Chapter 120: Elegantly Trading Barbs

Gu Wenyan only needed one glance at Gu Mianmian's expression to know what she was thinking, but she didn't care what Gu Mianmian was thinking.

Coming to the venue today, Gu Wenyan also wanted to take this opportunity to interact more with everyone.

In any case, during her previous livestreams, plenty of people had been curious about the tips and tricks for growing flowers.

Everything Gu Wenyan could teach, she had already taught; the rest still needed to be demonstrated on-site.

If anyone today recognized her, or saw her flowers and became interested and wanted to ask her for guidance, she would spare no effort in helping these flower lovers.

Gu Wenyan wasn't thinking as much as Gu Mianmian imagined; she was simply, while completing this task, taking the chance to irritate Gu Mianmian a little more, shattering every wish Gu Mianmian had today…

Making Gu Mianmian regret everything she had done before.

"There really are quite a lot of people here today." Gu Yeting looked around and couldn't help sighing.

It was naturally his first time at a place like this.

He had no idea so many people liked growing flowers and plants and were so passionate about it.

Just as Gu Wenyan was about to speak, Gu Mianmian had already jumped in: "Yes, our country now has a very, very large number of flower-growing enthusiasts, and there are also many amateur cultivators who can grow some extremely rare plants—even things professional growers can't manage…"

Forget it—if Gu Mianmian wants to show off, let her show off on her own; there's nothing worth saying.

Gu Wenyan looked around, but so far most of what she saw were relatively easy-to-grow flower varieties.

Of course, among them were also people who had cultivated ordinary varieties into very beautiful specimens—still quite skilled.

Gu Wenyan gradually drifted away from their little group and wandered off on her own.

Gu Yeting noticed Gu Wenyan was gone and was about to go look for her when Gu Mianmian stopped him: "Brother, let Sister go on her own. She must feel very bored being with us, that's why she left first… Anyway, we'll still meet up at the main venue later."

Gu Yeting certainly knew that Gu Wenyan didn't want to be with them; in her heart, she still harbored quite a bit of resentment toward them.

He shook his head helplessly and could only let Gu Wenyan go.

Wandering on her own, Gu Wenyan suddenly arrived at the international flower exhibition area.

Quite a few blond, blue-eyed foreigners had also brought their growing works to exhibit.

Each country's flower varieties have their own differences, so the appearances vary greatly. At the scene, Gu Wenyan saw many rare varieties she rarely encountered in daily life; she was quite interested and kept admiring them.

Until she noticed a foreigner in this exhibition area speaking loudly about something, his volume so loud it could be heard across several booths.

"What you all grow is garbage! Too ugly. What we grow is what you call art…"

"I simply cannot appreciate the flowers and plants your country likes. What ornamental value do they have? They look utterly ordinary. I completely don't understand why you worship them so much?"

"In growing these flowers and plants, our techniques and cultivation methods are far more advanced. Only what is cultivated using the most scientific means can be called premium…"

"And your cultivation methods have long been outdated!"

He kept denigrating others; it sounded very unpleasant, that lofty, overly arrogant tone.

The people arguing with him didn't speak English, so they couldn't understand what he was saying at all. Just looking at his attitude, they knew it couldn't be anything nice.

The poor communication between the two sides also caused quite a bit of conflict.

After Gu Wenyan walked over, she smiled and said to him in fluent English: "We are in different countries with different cultural backgrounds and geographical environments, so our understanding of cultivation differs. There's no need for you to use your own perceptions to denigrate ours."

He remained arrogant: "Where did you pop out from? I believe what I said isn't wrong. Is there any value in what you all are talking about?"

"Value? What kind of value are you trying to talk about—monetary value or artistic value? Whichever it is, I think… with our country's cultural heritage stretching back thousands of years, every flower variety carries a different symbolic meaning. Even new varieties introduced and cultivated from abroad will gradually come to align with our aesthetic. Isn't that the meaning of growing flowers?"

"I don't understand! For example, the orchids you all grow… they're really not that good-looking. I don't like them, and I can't understand why you would think an orchid that looks like that is beautiful and has such high value."

Gu Wenyan couldn't help laughing when she heard this. How utterly uncultured must a person be to say something like that?

She had to emphasize to him: "Why do we like orchids? Because it is called the gentleman of flowers… In our ancient poetry, it serves as a symbol of noble purity and beauty. I think even abroad there are many people who would like it, right?"

Someone beside them had already translated Gu Wenyan's words, and Gu Wenyan continued, in the most polite and elegant manner, to refute that person's doubts.

"At the same time, the orchid is also a symbol of steadfast loyalty, and represents a noble character. So its sentiment and qualities are things we can admire… In our ancient times, there are many famous sayings about orchids."

"For example, 'The orchid grows in a secluded forest, not ceasing to be fragrant for lack of an audience'… And a poem I particularly like: 'Standing atop a thousand peaks, from deep clefts in sudden rocks drifts a wondrous fragrance dense. Not that no clouds drift below my feet—coming, they never know me; leaving, they leave no trace'…"

"So this is why we love orchids. If you don't understand our culture, you cannot understand why we love them so much. There's no need to say anything else to you."

As Gu Wenyan spoke, someone translated her words into Chinese for the others.

After hearing it, everyone couldn't help but applaud and cheer.

Thus, the foreigner who had been questioning everything earlier didn't dare make another sound.

Gu Wenyan immediately turned and went to look at the other exhibition areas, with no intention of lingering here.

But suddenly someone followed her from behind: "Excuse me, miss, hello. Are you here to attend today's exhibition?"

Gu Wenyan looked at the person who had followed her and said lightly: "Yes."

"What you said just now was truly admirable!"

"It was nothing, just some thoughts I had at the moment."

"Um… do you cultivate orchids yourself?"

"Yes, I do cultivate them."

"Oh, could I see the orchids you cultivate? If they're suitable, we could work together—for example, sell your cultivated orchids to me, I can purchase them on this end!"

Gu Wenyan stopped walking, smiled and shook her head: "No need. The orchids I cultivate are not for sale."

"Not for sale?" That person sounded a little regretful. "Then could I see what variety your orchids are?"