After hearing her grandfather's words, Liu Xinyue felt as if her heart had been hit by a magnitude twelve earthquake. Tears welled up in her eyes, so she quickly pulled the car over, opened the door, and helped her grandfather out.
Liu Tingshu had been suffering from anorexia for over a year, which had caused him to lose his sense of smell. His doctor had even hinted to Liu Xinyue to prepare for his passing, as he was nearing the end of his life.
Liu Xinyue's parents had died in a car accident years ago. Her grandfather was the only family she had left, and losing him would be an unbearable blow.
This time, Liu Xinyue had brought her grandfather out of the hospital for a change of scenery. She never expected that passing by a vegetable market would not only restore his sense of smell but also make him declare he was hungry.
What kind of cabbage emitted such a fragrance that it not only awakened her grandfather's sense of smell but also cured his anorexia?
Only Liu Xinyue knew that her grandfather's anorexia was a neurological disorder. For something to instantly stimulate his appetite, it couldn't be ordinary cabbage.
"Xinyue, look—"
Her grandfather pointed to one side. "The dish I want to eat is the one that young man is cooking!"
Liu Xinyue followed her grandfather's gaze and saw Cheng Xiaofan, surrounded by a crowd, busily cooking at a stove.
Cheng Xiaofan was sweating profusely from the effort.
"Young man, your dish smells good, and the taste is even better, but the price is a bit steep. Twenty yuan a catty... Hiss, weigh me two catties!"
An old man, as if in toothache, took out money, handed it to Cheng Xiaofan, and took the weighed cabbage from him.
Liu Xinyue's heart fluttered. What kind of cabbage could command such a high price?
What puzzled Liu Xinyue was that even though the customers complained about the exorbitant price, they still grudgingly bought a catty or two.
"Little friend, may I have a taste of this cold cabbage salad you made?"
When Liu Tingshu approached Ding Xiaoyue, he couldn't help but swallow and said almost eagerly.
Liu Xinyue had never seen her grandfather so eager for a bite to eat.
"Old sir, please, help yourself!"
Cheng Xiaofan, seeing the old man's kind face, felt a good impression and served the freshly made cold cabbage salad to Liu Tingshu, handing him a pair of disposable chopsticks.
He could tell Liu Xinyue and the old man were grandfather and granddaughter. He handed her a pair of chopsticks as well and said with a smile, "Beautiful lady, you try it too. This cabbage I grow, its taste is absolutely the best in the world, and its nutritional value is also very high!"
At that moment, Liu Tingshu had already picked up a large mouthful of cold cabbage salad and put it in his mouth. After chewing a couple of times, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Good, really good! I, Old Liu, have lived eighty-two years, and I've never tasted such good cabbage!"
Hearing her grandfather's words, Liu Xinyue also tasted a few bites. Her beautiful eyes widened, and she exclaimed, "Heavens, this taste is too wonderful!"
"Twenty yuan a catty is not expensive at all!"
Liu Tingshu finished the entire plate of cold cabbage salad and a bowl of vegetable soup. He said to his granddaughter, "Xinyue, buy all of this!"
Seeing her grandfather, who had been on the brink of death, suddenly become so energetic after eating Cheng Xiaofan's cabbage, as if he were a different person, Liu Xinyue was utterly amazed.
She quickly looked at Cheng Xiaofan, took out a business card, and handed it to him. Smiling, she said, "Sir, I'll take all of these vegetables. Here's my card. Just deliver them to the address on it!"
After Liu Xinyue helped her grandfather leave, Cheng Xiaofan learned from the business card that Liu Xinyue was the general manager of the Zuiwei Xuan Grand Hotel.
Cheng Xiaofan packed up his cooking utensils and immediately drove his three-wheeled vehicle to the Zuiwei Xuan Grand Hotel according to the address on the business card.
When Cheng Xiaofan arrived at Zuiwei Xuan, Liu Xinyue was already waiting for him at the entrance.
Zuiwei Xuan was a renowned hotel in Wangjiang City. It was the first time in history that a country bumpkin delivering vegetables was personally greeted at the entrance by a beautiful general manager.
For a moment, the two security guards at the entrance were as stunned as if they had been struck by lightning.
Could this country boy have some kind of background?
Cheng Xiaofan was welcomed into the courtyard by Liu Xinyue, and someone immediately came to help unload the cabbage from the three-wheeled vehicle.
They then proceeded to weigh the cabbage. Over thirteen hundred catties of cabbage, rounded down, at twenty yuan per catty, totaling twenty-six thousand yuan.
Liu Xinyue immediately had the payment transferred to Cheng Xiaofan's bank account.
About ten minutes later, in a leisure hall of the hotel, Liu Tingshu and Cheng Xiaofan were chatting over tea.
During their conversation, Cheng Xiaofan learned that the old man before him was a former national-level master chef, whose dishes were once served exclusively to high-ranking officials and foreign dignitaries.
What Cheng Xiaofan didn't expect was that the aroma of the cabbage he had cooked in the market that day had inadvertently cured Liu Tingshu's anorexia.
"Xiaofan, this cabbage of yours is a treasure. From now on, Zuiwei Xuan will buy as much of this cabbage as you can supply!"
Liu Tingshu added, "You won't have to bother delivering it yourself; the hotel will send a dedicated vehicle to pick it up from you!"
"Old Liu, can your hotel consume so much cabbage at once?" Cheng Xiaofan asked doubtfully.
Liu Tingshu laughed heartily and said, "Xiaofan, Wangjiang is the largest commercial exchange center in Southern Province, with a huge flow of customers every day. Besides Zuiwei Xuan, my Xinyue has several other large catering branches under her. You might not even be able to supply the amount of cabbage we'll need!"
Coming to Wangjiang City this time, Cheng Xiaofan hadn't expected to meet such a major customer.
At this moment, he caught sight of a pot of Clivia placed by the window. It had a beautiful shape, but its leaves had turned yellow and withered.
Cheng Xiaofan walked over, examined the Clivia carefully, and said, "Old Liu, is this the Clivia you are growing?"
Liu Tingshu heard him and walked over. "A friend gave this to me. It's a famous variety of Clivia called 'Chui Xiao.' Unfortunately, due to my poor care, this Clivia has withered and died!"
He stomped his foot in regret, his face filled with pain.
"Old Liu, actually, this pot of Clivia can still be saved!" Cheng Xiaofan said with a smile.
Liu Tingshu shook his head with a wry smile. "Xiaofan, please don't offer me empty comfort. I've asked several experts who are quite knowledgeable about orchids, and they all said it's beyond saving!"
"Experts say it can't be saved, but that doesn't mean I can't save it!"
Cheng Xiaofan said, "Old Liu, could you get me a watering can?"
"Okay, I'll get it!" Liu Tingshu turned and left, looking puzzled.
While Liu Tingshu was away, Cheng Xiaofan placed his hand close to the Clivia. Immediately, a green light emanated from his palm, covering the entire Clivia.
In just a moment, the leaves of the Clivia began to turn from yellow to green at a visible speed. The withered sword-shaped leaves all proudly stood upright.
"Ah, heavens, how did my Clivia come back to life?"
Liu Tingshu returned with the watering can. When his eyes fell on the pot of Clivia, he exclaimed in utter bewilderment.
On the clusters of dark green leaves, it was as if a layer of wax had been applied. The fine veins seemed to flow with vibrant life force, shining brightly.
It was simply too beautiful!
"Xiaofan, how did you do it?"
After a long while, Liu Tingshu finally withdrew his gaze from the Clivia.
When he looked around, he found no one else in the leisure room. He didn't know when Cheng Xiaofan had left his side.
On his table was a note from Cheng Xiaofan: Old Liu, this pot of Chui Xiao Clivia is truly excellent. Tomorrow morning, it should bloom sixty-six flowers, signifying sixty-six good fortune!