Cultivation Room Money Tree

May Parker bit her lip and said, "I never leave the house, how would I know? Lily, why don’t you ask your big brother? Benjamin Zhang is his classmate."

Helen Parker thought it made sense, so she went to ask Samuel Evans, who happened to be at home.

"Samuel, you really ought to care about your sister’s marriage!" Helen Parker barged into the study, flopped down next to Samuel Evans, and started her rant: "Once your sister marries into the Miller Estate, we’ll all bask in her glory, won’t we? You’ll be the esteemed uncle of the Zhang family, the top household in Greenfield City. Think of the prestige!"

Samuel Evans’s face darkened. Just mentioning May Parker’s affairs was enough to make his blood boil.

Back at the academy, Samuel Evans and Benjamin Zhang saw each other all the time, but Benjamin never once brought up May Parker’s situation—as if he’d completely forgotten she existed. After the recent flood at their house, Samuel’s patience wore thin. He tried to ask Benjamin about his sister, but was met with ridicule from Benjamin and his friends.

Benjamin Zhang even said, "Want me to marry your sister? Sure, tell her to come and serve us elders well, then maybe we’ll consider it!" With a mocking laugh, he strode away.

Now, as Helen Parker brought it up again, Samuel Evans’s expression turned even more sour. He snapped, "How should I know everything about the Zhang family’s business? It was Benjamin Zhang who made promises to May Parker. If you want answers, go ask her! Why bother me? If you’ve got nothing else, get out and let me read in peace!"

With that, he shooed Helen Parker out of the room.

Helen Parker left with a long face, while May Parker’s heart was in turmoil. She’d already given herself to Benjamin Zhang—if he refused to marry her, what would she do?

Evans Household.

Lily Evans called for Belle and April, asking them to come to the most remote row of locked rooms in the backyard.

Belle stood quietly in place. The moment she arrived at the locked row of rooms, she noticed them at once. But Belle was an honest, tight-lipped girl. Since Lily Evans hadn’t said anything, she didn’t ask either—just pretended she hadn’t seen a thing.

But this morning, Lily Evans had called the sisters over—it was clear she wanted to talk about those rooms.

Lily Evans looked at Belle and April. Over the past few days, she’d observed that these sisters were honest and reliable. They worked hard, had a keen sense for things, and knew when to advance or retreat. The Wang girl was gentle and kind, and neither of the young maids had become arrogant or forgotten their place. This made Lily trust them even more.

"Today, I want to talk to you two about a special business in our family," Lily Evans said, taking out a set of keys and unlocking the door to lead the girls inside.

Inside, the room was much more humid than outside. Rows of structures, part bed, part shelf, were lined up, all covered with soil.

"This is our mushroom cellar," Lily Evans explained as she led them inside.

"Mushrooms? Is that the same thing mountain gatherers sell?" Belle asked. She’d never tasted mushrooms herself, but back at Fragrant Pavilion, she’d heard they were even more expensive than meat—rare and highly prized.

Lily Evans nodded with a smile. "These rooms are where our family grows mushrooms. I can’t manage it all by myself, so I’ll need your help."

Belle and April exchanged a glance, understanding that Lily Evans was placing her trust in them. They knelt down and said, "Madam, just give the order. We’ll make sure everything is done right."

Only loyal girls like Belle and April, whose contracts were in Lily Evans’s hands, could be trusted with the secret of mushroom cultivation.

Lily Evans nodded in satisfaction and told them to stand up. At this time, only she knew how to cultivate mushrooms.

Before, when they lived in a thatched hut, there was no way to grow mushrooms. But now, with the new house, Lily Evans had set aside a row of rooms in the most secluded part of the backyard just for mushroom cultivation.

The temperature was just right now. With just one harvest from these rooms, the mushrooms would fetch several thousand taels.

And since mushrooms have a short growing cycle—just one or two months per batch—this row of mushroom cellars was the Evans family’s very own money tree!