The Plant People

Lan still didn't know, at the corner of the street near her house, a strange event had occurred.

***

Now they were present in every plant store. Following the new trend of the era, Lan's store was no exception.

"Hello, what can I help you with?" Lan greeted warmly, a well-practiced line at her doorstep.

"I... I want to buy the Woodling seeds..."

"Yes, you can take a look at this catalog..."

Indeed, there were plenty of options to satisfy the customers' needs. If in the past generations, people kept dogs and cats as pets, now Woodlings were the number one choice for companionship.

"This is the appearance and personality of each type. You can tell me about your preferences, and I'll provide further advice..."

After hesitating, choosing, and listening to her suggestions, the customer finally chose a suitable seed for themselves.

The customer nodded in appreciation, paid, and walked out the door, disappearing into some path of life.

Time flowed on without hesitation, and it was already closing time. Lan tidied up, arranged the goods neatly, and turned off the lights and fans before heading home.

This plant store had been around since Lan's grandfather's time – he was a florist. Lan still vividly remembered the days when she was just a little girl wandering around her grandfather's garden. Oh, how many exotic and rare flowers her grandfather had nurtured and grown to stunning beauty! The love for plants, from the big to the small, had been gently nurtured in Lan bit by bit, until she inherited her grandfather's store.

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"Ma...ma..."

"Let's go, my little one..."

It jumped up onto Lan's shoulder, nuzzling its head against her neck.

"So well-behaved! So adorable!"

She affectionately patted its head like a mother comforting her precious child. Yes, this was her Woodling: cute, mischievous, and incredibly well-behaved.

"Is something wrong, my dear?"

Lan noticed that Pô Pô was much calmer yesterday when it arrived home. It seemed more relaxed this morning. Lan assumed it was because she had held it while sleeping, which reassured it. Thinking that, she gently stroked its head.

"Such a scaredy-cat!"

Another day of work began. The cycles repeated without change in Lan's life. Despite the different era, the advancements in science and technology beyond imagination, the inner voices remained suppressed and quickly extinguished before they could be expressed.

It seemed, Lan had heard them...

Oh well, as long as there was Pô Pô by her side...

"Let's go, my Pô Pô..."

After getting ready, Lan took her phone, cradled Pô Pô in her arms, carefully locked the door, and headed out of the house.

When she was securely back inside the store, she realized there was a text message on her phone.

When was this sent? Probably yesterday when she was sleeping. Not just one, but several messages. Let's see...