Chapter 24: Remember to Pick Up the Flowers

Chapter 24: Remember to Pick Up the Flowers

When Shen Xian returned home, she felt inexplicably exhausted. She casually placed the thermos on the cabinet by the door, kicked off her shoes, and walked barefoot to the low sofa by the balcony. She collapsed onto it entirely.

The wind was strong, but fortunately, she had closed the windows before leaving. Thus, she could now lie peacefully and listen to the howling wind outside without needing to get up to close them.

She picked up a book on the table, written by an American psychiatrist titled "The Road Less Traveled." It discussed how people could lead new, peaceful, and fulfilling lives after going through a series of challenging and even painful transformations.

This was a book recommended to Shen Xian by the psychiatrist her parents had forcefully taken her to see during her darkest times. She had read it intermittently.

Over the years, she had gone through it several times, yet each reading brought new insights.

"Life is a difficult journey, and the journey of mental maturity is a long one..." The beginning of the book had a somber tone, a type that uplifted one after hitting rock bottom.

After reading for a while, Shen Xian felt a bit drowsy. She covered her face with the book, blocking the blinding light.

Shen Xian's house was an old residence, a place where her grandparents had once lived many years ago.

Ever since she retired from the team three years ago, she had been living there.

She was a minimalist at heart, and the arrangement of her room had undergone a subtle transformation, incorporating furniture and gadgets that young people typically enjoyed.

A row of diverse cushions adorned the sofa – cute ones, uniquely designed, and vibrantly colored – now orderly in their designated spots.

Beyond the sheer white curtains, there was a heavy blackout shade, crucial for someone like Shen Xian who struggled to fall asleep, ensuring a cozy sleep environment.

The room exuded warmth and tidiness. On nights when sleep eluded her, Shen Xian would often tidy up, relishing the freshness and cleanliness of her space.

On the balcony stood a row of potted plants she nurtured, predominantly succulents and low-maintenance varieties.

She tended to neglect watering them but disliked the lack of vitality in her home. After a series of failed attempts at nurturing more demanding flowers, she opted for self-sustaining plants.

In that moment, Shen Xian resembled a soft rabbit, nestled in a reclining sofa, hugging herself tightly with both arms. As time passed, the shadows shifted from her toes onto the book covering her face.

Deep in slumber, she breathed evenly, her clasped arms rising and falling rhythmically with each breath.

She couldn't tell how long she had slept when the shrill ring of a phone call startled her awake. Jerking to attention, she fumbled to remove the book from her face, picked up the fallen cellphone, and strained to read the name on the screen. Upon recognizing the caller ID, she lazily reclined once more and answered the video call.

"Grandma..."

Just awakened, Shen Xian's voice was soft and tender, carrying a hint of coyness upon first hearing.

"What are you up to, dear?"

On the other end of the line, Grandma's tone was filled with affection. Before Shen Xian could respond, she continued, "Are you sleeping in late?"

"Mmm, Grandma, I was lying on the sofa reading and accidentally fell asleep."

Shen Xian rubbed her eyes, her voice heavy with a nasal tone as her feet playfully tapped against the ground.

"Why did you fall asleep on the sofa again? It's cold now, be careful not to catch a cold."

The elderly woman frowned, looking at her granddaughter on the screen, her hair disheveled and lazily rubbing her head, scolding her affectionately.

"Hehe, I know, Grandma. The sunlight was just too nice here a moment ago..."

As Shen Xian spoke, she looked up to find that the sun had already retreated. Apart from a faint golden beam illuminating the wall, the sun had hidden its face, preparing to set.

"Ah, you, take good care of yourself when you're out there, understand?"

As the elder spoke, the camera shifted to two large jars on the table. "Xian Xian, look, Grandma made pickles. When the apples in the garden are ready in a few days, I'll send them to you."

Shen Xian had grown up under her grandmother's care, and her grandmother's cooking suited her taste perfectly. Upon hearing about the newly-made pickles, her eyes lit up.

Pickling was an essential task before winter in their region, almost like a tradition, a legacy passed down.

Every year, Shen Xian would enjoy her grandmother's pickled radishes, as well as a special spicy dish made from cabbage that her grandmother called 'numbing vegetables.' She didn't know what they were exactly, but they tasted delicious.

"Did you save some for yourself?"

"What kind of question is that? Would I starve myself? Of course, I kept some. I even gave a jar to Aunt Li next door."

"Oh, so I wasn't the first one on your mind, huh? Tsk tsk, Aunt Li got to taste them before me." Seeing the old lady, Shen Xian's mood seemed to have improved, and she jestingly pouted.

"You little rascal!" The grandmother laughed, her eyes crinkling as she tapped Shen Xian's cheek on the screen.

"Grandma, it's the beginning of the month tomorrow, remember to collect the flowers." Shen Xian squinted, smiling at her grandmother's playful gesture, and teasingly wrinkled her nose.

The old lady's expression softened slightly. "Yes, I remember."

She had been sending flowers to her grandmother every month for five years now.

The two of them fell into a sudden silence.

The old lady was in her seventies, but fortunately, she was still in good health. This was largely due to her optimistic mindset.

For so many years, she had maintained her own rhythm of life, living alone in her hometown and tending to the garden she had guarded all her life.

"Xian Xian, have you called your parents?" The old lady broke the silence first.

Shen Xian didn't respond, only shaking her head.

"This morning, your father called me, saying they're going to some island. It sounded rather desolate. I wonder why they would go to such a cold place."

"Iceland?" Shen Xian replied indifferently.

"Aha, yes, that's Iceland, sounds chilly," said Grandma, feeling a shiver run down her spine as she spoke, wrinkling her nose in disdain.

Shen Xian offered a faint smile. "It's a country in Northern Europe, Grandma. The name might sound cold, but it's not as freezing as you think."

"Is that so? Oh... not really cold, huh?" The elderly lady responded with a skeptical yet casual tone.

"Mm-hmm."

The two continued chatting leisurely for quite some time. Grandma shared with Shen Xian how she had visited the orchard to see the apples ripening rapidly, their deep red color delightful; how the neighbor's dog had given birth to a litter of puppies, which looked pitifully small; and how a sheep from across the road had broken a hole in the fence by their gate, forcing her to fix it herself. Now, whenever she saw that sheep, she refused to feed it, though she still tossed food to the others passing by...

Listening to all this, Shen Xian couldn't help but find it amusing. How adorable Grandma was!

"Grandma, once I'm done with my current workload, I'll come back to visit you," Shen Xian said, her eyes glistening with moisture despite her smile.

"You focus on your work, there's no need to come back just to see me. I'm doing just fine."

Grandma was well-groomed, wearing a beige blouse that Shen Xian had bought for her. Her short hair, tinged with gray, was neatly styled, and she looked energetic and alert, her eyes bright yet gentle.

After that warm conversation, twilight had descended upon them.

Shen Xian sat up from the shadows, gazing out the window in a daze before rising from the couch.

The brief weekend was drawing to a close, and work would resume tomorrow.