A succulent boat carries the peerless hero, coming to pick up his beloved

My first encounter with succulents was probably online.

One day I suddenly came across a plant called Sedum rubrotinctum (Jelly Bean Plant), its leaves delicate and plump, as if a single pinch would make water flow out.

Naturally, I downloaded a succulent app on my phone, and was overjoyed with all kinds of delight.

That late autumn, I told my mother I wanted to grow succulents. At first she was against it; she knew my temperament, that I lose interest in everything after three minutes. So even though I had once wanted so badly to keep a cat or a dog, my mother firmly stopped me.

In the early morning of April this year, there was still dew on the grass. I saw a small dog in the green belt by the roadside, shivering with cold; clearly he had spent a cold night here. I called my mother and told her I had come across a small dog by the roadside and I wanted to bring him home. My mother refused sternly.

I asked MONA for the address and contact information of a stray dog shelter. I planned that if I ran into him again on my way home in the evening, it would be good if I could persuade my mother, and if not, I would send him to the shelter.

After that afternoon, I never ran into him again.

However, the thing I was most fickle about was still growing flowers, but this time my mother still went along with my wishes.

I took a bus to the nearby flower market. I had a great time wandering through one greenhouse after another. I casually picked a few succulents, bought a large ceramic pot, and just like that carried them home in my arms.

At that time we still lived near Wulukou, and it happened that the orientation of our home was not very good, so on weekends I moved the succulents up to the roof to sun them. I read while keeping an eye on the succulents. Sometimes a tabby cat from next door would also come over to join the fun.

I always felt weekends were too short, so I asked my mother to also help me put them on the roof during the week. Once, my mother forgot to bring them back in the afternoon when she went to work, and several succulents in the pot were pinched off by someone; only one survived. Probably some mischievous children who often played on the roof. Seeing how pretty they were, they thought, "when flowers are fit for picking, pick them."

The only one left, I cared for very carefully.

Soon winter arrived. There was no heating at home, and the air conditioner was only turned on when family members were around. Soon that surviving succulent could not resist the cold weather and was also barely clinging to life.

Before spring came the next year, this succulent also left me.

I was extremely sad and no longer wanted to grow flowers.

Finally I made it through to spring.

In April, at Li Ying's wedding, I happened to learn that Shiyang was also growing succulents. I looked at her miniature succulents and thought, wow, she's really loaded. The two of us switched seats and squeezed together, chatting about our little succulent babies.

After the wedding, she took me to Chanyue's greenhouse. That day was truly a day of walking ourselves off our feet. The Echeveria laui was so beautiful it took my breath away, and the Opalina had an absolutely gorgeous color. Before I knew it, I had bought several more.

I told Yang that falling in love with succulents was probably because I had already accepted the cruel fact that I am a fat person. I no longer had much confidence in my own flower-growing, and was just waiting for her to pinch off leaves and behead hers so I could grab some back.

Later, those succulents still did not make it through the summer.

I'm probably only suited to growing pothos, cacti, aloe and the like. Difficult plants have extremely short lives with me, and I gave up on it from then on.

But playing with other people's is still quite a bit of fun.

My sister's balcony is full of plants. Last time I went, they happened to have beheaded their Lithops (butt flowers), which were especially cute. Several of them had roots and stems pushing into the soil and were growing quite well, which pleased me greatly.

Somehow, I suddenly blurted out: My beloved is a peerless hero, and one day he will row a succulent boat to come pick me up.

My sister laughed and replied, only seven-colored auspicious clouds would be romantic.

Succulents really are plants that can bring surprises. The varieties don't need to be too rare or expensive; put in a bit more effort and leave it to time, and ordinary ones can become very beautiful too. (But still be cautious about falling into the succulent pit; it really does drain your wallet.)

I'll post some photos of succulents, so beautiful they make you cry.