First Major Business Deal
Lily Evans arrived at her family's greenhouse vegetable plot, accompanied by Leonard Li and several stewards.
The field was lush with green vegetable leaves, beans climbing up trellises, and a dazzling array of fresh produce. At a glance, it looked nothing like the barren winter—it was more like the bounty of autumn harvest!
Farmhands bustled about in the field, everything running smoothly and in order. As soon as Old Zhou spotted Lily Evans, he hurried over to greet her.
"Carry on with your work, I'll take care of things here," Lily Evans said kindly, smiling at Old Zhou.
Ever since Lily Evans had straightened him out last time, Old Zhou had become completely obedient. He dared not go against her word, so he quickly returned to his work.
"Gentlemen, this batch of greenhouse vegetables from my family's fields will be ready for harvest soon. Are any of you interested in signing a contract with me?" Lily Evans asked with confident ease.
"I'll sign! Me! Me! Mrs. Lily, I'll sign!"
"Me too! Mrs. Lily, you must save a share for my family!"
"I want in too!"
The stewards acted like they’d gone mad, all scrambling to sign up.
All the stewards were shrewd people—they knew that signing up for Lily Evans’s off-season vegetables wasn’t just about making a deal. This was a chance to make a name for themselves!
Once they reported back to their masters that they’d secured fresh vegetables in the dead of winter, their restaurants would outshine the competition. That was no small feat!
With so many buyers and limited vegetables, Lily Evans’s fifty mu of greenhouse produce sold out instantly. Two stewards even got into a scuffle in the field trying to secure a bigger share for their families.
Leonard Li walked up to Lily Evans, full of admiration. "Lily, your mind is truly remarkable! I’ve never admired anyone before, but now I do—you! You’re a real business genius. How did you ever come up with such a brilliant idea to grow fresh vegetables in winter?"
Lily Evans gave a mysterious smile. Of course, it was all thanks to her modern-day know-how, but she wouldn’t tell Leonard Li that. Instead, she just smiled enigmatically and said, "A mountain dweller always has a clever trick up her sleeve!"
While everyone was busy talking business in the field, no one noticed the dirty woman crouching behind a small mound at the edge of the field.
Su Meixiang strained her ears, soaking up every word Lily Evans and the others said. Her hands clenched tightly as she stared at Lily, her eyes burning with madness. She muttered under her breath, "So that’s your trick, Lily Evans—using this strange method to grow vegetables in winter and sell them for such high prices! Hmph, thanks to you, I’ve already learned how to grow them by spying on you these past days. Just wait—one day, when I strike it rich, I’ll make sure to trample you underfoot and make you suffer for all my grievances!"
After the deal was sealed and Leonard Li and the stewards departed, Lily Evans went back to her room to tally up the earnings from the greenhouse vegetables. Although the greenhouse area was smaller than the mushroom house, the vegetables sold for a higher price, so the profits were just as good—reaching ten thousand taels of silver a month!
Unfortunately, greenhouse vegetables only fetch high prices in winter—the profits aren’t nearly as good in the other three seasons.
Over the next few days, stewards from all the families sent carts and wagons to Clearwater Village to pick up goods. Lily Evans, Belle, and the hired hands worked day and night, finally managing to sell off the first batch!
Although the villagers of Clearwater didn’t know exactly what kind of business Lily Evans was running, just seeing all those carts loaded with goods coming and going, they knew she must have made a fortune.
"Ugh, that wretched Lily Evans—making money again!" Madam Tang grumbled, her eyes red with jealousy as she watched cart after cart leaving Lily’s house. She glanced back at her own crumbling mud-brick home—so poor she couldn’t even afford repairs. Why should Lily have all the luck? No, she’d have to go ask Lily for money to fix her house!