Striking It Rich
The Evans Manor’s vegetables brought in a bumper harvest right before the New Year, earning a fortune. Every day, Lily Evans hauled stacks of silver notes home, counting money until her hands cramped!
Once all the vegetables were sold and the next batch pre-ordered, Lily could finally catch her breath.
Lily Evans was never stingy—she shared bonuses based on everyone’s contributions, from a hundred taels to five. Nearly everyone at Evans Manor got a share, and with money in hand, the staff looked forward to a wonderful New Year, grinning from ear to ear and vowing to work even harder next year!
After splitting the profits with the Yuan family, Evans Manor netted eighty thousand taels, while the Yuan family earned twenty thousand. Mrs. Chen was over the moon—twenty thousand taels was a whole quarter’s profit for the biggest silver shop in town, but Evans Manor made it in one harvest!
“So much silver!” Lily Evans spread the banknotes over the bed and rolled around in happiness.
Lucky stood by, eyes full of adoration, as Lily counted the money again and again. Eighty thousand taels—what should she do with all that wealth?
Lily Evans wasn’t content with a small fortune—now that she had capital, she started plotting how to make her money grow.
“After the New Year, I’ll ask Uncle Arthur to help us buy farmland all over the country. That way, Evans Manor can grow vegetables everywhere, and selling them will be so much easier. If Greenfield City gets hit by a snow disaster and the roads close, our produce won’t be stranded. By spreading out, each region can buy locally and we won’t lose money.” Lily leaned against Lucky, planning aloud.
“You’re absolutely right, darling!” Lucky nodded vigorously, his eyes brimming with admiration for Lily.
“Buying land alone isn’t enough—if disaster strikes, a single industry could collapse. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. I also want to expand my vegetarian restaurant, but my health keeps me from being head chef. So, I’ll start training apprentices and choose promising ones. Someday, my restaurants will open nationwide, and my students will run each branch as head chefs.”
Lily thought for a moment and said, “I still remember the village chief asking me to help everyone get rich. But how, exactly?”
Leading the whole village to prosperity was no easy task. Lily scratched her head and muttered, “If you want to get rich, build roads first… Have fewer kids and plant more trees? No, that doesn’t suit our situation…”
Although she hadn’t figured out how to help everyone get rich yet, Lily kept the idea close to her heart, determined to find a way when the opportunity arose.
As the New Year approached, Lily sent fresh vegetables and fruits from Evans Manor to friends and business partners. Wu Caiwei’s pharmacy had been open for two months, and thanks to its proximity to Greenfield Academy and quality herbs, business was booming. Lily brought produce, and in return, Zhang Mu sent nourishing herbs for Lily and Lucky.
Lily had planned to deliver produce to Li Yan Hao’s residence herself, but just as she was leaving, Lucky complained of chest pain. Reluctantly, Lily sent Housekeeper Yuan instead and returned to care for Lucky.
She also sent fresh vegetables to the village chief, the schoolteacher, and her friends, making sure everyone had a taste of the New Year’s bounty.
Just as Lily was about to relax, she noticed a stranger lurking outside, watching Lucky with a strange intensity. Lily’s heart skipped a beat—something was about to happen.