musicians of old

Chapter 951 Everything is absolutely true

Fan Ning crouched down to examine the girl, his line of sight level with her height.

"Sir! Would you like some flowers? For your wife or daughter. They'll bring good luck in the New Year!"

The young girl initially glanced at Fan Ning without much hope, seeing that he was alone, but when she saw him squat down, she forced a smile and spoke in a complete sentence.

Fan Ning first pointed to the little red rose: "Is this from a local greenhouse, or was it transported from the south?"

The little girl blinked, clearly not expecting this question: "Um, this was... it was bought in bulk by the florist."

"Oh." Fan Ning picked up a bunch and examined the edges of the petals carefully. "They're a bit scorched. Did they freeze on the way here? Or did the florist's 'preservation technique' make a slight mistake?"

“This ‘Cardinal’ variety is quite sensitive to changes in temperature and humidity. For long-distance transport, the roots need to be wrapped in damp moss, and ventilation must be maintained; it cannot be stuffy.” He spoke calmly, as if he were discussing something with himself, yet also as if he were genuinely offering advice.

The little girl's eyes were glazed over, and her mouth was slightly open.

Fanning then looked at the holly berries: "But these berries are really red, not bad. Help me pair them with some snowdrops and junipers."

"Okay! Coming right away!" The little girl beamed with delight and took out the colorful string and paper holder for making flowers.

"Were the snowdrops picked from under a shady wall, or found in a pile of sun-drenched leaves?"

"Huh? I don't remember, it was the woodland near my house."

"Which type of tits are usually attracted to these juniper berries? The crested tit or the silver-throated long-tailed tit? Hmm, are there fewer birds that like to eat holly berries these days? Thrushes usually like them, but the spotted wood pigeons commonly seen in San Pelto city don't seem to touch them much. Maybe the berries are too hard?"

The little girl's hands trembled slightly as she blinked. Clearly, the other party was willing to pay and chat with her, but she was afraid of losing the order that had already been placed if she failed to satisfy the other party.

She stammered out some words, but couldn't make sense of them. She could only do her best to arrange them to look a little better.

Fan Ning, who had been reaching into his pocket, paused, looked at the finished product, and exclaimed, "Wow, that's really good! In terms of color and form, were you mainly considering 'winter's perseverance' or 'a harbinger of spring' in this floral arrangement?"

"Um, sir, this... I mean, I was thinking, if you think it looks good, that would be fine." The young girl nervously handed it over, staring intently at Fan Ning, who was looking at the flowers, hoping he would accept it and pay her.

“I suggest we add two or three branches of red yew berries to similar themes in the future.” Fan Ning took out all seven or eight gold and silver coins from his pocket. “Or could you please tie up the other flowers as well, and give them to me along with the car?”

"What!? You mean..."

Fanning eventually bought all of the little girl's stock, paying far more than the price, and left with a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"The recognition and resonance of street music, the collective improvisational aesthetics of fireworks, and the floral art that, while lacking fundamental theoretical knowledge, can all be superficially reflected in knowledge of 'birdsong,' 'preservation techniques,' and 'forestry.'"

"These can also serve as evidence that the 'path' is beginning to take effect. But after watching the fireworks for so long, the instantaneous and unpredictable nature of the inspiration seems somewhat limited." On the damp cobblestone street of Walstein Street, the lights of the villa shone warmly in the night ahead, and fog condensed on the windowpanes.

It was late at night when Fanning returned. In the lobby, the girls were decorating a small spruce tree, hanging handmade gilded walnuts, foil angels, and colorful candles. When she saw him carrying in a huge bouquet of flowers bigger than her upper body, Joan exclaimed in surprise, "Wow!" Sheeran looked amused and helpless: "Did you go to the flower market to buy wholesale? There are so many, how are we supposed to know which ones you picked for whom?"

“Anything not pre-sorted will be treated as ‘purchased for this tree’,” Roy said, standing to the side with his arms crossed.

"I broke up with him."

"what?"

Fan Ning stepped aside and saw two small wooden carts on the dimly lit lawn outside the foyer.

“I think we should give it to the trees.” Joan was extremely impressed by the astonishing number, and she gave him another thumbs up.

Another day passed, and the locals began their "New Year's house-fumigation," a customary practice in San Porto. During the last week of the old year, many families, especially those with traditional values, would light a special mixture of juniper berries, frankincense, myrrh, and local herbs called "purifying charcoal." Carrying a copper tray, they would slowly walk through each room, letting the spicy and mysterious smoke linger around the rafters and corners to dispel the bad luck of the old year and welcome the cleansing of the new year.

The doors and windows on all floors were wide open. Fanning stood outside and watched quietly for a while as everyone carried trays filled with smoke and wandered around with a sense of novelty.

"Do you want to go to the 'Lucky Pig' parade tonight?" Hillan asked him after a while.

“Okay.” Fan Ning sounded quite pleased.

As night falls, citizens carry straws, coins, or piggy bank models, singing and parading along a fixed route, eventually carrying a giant "lucky pig" made of colored paper and wood to the center of St. Religious Square.

Genevieve Confectionery sponsored the distribution of almond cookies at the folk event, and smiling aunties in aprons handed out pink wrappers to everyone who passed by.

"Thank you."

Fanning also received one.

He unwrapped the candy, revealing an adorable little pig shape, decorated with even and beautiful icing and nuts.

A child nearby couldn't wait to take a bite and exclaimed with delight, "Mommy! There are raspberries inside!"

Fanning and the other girls also broke open the sugar cakes they had been given and took a bite of the same amount of raspberry jam from the same spot.

The parade was noisy and joyful, the singing and marching generally chaotic and off-key, but at certain moments they would unusually synchronize. The footsteps, clapping, and simple folk chorus of hundreds of people began to fall into an organized, chorus-like rhythm and volume. The faint halo of mixed emotions and astral energy above the crowd's heads also began to ripple slightly at a similar frequency, like a wheat field swaying in the wind. Of course, each instance didn't last long.

“I had a similar dream not too long ago, but now I can’t imagine it’s real,” Hiran said for a moment.

“Everything now is absolutely true.” Fan Ning simply looked up upon hearing this.