A guide to growing flowers

Growing flowers.

Was an immensely happy and fulfilling thing.

Not counting the time he had been drunk, Ding Ding had never actually tried it. He had only read some theory online.

The cast on his foot got in the way a little, but that was nothing compared with his anticipation of the flowers blooming.

"Brother Ding..."

Bai Congming was very nervous, because Ding Ding had been so ferocious last time that Xiao Hua had not been treated with care.

"I'll take it slowly," Ding Ding said.

The first step in growing flowers was to prepare the planting materials.

You had to make sure you used a flowerpot with a drainage hole.

If the drainage hole was unsuitable, you needed to take the trouble to adjust it to the right size.

This process was a real test of patience. Too much force would damage the pot, while too little would get you nowhere.

Ding Ding worked up a sweat, constantly asking the person beside him questions.

"Is this okay?"

Bai Congming was anxious too. "It... it should be enough now."

Next came filling it with soil, sowing the seeds, and tending them.

The soil had to be thoroughly watered, and only once it changed color could the seeds be planted.

Then came waiting quietly for the seeds to take root and sprout.

At this point, Ding Ding kept worrying whether the flowerpot could take it, but the professional gardener told him it could.

A little more was fine too.

The first bud appeared, followed by the second, then the third.

Only after an entire spring, when the flowerpot could no longer take it and was almost split///ting open, was Ding Ding finally willing to stop.

The spring breeze swept through, and Ding Ding grew many perfect flowers.

The flowers that grew were so beautiful that Bai Congming was dazed, unable to move, as though something had stolen his soul.

"Brother Ding... you're amazing..."

Some things should not be said carelessly, especially words of encouragement. They could make someone lose himself in it, wanting to do even better.

And so the washed flowerpot was brought out again for another round of planting.

An ephemeral flower's bloom vanished in an instant, but Ding Ding was exceptionally gifted, and the flowers he grew bloomed all night.

"..."

The next morning, it was almost noon when Bai Congming woke up.

It was his first time sleeping so late. He hurriedly tried to get up, only for Ding Ding beside him to press him back down.

"I asked for the day off for you," Ding Ding said. "Sleep a little longer."

At first light, Ding Ding had figured that the person who had only just fallen asleep probably would not have the strength to go to work that day.

So he had washed up and gone out, riding his electric scooter to Flower Nursery, where he happened to meet Auntie Zhou coming around the corner.

Ding Ding made up an excuse, saying Little Bai had caught a chill in his sleep last night and now had a fever. Auntie Zhou did not suspect a thing and even felt reassured.

Because Little Bai had never known when he was sick before. He often came to Flower Nursery with his little face flushed red, and once he had nearly fainted.

"Go back and look after him. If his fever hasn't gone down by tonight, take him to see Doctor Sun."

Ding Ding agreed and rode his little electric scooter off to buy breakfast.

Bai Congming was still asleep when he got home, so Ding Ding simply changed clothes again and lay back down. Before long, he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was now, and he was listening to Bai Congming's somewhat aggrieved complaints.

"I can't take time off... they dock my pay if I take time off..."

"All right," Ding Ding said, gathering him into his arms. "Be good. Sleep a little longer."

With that, Ding Ding fell asleep again.

"..."

Once Bai Congming woke up, he could never get back to sleep.

No matter how tired he had been the day before, he would be full of energy the next day. Today, of course, did not count.

Considering how much he had expended yesterday, he had practically gone beyond exhaustion and been on the verge of death.

Back from the dead, Bai Congming had an empty stomach. He crept out of bed and walked over to where the rice cooker used to be, only to realize he had not eaten potato rice in a long time.

There were not even any potatoes at home.

It seemed that throughout his time with Ding Ding, he had always been the one being looked after.

He had said he would be good to Brother Ding, but apart from bringing back some damaged flowers nobody wanted from Flower Nursery, he seemed unable to do anything.

Brother Ding had treasured those flowers and arranged them, and they bloomed in many corners of the courtyard.

Bai Congming thought that perhaps he ought to do something.

At two in the afternoon, Sun Xiangxiang's phone chimed as she petted a cat at the flower shop, getting cat hair all over her mouth.

At five past two, an exclamation came from the flower shop's break room.

"Holy crap!"

On her phone was a voice message from the friend she had added yesterday. His profile picture was the default gray figure, and his saved name read: Little Bai.

[Little Bai]: Xiangxiang, could you help me?

The distress and helplessness in his voice were practically spilling out of the screen. Without a second thought, Sun Xiangxiang made a video call to Little Bai.

On the other end, afraid of disturbing Brother Ding's sleep, Bai Congming sat in the courtyard with the door open, basking in the sun as he answered Sun Xiangxiang's video call.

Before he could even make out her face, Sun Xiangxiang's voice exploded like a cannonball.

"What's wrong, what's wrong? What do you need help with? Did he hit you? Were you bullied? Did he cheat on you? Don't be scared, Little Bai. Say something to me, Little Bai! Little Bai!!!"

"..."

Bai Congming pressed his lips together, turned his phone's volume down to its lowest setting, and called out very softly.

"Xiangxiang..."

He had overused his voice last night. He could not hear it himself, but to Sun Xiangxiang's ears, it sounded like something had gone terribly wrong.

"What happened to your voice? Huh? Have you been crying? Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear! You..."

"Xiangxiang." Bai Congming cleared his throat and called to her again.

"Do you know where I can buy fireworks, please?"

"I do, I do. Don't worry, whatever you want to buy..." As she spoke, Sun Xiangxiang registered what he had said. "Fireworks?"

Bai Congming pressed his lips into a smile that curved his eyes and brows, telling Sun Xiangxiang that Xiao Hu had set off fireworks for Xiao Hua, which had made Xiao Hua very happy, so he wanted to set one off for Brother Ding too, to make Brother Ding happy.

After repeatedly confirming that this really was the only reason Bai Congming had contacted her, Sun Xiangxiang breathed a sigh of relief.

"But fireworks are only available around New Year. They'll probably be hard to buy right now."

Bai Congming was a little disappointed. "But I have money..."

"Uh..."

"How much money could you have?"

A voice belonging to neither of them came from the doorway. Bai Congming looked up and instinctively hunched his shoulders, greeting her politely.

"Hello."

"Hello," Ding Shu said, walking in without standing on ceremony. "You want to buy fireworks? I'll take you."

In this world, money could solve ninety percent of one's troubles. As for the remaining ten percent, if even money could not solve them, there was probably nothing that could.

Now that he knew how to get fireworks, Bai Congming said goodbye to Sun Xiangxiang, slipped quietly into the house to take some money out of the Little Piggy Bank, and followed Ding Shu out.

The two of them were practically strangers, and even sitting together, they had little to say.

Bai Congming sat very properly, his back ramrod straight and both hands resting on his knees, like a primary school student listening attentively in class. He did not even dare lean against the passenger seat's backrest.

"Aren't you afraid I'll take you away and sell you?" Ding Shu teased him.

Bai Congming blinked at her, but did not dare look for too long, and soon lowered his head again.

Just when Ding Shu thought her attempt at humor had fallen flat and she would get no answer, Bai Congming spoke.

"The... the money from selling me, could... could you give some to Brother Ding?"

"..."