"After all this talk, it seems like you didn’t bring anything for me?" Wei Jing’s tone was slightly sour.
"How could I forget? Don’t you like fish? I made a lot of Eight-Treasure Fish, just steam it and it’s ready to eat. Easy to store and tastes great. I also packed a lot of seasoning mixes so you can make pickled chicken feet whenever you want."
Wei Jing first took Yang Jiabo to grab a bite to eat, then brought him back to his place. Wei Jing had bought a two-bedroom high-rise apartment near the company.
When Yang Jiabo stepped inside, he was struck by the sleek, minimalist gray decor, which was suited Wei Jing perfectly. The place was spotless, and the kitchen was pristine, without a trace of cooking smells - clearly never used.
Yang Jiabo: "You bought this place yourself?"
Wei Jing: "Yeah, but I only paid the down payment."
Yang Jiabo said enviously, "Nice. Keep an eye out for good locations, I want to buy one too."
Wei Jing: "You can just stay with me when you’re here."
Yang Jiabo: "You think I’m buying it to live in? I’m buying it as an investment. I can rent it out and live off the income. Just the rent from a Beijing property would let me laze around comfortably for life."
"You should talk to Brother Ren about that, he partnered with someone to buy a plot of land and is developing it. But you’re still so young, why are you already thinking about lazing around? Can’t you have some ambition?"
"My ambition is to laze around." Yang Jiabo grinned. "So Brother Ren is loaded, huh? Next time he buys medicine, I’ll milk him dry."
"Loaded? He’s just doing alright."
As they chatted, they sorted through Yang Jiabo’s luggage. His personal belongings were placed in Wei Jing’s bedroom—the apartment only had two rooms, one serving as the bedroom and the other as a study.
Yang Jiabo hadn’t just brought food—he’d also brought a lot of flowers. Seeing this, Wei Jing immediately took Yang Jiabo and the flowers to his grandfather’s house.
"Is it really okay for us to just show up like this?" Yang Jiabo tugged nervously at his clothes, his discomfort around strangers flaring up again.
Wei Jing glanced at him. "What’s wrong with it? Even though you haven’t met, you’ve already ‘known’ each other in spirit. Plus, you brought so many gifts, the old man will be over the moon."
Yang Jiabo said sheepishly, "It’s just some things from home, nothing valuable."
When they arrived at the Wei family, Grandma Wei was shocked to see Wei Jing at the door. "Xiao Jing? What brings you here? I thought you were busy?"
"You little brat, finally decided to show up? Why can’t you be more like Xiao Feng and not worry me so much?" Grandpa Wei’s voice boomed with vigor.
"Grandpa, we have a guest." Wei Jing quickly reminded the old man. Even after all these years, Grandpa Wei still held a grudge over him studying abroad.
"Who’s here?" Grandpa Wei looked curiously behind Wei Jing.
"Grandpa Wei, Grandma Wei, hello. I’m Yang Jiabo." Yang Jiabo greeted them politely. When he wasn’t acting out, his demeanor was very likable to elders. He also knew how to charm them, in his past life, many elderly customers had frequented his pharmacy.
"Oh, it’s Jiajia! Come in, come in!" Grandma Wei welcomed him warmly.
"Wait a moment, Jiajia brought a lot of things for you. Let’s carry them in first." Wei Jing walked in carrying a cardboard box, and Yang Jiabo followed with another.
"Jiajia, you’re too kind. You didn’t have to bring gifts, just treat this as your own home." Grandma Wei smiled.
"These are all from my family’s farm, just some fresh produce for you to try." Yang Jiabo smiled and set the items down by the kitchen door.
"Grandpa, Jiajia brought some flowers that need tending to." Wei Jing carried a box of plants to the backyard.
"What kind of flowers?" Grandpa Wei perked up immediately.
"Mostly orchids, and a few camellias," Yang Jiabo said.
Wei Jing and Yang Jiabo moved all the flowers to the backyard, with Grandpa Wei following happily behind. When the boxes were opened, Wei Jing carefully lifted out each orchid, followed by a blooming "Eighteen Scholars" camellia. The plants were all in excellent condition, showing no signs of having been uprooted and transported over a long distance.
[The Eighteen Scholars camellia (十八学士, Shíbā Xuéshì, Camellia japonica): a famous and highly prized camellia cultivar, named after the Tang Dynasty's elite academicians, prized for its perfectly symmetrical 18-petaled blooms symbolizing scholarly refinement and harmony]
"Let’s leave the flowers here for now. I’ll go buy some pots and soil," Wei Jing said.
"No need, no need, we have plenty at home." Grandpa Wei sent Wei Jing to fetch them from the toolshed, then turned to Yang Jiabo. "Jiajia, you’ve raised these flowers beautifully, the blooms are stunning. I’ve never seen Eighteen Scholars this vibrant. But I thought they weren’t in season?"
"The largest white one is a gift for you, Grandpa. I used a little trick to keep it blooming." Yang Jiabo was outright lying, he had no trick. He’d simply picked the two best plants to bring.
He’d noticed that plants grown near the fleeceflower thrived, but only if planted in the ground - potted ones showed little effect.
"What about the pink one? What are your plans for it?" Grandpa Wei asked. If Yang Jiabo intended to sell it, he could help.
Yang Jiabo: "That one was reserved by Chang Jin for his grandfather. Grandpa Chang’s birthday is coming up soon."
"It’s in half a month. At least that kid has some filial piety." Grandpa Wei nodded. "Jiajia, the flowers you grow are such high quality, have you considered growing other varieties or expanding?"
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