Senior-year revision was hard work for most students, but it was nothing to Su Qing, who was clever and never forgot a thing she saw. Still, she had to keep up appearances. There was no need to discourage her classmates or worry her parents.
It was Saturday, and Su Qing had finally been allowed to go out alone. She decided to browse the Flower and Bird Market. Buying flowers was secondary; what she really needed was a plausible reason for Little White—the name she had given the white fox—and Phoenix to appear openly. Phoenix had shrunk to the size of a canary but insisted she call it Phoenix, claiming it was a matter of dignity.
The market sold everything from flowers and birds to fish and snakes. People liked different things; plenty enjoyed keeping mice or snakes. Where there were buyers, there was a market. The flowers and plants weren't as beautiful as those in her space, but they were reasonably priced. Her maternal grandfather liked flowers, and her paternal grandfather had a particular fondness for orchids. She had plenty of orchids, but she couldn't bring them out of her space, while the ones at the market were beyond her allowance. The Su Family was prominent, but they weren't businesspeople. Her family lived on salaries, and her parents were honest, so she and her brother didn't get much spending money. Her older cousin was always teasing her about being richer. Su Qing merely laughed it off and looked forward to the day that spoiled girl cried.
Dew-speckled roses, fragrant lilies, elegant Birds of Paradise, bright yet unpretentious gerberas, magnificent peonies, carnations, and more lined her route, lifting Su Qing's spirits. She bought a bouquet of her mother's favorite lilies and picked up some cuttings and seedlings that had been thrown