Between the two stalls—one selling nude playing cards and the other selling little white rabbits—a middle-aged man was sitting on the ground. Under a large sun umbrella, he had several pots of rare and valuable orchids on display. Since the blooming season had passed, only two pots of Cymbidium ensifolium, commonly known as "Four Seasons Orchid," were flowering. The rest could only be identified by the picture cards placed in front of each pot. There were Dangshan Lotus, Crystal Plum, Jade Rabbit—wow, all mid-to-high-end rare varieties.

　　Emily Walker was the first to walk over and squat down. “Hey, why does your Cymbidium look a bit different from the ones I’ve seen before?”

　　The middle-aged man smiled and said, “You mean there are no spots on the labellum, right? That’s what makes it top-grade—it’s called ‘Pure Heart Cymbidium.’”

　　Emily Walker had a particularly plump and perky backside. When she squatted down, the low-rise pants at the back revealed a strip of purple lace right in front of me. I wanted to remind Aunt Walker that she was exposed, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. Then I thought, I’ve often seen women’s long johns or underwear show when they ride bikes—it’s pretty common. So I kept quiet. Maybe she didn’t care, or maybe she did it on purpose.

　　I kept my eyes straight ahead and squatted down as well. By then, Emily Walker was already bargaining with him.

　　That Pure Heart Cymbidium was indeed beautiful: the leaves were broad and thick, standing upright like swords, and the petals were plump, shaped like bamboo leaves.

　　No wonder she was in sales—Emily Walker had endless bargaining tricks. “Look, I’m even calling you ‘big brother’—and you really have the heart to haggle with your little sister over a few hundred yuan?”

　　“Aiya, you really know how to bargain! I give up, I give up. Let’s make the deal, okay?”

　　As Emily Walker smiled and took out her wallet, I suddenly recalled a news story from the evening paper. “...Wait a second.”

　　“What is it?” Emily Walker was puzzled.

　　I leaned my head closer to the Cymbidium. After a few seconds, I frowned. “Uncle, aren’t you being a bit dishonest here?”

Chapter 9 【Rare Jade Rabbit】

　　The middle-aged man’s face stiffened. “How am I being dishonest?”

　　Emily Walker took the cricket jar from my hand. “Little James, what’s the problem?”

　　“The problem is huge.” Now that my hands were free, I pointed to the center of the Pure Heart Cymbidium’s petal. “Normally, Cymbidium petals have tiny spots, mostly brown. This kind isn’t worth much. The rare Pure Heart Cymbidium does look like this—petals clean and spotless. But if you look closely at these petals, the color is very unnatural.”

　　Emily Walker asked, “What does that mean?”

　　“If I’m not mistaken, this is an ordinary Cymbidium that’s been bleached with chemicals—a common counterfeiting trick called ‘color removal.’”

　　The middle-aged man probably didn’t expect me to be so knowledgeable and was stunned for a moment. “Hey, hey, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. I’m telling you, these orchids all came from the Yuquanying Flower Market—they’re genuine rare varieties. How could they be bleached? If you haven’t seen them before, don’t talk nonsense. Look at this other Cymbidium—it’s a rare variety called ‘Multi-petal Orchid.’ And look at that pot...”

　　“Don’t talk to me about that so-called Multi-petal Orchid.” I waved my hand to cut him off, raised my arm, and placed my index finger on the petal of that mutated Cymbidium. “I thought it was odd just now—even if it’s a mutated rare variety, there’s got to be a limit, right? How could there be so many leaves on a single bud? Boss, if you insist on arguing, let me touch it a bit. I want to see how well these leaves glued on with adhesive actually stick.”

　　“Glue?” Emily Walker’s eye twitched.

　　The boss swallowed back the words he was about to say.

　　I shook my head. “This is just too much. My Aunt Walker is buying this as a gift. If she really gives it away and all the leaves fall off in a few days, wouldn’t people blame my Aunt Walker?”

　　Emily Walker’s face darkened. “You’d better explain yourself.”

　　“They’re all rare varieties—why would I lie to you?” The middle-aged man was still stubborn.

　　I could tell he wouldn’t admit it until he was caught red-handed. I sighed, patted a few pots of tender green orchid grass on the outer edge, and said, “This one is a tiger-striped seedling, right? I bet you can sell it for a good price. But I guarantee, if you put it in the sun for two days, the stripes will disappear. Why? Because those stripes are made by covering parts of the leaves with tree leaves or branches to block the sunlight. That’s how the pattern forms.” I paused, then pointed to the next pot. “Look at this dwarf orchid—it’s been shaved down with a knife. And that pot labeled ‘Crystal Plum’—I think you just found an ordinary orchid that looks similar and disguised it. There are fake cut marks on the roots. And that one...”

　　“Enough, enough.” The middle-aged man forced a bitter smile. “I’ve really met an expert today. You’re right, all of it, and you know even more than I do. Damn, this is uncanny. Young Man, are you a professional orchid grower? Then why are you buying from me? Are you just here to embarrass me?”

　　I shook my head from side to side.

　　Emily Walker’s face was still stern. “You almost ruined a big deal for me.”

　　The boss spread his arms in frustration. “You think I want to mess with this shady stuff and get cursed at? I’m just trying to make a living—I have no choice.”

　　I said, “It’s the middle of summer, and I know it’s not easy for you to run a stall out here. Name your price for this Jade Rabbit.”