The Rose’s Secret: Together for Life 1

The Secret of the Rose: Together for a Lifetime (Chapter One: First Meeting · Morning Dew and Old Fragrance) At six in the morning, the daylight was a milky white, as if the wind had kneaded it into fragments. When Lin Wan pushed open the wooden door of the Evening Fragrance flower shop, the copper bell hanging above it jingled, startling the orange cat curled up on the windowsill. The cat yowled and leapt onto the flower stand, knocking down half a rose petal beaded with morning dew. It belonged to a batch of “Moonlight” roses just brought in from the flower fields outside the city. Their pale champagne petals had pearly white edges, as if kissed by last night’s moon. Lin Wan bent down to pick up the petal, her fingertips brushing the chill of the dew. The flower shop’s wooden floorboards were old pine left behind by her grandmother. They gave a faint creak underfoot, like an old woman murmuring to herself. Lin Wan placed the petal in a small celadon dish and set it in the most conspicuous spot on the counter. Her grandmother had taught her that every fallen petal held a flower’s secrets, and should be carefully kept. “Wanwan, the ‘Rouge Clasp’ roses are blooming beautifully today,” Old Zhang called from behind the glass door. He was holding a bundle of flowers wrapped in damp cloth. “Your grandmother’s favorite variety. She said their color was like the rouge she wore when she was young.” Lin Wan opened the door, and a scent of earth mingled with flowers wafted inside. Old Zhang handed her the flowers, then pointed with his rough fingers to the bunch of roses on top. Their deep pink petals were layered one upon another, their edges tinged with pale purple, and tiny golden stamens nestled in their centers. They really did look like the rouge clasps women used to pin at their collars. “Take a rest. I’ll make you a cup of flower tea.” She took the flowers, her fingertips brushing the calluses on the back of Old Zhang’s hand, marks left by forty years of growing roses. Old Zhang sat down on the bamboo chair by the door...