Chapter 40: Treasure of the Garden

After its unexpected mutation, this pink-variegated Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata had already grown much larger than the nearby Hei Ji. In many details, it was now completely identical to a large Hei Ji.

Zhou Yu slowly used a tool to dig this Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata out of the soil. The root system below was very well-developed. From his estimation, the diameter of this Jade Dew had to be at least about ten centimeters. Even for a large Hei Ji Jade Dew, that could be considered a frightening length.

On Xianrou Garden and perhaps other websites, he had seen auction information for mature Hei Ji Jade Dew plants. They were usually only about seven or eight centimeters. Those above ten centimeters were truly rare treasures. To cultivate one to such a length would require at least three years or more.

After digging out this Jade Dew, Zhou Yu first measured it with a ruler. It was a little over ten centimeters. When placed among the pile of Jade Dews in the Spirit Gathering Array, it might not have felt very special. But now, taken out alone, the ten-centimeter diameter gave a feeling of power and grandeur.

Although its size was large, the beauty of this Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata was in no way lacking. Each large leaf bore black patterns, and combined with that pink variegation, it gave a unique kind of beauty—mysterious and alluring.

Earlier, when preparing to auction Jade Dews, he had spent a few hundred yuan to buy several dozen flowerpots of various sizes. They were now all piled up in the yard.

At this point, Zhou Yu picked out a flowerpot with a twelve-centimeter diameter from the pile. He first filled it with some soil, then carefully placed this large plant inside and continued adding more soil.

After filling it with soil, he grabbed a handful of akadama soil from the yard and sprinkled it into the flowerpot. In many plant pottings, people more or less sprinkled some small granular materials like akadama soil or volcanic rock, which do not affect air circulation.

Especially akadama soil, which was called the universal soil, it had some special effects for cultivating succulent plants and Huaxia orchids, among others.

At the same time, these small granules placed in the flowerpot also served a decorative purpose. Moreover, they could elevate the plant, preventing the plant’s leaves from directly touching the damp soil, thus avoiding situations prone to rot and black decay.

After sprinkling the akadama soil, the transplanting of this Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata was considered half done. Next, he took out the small golden gourd from his pocket and dropped a droplet of Spirit Stabilizing Liquid onto the Jade Dew’s leaves.

Afterwards, Zhou Yu moved this Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata to a clean spot. He thought about it and felt it was necessary to sell another variegated Jade Dew. Because he wanted to create a better Spirit Gathering Array, he needed to obtain higher-quality Jade Stones. All of this required financial backing.

Even though he didn’t know much about Jade Stones, he knew that high-quality Jade Stones were very expensive. He didn’t know if his remaining tens of thousands of yuan would be enough to gather a set. Moreover, he also needed to accumulate money to allow himself and his family to live a better life.

Zhou Yu went to the Spirit Gathering Array again. This time, he decided to sell a Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata. Within the array, there were still two variegated Hei Ji Jade Dews. He selected the Jade Dew that had variegated unexpectedly during the experiment.

This Hei Ji Jade Dew Variegata also confirmed one thing for him: the spot where the Spirit Stabilizing Liquid was dropped had a high probability of becoming the variegated area on the Jade Dew.

During the experiment on this Jade Dew, it variegated unexpectedly. After successfully testing on another Jade Dew, he casually poured the remaining diluted Spirit Stabilizing Liquid onto the leaves. And now, the variegated area on this Jade Dew was just as casual as his initial action, with no particular pattern at all.

However, it was precisely this randomly positioned variegation that gave this Hei Ji Jade Dew a different kind of beauty.

After transplanting this Jade Dew, Zhou Yu diluted a certain amount of Spirit Stabilizing Liquid and dropped it onto its leaves. He then stored the remaining diluted liquid in a sealed glass bottle.

The day passed in busyness. When he got up at night, the Radio, as expected, showed no light.

The next day, Zhou Yu got up on time to exercise. Now, waking up at six every day had become a habit for him.

After exercising, while eating Grapes with Huzi, Dabao, and Xiaobao, the Little White Fox also came into the yard, actually over an hour earlier than usual.

Zhou Yu couldn’t help but smile. He naturally knew the purpose of the Little White Fox coming so early—it was none other than the Spirit Beast Pill obtained from Uncle-Master Wu.

He took out four Spirit Beast Pills from the cloth bag and fed them separately to the three dogs and the fox. Upon seeing the Spirit Beast Pills, these four animals rushed over at great speed, swept the pills into their mouths, and then ran aside, as if afraid someone would snatch them.

After feeding the Spirit Beast Pills, Zhou Yu let them play in the yard by themselves. Then he went to the place where the two Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegatas were. He checked their condition; it was still good, though compared to growing within the Spirit Gathering Array filled with Spiritual Energy, it was somewhat lacking.

He picked up his Mobile Phone and started taking photos of these two pots of Kuroji Haworthia Cooperi Variegata. He photographed them from various angles. Then he took a ruler and placed it next to the Jade Dews.

That large Hei Ji that had mutated twice had been measured before; its diameter was about ten centimeters. The Hei Ji that had only variegated had a diameter of just over seven centimeters.

For a Jade Dew to be cultivated to over seven centimeters would take at least two or three years. Various issues could occur in between. This was where the preciousness of high-end Jade Dews lay. For many succulent plant enthusiasts, a seven-centimeter Jade Dew was rare; encountering one was a great fortune.

After taking the photos, Zhou Yu opened WeChat and sent a message to Qi Jinxuan: “Brother Qi, the photos are ready. Is it convenient to send them now?”

“Send them. I can’t wait to see your Treasure of the Garden.” The moment the message was sent, Qi Jinxuan replied, as if he had been waiting right by his phone.

Zhou Yu opened the photo album and first sent over the pictures of the Jade Dew he intended to sell. Just as he was about to send the pictures of the large Hei Ji Variegata, Qi Jinxuan sent a message.

“This… is this your Treasure of the Garden? This variegation really has an artistic feel. So beautiful, truly unprecedented. I think if it entered a competition, it would definitely win.” Qi Jinxuan said with some amazement after seeing the pictures.

Zhou Yu was stunned for a moment. Was Qi Jinxuan confused? With his rich experience, he should be able to recognize this wasn’t a large Hei Ji. Perhaps he got excited and was captivated by the variegation, not looking carefully. “Brother Qi, take a closer look. What kind of Jade Dew is this?”

Seeing Zhou’s message, Qi Jinxuan opened the picture again and looked carefully. In an instant, he was dumbfounded. This was a Hei Ji Jade Dew, not a large Hei Ji. He gave a bitter smile and then said jokingly, “Brother Zhou, did you send the wrong picture on purpose to tease me?”

“Haha, I’m not teasing you. I’ll tell you in a moment. First, let me send you my real Treasure of the Garden to see.” Zhou Yu then proceeded to send the pictures of the large Hei Ji Variegata to Qi Jinxuan, one by one.