Chapter 737 Growing Flowers


    Michelle asked for two days'' worth of leave so that she could attend Nina''s wedding. Since she


    didn''t have to go to work today, she stayed in the North Yard.


    Valerie also found an excuse to stay.


    When Berry came back from apanying the children to the car, Berry saw Valerie and frowned.


    "Why are you here?"


    Valerie knew Vicente, but not Berry.


    Although Berry''s voice sounded familiar to her, she didn''t understand why she was being so hostile.


    ''Have I offended her in the past?''


    Valerie remembered Berry was one of Nina''s bridesmaids. She thought Berry and the princess were


    close friends, so she didn''t dare to offend her. Even though she didn''t like Berry''s tone with her, she


    still kept up her smile. "Hello."


    "Humph!" Berry snorted as she red menacingly at Valerie. She grabbed Michelle''s wrist and


    pulled her away. "Let''s go for a walk. I heard from Helen that there''s a rose garden here. There''s


    also a bunch of banyan trees. Maybe we''ll see some fireflies."


    "Fireflies only light up during the evening," Michelle started to exin. "During the day, they''re just


    insects that can fly."


    "What? Forget about the fireflies then." Although Berry wasn''t necessarily afraid of insects, she


    didn''t want to see the fireflies in the daytime. "Let''s go to the rose garden and check if the roses


    John has nted are as beautiful as the ones in my family."


    "Okay." Michelle giggled and held Berry''s arm. Then, she remembered that Valerie was still there.


    She stopped in her tracks and whispered, "Isn''t it impolite for us to leave the guest alone here?"


    "Leave her be." Berry took Michelle''s hand and left.


    There were special workers in the rose garden who were responsible for its maintenance. Michelle


    watched as the flowers swayed against the gentle breeze. "Wow, they''re so beautiful!"


    The ones who were taking care of the roses in the garden were an old couple over fifty years old.


    They were Helen''s parents. Before they worked here, they also served as the gardeners for the Shi


    family at the Stone Road. Once the North Yard castle waspleted, they moved in here with


    Helen.


    Helen wanted to take care of her parents, while John needed caretakers for his rose garden. It was


    a win-win decision for everyone.


    Near the rose garden, there was a small house where the old couple would rest whenever they


    were on duty.


    Even though there wasn''t much space, the old couple were able to decorate it and give it a nice,


    homely feel. There were sofas, tables and chairs, and all kinds of flowers and nts not found in


    the garden outside, filling the room with an enchanting aroma.


    When the old couple saw Michelle, they instantly took a liking to her. She was pretty with eyes as


    bright as stars and a smile as sweet as honey.


    "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Li," Michelle greeted. "I wanted to ask you how you grow these flowers."


    "Kid, what flowers do you want to nt?" Mrs. Li asked Michelle lovingly as she held her hand.


    Meanwhile, her husband was trimming a basin of spruce on the windowsill with scissors.


    Michelle helped Mrs. Li to her chair and stood beside her. "Someone gave me a bunch of


    champagne roses. I want to know how to keep them longer."


    "I see." Mrs. Li nodded and patted the back of Michelle''s hand. "The flowers have been separated


    from the soil. There''s not much you can do to keep them for a long time. Are these flowers from a


    boy you like?"


    Mr. Li heard his wife and turned around to smile. "I think so."


    "Oh. No, no." Michelle blushed as she waved both her hands. ''Leon wouldn''t give me flowers, '' she


    thought. Then, she held Mrs. Li''s hand and looked at her with pleading eyes. "Mrs. Li, please tell


    me. I want to keep them for longer, but I don''t know how because I haven''t grown any flowers."


    "First of all, the water in the vase should be clean. You need to use water that''s close to room


    temperature. For example, rainwater or water from the pond. Just make sure that it''s clean."


    Michelle suddenly remembered something. She scratched her head and said, "I used running water


    last night. Is that okay?"


    Mrs. Li looked at her and frowned. "If you''re going to use running water, you have to let it sit in the


    vase for a day before you put in any flowers. Since it''s already November, water straight from the


    faucet is going to be cold. It'' won''t be suitable."


    "Then, then, what should I do?" Michelle stood up with a great sense of urgency. "I''m going to


    change the water right away!"


    Macy grabbed her hand and stopped her. "No need to rush. You can change it after I tell you to.


    Don''t worry."


    ''But if I don''t hurry, the flowers will wither. And if they wither, how could I pray to them? The flowers


    represent happiness, and when I prayed to them, happiness in the form of Leon came to me. I have


    to continue praying.''


    However, Mrs. Li was right. She didn''t have to rush and had ample time left to listen to what Mrs. Li


    was going to say.


    Michelle turned around and squatted down to Mrs. Li''s eye level. She ced both her hands on her


    wrinkled hands and grinned. "Mrs. Li, please tell me how. I''m listening."


    "Remember to change the water frequently, at least two or three times a day. If you find some


    broken branches in the water, you need to cut them off with scissors, and you nt them just like..."


    She looked around to find anything that could serve as an example for Michelle. Her husband saw


    this and offered, "Kid,e here. I''ll show you how."


    "Thank you, Mr. Li!" Michelle watched on intently as Mr. Li demonstrated to her how to cut the


    excess flowers and branches in the vase.


    "You can add a little salt into the water," he instructed as he continued cutting. "That way, the


    flowers will live longer. But if you add salt, flower buds won''t bloom."


    "Oh, I see. Do you have any other advice?" Michelle asked impertinently.


    "Flowers need sunshine. But don''t let the sunlight shine on them directly. Otherwise, they''ll dry up


    and die," Mrs. Li answered.


    Michelle remembered the sulent nts she had grown in the past. "Okay, I''ll make sure to


    remember that. Is there anything else?"


    "That''s all for now. Flowers kept in a vase are unlike the ones nted in the soil. Although it''s not


    hard to maintain them, the flowers ced in a vase have a shorter lifespan. If you don''t want to


    throw them away, you can turn them into dried flowers when they''re about to wither."


    Michelle knew about dried flowers, but she didn''t know how to make them. She tilted her head in


    curiosity and asked, "How do I dry the flowers? Do I let them sit under the sun?"


    The old couple looked at each other andughed.


    Michelle didn''t understand why they wereughing. ''Is it something I said?'' she wondered. She


    smiled sheepishly and asked again, "So I can''t let it dry under the sun?"


    "Silly girl, of course not. You''ll have to hang the flowers upside down using a rope and let them dry


    in a well-ventted ce." Mrs. Li pinched Michelle''s face gently.


    "Remember to hang it upside down," Mr. Li emphasized. He was afraid that Michelle might not be


    able to remember the important points. "Don''t worry; the petals won''t fall. But if you let them sit


    under the sun, they will darken and lose their natural color."


    Michelle nodded. "Okay, I''ll remember that. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Li! Is there anything else you''d


    like to add?"


    "That''s all." Mrs. Li patted Michelle''s head. "Well, you should get back now." She knew that Michelle


    was in a hurry to change the water for her flowers.


    Michelle sprang out of her chair and bowed to them. "Thank you!" As soon as she exited the door,


    she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.


    Meanwhile, Berry remained in the garden and continued to watch the roses. She saw that the roses


    here were much beautiful than those in her house.


    She was enthralled by the roses for a while. When she came back to her senses, she saw Michelle


    running away.


    "Mimi, Mimi! Where are you going?" Berry ran after her.


    Michelle ran so fast that she didn''t hear Berry.


    After running for a while, Michelle slowed down to a trot and gasped heavily to catch her breath.


    She forgot how big the North Yard was.


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    Once she had recovered, she lowered her head and continued running. When she was about to


    turn at a corner, she bumped into Nina.


    Although Nina wasn''t as strong as before, she was still powerfulpared to Michelle who didn''t


    exercise regrly. It happened so fast that Nina wasn''t able to see who hit her. Instinctively, she


    raised her arms and pushed Michelle away.


    Nina''s body buckled a little bit, with Valerie quickly supporting her with her hands.


    Meanwhile, Michelle fell onto the ground and winced in pain. "Ouch! It hurts so much!"


    When Nina regained her bnce, Valerie let go of her. She snickered secretly when she saw


    Michelle on the ground.


    ''You''re in trouble after bumping into Princess Nina, '' she thought maliciously.