Harvesting Mushrooms, So Much Silver!
"Mom, I've got something amazing to show you!" Early the next morning, Lily Evans led Margaret Evans with an air of mystery straight to the Mushroom House in the backyard.
Margaret Evans walked arm-in-arm with Lily Evans, followed by Belle and April, their two maids. Dressed in fine clothes with elegant hairpins, she looked radiant—hard to imagine this glowing woman was once the pitiful target of everyone's bullying just months ago.
"Lily, what is it? Why all the secrecy?" Margaret glanced at the row of rooms and asked, "You never let me near these, so what's hidden inside?"
"It's full of treasures!" Lily winked and grinned, signaling Belle to open the door.
"Go on, Mom, take a look!" Lily shook her head with pride.
Margaret walked in, suspicious, and immediately noticed how odd the room was. Looking closer, she gasped, "Lily, are these... mushrooms?"
"That's right, all mushrooms!" Lily beamed at the room packed with plump mushrooms. Her first harvest was ready—every mushroom looked perfect and would surely fetch a great price!
"Oh my goodness, how much is all this worth?" Margaret's hands trembled with excitement. "Lily, you said mushrooms sell for ten taels a pound—this is like growing silver!"
Lily scratched her head shyly. In an era when mushrooms were pricier than meat and no one knew how to grow them, being able to cultivate mushrooms was basically like planting money!
"Now you can relax, Mom! Stop scrimping and saving—your daughter knows how to make money!" Lily hugged Margaret's arm tightly.
"Wonderful! My daughter is truly amazing!" Margaret Evans stared at the room full of snow-white mushrooms, as if she were seeing fields sprouting pure silver.
"Belle, April, harvest a hundred pounds of mushrooms. I'll send fifty pounds of fresh ones to Savory House, and the other fifty pounds we'll dry for mushroom preserves. Remember, you two handle everything yourselves—this must stay secret!" Lily instructed.
"Yes, madam! We'll keep the doors shut while we work—no one will get in," Belle and April replied, their faces bright with joy. Life was good for their household now, and it meant the sisters wouldn't be sold off or sent drifting from place to place ever again.
Belle and April had passed Lily's tests and earned her trust, but the four old maids—Gold, Silver, Copper, and Iron—though seemingly honest, were a different story. Lily couldn't be sure none of them harbored ill intentions. Growing mushrooms was basically growing silver, and Lily wanted to keep things quiet to avoid trouble.
Thankfully, Uncle Arthur's family knew how to mind their own business. They all knew about the mysterious row of rooms in Lily's backyard, but never asked questions or tried to snoop around.
Lily said, "Mom, I'm heading to Savory House today to sell mushrooms. Could you whip up a feast tonight? I need Uncle Arthur's help with something."
"Of course, I'll do whatever you say." Margaret Evans was always happy to follow her daughter's lead and immediately started planning what to cook for dinner.
Lily considered her options: Uncle Arthur's family was wealthy and trustworthy—they'd never scheme over mushrooms. Plus, Uncle Arthur had connections all over; Lily wanted to work with him to turn mushrooms into dried goods and sell them far and wide.
After all, Greenfield City was only so big and didn't have many wealthy households. Once the mushroom business grew, the city couldn't possibly consume them all. Lily didn't want to put all her eggs in the Savory House basket—she wanted her own enterprise, so she needed to prepare and expand her sales channels.