"The Secret of a Rose for a Lifetime" (Chapter 1: First Encounter·Morning Dew and Old Fragrance)
The skylight at six o'clock in the morning was a milky white color crushed by the wind. When Lin Wan pushed open the wooden door of the "Wanxiang" flower shop, the copper bell hanging on the lintel jingled, startling the orange cat curled up on the window sill. The cat meowed and jumped up to the flower stand, taking with it half a rose petal stained with morning dew - it was the "moonlight" that had just been transported back from the flower fields on the outskirts of the city. The edges of the light champagne-colored petals were tinged with pearly white, as if they had been kissed by the moon last night.
Lin Wan bent down to pick up the petals, and her fingertips felt the coolness of dew. The wooden floor of the flower shop is old pine left by my grandmother. When you step on it, it will make a slight "squeaking" sound, like an old man's whisper. She put the petals into a small celadon dish and placed them in the most conspicuous position at the cashier counter - this was what her grandmother taught her, saying that every fallen petal hides the flower's thoughts and must be kept well.
"Wanwan, the 'Rouge Button' bloomed just right today." Old Zhangtou, the flower delivery man, shouted through the glass door, holding a bundle of flowers wrapped in wet cloth. "Your grandma's favorite variety back then, said the color is like the rouge she wore when she was young."
Lin Wan opened the door, and a smell of earth and flowers came in. Lao Zhangtou handed over the flowers and tapped the top rose with his rough fingers: the petals were layered deep pink with light purple edges, and there were fine golden stamens hidden in the core, which looked like the rouge buttons worn on women's collars in the old days. "Please rest for a while, and I'll make you a cup of flower tea." She took the flowers, and her fingertips brushed the calluses on the back of Lao Zhangtou's hands - the traces of forty years of growing roses.
Lao Zhang's head was on the bamboo chair at the door...
