Wan Jun (short story 1) Zhang Baotong

The gardener loosened the soil and watered the flowers in the shed, and then sat next to the pot of Junzi Orchid named "Wanjun", smoking a cigarette while watching with loving eyes. It seemed to be the greatest joy of his day.

At this time, the Caifeng girl ran in from outside and shouted, "Uncle, go and see, the peach blossoms are blooming, so red and beautiful." "No, after a spring rain, overnight, the pink and delicate peach blossoms adorned the branches of thousands of trees, reflecting the sky outside the flower shed. However, the old man did not seem to hear the girl's surprise, and still stared intently at the pot of Junzi orchid, as if the flowers in the garden could not match the pot of flowers in front of him.

The girl couldn't help but wonder: This flower has not yet bloomed, only a few wide green leaves, what is so beautiful? So, she asked, "Uncle, why can't you see enough of this pot of flowers when you stay in front of this pot of flowers all day long?" The old man smiled a little indulgingly and said, "If you are with the person you love, you will not be able to see enough for a long time." But the girl smiled and said, "Flowers are not people, so how can they be compared with people." The old man raised his head, looked at the girl, and said thoughtfully, "But flowers are also spiritual and emotional. The girl thought that the old man's words might have his own point, so she nodded paradoxically. She knew that it was difficult for her to reach a common understanding with the old man on this issue. Although she also likes to look at flowers and enjoy flowers, she just looks at them, and she can't say how much interest she has, let alone treat it as a serious job. Therefore, there is one thing she can't understand: the old man has worked hard all his life, and he is so old that he can't even straighten his waist. The boss thought that he had raised a lot of flowers for himself and made a lot of money, and wanted to give him a large sum of money to let him spend his old age in peace, but the old man refused to ask for money, but just asked the boss for the pot of Junzi Orchid named "Wanjun". She felt that the old man's love for flowers was too extreme, and it was unreasonable.

Although they have different emotions and perceptions of flowers, this does not affect their relationship. The girl has been without a father since she was a child, and her mother suddenly fell ill and died a few years ago. She was alone, and she couldn't stay at home anymore, so she left the mountains and came to the city to find her partner. However, when she found the person she had been dreaming of, she found that she already had someone else to love. At that time, she felt that she could not go back, and she could not find a job for a while, and it was the old man who took her in. Therefore, in addition to her gratitude and gratitude to the old man, she also felt that the old man had a kind of kindness and fatherly love that she longed for. The old man is from the Northeast, upright, kind-hearted, just a little weird, except for those flowers and plants, he seems to put nothing in his heart. The current boss is from Xi'an, and he was invited from the Northeast last year to cultivate Junzilan for him, but because the funds have not yet arrived, the matter has to be put on hold for the time being. The old man has been dealing with flowers and plants all his life, and if he can't see flowers and plants for a day, he can't be energetic, so he planted some kinds of flowers in the flower shed.

The peach blossoms are still blooming in the peach orchard outside the trellis. The flowers in the trellis are also budding and blooming day after day. The inside and outside of the flower shed presents a scene of competing beauty. But no matter what, the old man still focused his affection and love on the pot of gentleman's orchid as always. As the temperature continued to rise, one day, "Wanjun" unexpectedly bloomed with fresh golden red buds. Although the flower buds are small, they are like a golden lamp like clouds, reflecting the smiling face of the old man vividly. The old man suddenly seemed to be much younger, his waist straightened, and he squatted in front of the flowers all day long. After a few more days, the buds grew big and bloomed, and the frightened and shy beauty was like the pure smile of a maiden, immersed in an incomparably holy elegance and tranquility. The old man seemed to have forgotten a little, and sat in front of the flowers all day, as if he was talking to the flowers.

The girl also felt that this flower was beautiful and beautiful, and there was a strong and faint fragrance, so she often accompanied the old man and watched the flowers with him. Gradually, the old man regarded the girl as a confidant, and talked to her about Junzilan when he had nothing to do. The old man often said that the gentleman Lanping is not amazing in appearance, but once it blooms, it is noble and good, and it is romantic. And his pot of "Wanjun" is his life's work, with the most precious Japanese orchid "poinsettia" cultivated, can be described as the best color in the flower.

Maybe it's because the fragrance of the flowers can't be controlled in the flower shed. One day, a middle-aged man who looked like a wealthy businessman came to the flower shed, looked at "Wanjun" with blank eyes for a long time, and finally said that he wanted to buy this pot of flowers, and asked the old man how much he bid. The old man looked at the man with fascinated eyes and asked, "How much do you think it's worth?" The man knew from the old man's eyes that he couldn't hide it from the old man, so he said, "What about 50,000 yuan?"

The old man smiled contemptuously and said, "You are too ignorant to know the goods. The man smiled very knowingly and said, "It's because I have no beads, how about 100,000 yuan? The best gentleman's orchid was only sold for 80,000 yuan in Xi'an." The old man shook his head, let out a long sigh, and said, "I said that if you don't know the goods, you don't know the goods." The year before last in Shenyang, there was a potted flower that was not as good as my flower, and it sold for 500,000 yuan as soon as it was listed. The man was a little embarrassed, but he made a very good appearance, and said, "Your flower is only a fine product at best, not the best." Why don't I add another 50,000, 150,000?" The old man had no intention of selling flowers, but when he heard that the man was belittleing his flowers, his face immediately became gloomy, and he said, "I don't sell this flower." So saying, he drove the man away. The man thought that the old man thought that his bid was too low, and when he came to the door, he said again in the tone of cutting meat, "What about 200,000? The old man didn't even think about it, and pushed the man out the door.

The scene in front of her shocked the girl: someone had bid 200,000 yuan for a small pot of flowers! Therefore, when the old man's love was better, the girl couldn't help but ask the old man, "Why don't you make a move when people pay such a sky-high price?" The old man looked at the girl with the kind of affection and love that he usually gazed at "Wanjun", and said, "If a person loves something, he will have a kind of inseparable feeling." This flower has poured my life's work and emotion, how can I say that it will be sold?"

However, what really made the girl know the truth was a small talk with the old man. That day, for the first time, they talked about personal emotional issues. The old man pondered for a long time before he said, "When I was young, I worked as a gardener for a large family, and the young lady of that family was called Wanjun, and she was handsome and elegant in temperament. Miss loves flowers, especially the gentleman's orchid. Every day, after playing the piano or reading a book, I must come to the flower room to enjoy the flowers and discuss the flowers with me. The young lady rarely talks to people on weekdays, but when she is with me, she has endless words. We've been together for a long time. However, when she was seventeen years old, she was married by her father to a wealthy man from another place and made her concubine. Hearing this, the girl realized that Wanjun was the young lady that the old man had loved.

After that, whenever the old man stopped in front of the flower, the girl could hear the whisper of attachment and sorrow from the eyes he met with the flower. This kind of outpouring can only be understood, not spoken, but it is shocking to the heart. For this reason, when the girl looks at the flowers again, she will inevitably be touched by a beautiful and sad feeling. Therefore, when the short and fat middle-aged rich businessman came to the door again to buy "Wanjun" for 300,000 yuan, he was rejected by the old man again. At this time, the girl no longer felt shock, but a heartfelt relief.