Lin's mother stood under the shade of a nearby tree, and the more she looked at him, the more she liked him. She thought that in the early stages, a man's nervousness and tension towards a woman were directly proportional, unless he was an old hand with women, otherwise it was hard to escape being nervous and cautious. The more Jiang Changyang appeared anxious in front of her, the more she liked him. Seeing that Peony had already stopped working, she walked up and smiled: "The tea soup has just been brewed, and some pastries have been brought, let's go sit in the newly built grass pavilion to rest for a while."

  Peony had just washed her hands and was leading the crowd to the outside of the nursery when they saw Zheng Huaqiang leading a 14-year-old boy standing guard. Seeing Peony, Zheng Huaqiang hastily pushed the boy forward, letting him pay his respects: "Xilang quickly pays respects to his mother."

  The young man heard this and immediately went forward to kowtow to Peony, who hastily told him to get up: "What's the meaning of this? Who is he?"

  "Ah, Mother," said Zheng Hua with a smile, "this is my cousin, Xi Lang. He's been fond of gardening since he was young, but unfortunately his father passed away. I heard from Rain Lotus that you're looking for someone to take care of the flowers and trees in the garden, so I brought him here to meet you. Would it be possible for him to join me in the garden and do some manual labor? As for wages and such, please handle it as you see fit. He just wants to fill his belly and have a place to rest."

  Peony heard this and hastily called Lin's mother to lead Jiang Changyang away first: "I have something to attend to, Mr. Jiang please go ahead and have some tea."

  Jiang Changyang stood with his hands behind his back and strolled around: "Don't worry, let me take a look at the flowers and trees around here."

  The peony reluctantly turned back to carefully examine the young man, and saw that he was wearing a plain white coarse linen robe with not too many but also not too few patches, the hem of which was tucked up and tied at his waist. He wore hemp shoes on his feet, his hands and feet were thick and rough, his skin was dark, and there was an air of silence in his expression that did not match his age. His eyes drooped down, motionless, looking like a simple and honest person.

  However, this garden of hers is a major matter and not just anyone can enter at will. Even Zheng Huaizhang isn't allowed to enter freely at any time, for example when she's on a secret mission, only Yuhu can stay in the garden while everyone else is barred from entering. As for tasks like tilling the soil and watering, they're done on a regular schedule after the garden gate is opened, with a fixed group of women from the village, including Zheng Huaizhang, acting under Yuhu's or her personal supervision. Someone who has just arrived and has no reputation or background to speak of, wanting to enter the garden to help out right away, even if it's just doing menial tasks, she doesn't trust them.

  Zheng Huajuan saw the peony and only measured people, but didn't speak. She was a bit anxious, hurriedly stretched out her hand to help the young man take down the corner of his robe that was tied at his waist, pulled it a few times, and smiled apologetically: "Mother, this child is a bit stupid, but he's a good kid. You see, I let him tidy up properly, he doesn't even know how to wear his robe neatly."

  "Old Zheng, we've known each other for a long time, and you should be aware of my temperament. I'm a serious person who does things with integrity, and I won't take advantage of anyone. This kid is your nephew, after all, so he shouldn't be too bad. However, the rules I set earlier can't be changed, and this garden still can't be entered casually. There are many flowers and trees in the Fragrant Garden that need to be taken care of, so let him try his hand on the outskirts for now. We'll discuss it again after some time has passed. As for his wages, we'll follow the same standard as everyone else - he'll get what he deserves. If you're too busy, I'll instruct Zhengniang and the others to come over a few more times."

  Zheng Hua's expression was somewhat stiff, as if he hadn't expected Peony to refuse him, and he couldn't find any reason to refute her. Peony didn't care about him, but instead looked at the young man with a smile: "Are you called Xilang? How old are you this year?"

  The young man's toes in his hemp shoes tensely scratched downwards, his voice smaller than a mosquito: "Returning to mother's words, the humble one is called Xilang, and this year he is fourteen."

  "Good job, good job! If you work well, your salary will be increased. When can you start working?"

  Xilang said: "As for what you said, it's always possible."

  Peony nodded and asked Zheng Huajun to take him to eat and arrange his accommodation.

  It was as if seeing the peony's good appearance, Xi Lang suddenly lifted his head and blurted out: "Mother, let me follow Uncle into the garden, I will be extremely careful, absolutely not touching or moving randomly. You can rest assured!"

  Peony was taken aback and said with a hint of a smile: "You just want to enter the garden like this? Do you know what's inside?"

  Xi Lang suddenly shrunk his neck, looked at Zheng Hua with a guilty conscience, and said in a low voice: "I don't know anything. I just want to learn from Uncle's skills, so that I can support my family as soon as possible, and let my mother and younger siblings live a good life."

  "I don't know, are you talking nonsense with your eyes open? Don't you still want to come in?" Peony smiled faintly: "Whether you know or not is unimportant, it's good that you have this heart, but I said no entry means no entry! Think about it, there are many good peonies planted outside, if you can take care of them well, then come and talk to me about entering the garden."

  Zheng Hua's words were cut off as Xi Lang took a step forward, his face beaming with excitement: "I absolutely won't let you down, Mother."

  The peony glanced at Zheng Huajun with a faint smile and said, "That's for the best."

  Peony looked displeased, Zheng Huajun smiled awkwardly and didn't dare say more. As she watched Zheng Huajun and Xilang leave, Peony whispered to Yuhe: "Have someone keep a close eye on Xilang." He's an orphan who has never been out before, yet he speaks with such arrogance, calling people 'little men' and telling them to 'go back to their mothers', it's almost as if he's been a servant for a long time.

  It's not that she's being overly cautious, but she really can't afford to be careless. The cultivation of new peony varieties is a very complex and time-consuming process, and in the short term, if you want to make a profit and rely on flowers to support flowers, you must rely on large-scale reproduction of these existing famous and expensive varieties, selecting the best from among them. And what's more, Shi Yang Jin is the most critical, it's also the calling card that makes Fangyuan famous, absolutely can't afford to have any mistakes, so far, even Zheng Hua Jiang, who comes in and out of the nursery every day, doesn't know which ones are Shi Yang Jin and which ones aren't. How could she allow a person with an unknown background to enter this garden casually?

  Jiang Changyang said lightly: "Since you suspect, there's no need to keep it. Just find an excuse and refuse directly."

  "Actually, I've been thinking about it, but I'm also afraid of wrongly accusing someone. After all, there are many craftsmen who want to steal techniques and aren't good at their craft if they don't strive for improvement. If he's really talented and a good person, I wouldn't mind teaching him a thing or two, cultivating his talent, and making him my right-hand man - that's one thing. Another thing is, he's Old Zheng's nephew, and Old Zheng has brought him to me, which means he's determined that I won't refuse... Ha ha, you understand, I just can't find anyone more trustworthy than this young florist."

  Jiang Changyang smiled slightly: "You're quite frank."

  "Besides, you're not my rival, but a trustworthy friend. It's nothing to make a fuss about."

  Jiang Changyang said, "You can't always put your eggs in one basket. What if one day this garden becomes famous and someone maliciously offers ten or twenty times the salary to poach Old Zheng? What would you do then? If this garden really operates as you wish, you can't do everything yourself. There must be trustworthy people here to keep an eye on things at all times."

  "Peony didn't frown: 'I've thought about it too, and I've been looking for someone all these days, but none of them are suitable. There are many people taking care of flowers and trees outside the garden, but few can enter this garden. If someone really wants to dig maliciously, let them be. Anyway, my main business doesn't rely on him. By next year, Rain Lotus will probably be able to help me with a lot of things. At worst, I'll just choose another trustworthy person to handle daily affairs.'"

  Jiang Changyang fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly: "If it were a death contract, would you still be so worried?"

  She wasn't unaware of the fact that in this era, what could be more secure and reassuring than having someone's life and fate entirely in one's hands? However, cultivating a skilled florist from a house slave would take a long time, whereas a ready-made skilled florist... The thought of turning a good citizen into a slave made her quickly dismiss the idea. But at this moment, Jiang Changyang brought it up. Peony swiftly raised her eyes to look at Jiang Changyang, whose pair of eyes calmly and quietly gazed at her, without any sinister or cold expression she had imagined, he was just looking at her with an air of simplicity, as if it were a most ordinary proposal.

  Even someone like him can say that forcing good people to do bad things is no big deal, is it really because of the difference in the era we grew up in, so our thoughts differ so much? Peony lowered her eyes and said softly: "Of course, I'm at ease, but forcing good people to do bad things seems excessive."

  Jiang Changyang's eyes widened in surprise, and with a mixture of amusement and anger, he took a few steps forward before turning back. He looked down at Peony and said: "What do you take me for? Forcing someone to be immoral! When did I ever say that I wanted you to be immoral? Even if you want to, can you even...?" Even if she wants to, she has to be capable of doing it, look at her, is she the kind of person who does such things?

  The peony looked at him with an expression as if he had misunderstood himself, his face slightly red, and he said boldly: "What do you want me to do? Do you look down on me?"

  Jiang Changyang let out a soft "ah" sound, and his previous awkwardness and tension were swept away. He smiled first: "Can you still do it? You'd better tell me, what can you do?"

  The peony saw him calm and composed, not hurried or worried, and at this point he completely believed that his earlier misunderstanding was just a mistake. Xing gritted his teeth and said viciously: "Is it difficult to do good deeds? Is it even more difficult to do bad things? Of course, we need to set up a trap for him first, then force him to lose everything, have nowhere to turn, and then extend a helping hand at the right time, let him be grateful and willing to become my servant. At that time, I can manipulate him as I please, no matter how much salary he wants!"

  Jiang Changyang saw her puffed out her cheeks, gritting her teeth, and thought she looked very fierce, couldn't help but burst out laughing: "You really do look very fierce when you say that."

  It's really scary... What does that mean? Peony glared at him: "If you provoke me, I'll become a bad person too. I'm telling the truth."

  Jiang Changyang saw Peony glance over, her eyes fluttering, seemingly annoyed yet not, with a hint of blush on her cheeks, soft and delicate. Clearly unintentional, yet this unintentional charm was all the more captivating, making his heart skip a beat, and he couldn't help but blurt out: "If you trust me, I'll sell you my gardener. He's reliable, skilled, and knows his place, so you never have to worry about him doing anything disloyal. If you put this garden in his care, at the very least, you can halve your worries." He paused for a moment, then said with a teasing tone: "Even if you really want to be a bad person...you'll still have more time to do so."

  Peony felt uneasy under his gaze, quickly turning her head away, staring at the green moss on the ground, and said softly: "I can't always accept your feelings. At this rate, I will owe you a favor for the rest of my life."

  Jiang Changyang let out a relaxed sigh and jokingly complained, "He Niang, you're usually such an open-minded person, why do you always get stuck on this matter? Can't you just not bring it up all the time? It makes me feel uncomfortable standing here, like I'm some kind of debt collector. If you really don't want to, then forget it."

  Peony looked at him seriously and solemnly said, "Hasn't Mr. Jiang ever owed anyone a favor? To be honest, I'm most afraid of owing people favors, yet I often have to do so. The feeling of owing someone a favor is even more uncomfortable than owing them money. When you owe someone money, you can repay it one by one, but when you owe someone a favor, some can be repaid, while others cannot be easily cleared. As time accumulates, if you really can't repay it, you'll have to pay with your life. If you can't, then even in your dreams, you won't be able to forget, always remembering and feeling that this life is not yours, not your family's, and at any moment, when the other person speaks up, you'll have to give it away. The most terrible thing is that even if you want to repay with your life, you can't do so freely."

  Although it's a bit exaggerated, after saying this, Peony feels much more relaxed and happy. She has taken the initiative to attack. The favor she owes him is getting bigger and bigger, but she doesn't know how to repay it. It's not just about repaying with her life, but also whether she can afford to repay it at all. What she fears most is that even if she uses her life as payment, it still won't be enough. She doesn't like playing ambiguous games, and she's not good at it either.

  He said they were just friends before, but today's behavior is not that of ordinary friends. They coincidentally met, sent crabs, thick-skinned mixed rice to eat, and also wanted to send people, the flowers were planted well and still lingered without leaving, what does this mean? Being an ordinary friend doesn't work like this. She hasn't talked about it before, but that doesn't mean she doesn't understand. Alright, even if he is indeed not bad, she still finds him pleasing to the eye, but the fundamental issues must be clarified, even if they can't be clearly stated, she should also express her own attitude.

  If he wants a comfort in loneliness or a nostalgic memory of youth for his old age, rather than someone to cherish and accompany him through life, then it's better to part ways early.

  Jiang Changyang saw the serious and solemn expression on Peony's face, knowing that he couldn't just brush it off casually. He took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said: "I understand what you mean, but you're thinking too much, I don't want you to risk your life for me. It's just...it's just..." He furrowed his brow, trying to find the most suitable words to describe his thoughts and feelings, unable to express himself explicitly without giving off a frivolous impression, yet wanting to convey his sincerity.

  But he didn't have enough experience in this regard, and after thinking for a long time, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "I just think it's fun to watch you plant flowers, it feels very intimate, familiar, and comfortable. If you don't like me disturbing you, or if I inadvertently caused you trouble before, then I'll...". He wouldn't come again, but how could this sentence be so easily spoken? He hesitated for a long time and finally changed it to: "In short, you have to believe that I absolutely didn't have any malicious intentions. I..." He looked at the peony with a few parts of flattery, trying his best to show a row of white teeth: "I'm really a good person, don't believe me? Ask my friends... Pei Yuan and the monk doesn't like me the most, but he wouldn't dare say I'm a bad person... We're not familiar yet, slowly you'll get to know."

  Peony saw the blue veins on his neck bulging, and his words were somewhat incoherent. He was obviously anxious, but his eyes still dared to stare at her straight, and she couldn't help but secretly laugh. Suppressing her smile, she said seriously: "It's not a matter of good or bad people, I want to ask, does General Jiang really consider me a good friend? It's not that I'm not carefree enough, nor is it that I'm petty-minded, it's just that this world is a bit harsh on women. If you really treat me as a friend like Fu Yuan Dashi and Yuan Shi Jiu, I would be extremely happy and deeply honored."

  What they said might be two completely different concepts, whether it's someone who is self-proclaimed or widely regarded as morally superior, can take concubines and prostitutes without anyone thinking they are immoral; but for her, if she had the intention to let her do what Meng Zong previously suggested, or what they thought was a higher status, would be an insult.

  Jiang Changyang understood the implicit meaning of Peony's words, and he was even more clear about Li Wei's affairs and the Ning Wangfu incident. He quickly said: "Of course, I regard you as a person worthy of respect, and at the same time, I truly respect you like Fu Yuan and Yuan Shijiu." He looked seriously into Peony's eyes, cautiously and solemnly, slowly and firmly saying: "My affairs, I can take charge of myself."

  The peony quietly looked at him, and he also looked back at the peony without flinching. The peony clearly saw that after he said his last sentence, his expression obviously relaxed a lot, with a gleam of joyful anticipation in his eyes.

  But Peony withdrew her gaze, and smiled warmly: "To have a friend like General Jiang, I am honored. From now on, I will never mention anything about repaying favors again. So, General Jiang, please come this way, to taste the Mengding flower tea specially brewed by Lin Mama, and the crispy mountain cake made by Zhou Ba Niang."

  Okay, he didn't have that disgusting idea in mind. So, it's possible to take a look first and then talk about it later. But before that, they were just friends, not the kind of lovers who would easily promise their love with just a few words and regret it afterwards, making it awkward to meet again. Give yourself some time, and give him some time too - the more you understand each other, the clearer it will be whether you're suitable for each other or not, and whether your feelings will change. What's better than starting as friends first? If you like each other, you can take it further; if not, it'll be easier to back off with more dignity and room to spare.

  Jiang Changyang didn't expect Peony to change the subject so quickly, and he couldn't even see more emotions on her face. She was treating him with the same warmth as if she were entertaining a friend. He felt somewhat disheartened and even doubted whether Peony had understood the meaning of his last sentence. Maybe he should have been clearer, he thought to himself, slapping his palm in regret. But just two steps later, he heard Peony say: "I wonder where Mr. Jiang found that capable and trustworthy florist? Perhaps I can ask for your help."

  He heard this and was genuinely delighted, willing to help him out, which was a good omen. So he plucked up the courage to probe: "Just now you said we were friends, yet you still address me in such a formal manner, have we become strangers? My real friends don't call me Mr. Jiang, they all call me by my courtesy name Chengfeng, including Madame Bai too, you've heard it yourself."

  It's not a big deal, Peony smiled slightly and repeated the sentence from just now with a mischievous tone: "I wonder where that capable and reassuring florist, Cheng Feng, was found? Maybe you can help me out."

  Jiang Changyang's lips curled up uncontrollably, and he deliberately said lightly: "It was given to me by a trustworthy friend. If Dan Niang needs it, I'll help you ask when the time comes, but it might be expensive. However, for the sake of our friendship, I'll help you haggle over the price."

  Peony was taken aback, this is indeed a case of "striking the snake and hitting the stick", this is what they call Peony Mother. Alright, it's not a big deal, six or seven out of ten people she knows call her Peony Mother anyway. She nodded slightly: "Then I'll have to trouble you."

  When they arrived at the grass pavilion, Yingniang and Rongniang were already waiting there, holding a pine nut to tease Fling, who had changed into a new environment and was not on a leash. She was very excited, and as soon as she saw Peony, she flapped her wings and flew over, perching on Peony's shoulder and crying out wildly: "Peony, Peony is so lovely, Fling..." After a brief pause, she tilted her head as if thinking, then happily cried out: "Fling is even more lovely!" After calling out, she turned her head, gazing at Yingniang with round, wide eyes in a flattering manner.

  The young girl covered her mouth and laughed: "Auntie, Fāng Fāng is still as clever as ever, she'll pick it up with just a casual teaching."

  Peony stretched out her hand and let the swallow stop on it. She took over two pine nuts to feed it: "Little thing, you will boast again."

  Jiang Changyang smiled and said: "Normally, who teaches it to speak?"

  "Most of it was me," said Peony, only to realize afterwards that she was indeed lovely, and wasn't it also her own doing back then, making herself feel better by boasting about herself?

  Jiang Changyang was just about to smile when Yingniang and Rongniang exchanged a glance, stood up and paid their respects: "Uncle Jiang."

  Then, suddenly, Shuaishuai was like a switch had been turned on: "Uncle Jiang is good, Uncle Jiang is good."

  Although he knew it was the parrot that Ying Niang and Rong Niang had just taught, Jiang Changyang still fell in love with this clever parrot at once. He asked Ying Niang for a few pine nuts and carefully stretched out his hand to the parrot's face. Seeing Jiang Changyang's outstretched hand, the parrot did not immediately eat, but instead carefully tapped his hand with its beak, then looked at him sideways, and the two exchanged eye contact for a moment. Only then did the parrot eat the pine nuts from Jiang Changyang's hand, and then jumped onto his head to perch.

  The peony was startled and hastily shouted: "Shuaishuai quickly come down!"