Now that Han Shubuo was away at the school and the daughters were going to Wang Village every other day to learn embroidery, Han Ze had much more free time. Behind the courtyard was a vegetable plot of over one mu. It was divided into neat sections of lush green seasonal vegetables, so well-maintained that one could see the family was very industrious; not a single weed could be found.
It was currently the season for planting summer vegetables, and Ge Hongbu was digging holes to plant pumpkin seeds.
Han Ze walked over to take a look and saw quite a variety: there were winter melon seeds, luffa seeds, and cucumber seeds. He smiled and asked, “Are there any watermelons?”
Ge Hongbu looked up. Seeing her husband standing behind her, she instinctively felt a bit nervous. It was strange—lately, the man’s temper had improved, yet she had become more reserved in his presence. Fortunately, he didn’t seem to mind. She shook her head and said carefully, “I haven’t heard of watermelons.”
Han Ze nodded and stood there for a while longer. Noticing Ge Hongbu remained hunched over and tense, he said somewhat helplessly, “Go on with your work, then,” and left.
Once he was gone, Ge Hongbu breathed a small sigh of relief.
…
Han Ze went to the flower market in town. It was bustling with activity. He strolled through slowly, his eyes searching everywhere. Whenever he encountered suitable flower seedlings, he bought them. Halfway through the market, he realized he had more seedlings than he could carry, so he bought a bamboo basket to hold them. By the time he finished, he was lugging a large basket full of seedlings and seeds.
When he returned home, Han Maode looked at the contents of the basket, frowned, and said, “Where did you go to dig up these grass roots?”
Han Ze shot him a smiling glance. “What grass roots? These are flower seedlings I bought; they cost me dozens of taels of silver.”
Han Maode’s eyes bulged. “Dozens of taels for a bunch of grass? You spendthrift brat! Just when I thought you had changed for the better, you start acting up again.”
Even if the family had silver, it shouldn’t be spent this way. They weren’t incredibly wealthy—just a bit better off than typical farmers with more land. Moreover, since the grandson was now studying in town, such reckless spending was irresponsible. If the silver was wasted now, wouldn’t they be helpless when Shubuo needed funds for the Imperial Exams later?
Han Ze rubbed his nose and explained helplessly, “Dad, I have a use for these seedlings. I’m counting on them to earn silver.”
Han Maode countered, “I’ve farmed my whole life, and I’ve never heard of grass being worth silver. Are you sure you weren’t swindled?”
Han Ze asked, “Dad, do I look like a fool to you?”
Han Maode snorted, “You’re exactly a fool! If you weren’t, would you have been led around by the nose by Han Xingwang and his son?”
Han Ze’s face immediately crumpled into a bitter expression. “Dad, that chapter is closed. Can we please stop mentioning it?”
Han Maode shot him another glare. This boy’s temper hadn’t been so explosive lately; otherwise, Maode wouldn’t have bothered lecturing him.
Han Ze continued, “Dad, I decided to buy these seedlings after much consideration.”
Han Maode looked at him. Seeing his serious expression, he frowned and asked, “How do you plan to make money planting flowers?”
Han Ze smiled and said, “Dad, back when I was studying in town, I had a classmate from a merchant family. I overheard him mention that a single pot of orchids could cost twenty taels of silver.”
Han Maode took a sharp drag from his pipe. “Are you serious?”
Han Ze looked at him. “Why would I lie to you? And that twenty-tael orchid was only second-rate. If it were a top-grade orchid, you might not even be able to buy it for a hundred taels.”
Han Maode took a deep breath. “That stuff can’t be eaten or drunk—how can it be so precious?”
Han Ze knelt down and carefully began sorting the seedlings. “The nobles and wealthy in the city have power and riches; they don’t lack food or drink. What they pursue is different from us. These flowers might be worthless in our eyes, but to them, a rare blossom is something they’d pay a fortune for.”
Han Maode knelt down as well. Looking at the basket of “grass roots” now, they no longer looked like grass but like shimmering gold. He frowned and asked, “If these are so precious, do you even know how to grow them?”
Han Ze pulled a book from his pocket and showed it to his father. “Look, what’s this?”
Han Maode was illiterate, so naturally, he didn’t know. He asked blankly, “What is it?”
Han Ze said with a straight face, “This is a book specifically for teaching how to grow flowers. I found it by chance, and once I’m done reading it, it must be burned.”
Han Maode snatched the book away. “Why burn it? This is silver!”
Han Ze snatched it back and explained earnestly, “Dad, I’ve memorized the whole thing. The methods are all in my head. Burning the book prevents anyone else from stealing the knowledge. If everyone learns how, my flowers won’t be rare anymore, right?”
Han Maode thought about it and realized his son was right; the boy was truly thorough. He hurriedly said, “Then burn it quickly!”
Han Ze smiled and burned the book right in front of Han Maode. He didn’t feel a shred of pity because the book was actually just a copy of the Three Character Classic he had written in his spare time. Since the old man couldn’t read, Han Ze could claim it was a flower manual and the old man would believe him.
Unaware of Han Ze’s little scheme, Han Maode felt relieved once the book was ash. Then he asked worriedly, “Can you really grow them like the book taught?”
Han Ze bowed his head. “Dad, whether I can or not, the seedlings are already bought and they can’t be returned. I have to try. If it doesn’t work this time, I won’t toss any more money away.”
Han Maode sighed; he could only agree.
…
Han Ze asked Ge Hongbu to set aside a small patch of the vegetable garden for his flowers. Although puzzled, she didn’t ask questions, and Han Ze didn’t explain. After lunch, he took his basket of seeds and seedlings to the garden. Han Maode, still uneasy, followed behind to watch.
Han Ze glanced at him. “Dad, if you have nothing to do, help me fetch two buckets of water.”
Thinking of the flowers as “piles of white silver,” Han Maode didn’t complain. He trotted off to get water. He was not yet fifty and in good health; fetching water wouldn’t tire him. As long as his son could grow the flowers, he wouldn’t mind fetching water every single day.
Han Ze watched his back and shook his head with a smile. He didn’t plan to take the Imperial Exams himself. The Original Owner was a poor student, so it wouldn’t make sense for Han Ze to suddenly pass all the exams. Instead, he would groom his son for the path, especially since the boy had a talent for it.
Although the family had land, relying solely on farming to become wealthy was difficult when the land wasn’t vast. After much thought, he felt growing flowers suited his current situation best. While he wasn’t an expert, the growth nutrient solution in the System was incredibly cheap—one merit point could buy a large bottle that lasted a long time. With that, he didn’t have to worry about the rare plants failing.
As the father and son worked—one fetching water and the other digging holes—the villagers passing by the garden asked out of curiosity. Han Ze didn’t hide anything, stating directly that he was growing flowers to sell. The villagers curled their lips in disdain. He really is a ‘Little Landlord’—with so much land, he wastes it on flowers instead of crops.
Within a day, the news spread through the village. Everyone thought the Han family brat had gone mad for silver, dreaming of getting rich by selling flowers. If flowers were worth that much, why hadn’t they, who had farmed their whole lives, ever heard of it?
Liu Jiahua also heard the news. She was furious and hissed, “He’d rather waste the land on garbage than rent it to us. What did I do to deserve such a ‘white-eyed wolf’ for a son?”
Han Xingwang frowned. “Why don’t you go ask him? Maybe they have too much to handle. If they’re truly overwhelmed, it would be the same if they rented the land back to us. We have plenty of people and aren’t afraid of the work.”
Liu Jiahua looked at him. “Should I go ask?”
Han Xingwang nodded. “You are Han Ze’s mother. If he’s doing something foolish, you should show some concern. But he’s a grown man with a wife and children; don’t go with a bad attitude or he’ll feel he’s losing face. Watch your temper when you speak to him.”
Liu Jiahua frowned, realizing Han Ze wasn’t the same person he used to be. She couldn’t treat him like she used to. She gave a heavy sigh. “Fine, I’ll be careful.”
…
Han Ze hadn’t expected Liu Jiahua to come looking for him again after everything that had happened. He asked, “What do you want?”
Liu Jiahua weighed her words and asked, “I heard you’re growing flowers?”
Han Ze gave a faint “Mm.”
Seeing his expressionless face made Liu Jiahua’s teeth itch with irritation, but she maintained a smile. “Is it because you have too much land to handle? So you’re planting flowers for fun?”
Han Ze said, “No. We have plenty of land, but I can hire people to help. I’m growing these flowers to sell for silver.”
Liu Jiahua frowned. “How can flowers be worth silver? Isn’t this just nonsense? If you can’t finish planting your land, you can rent it to our family. Isn’t it a pity to let good soil go to waste?”
Han Ze replied, “It’s only a small patch; it won’t waste much. Besides, even if it is wasted, it’s my family’s land. Even my father hasn’t said anything, so don’t you go worrying about it.”
Liu Jiahua felt Han Ze’s indifference once again. She was anxious but helpless. As Han Ze said, if even Han Maode didn’t mind, what business was it of hers, a mother who had married out? She looked at his calm face, realized she would never get the land back, and gritted her teeth before turning to leave.
…
Despite the village gossip, Han Ze persisted in his grand flower-growing enterprise.
Han Shubuo was studying in town and had a break every five days. On the fifth day, Han Ze drove the ox cart to town to pick up his son. On the way, he ran into Han Chengming, who was likely picking up his own two sons. Seeing Han Ze in the cart, Han Chengming hurriedly called out, “Big Brother, wait for me! I’ll take a ride on your cart to town.”
Han Ze glanced at his brother’s frame. “With a body that fat, you should walk more to lose some weight.” And with that, he drove the ox cart away.
Han Chengming kicked the ground in a rage, accidentally hitting a stone. He clutched his foot, let out an “Aie-yoh!” of pain.
Hearing the cry, the corners of Han Ze’s mouth curled upward.
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152