Chapter 116: Dressing Up the Mountain Again

At the entrance of Yiling University, Cao Shujie helped his sister unload her suitcase and the fruits and cooked meats they had brought from home. He asked, “Do you need me to carry these inside for you?”

“No, brother, I can manage. You should head back. If I can’t carry everything upstairs, I’ll call Deng Miaoshan and the others to help,” Cao Huifang replied.

It was not yet six in the morning, and her roommates were still asleep. Even if her brother went inside, he wouldn’t be able to go upstairs.

As her brother turned to leave, Cao Huifang reminded him, “Drive safely, and if you’re tired, find a place to rest before continuing.”

“Don’t worry about me. Call if you need anything, and let me know if you’re short on money,” Cao Shujie said. He then got into the driver’s seat and drove away with a casual wave.

Cao Huifang watched the car disappear into the distance, then hung the remaining items on her suitcase handle and headed toward her dormitory.

With less than two years until graduation, she had initially felt she had plenty of time. But after experiencing so much, she realized there wasn’t much time left to build a solid foundation for herself. As her brother said, working during the summer might be putting the cart before the horse; she needed to focus on her studies.

Under the rising sun, looking at her short shadow on the ground, Cao Huifang encouraged herself, “Keep going, work hard!”

…

Driving back along the route he came, Cao Shujie noticed a sign by the road that read ‘Yingke Flowers’. He braked and parked the car at a spot that wouldn’t obstruct traffic, then walked toward a nearby greenhouse.

As he approached, he was about to knock on the door when a fierce barking erupted from nearby. The sound was intimidating, enough to make one’s heart race if caught off guard.

Following the sound, Cao Shujie saw a light brown mutt tied to a tree, barking fiercely at him.

“Shut up, or I’ll deal with you,” Cao Shujie scolded.

Perhaps because he was used to dealing with the four dogs at home, he wasn’t afraid of dogs. His commanding presence and a stern look made the light brown mutt immediately quiet down. It circled a few times before lying on the ground, occasionally glancing at Cao Shujie. When it saw him bending down as if to pick something up, the dog turned around, presenting its back to him, choosing to ignore him.

“Wow, so smart!” Cao Shujie was surprised. Had dogs become this clever?

At that moment, a voice came from inside the greenhouse, “Dahuang, stop barking.”

“Who’s outside? Do you need something?”

“I’m here to buy flowers,” Cao Shujie replied.

“Hold on, I’ll be right there.”

Soon, a middle-aged woman wearing a checkered apron and sweating from her forehead came out of the greenhouse.

Seeing Cao Shujie, she smiled and asked, “Young man, were you the one looking to buy flowers?”

“Yes, ma’am. What kinds of flowers do you have here?” Cao Shujie inquired.

Without asking for his name, the woman led him inside the greenhouse, saying, “I have a wide variety of flowers. Come in and take a look.”

Inside, the temperature was noticeably higher than outside. If the normal temperature outside was around fourteen or fifteen degrees, it was at least ten degrees warmer inside, with heavy humidity, creating a sauna-like atmosphere.

Standing still, Cao Shujie felt as if sweat was about to seep out of his body. However, the diverse colors of flowers and various indoor plants quickly captured his attention.

“This place is beautiful,” Cao Shujie remarked sincerely.

The woman smiled, “I have a comprehensive selection of flowers here. It all depends on what you want to plant.”

Her confidence was evident.

Cao Shujie asked, “What’s your surname, ma’am?”

She replied, “Oh, I’m just a working woman, nothing special about my name. I’m Song. You can call me Sister Song.”

Straightforward and amiable.

Cao Shujie didn’t stand on ceremony and greeted her, “Sister Song, my surname is Cao, like Cao Cao.”

After introducing himself, he continued, “I’ve leased a mountain area to plant fruit trees, and I’m developing it for picking. But the mountain area looks too plain. I want to plant a variety of flowers to make it more attractive, so visitors feel their trip is worthwhile.”

Hearing this, Song Shuli found it interesting. She looked at Cao Shujie carefully. He was a young man with a nearly square-shaped face, a high nose bridge, and a small black dot on his chin that could be a mole or something else. His lips were broad, and his eyebrows were thick, giving him a decent appearance.

“Brother Cao, where is your mountain land?” Song Shuli asked.

This was crucial. The temperature differences across the country are significant, and some flowers only thrive within specific temperature ranges. Too cold or too hot, and they might not survive.

Hearing his slight accent, Song Shuli couldn’t quite place where he was from.

“Sister Song, I’m from Yiling City. I’ve leased land in Qingshi Town, Pingyuan County. Do you know that area?” Cao Shujie tried to be as detailed as possible.

Upon hearing the location, Song Shuli seemed familiar with it. “Oh, so you’re from Qingshi Town in Pingyuan County? My partner’s family is from nearby, though not the same town,” she said. “In that case, I recommend planting tree lavender, hydrangeas, peonies, clematis, Chinese roses, and trumpet creepers. These varieties are suitable, as they can withstand the summer and are hardy in winter.”

“For other flowers, they might do well indoors or in areas with stable temperatures, but planting them outdoors here would be a waste,” she added honestly.

She didn’t try to deceive him with his lack of knowledge in this area but instead gave him practical advice.

After listening, Cao Shujie asked, “Do you have all the varieties you mentioned, Sister Song?”

“Do you want them all?” she asked.

Seeing him nod, she hesitated, “I have Chinese roses, peonies, and tree lavender. For the others, I’d need to order them.”

As she spoke, she led Cao Shujie along the path inside the greenhouse to a separately designated area. Pointing to the blooming pink Chinese Roses, she said, “Brother Cao, these are Chinese Roses. You know them, right?”

Cao Shujie looked at the plants, which were nearly a meter tall, with dozens of blooming flowers. He nodded, “I know.”

“This variety is excellent. It’s easy to care for, the flowers are beautiful, and they have a long blooming period.”

“Moreover, the longer you grow them, the taller the plants get, and the more flowers they produce.”

Cao Shujie nodded and asked, “Sister Song, is there anything else?”

“There is. Follow me,” Song Shuli continued to lead Cao Shujie further inside, stopping to look at Peonies and Tree Lavender.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the blooming season for Peonies and Tree Lavender, so Cao Shujie couldn’t see them in full bloom.

After a moment of thought, he asked, “Sister Song, can you help me get more of the other three types of flowers? A larger quantity.”

“How much exactly do you need?” Song Shuli inquired.

Without knowing the specifics, it was hard to plan the rest.

Cao Shujie explained, “I’ve leased 85 mu of mountain land. The area around my land is mostly barren, with only a few wildflowers. It’s not very appealing or harmonious.”

Song Shuli understood now and asked in surprise, “Brother Cao, are you planning to plant flowers all around?”

“Have you thought this through? Planting everything will be quite costly,” Song Shuli emphasized this point.

She added, “I thought your place wasn’t very large, and planting a few for personal enjoyment was fine. But if you want to plant a lot, this won’t generate direct profits.”

After hearing Song Shuli, Cao Shujie nodded lightly, “Sister Song, considering what you just said, if I need a lot, see how much of a discount you can offer. If it’s significant, I won’t look elsewhere.”

At least he didn’t boast with a line like ‘money is no problem.’

“Do you want all six types of flowers I mentioned?” Song Shuli asked.

Cao Shujie nodded, “If you can get them all, I’ll take some of each to mix them up, so it won’t be too monotonous.”

“Then I suggest you don’t just plant flowers. Also plant some Holly, Dragon’s Claw Scholar Tree, and Chinese Evergreen. It will look better,” Song Shuli emphasized. “This way, in winter, when other flowers lose their leaves, you’ll still have some greenery. Don’t you agree?”

That made sense, and Cao Shujie didn’t oppose it.

He said, “That’s fine.”

“You’ll need people to plant the flowers over there, right?” Song Shuli asked.

Seeing Cao Shujie nod, she said, “In that case, let’s exchange phone numbers. I’ll ask around and get back to you with a quote. Brother Cao, you can decide if it’s suitable, and then we can discuss the rest. How does that sound?”

Cao Shujie agreed, finding this approach reliable.

Song Shuli dialed his number according to what Cao Shujie said, and they exchanged names. She added, “I’ll call you as soon as I have the results.”

“Sister Song, how long will it take to get the results?” Cao Shujie habitually asked.

“By tomorrow at the latest,” Song Shuli replied.

After leaving Song Shuli, Cao Shujie drove towards Cao Family Village.

Earlier, on the way to drop off his sister, he noticed the ‘Keying Flowers’ shop and thought about how plain his mountain looked. He had plans to plant a variety of flowers to make it more attractive.

“Oh, I wonder if Boss Zhao has any news about the Lawn Mower he was helping me find,” Cao Shujie remembered.

As he drove through Qingshi Town, he didn’t call but went directly to Zhao Wenyang’s shop.

When he arrived, he saw the shop was open, and Boss Zhao was moving around inside.

Stopping the car, Cao Shujie opened the door and walked into the shop, “Boss Zhao, busy as usual?”

His tone was like greeting an old friend.

Seeing him, Zhao Wenyang exclaimed, “Oh, Boss Cao, what brings you here? I was just about to call you!”

“I had some personal matters in the city and passed by, so I thought I’d ask if there’s any news on the Lawn Mower,” Cao Shujie inquired.

“There is. I was just about to call you!” Zhao Wenyang replied.

Cao Shujie trusted Zhao Wenyang’s words only partially.

But then he saw Zhao Wenyang open his computer, find a folder, and call Cao Shujie over, “Boss Cao, take a look at this.”

“Is this the Lawn Mower?” Cao Shujie saw a photo of a machine resembling a small tracked bulldozer.

He found this much more appealing than the handheld ones Zhao Wenyang had shown him before.

“Yes, it’s a Lawn Mower. It’s much more expensive than the handheld ones. We don’t usually stock these because there’s no demand, but if you want one, I can arrange it,” Zhao Wenyang explained.

“This one costs just under 20,000 yuan. If you’re sure you want it, I’ll try to negotiate the price down.”

“Alright, get two,” Cao Shujie nodded, finding the price reasonable.

The two of them verbally agreed, and Zhao Wenyang, in front of Cao Shujie, started calling the supplier. After some negotiation, they settled on two tracked Lawn Mowers for a total of 30,800 yuan, including shipping.

“Boss Cao, could you leave a small deposit? Once the Lawn Mowers arrive, I’ll contact you,” Zhao Wenyang suggested.

Cao Shujie knew this was standard procedure and readily left a 2,000 yuan deposit. They drafted a simple agreement.

The agreement specifically stated that if Cao Shujie backed out, the 2,000 yuan deposit would not be refunded.

After all, Zhao Wenyang was also taking a risk.

After having breakfast in town, Cao Shujie returned to Cao Family Village.

Parking the car, he walked home and saw his wife hand-washing Mengmeng’s clothes in the yard. Mengmeng was playing nearby with two German Shepherds.

Little Wild Cat Huahua was still perched on the roof, occasionally peering down, crouched and ready to pounce at any moment.

When Cao Shujie walked in, Mengmeng immediately abandoned the German Shepherd and ran over to him. “Daddy, did you bring any treats?”

Cao Shujie looked bewildered. He glanced at his wife, not understanding what was going on.

Cheng Xiaolin explained, “After you left, Mengmeng insisted on looking for you. I told her you went to buy her some snacks.”

“You could have called to let me know, so I could be prepared,” Cao Shujie grumbled to his wife.

He then picked up Mengmeng, holding her under the arms and spinning her around in the air. As her giggles filled the room, he quickly said, “Mengmeng, you’re so clever. How did you guess that Daddy brought you something nice?”

“Really? Where is it? Let me see!” Mengmeng’s smile grew even wider, eager to see the surprise.

Cao Shujie carried her into the house. “Daddy can’t let anyone else see, or they might take it. I hid it inside.”

“I don’t believe you! Daddy’s tricking me!” Mengmeng looked at Cao Shujie with a face full of skepticism.

But Cao Shujie insisted, “It’s true. If you don’t believe me, I’ll take you to find it.”

Children are no match for adults when it comes to tricks and schemes.

When Cao Shujie handed Mengmeng two meat floss snacks and a packaged egg roll, all her doubts vanished. Her eyes fixed on the treats, she urged him to open them quickly.

“Daddy, open it for me. I want to eat,” Mengmeng said.

“What’s the rush? I’ll open it for you now,” Cao Shujie replied.

These were bought last time at the Yiling City department store. Luckily, Mengmeng didn’t remember getting them before, or it would have been hard to fool her today.

Outside, Cheng Xiaolin was hand-washing clothes. Hearing the father and daughter’s voices, she couldn’t help but smile.

As she washed, she suddenly remembered something. “Shujie, Brother Min came by earlier looking for you. He said to check on the renovations when you got back.”

“Why didn’t you go see it?” Cao Shujie asked, puzzled.

Cheng Xiaolin replied, “I was waiting for you to go together. If there’s anything wrong, we can discuss changes.”

“Alright, should we go now?”

“Can’t you see I’m doing laundry? Let’s go after I finish,” Cheng Xiaolin said.

Cao Shujie chuckled and didn’t say anything more.

He played with his daughter for about 20 minutes until Cheng Xiaolin finished the laundry and hung it up. Then, with Cao Shujie leading the dog and Cheng Xiaolin carrying Mengmeng, they headed to the new house.

The house had been under renovation since early August, and now, over a month later, everything except the carpentry work was nearly done. Cao Tieming was currently handling some finishing touches.

Seeing the couple arrive, Cao Tieming took them on a tour of both floors.

He also asked if they had any feedback. If not, they would proceed with the carpentry.

“I think it’s great, really beautiful. What do you think, honey?” Cao Shujie asked his wife.

Cheng Xiaolin, after looking around, said, “It’s fine, I have no objections.”

“Alright then, we’ll let it sit for a few days and then continue with the remaining work,” Cao Tieming said.

“Okay, sounds good!” Cao Shujie agreed.

Cheng Xiaolin asked, “Brother Min, can it be finished this month?”

“Yes, once it’s done, let it air out for three months. You can move in before the Spring Festival,” Cao Tieming replied.

Hearing this, Cheng Xiaolin was pleased and nodded repeatedly. She suggested, “Shujie, let’s pick out the furniture and appliances in a few days.”

“Sure, we don’t have much else to do. We can choose them early, so once the renovation is done, we can move everything in right away,” Cao Shujie said.

The sooner they finished, the sooner they could move in, avoiding the need to use the air conditioner for heating in winter, which he found too dry.

After settling this, Cao Tieming chatted with them a bit more before heading upstairs to supervise the workers.

He was very attentive to the renovation of his childhood friend’s house.

(End of Chapter)