Life at the Top

“Jasper, we meet again.”
Zachary walked over with a loud laugh when he saw Jasper getting down from the car.
As he spoke, he smiled heartily while firmly shaking hands with Jasper and patting Jasper’s shoulder with his free hand.
Jasper smiled and replied, “I’m sorry to bother you with my coming to Harbor City this time.”
Zachary returned with a smile as well and said, “It’s no bother. It’s our responsibility to host you as the owner of this place.”
With that, Zachary guided Jasper into the manor. He said as he walked, “How’s the scenery of Harbor City on the way from the
airport?”
Jasper thought for a moment and sincerely said, “I saw prosperity along the way. I also saw opportunities everywhere.”
Zachary said meaningfully, “Young people are full of vitality. Your vision is indeed different.
“C’mon, the old master is in the backyard. I’ve talked to him about you and he really wants to meet you,” Zachary said.
Following Zachary to the backyard, Jasper saw an elderly man in loose, everyday clothes wearing a straw hat. He was doing
weeding work in a small vegetable garden.
Frankly speaking, Jasper really did not expect this to be how his first meeting with the corporate legend Old Master Law would
turn out.
“Typically, when the old master has nothing to do, he likes to keep himself busy in this small vegetable garden. There’s nothing
we can do about it, ” Zachary explained and then walked toward the vegetable garden.
At this moment, Old Master Law saw the two of them. Ignoring Zachary who was walking over, he beckoned to Jasper and
motioned for him to come over.
Jasper entered the vegetable garden and smiled. “Old Master, you’re as fit as fiddle.”
The old master was born in 1923 and was now at a venerable age of 77.
Old Master Law leaned on the garden hoe, his forehead slightly sweaty. He took in a breath and smiled. “There’s a lack of
energy to do other things when one is old, but it instead feels meaningful to be in a vegetable garden.

“C’mere, youngin, come over and talk.”
Jasper went to the old master’s side. The two of them finally had the opportunity to take a good look at each other at this
moment.
The old master was very lean. He was not a tall man, nor was he what novels might describe as ruthlessly ambitious or
intractable. His whole bearing was not redolent of the domineering aura of the sort of people who enjoyed simply lording over
everyone.
On the contrary, he looked more like an ordinary old farmer. It was just that his eyes were very bright. Although he was nearly 80
years old, his gaze was not murky but full of vitality. The old master scanned Jasper from head to toe and complimented, “Not
bad.”
“Youngin, come here and have a look. How’s my vegetable garden?” the old master asked rather proudly.
Jasper looked over and noticed that the vegetable garden was not big, but it was obvious that someone took great care of it
every day. Some of the vegetables were growing up well.
If it were ordinary people, they would be racking their brains to think of praise and flattery regardless of the situation.
Jasper, however, shook his head. “Old Master, you’ve planted them wrongly.”
The old master was taken aback. He asked, “How is it wrong?”
Jasper pointed to a tomato seedling and the cucumber seedling next to it, saying, “Old Master, tomatoes and cucumbers cannot
be planted together. Cucumbers have relatively shallow roots and need to be watered regularly, but tomatoes are the opposite.
They have deep roots and low water requirements.
“If these two are planted together, either the cucumbers will die from underwatering or the tomatoes will die from overwatering.
Only a child born in a farmer’s family like me would know such things.”
The old master slapped his forehead and said with a sudden realization, “So that’s why I’ve been unable to grow the tomatoes.
Alas, knowledge obtained from books indeed feels shallow.”
Zachary, who was not far away, was sweating profusely.

He never really expected the old master and Jasper, where the age gap between the two was more than 50 years, to have such
a great conversation on the topic of growing vegetables.
Anna, who had come over to his side at some point, burst out laughing.
“What are you laughing at?” Zachary asked curiously.
Anna looked at the two people in the vegetable garden and said, “Before this, Grandpa wouldn’t even listen when told to rest
more, but it’s alright now. Grandpa will probably be embarrassed to show off the garden hoe again now that somebody has
revealed his flaws.”