Answer: A. He wants Elisa to give him work so he can earn some money.
In "The Chrysanthemums," by John Steinbeck, we meet Elisa. She is a talented, energetic woman who enjoys taking care of her chrysanthemums. As she is taking care of these, a large bearded man appears and asks her for work. She initially refuses, because she says that there is nothing for him to do. However, he shows interests in his flowers, and this makes her annoyance vanish.
