After retirement, Old Master Xu took up gardening as a hobby.
To indulge in his passion for plants and flowers, he specifically bought a first-floor apartment with a garden.
Every summer, the area outside his garden became a popular spot for neighbors to visit and take photos.
Various flowers bloomed in a dazzling display, seemingly endless. This earned him quite a reputation in the neighborhood.
Come summertime, polite neighbors could even ask for a few flower stems, which the old man would cut fresh for them. He had no choice; there were simply too many flowers, and this was no exaggeration.
If the flowers weren't trimmed, the large blooms would absorb all the nutrients.
The smaller flowers beneath wouldn't be able to blossom. Old Master Xu's pruning skills were top-notch.
He even had a special online group for flower enthusiasts. After a few years, he had become an administrator.
All sorts of novices would join to ask about soil composition,
nutrient ratios, which flowers were cold-resistant, which were easy to grow, and which were suitable for beginners. He answered all these questions with expertise.
His children, catering to his interests, would bring a few potted plants each time they visited.
Old Master Xu's collection of flowers grew ever larger, both inside and outside the house.
He loved gardening, but his wife wasn't particularly fond of it.
Mainly because there were too many flowers, and seeing them every day made them lose their charm.
Instead, they attracted ants, which was incredibly annoying.
Mrs. Xu said, "Why don't you grow some vegetables instead? At least we could eat those. What use are these flowers?"
Old Master Xu immediately retorted upon hearing this, "Haven't you heard? 'To present a rose to others is to leave its fragrance on one's hand.' What do you know?"
Old Mrs. Xu mocked, "I think you're just showing off. Look at the other old ladies, they grow vegetables every day. Their sons and daughters don't even need to buy vegetables, there's enough for the whole family. But you? You're growing these useless flowers. The neighbor on the second floor even complained that if your flowers keep climbing up the wall, they'll have to talk to you about it."
It was troublesome when the flowers grew too well.
The flowers he had nurtured for over a decade had grown as big as trees, blocking the sunlight for the second-floor neighbors.
The second-floor residents were unhappy about this.
Old Madam suggested he give the flowers away.
But Old Master Xu had raised these flowers from seedlings.
He couldn't bear to sell or give them away.
These days, Old Madam had been nagging him incessantly. Old Master Xu wore a dark expression, not knowing what to say.
He just silently fumed.
As the elderly couple was arguing, their Son came home, carrying a small flowerpot with something green growing in it.
Before Old Master Xu could see clearly, he redirected his anger towards his son: "I told you not to bring any more. You keep bringing things home every day, making your mother unhappy."
Old Mrs. Xu, surprised by her husband's shamelessness, exclaimed, "You old fool!"
The Son interjected, "This isn't for you, it's for Mom. It's a vegetable plant. I bought it specially from Starry Sky Kindergarten."
Hearing it was a vegetable, Old Madam immediately went over to look, and indeed it was.
The pot contained lush, green lettuce, a vibrant emerald color that gave off a fresh, appetizing scent.
Seeing it wasn't for him, Old Master Xu began to sulk: "Fancy growing vegetables in a flowerpot. How precious."
The Son explained, "Indeed, these vegetables are quite hard to come by. When Starry Sky Kindergarten announced they were selling vegetables, it seemed like the whole city rushed to buy them. I'm lucky I rode my electric scooter; otherwise, I wouldn't have found a parking spot. I managed to buy ten pots."
"One for you, one for my father-in-law, one for my office, and a few for home."
"It's convenient. When you want to eat some, just pluck a few leaves to add to your noodles. They say the taste is excellent!"
"Do you know about Starry Sky Kindergarten? My wife has been following them for half a year, hoping to enroll our child there. But since they're not accepting new students, we could only buy some of their vegetables."
"A kindergarten that grows vegetables, how novel," Old Madam found it intriguing.
"Indeed. My wife treats these vegetables like they're precious gems. She's only willing to give them to you and my father-in-law. She won't even sell them to neighbors who offer money."
Hearing it was from their daughter-in-law, the elderly couple didn't say much, though Old Master Xu pursed his lips, clearly unimpressed by the vegetable.
In the market, this type of lettuce costs 2.5 yuan per 500 grams.
This single plant didn't even weigh that much.
But Old Madam was overjoyed.
She had always liked vegetables.
Receiving a vegetable plant from her son, Old Madam immediately moved the most prominent potted flower from the indoor plant stand and replaced it with her new vegetable, as if to say, "Make way for the VIP!"
Old Master Xu was somewhat displeased.
But his wife had been arguing with him for days, so he didn't dare voice his objections.
He could only let it be.
At lunchtime, the Son insisted that his mother make noodles and add some of the lettuce.
He had heard how delicious it was.
But his wife wouldn't let him eat it.
They just kept it as a plant, and he had been craving it for days.
Seeing how green and crisp the leaves looked,
Now that he was at his parents' house, he made his request.
"That's hardly enough to eat!" Old Master Xu commented sarcastically.
Old Madam, annoyed, immediately retorted, "Fine then, the two of us will eat it. You don't get any!"
In the end, she made noodles for her son, deliberately plucking two leaves.
Old Master Xu saw that there really wasn't any for him, and kept trying to catch his son's eye.
The Son laughed and said, "Mom, add some for Dad too!"
Hearing her son's words, Old Madam reluctantly added some for her husband.
When the noodles were ready, the aroma filled the room as they ate.
The vegetables were crisp yet tender, with an unprecedented sweet fragrance.
The elderly couple perked up immediately, feeling refreshed after the meal.
Combined with the hot noodles, their mood improved significantly.
No wonder these noodles tasted so good.
Suddenly, Old Master Xu looked thoughtfully at the vegetable plant. Perhaps his wife was right – was growing vegetables better than cultivating flowers?
He hadn't given it much thought all these years, but after tasting the noodles, his attitude changed dramatically: "Can you bring more of these vegetables?" One pot wasn't enough.
"Of course, why not? I still have seven pots at home. How about this – I'll bring four more pots next time."
"Can you buy even more?" Old Master Xu asked.
"That might be difficult, but I'll check later!"
Old Master Xu said, "If you can buy them, get 20 more pots."
"Where would we put them all?" the Son wondered aloud.
Old Master Xu said, "What's the problem? Let's clear out some of my flowers for him. From now on, your mother and I will each have our own side of the courtyard. One of us will grow flowers, and the other will grow vegetables."
Old Madam's face lit up with joy when she heard this. "Are you sure about that? Once you've said it, you can't go back on your word."
She had no idea that eating this small bowl of noodles would have such a big impact on him. If she had known, she would have eaten them much sooner.
