Chapter Eighty-One: Purchasing Perennial Plants (Thank You for Your Support)

There was a dazzling array of flowers on the marketplace, and Zhong Di’s eyes were overwhelmed; everything looked beautiful, but choosing the right ones was the main issue. He calmed himself and carefully considered his needs: if it was just for a background wall, some flowering plants would suffice.

Roses, or other perennials like peonies, irises, large daylilies, and so on—all were suitable for planting in the northwest region. After a bit of deliberation, Zhong Di ordered some of each. They weren’t expensive anyway, so he simply bought them. Later, he would just arrange them with care. He briefly considered hiring someone to design the layout, but quickly dismissed the idea.

If he had someone design it and followed their plan, it would look too commercialized. It might look nice, but it would lose that original charm. So he decided to plant them casually, without worrying about the types or arranging them into shapes. This approach also had the beauty of exploration.

He’d already ordered roses, so naturally he wanted to add some wild roses and climbing roses as well. He envisioned raising a couple of robust climbing roses to drape over the gate, so the entrance would be awash in flowers. Large daylilies weren’t just ornamental; they could be picked as a dish. Daylilies have another name—golden flowers—and they taste delicious.

Peonies had to be woody. He’d bought herbaceous peonies before, which are similar, but herbaceous peonies are mainly medicinal and don’t overwinter well. If you want continuous blooms for viewing, woody peonies are more suitable.

There were also cannas, which could be planted under fruit trees without any issue. Additionally, he wanted to add some spiderwort—those tiny flowers were beautiful.

The more he bought, the more excited he became, wanting to buy everything he saw. Luckily, he had funds on hand and could afford it.

Most of what he bought were mature plants. You bring them home, let them grow this year, prune them ahead of autumn, and they’re basically set. No need for the long seedling stage as with seeds, where winter comes before the plants have even grown.

Soon, Zhong Di had bought roughly what he needed, and he added some mint and mosquito-repellent herbs. These were fragrant perennials, perfect for planting in a patch.

For mint, he chose large-leaf mint, which could be used for tea. Later, he’d get some pots, plant them, and when customers came, they could take a pot home if they liked. It would also make a nice gift for clients.

He bought mosquito-repellent herbs precisely because the fields had mosquitoes, which were bothersome. Planting them here and there would not only look good but also keep mosquitoes away—perfect.

After he finished buying, Zhong Di lay down to rest, savoring a strangely satisfying feeling. He enjoyed it thoroughly; perhaps this was why he loved farming.

Society today is far too impetuous. In everyone’s eyes, whatever you do, their first thought is: does this make money?

When everyone thinks this way, society ceases to be society. When everything is driven by profit, it’s over.

Zhong Di understood his own needs, knew what he wanted, and so he stayed true to himself.

If Zhong Di truly wanted to make money, he wouldn’t bother with any of this. He’d simply use his skills to hype up his free-range chickens and eggs, earn his first bucket of gold, scale up production, and quickly rake in a fortune.

But after all that, what would be left to pursue? When money turns into nothing but a string of numbers, what then?

After satisfying basic material needs, people crave higher spiritual fulfillment; otherwise, it’s nothing but emptiness.

Thinking these thoughts, Zhong Di drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, Zhong Di got up and started his chores.

Recently, the free-range chickens had been laying eggs frequently. Each one was plump and sturdy, waddling as they walked. Anyone who didn’t know better might mistake them for broilers; proper free-range chickens weren’t supposed to look like this.

The baby rabbits had left the nest; their eyes were bright and lively. Compared to the adult rabbits, the little ones were still full of curiosity about the world, running everywhere. The whole rabbit pen was filled with their figures.

Most had gray fur. When Zhong Di bought rabbits, he hadn’t intended to sell pet rabbits—just simple ones for visitors to see and play with, or to stew for a meal.

The pigeon loft had been well fixed up by Shao Hong, and there were plenty of nests. Many pigeons were already brooding. There had been some losses during recent receptions, so next time some replacements would be needed.

Zhong Di worked away, and for all the heavy or tiring tasks, Shao Hong volunteered to take them on, making Zhong Di feel quite embarrassed.

According to Shao Hong, he didn’t understand the overall direction of the garden’s development, so he relied on Zhong Di to manage that. But for the practical operations, he’d do more work.

When things were almost done, Zhong Hui arrived, asked briefly about Zhong Di’s day yesterday, and Zhong Di explained, even mentioning the wages for the two elder sisters.

“Dad, why are you here?” Just as Zhong Di was about to prepare breakfast, his father arrived, riding a little electric scooter and carrying a cane.

“Dad, why are you wandering around?” His elder sister put down her work.

“These past couple of days, I feel I’ve recovered well. I can walk slowly on the ground now. I just couldn’t sit still, so I thought I’d come over and take a look.”

“Really? Looking at you now, I suspect it’s all thanks to eating our free-range chickens, recovering so fast.”

After Zhong Tian explained a couple of things, he sensed the atmosphere was a bit off and quickly changed the topic, setting the cane aside and trying a few steps.

Honestly, he could really walk.

Zhong Di gasped in surprise. The saying goes, ‘it takes a hundred days to heal bones and tendons’—not just idle talk. But seeing his father’s state, he wouldn’t need a hundred days; at most, a month and he’d be fully healed.

Still, he couldn’t be careless. He’d have to take his father to the hospital for a follow-up.

Maybe it was, as his father said, the effect of the free-range chickens.

“All right, then. Just wander around the garden, and rest if you get tired.”

Knowing his father’s temperament, Zhong Di didn’t try to stop him. He really was almost back to normal; if not for the plaster cast on his foot, he’d seem just like any other person.

“No, give me something to do. Is there anything I can help with? I can’t sit still.”

Zhong Tian protested. Having worked his whole life, he couldn’t stand sudden idleness. He used to think that when he had money, he’d rest and stop working, but when that time finally came, he found he simply couldn’t sit still.

Zhong Di thought it over and agreed, but certainly wouldn’t let his father do any manual labor.

“How about this, Dad. I remember we have a distant relative—my cousin, Zhong Hua. Doesn’t he have a small excavator? I happen to need to dig a little fish pond. You can oversee the arrangement, okay?”

He’d originally planned to dig the pond later, but since his father was idle, he could have him supervise the task. No labor required, just overseeing things—quite suitable.

“All right, leave it to me.”