Chapter 551: Chapter 57: Admonition 2
Seeing Xiao Xian coming, Mao Dazhu greeted him eagerly like seeing a money tree: "Xiao Xian, I must tell you that President Qiu came again. He mentioned that the mats are very popular and sold for a good price, and he even gave me a red envelope of five thousand yuan." This time, Mao Dazhu didn’t keep it for himself, as he was planning for long-term benefits and would need countless mats woven by Xiao Xian, so the most urgent thing was to win over Xiao Xian. Therefore, in the allocation of the straw mat shop’s space, Mao Dazhu had already made an adjustment.
Initially, the plan was to divide a small counter for Zhuo Feng and others to rent, but now it has become almost half of the shop temporarily rented out to Zhuo Feng and others.
"How can I accept this, Mr. Mao? It’s your shop, you should save the best spots for yourself," Feng Xing said with his usual naive mentality; Zhuo Feng heard him and quickly pushed him aside, continuously agreeing with Mao Dazhu’s idea on the side.
"We are all one family, why haggle over these details? The straw mat shop doesn’t do much business in autumn, winter, and spring; it’s idle anyway. Once your agricultural specialty store gets on the right track, it’s the same," meaning the money, though symbolically put in your pocket, would eventually end up in his, Mao Dazhu’s pocket.
In the past, Xiao Xian disapproved of Mao Dazhu’s greediness, until he visited the Fang Street Elderly Home.
From the mouths of the elderly there, he learned that the home had received less and less subsidies over the years, and the operational costs often fell short. A lot of the money from Five Gentlemen Flower Art went into the elderly home, and hence Xiao Xian’s perception of Mao Dazhu’s penny-pinching changed, and he no longer voiced any objections.
After showing Feng Xing and his wife around the neighborhood, Xiao Xian made an excuse to slip out of the shop and headed straight for the Agricultural Science Academy residential area, as Yu Gang had mentioned.
After explaining his identity and purpose to the security guard at the entrance, Xiao Xian was directed to Yu Gang’s apartment number.
The Agricultural Science Academy residential area was different from any Xiao Xian had lived in before; the landscaping was exceptionally well done. In the blazing summer, the community was filled with shaded paths. In the flower beds, one could see fences entwined with luffa vines sporting small yellow flowers, and pumpkins with fruits the size of fists.
Another difference with the Agricultural Science Institute affiliated residential area was that during summertime, while air conditioners in cities would blast full force making the interiors cool, it would be tough for those walking outside, surrounded by hot air from the air conditioning everywhere.
In the residential area of the Agricultural Science Academy, not a single air conditioner was to be found on the exterior walls of the buildings.
Almost every building had a rooftop garden built on top; either primroses or Boston ivy climbed down from the rooftops, covering them in a wash of green, which also reduced the temperature inside each building by seven or eight degrees.
Even when outdoor temperatures soared to 37 or 38 degrees, the indoor temperature remained around 30 degrees.
Upon entering Yu Gang’s home, the first thing Xiao Xian noticed was the interior decor. The impression this man in his early forties gave was very similar to his neat and tidy appearance, seasoned with a scholarly vibe. It’s a pity that Master Mei couldn’t spend her life with such a man...
After learning that Xiao Xian was Zhu Shijun’s granddaughter and that she had even saved his father’s life, Yu Gang’s attitude towards Xiao Xian became much warmer.
Yu Gang brought Xiao Xian a glass of greenish juice. Taking a sip, the coolness dispersed the heat she had felt from walking outside. "Luffa juice?" Not cucumber juice, but luffa juice.
"Just like Ah Nian said, you really have a sharp taste," Yu Gang got inspired and headed into the kitchen. He soon returned with a small basket of freshly picked luffa that still had yellow flowers attached.
"A new experiment interbreeding luffas with cucumbers, the taste is like luffa, but the water content and crunchiness are completely like cucumbers," The experiment with this new hybrid melon was in consideration for the summer consumption, as eating cucumbers could easily deposit melanin. This new hybrid melon was a great blessing for women who love beauty and fear getting tanned.
Yu Gang made juice with it directly; it had less residue than cucumber, was smoother, and with added honey, it was refreshing and detoxifying. After placing the basket of hybrid melons down, Yu Gang began inquiring about school matters: "Have you spoken to your guardian about the transfer?"
"I did, my aunt had no objections. As for my grandfather, I think there’s no need to mention it. I’ll go to the administration office to handle the transfer procedure once the school starts," Xiao Xian was actually not very sure herself. When she entered Sacred Heart Middle School, she was admitted through a special talent assessment. Now going to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, wouldn’t she need any assessment?