, "Sister, I've helped you with this step. Whether it succeeds or not depends on you. But I must warn you in advance, don't take on a job you don't have the skills to do. Uncle He's Clivia is worth 50,000 yuan. Even if it's dying, it still has a lot of value. Think about it carefully, so you don't get yourself into trouble."
"Boss Cheng, thank you. My name is Lin Anran, you can call me Xiaolin." Lin Anran was not panicked at all, she was full of confidence.
Cheng Dacai looked at Lin Anran in surprise and asked her hesitantly, "How are the three orchids you bought doing?"
Lin Anran smiled proudly: "Very good."
Cheng Dacai was skeptical: "If there is a chance, I hope to see the orchids you raise."
Lin Anran immediately took advantage of the situation and said, "If I'm invited to an orchid viewing party, I'll definitely go happily and show off my orchids to everyone."
Cheng Dacai was stunned for a long time before he reacted. He sighed with a smile: "I know, Xiaolin, if there is a chance in the future, I will ask you to go with me."
"Thank you, Boss Cheng. I wish you a prosperous business and make a fortune soon." Lin Anran has always been very sweet-mouthed.
Cheng Dacai was overwhelmed by his success and hoped to become rich soon. Even his name contained the word "wealth", so how could he not become rich? Lin Anran always wished him a prosperous business, and it was hard for Cheng Dacai not to like Lin Anran.
"Don't worry, I will definitely call you then." Cheng Dacai made a boast as soon as he was happy.
Lin Anran happily made a "V" sign in his heart: "Boss Cheng is so generous, you deserve to be rich."
Cheng Dacai's grin stretched almost to his ears. He then took the initiative to lead Lin Anran to Old He and Old Zhu, introducing them to each other. Finally, he said very impartially, "Uncle He, it's really hard to save your Clivia. I wouldn't dare take it over, but Xiao Lin does. If you trust her, you can let her try. No one can guarantee a good outcome these days."
Lin Anran was very grateful to Cheng Dacai for speaking up for her. She didn't let Cheng Dacai's words go to waste. Instead, she said, "If Mr. He doesn't trust me, I can show you my Clivia. However, if I show you the Clivia, people might suspect that I didn't buy the one-yuan Clivia from Mr. Cheng's flower stall, but that I bought it somewhere else instead. Whether I can take good care of your Clivia depends on hard evidence."
I just don’t know whether Mr. He is willing to let her raise his Clivia.
Although she really wanted to earn a thousand yuan, Lin Anran did not seem to be in a hurry. She was working hard for it. If she succeeded, everyone would be happy. If she failed, she would lose this extra money.
"Xiao Lin, take a look at my Clivia and tell me what problems it has?" Lao He asked, intending to test Lin Anran's background.
Lin Anran was not frightened at all. She walked closer and carefully observed Lao He's Clivia. She did not rashly reach out to touch the Clivia. Now she has learned to look at orchids with her eyes. With the golden finger, learning to take care of orchids is as easy as eating and drinking water. Her efforts in the past few months have not been in vain.
"The condition of this Clivia is indeed very serious. The leaves are yellow and wrinkled, the roots are rotten, there is water accumulation, too much fertilizer, excess nutrients, and the flower roots are burned..." Lin Anran slowly recounted what she observed.
Everyone listened very carefully and nodded from time to time. These orchid growers had rich experience in growing orchids, and ordinary people could not fool them. Therefore, they knew that Lin Anran was quite capable.
Old He stared at Lin Anran seriously and earnestly: "Xiao Lin, can you really keep my Clivia alive?"
Lin Anran agreed immediately: "I can, as long as Mr. He gives the Clivia to me to take care of."
Old He had a conflicted look on his face. He looked at Lin Anran for a while, then at his treasure. Even though the Clivia was almost withered, it did not affect its position in his heart. Old He really loved his Clivia.
Old He gritted his teeth, then relaxed and said clearly, "Since Xiaolin said you can raise my Clivia, then I will let you raise my Clivia!"
"Old He..." Old Man Zhu didn't expect Old He to make a decision so quickly. He thought he would think about it carefully again, so he couldn't help but persuade him, "Do you really want Xiaolin to give up your Clivia? Don't regret it later."
After Old He agreed, he relaxed completely and asked Old Man Zhu, "How about you help me take care of the Clivia? I don't ask for much. I just want it to look like the one I just bought."
Old Man Zhu choked up and immediately let go, saying, "You decide what to do with your Clivia. Anyway, your Clivia is not worth a hundred yuan now."
Lao He was hurt again. The Clivia he bought for 50,000 yuan dropped in value to just 100 yuan after he raised it. Oh, 100 yuan is still too high. Maybe no one would be willing to buy it even for 1 yuan.
Lin Anran and Lao He discussed how to grow his Clivia. Lao He didn't want Lin Anran to take the Clivia back home to grow. Lin Anran also couldn't grow other people's orchids in Boss Zhou's villa, so she couldn't take it back. The two reached a preliminary agreement.
But how to take care of He's Clivia in old age is indeed a problem. Not having a place of your own will cause this kind of trouble. Unfortunately, Lin Anran can only think about buying a house in Shenzhen now, which he can't afford at all.
Fortunately, they finally worked out a solution. Since Lao He lived not far from the villa area, Lin Anran and Lao He agreed to meet at the night university every day. There was also enough space around the night university for them to exchange ideas on how to grow orchids.
Lao He explained, "Xiao Lin, it's not that I don't trust you, but today it's not you. If it were anyone else, even if it was Old Man Zhu, I wouldn't let him take my Clivia home to raise it. I want to see my Clivia every day. If I can't see my Clivia, I won't be able to eat or drink."
Lin Anran expressed his understanding: "Mr. He, I'm glad you don't mind my trouble. I go to night college every night, and I have a lunch break at noon, so I can go out and see your orchids."
"Xiao Lin, just call me Uncle He. Why are you still going to night college?" Old He looked at Lin Anran in surprise.
Lin Anran nodded and smiled. "Yes, I have classes every day. Uncle He, if you asked me to take good care of your Clivia, I will definitely do my best. However, since the Clivia is still in your hands, you must strictly follow my methods. Otherwise, if anything goes wrong, the responsibility will not be entirely mine."
"I understand, Xiaolin, don't worry. I want to keep this Clivia alive more than anyone else. Once you revive it, I will give you the final payment immediately." Lao He promised.
Cheng Dacai took the opportunity to say, "Uncle Zhu and I are here today to help serve as witnesses."
Old Man Zhu still doubted whether Lin Anran could grow orchids well, but he also said, "Old He, to be honest, even if your Clivia doesn't survive in the end, you can't blame Xiao Lin. You said it yourself, try your best. If it survives, everyone will be happy. If it doesn't, just buy a new Clivia."
Lao He: "I keep my word. I gave the deposit to Xiaolin."
Lin Anran received a deposit of 100 yuan. If she could keep Lao He's Clivia alive later, she would receive a balance of 900 yuan. Lao He's only requirement was to revive the Clivia, which meant that it would not take her long. She would earn this extra money easily. With so many people witnessing it at the scene, she was not afraid that Lao He would default on his debt.
Just in time, Lao He had brought all the orchid-growing tools, so Lin Anran could immediately start treating the Clivia on the spot. Under everyone's scorching gaze, she began to work. After her hand touched the Clivia for a few seconds, she already had an idea in her mind and quickly thought about what to do next. First, remove the Clivia from the pot. Clivia has fleshy roots that can retain water and are very prone to root rot. All rotten roots must be cut off and disinfected. Diseased leaves must be cut off and disinfected. The soil in the pot must be replaced...
Lin Anran's series of movements were smooth and neat, and it was pleasing to the eye just to watch. Old He and Old Man Zhu took the time to look at each other and nodded secretly. Just from this one move, they could tell whether Lin Anran had real kung fu skills.
Lin Anran prolonged the time her hand was in contact with the Clivia as much as possible, so that the Clivia would get more vitality and recover faster. She could control the rhythm and receive the final payment of 900 yuan as soon as possible.
Cheng Dacai said in surprise, "Xiao Lin, you've made great progress. A few months ago, you were still unfamiliar with these things."
Lin Anran also felt that her progress was incredibly rapid and impressive. She smiled with pride, "That time, it was all thanks to Boss Cheng who let me borrow your stall and tools. Okay, Uncle He, take a look. I've written down some tips for growing orchids on a piece of paper. Go home and follow them today. We'll meet at the night school tomorrow at noon, and I'll make some minor adjustments then."
"Okay." Lao He nodded with satisfaction, feeling that his Clivia seemed to have become more energetic.
Old Man Zhu said to him, "Tomorrow we'll be able to tell whether it's good or bad. You'd better take good care of your precious orchid and don't let it get hurt again."
Lao He: “I understand.”
Because of Lin Anran's outstanding performance, she received a warm welcome from this group of orchid lovers. Many people were willing to communicate with her about orchid cultivation. This was great as her network of contacts expanded again.
Accidentally helping Lao He cure the Clivia opened up a new world for Lin Anran. She now looks at these orchid lovers with a whole new perspective. Those who can grow orchids here all have family backgrounds. In order to grow orchids well, some people, like Lao He, are willing to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars to hire someone to help them grow orchids. However, there are only a few people who are as generous as Lao He. Lin Anran is not in a hurry. She can slowly develop this side job in the future and make some extra money from time to time.
Before today, Lin Anran could not have imagined that growing orchids could allow her to make money so quickly. She thought she would have to wait until next year to sell orchids to make money. It turns out that knowledge is a priceless treasure, and there is a golden house in books.
When she went out today, the money in her pocket did not decrease, but increased. Lin Anran was very satisfied, extremely satisfied. It was a good decision to go out and play today.
"Can you make so much money by helping others grow orchids?" Yu Jing looked at Lin Anran in amazement.
One thousand yuan is three months' salary for an ordinary worker.
Lin Anran smiled brightly: "I only found out today that I can make money by helping others grow orchids! Hahaha!"
If you give Lin Anran a ladder now, she can rush up to the sky and stand shoulder to shoulder with the sun.
Yu Jing looked at her admiringly: "An Ran, you are amazing."
"Hehe, I'm just that awesome." Lin Anran felt a little bit elated. She felt very clearly today that in this era, the knowledge learned can really be monetized, and knowledge is money.
"I didn't expect that Miss Lin, you are so good at growing orchids. I really didn't realize it. You are so amazing." Ma Yaozu interjected.
Lin Anran smiled brightly, but when she suddenly heard the third person talking, she remembered that she was not only going out with Yu Jing today, but also with Ma Yaozu.
She turned her head and looked at Ma Yaozu who was following Yu Jing closely. Today, she almost stole all the limelight and Ma Yaozu had no chance to show himself. She and Yu Jing played and left him aside. From the expression on Ma Yaozu's face, he seemed a little awkward and uncomfortable, and seemed to be a little lost?
But who was Lin Anran? She never cared about the moods of insignificant people. She only cared about having fun with Yu Jing.
Lin Anran didn't answer. Yu Jing turned her head and smiled slightly, "Anran has always been very good. She learns English very quickly, much faster than me. She also helps me learn English."
"Really?" Ma Yaozu didn't want to hear this. He shifted his focus to Yu Jing. "Miss Yu, are you learning English? You're amazing! I can't learn those foreign languages. Just reading them gives me a headache. If I have the chance in the future, can I ask you for advice?"
Yu Jing said tactfully, "I don't dare teach others at my current level. I'm afraid I'll make the wrong mistake. If you want to learn English, you can sign up for an English class at night university. If you keep studying every day, you'll make progress."
Ma Yaozu immediately said, "Then I'll sign you up for the English class you're taking now, Miss Yu. Can we study together and make progress together?"
Yu Jing explained: "If you sign up now, your class will not be the same as mine. My progress is faster."
Ma Yaozu's face was suddenly filled with disappointment and regret: "Then I need to think about it carefully."
When the bus arrived, Yu Jing refused Ma Yaozu's offer to send her off. Lin Anran and Yu Jing got on the bus, and the two of them squeezed in the bus and supported each other.
Yu Jing suddenly asked, "An Ran, you don't seem to like Mr. Ma very much?"
Lin Anran and Yu Jing have been together for a long time. They have become friends and always care about each other. Lin Anran is not surprised that Yu Jing can see it. She does not deliberately hide her likes and dislikes.
"Did you figure it out?" Lin Anran admitted. Even though she and Yu Jing were not friends, knowing what Ma Yaozu did in the original novel, it was hard for her to have a good impression of this man.
Yu Jing was puzzled. "Why? Mr. Ma is a nice guy. We just met for the first time, and he was brave enough to do what was right. Did he do something today that made you dislike him?"
So far, Ma Yaozu's behavior is commendable and there is nothing to complain about.
Lin Anran raised the corner of his mouth and smiled, saying, "No, I've only met him twice. Saying I like him or hate him is meaningless. If it weren't for you, he would be just a stranger to me. It all depends on you, Yu Jing."
Yu Jing was silent for a few seconds, then said softly, "Actually, I still want to concentrate on learning English, but my family is pushing me too hard. My mom has been looking for matchmakers these days and has arranged a lot of blind dates for me. Those people... are all kinds of people, and I don't like any of them. I said I want to concentrate on finding a job, and my mom said that finding a job and getting married can be done at the same time without interfering with each other. My mom wants me to get married this year. If I must get married, I want to observe Mr. Ma again. He has helped me before, and he is a good man. It is better to be with someone who is willing to stand up for what is right than with people you don't know at all."
Lin Anran suddenly understood, and the doubts in her heart were answered. It turned out that Yu Jing married Ma Yaozu because her parents urged her to get married. Yu Jing's idea was very ordinary and normal. Compared with a completely unfamiliar man whose character was unknown, Ma Yaozu did look better. At least Ma Yaozu would really rush out to catch a thief.
Yu Jing added, "I wonder if Mr. Ma will actually sign up for English classes at night university. If he does, that would be great."
Lin Anran's heart skipped a beat. She pursed her lips and asked, "If he goes, will you...?"
Yu Jing took a deep breath and said, "I will seriously consider him when the time comes and see if I want to be with him."
Lin Anran wanted to ask Yu Jing if she really had to get married, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. Yu Jing had her mother, a huge burden weighing on her head. She had her parents and family to consider. How could she, a friend, intervene?
Lin Anran thought about her own situation. She wanted to help Yu Jing, but it was difficult for her to lend a hand. She couldn't help Yu Jing find a good job, and it was even more impossible to convince Yu Jing's mother to let Yu Jing choose her life freely. Could a few half-hearted words of advice really help?
cannot.
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