The next day, Fu Yunrou dressed in a simple short-sleeved shirt and casual pants. Though her outfit was modest, her straight legs, unchanged figure, and graceful demeanor made it seem like she was wearing a high-end outfit rather than something inexpensive.
It was no wonder that despite having a child, there were still many people asking about her, openly or subtly, regarding her marriage prospects. Men were eager to marry someone as beautiful as her. Even conservative elders who might have initially held reservations were unable to sway their sons.
During the New Year, many unmarried young men returned to the village, and though Fu Yunrou hadn't gone out much, her appearance and temperament were widely praised. Many had taken notice of her.
Normally, when people heard that a woman was unmarried with a child whose father was unknown, it would leave a bad impression. However, no one, young or old, seemed to harbor any ill will toward Fu Yunrou. Her clear, bright eyes and kind demeanor made it hard for anyone to think poorly of her.
Her warm smile had a way of drawing people in, making them feel instantly comfortable.
In short, Fu Yunrou was the kind of person everyone liked.
At the time, when she was still pregnant, the young men in the village didn't think much of it. But recently, when they called home and heard their families discussing her, some of them were eager to make a move. Those brave enough asked their relatives to test the waters. It could be said that if Fu Yunrou ever agreed, there would be no shortage of suitors ready to return immediately for a blind date.
That morning, Fu Yunrou carried her son in a baby sling, with a bag of baby clothes, towels, bottles, and other necessities slung over her shoulder. She headed toward Aunt Mei's house.
When she arrived, the courtyard door was open, and she could hear Aunt Mei's voice faintly from inside.
She called out and, after hearing a response, pushed open the door.
"Uncle Mei, Aunt Mei!"
Aunt Mei smiled warmly and gestured toward a small donkey in the yard. "Ruo Ruo, from now on, you'll ride this donkey to work. You can charge it at night."
"No, really, I'll buy one myself soon. Just let me borrow it for a day or two," Fu Yunrou replied, her face turning red. Uncle Mei and Aunt Mei had already done so much for her; she couldn't bear to take more.
After all, the donkey was a valuable asset for their household.
"We don't really need it at home, so don't worry about it," Aunt Mei said with a wave of her hand.
"All right, let's head over before that old fellow starts complaining," Aunt Mei said, pushing another donkey out of the courtyard.
This donkey was borrowed from a neighbor, and after dropping Fu Yunrou off, Aunt Mei would need to return it.
"Okay," Fu Yunrou agreed, deciding that she'd go to town in a couple of days to buy her own donkey.
The two women led the donkeys out of the yard, and as they walked, Aunt Mei suddenly asked, "Hey, where's your baby stroller?"
"Ah? Should I bring it?"
"Of course! You don't want to carry the baby all day, do you? It's tiring for you, and uncomfortable for him."
Fu Yunrou thought for a moment and agreed. She quickly went back to retrieve the stroller.
Then, they mounted the donkeys and set off down the road.
They traveled slowly, with Aunt Mei teaching Fu Yunrou the way.
As they rode, Aunt Mei explained, "When we arrive, just call him Uncle Guo. He's from the same generation as us, about seventy years old, and has no children. He's a bit stubborn. He's from Guo Village in the neighboring town. My husband's aunt married Uncle Guo's youngest uncle, so there's a bit of family connection there. He'll look out for you, so don't worry."
"He's old and has a bad temper, so just be patient with him."
"Old Man Guo was quite accomplished in his youth. Over fifty years ago, he was the only university student in Guo Village. Everyone thought he'd made something of himself after leaving the village, but about twenty years ago, he suddenly returned alone and spent all his savings to lease a large piece of land."
"No one knows what happened to him during his time away. He just buried himself in tending his flower fields and refused to let anyone help. He's got a terrible temper."
"A little while ago, Old Man Guo collapsed in his fields. If someone hadn't found him, he might not have made it. His family urged him to take on help, but he refused his nephews, saying they were too clumsy. I thought of you, being so attentive, and convinced my husband to get you a shot."
"We'll head straight to the flower field. When you're there, just keep an eye on his health."
Fu Yunrou nodded, paying attention to the directions as they rode. The job was turning out to be better than she had expected.
A flower farm?
What girl wouldn't love working surrounded by flowers? It sounded wonderful, and she already felt her spirits lifting.
The flower field wasn't far from the village. Riding at their current slow pace, it took about thirty minutes. Once she got used to the route, Fu Yunrou figured she could get there in about fifteen minutes.
The flower field was located at the foot of a mountain, surrounded by wire fencing, making it difficult to see inside.
Though it was situated near the mountain, it wasn't isolated. The flower field was only about twenty meters away from the village, where a red-brick house stood.
They stopped in front of a tall iron gate.
Aunt Mei raised her voice, calling out, "Old Guo! Old Man Guo! Come and open the door!"
After a minute or so, there was some movement inside, and soon an old man with a deeply wrinkled face opened the gate. His voice was gruff and irritable. "What are you yelling for? You trying to summon a ghost?"
Fu Yunrou was startled and instinctively patted her back, worried that the baby might be frightened.
Aunt Mei, unphased, responded loudly, "I've brought her here. Don't scare her with that bad temper of yours, or you'll answer to me!"
Old Man Guo shot her a critical glance.
Fu Yunrou quickly offered a polite smile. "Hello, Uncle Guo. I'm Yunrou."
Old Man Guo snorted and turned away without a word.
"I'll leave you to it. Ruoruo, I'll pick you up tonight," Aunt Mei said.
"It's okay, Aunt Mei. I remember the way," Fu Yunrou reassured her. She was confident she wouldn't get lost after following the path once.
But Aunt Mei insisted. "No, I'll come at six. It's settled."
After giving a few more instructions, Aunt Mei mounted her donkey and left.
Fu Yunrou stood there, a bit unsure of what to do next. When she saw Old Man Guo walking back inside, she hesitated for a moment.
Old Man Guo glanced back at her. "Well? Why are you just standing there? Waiting for an invitation?" His tone was still gruff, but at least he was inviting her in.
Fu Yunrou quickly pushed the donkey cart inside.
Once she found a place to park the cart and stroller, she looked around and realized Uncle Guo had already disappeared.
"..."
What now? Where was she supposed to go?
Not wanting to intrude, she left her large bag by the donkey and set the baby stroller nearby.
Then she set off to find Uncle Guo, glancing curiously around the flower field.
This flower garden that Uncle Guo guarded so fiercely was clearly special.
There were rows of flower seedlings planted in pots outside, but Fu Yunrou wasn't sure what kind of flowers they were.
Back when she was part of the noble daughter class in her old life, she'd been taught about flowers, but thanks to her scheming stepmother, she never got the chance to really learn. In the end, she was stuck with the label of being a pretty but useless "vase girl."
The soil was a bit messy, so Fu Yunrou didn't dare touch anything. She didn't want to risk disturbing anything important.
She spotted various types of flowers—Jian Lan, Xiaohong, Dendrobium, Chunlan—and some were already in bloom. Fu Yunrou recognized a few, but not all of them.
Could these be all different varieties of orchids? she wondered.
Did Uncle Guo have a particular fondness for orchids?
Soon, she noticed a large flower shed that was tightly covered.
She guessed Uncle Guo was inside.
Cautiously, she called out, "Uncle Guo?"
When there was no answer, she asked again, "Uncle Guo, is it okay if I come in?"
Still no reply.
Feeling brave, she said, "I'll come in, then?"
She waited for a moment longer. Hearing no rejection, she assumed it was fine and slowly stepped inside.
Entering the flower shed, her breath caught in her throat. Orchids in full bloom filled the space, each one more elegant and beautiful than the last.
Her gaze fell on the most dazzling orchid in the room. *Was this a mutated butterfly orchid?*
It was unlike any she had ever seen before. Her intuition told her that it was worth millions.
The other orchids, though less striking, were still likely worth hundreds of thousands.
No wonder Uncle Guo didn't allow people into his flower garden. These flowers were beyond valuable.
Fu Yunrou suddenly felt nervous, unsure of where to put her hands and feet.
She walked very carefully and slowly to Uncle Guo's side. She asked softly, "Uncle Guo, what do you need me to do?"
Uncle Guo was observing a flower seedling with his head lowered. When he heard what she said, he frowned and stared at her for a while. Then, he said, "Just cook lunch for me."
"Okay, what about me now?" Fu Yunruo thought to herself. She came very early. It was only eight o 'clock now. It was still early to cook lunch.
"You're not allowed to touch my flowers without my permission. You can do whatever you want with the rest of the time."
"…" Okay.
Fu Yunruo didn't dare to touch it casually. After all, if she accidentally dropped a pot, she couldn't afford to pay for it now …