BDSMST -Chapter 29 The Business Opportunity in Town

Under the high spirits of the “hardworking youths,” the estate’s output was increasing at an astonishing pace.

The newly reclaimed land was soon planted with a second batch of vegetables, while the earliest crops had already reached harvest time.

The vegetable fields were a lush green, full of life. Golden-hook cucumbers hung from the trellises, yielding several baskets a day. Jade cabbages grew larger than human heads, each firm and plump. Flame-red chili peppers were so bright and abundant, they weighed down the branches.

In the chicken coop, the ten hens, nourished with spring water and careful feeding, had started laying eggs. Every morning, Gu Xuan could collect seven or eight warm eggs from the nest.

In the pigpen, “Hengheng” and “Haha” were growing like inflating balloons. In just over a month, they had grown from piglets into half-grown meat pigs—fat and sturdy.

With output increasing so quickly, a practical problem arose for Jiang Suisui.

There were far too many vegetables and eggs for just the dozen or so mouths in the estate to consume.

Cucumbers and cabbages would lose their fresh taste after only a few days, and if the eggs were left too long, they would become stale.

These were her painstakingly nurtured “treasures,” watered with the precious spring water—it would be a shame to waste them.

Even more importantly, the estate’s expenses were rising. Although the young masters provided free labor, feeding a dozen people each day, along with purchasing farm tools and repairing buildings, was rapidly draining the silver Jiang Suisui had brought from the Marquis’ residence.

She needed to open a new source of income.

That day, she had Li Si harness the ox cart and load the best baskets of cucumbers, cabbages, and eggplants from the estate.

“Madam, are you…” Chunxing asked, confused.

“Going to town to sell these vegetables,” Jiang Suisui replied matter-of-factly.

“Sell vegetables?” Wei Ziqian and the others, just returning from the fields, crowded around at this news.

“Our vegetables can earn money?” Qian Duoduo asked, curiosity lighting up his face.

“Of course,” Jiang Suisui said, giving them a glance. “The vegetables you grow with your own hands can not only fill your stomachs, but also be exchanged for silver. That way, we can buy meat, buy rice. Don’t you trust the vegetables you grew yourselves?”

“Who says we don’t!” Wei Ziqian immediately retorted. “The vegetables we grow are the most delicious in the world! Take them to town, and they’ll be snatched up instantly!”

His confidence in their labor’s results had reached a near-blind level.

“Perfect,” Jiang Suisui said to Li Si. “Li Si, drive the cart. Gu Xuan, come with me. You,” she looked at Wei Ziqian and the others, “stay behind to guard the estate and clean the pigpen again while you’re at it.”

The young masters had wanted to tag along for the fun, but the mention of extra work instantly deflated their enthusiasm.

The ox cart creaked and groaned as it headed toward Qingshi Town.

This was Gu Xuan’s second visit to town. Last time, he had been resistant and full of complaints. This time, sitting atop a cart piled high with fresh green vegetables, his mood was completely different.

Like a little steward, he worried the bumpy road might damage the cucumbers. At one point, he grabbed a cloth to cover the cabbages, afraid the sun would wilt them.

Jiang Suisui couldn’t help laughing at his nervous, precious demeanor.

When they arrived at Qingshi Town, it happened to be market day. The streets were bustling with people, lively and crowded.

Jiang Suisui had Li Si park the ox cart in a corner of the market reserved for vegetable vendors.

As soon as their vegetables were displayed, they immediately drew the attention of passersby.

The reason was simple—the vegetables looked too good to ignore.

Other farmers’ cucumbers were mostly crooked, with uneven yellow-green coloring. But theirs were straight, vibrant green, each with a little blossom and prickly tip, looking fresh and crisp.

Other cabbages drooped, with leaves full of holes from insects. Their cabbages were upright and vigorous, with thick, lush leaves so green they seemed almost to glisten with water.

“Hey, little miss, how much for your vegetables? They look really fine!” called out a woman carrying a basket of produce, the first to speak.

“Cucumbers five wen per jin, cabbage three wen per jin,” Jiang Suisui replied, quoting a price almost double the market rate.

“What?! That expensive?!” the woman exclaimed, shocked. “Are your vegetables made of gold? Other cucumbers are three wen, and cabbages only one wen per jin!”

People nearby, who had been interested, shook their heads at the price and were about to walk away.

“Good things are worth the price,” Jiang Suisui said calmly. She snapped off a small piece of cucumber and handed it to the woman. “Try it first, and then decide whether to buy.”

The woman took it hesitantly and bit into it.

After just one chew, her eyes widened in surprise.

Sweet! Crisp! The rich aroma of the cucumber filled her mouth instantly. In all her life, she had never tasted cucumbers this delicious!

“Oh my! How… how can cucumbers be sweet?” she marveled, still tasting it.

Jiang Suisui smiled but said nothing. She broke off another piece and offered it to someone else watching.

Soon, one cucumber had been sampled by several people. Everyone who tasted it reacted just like the first woman—astonished, then full of praise.

“I’ll take two jin of cucumbers!”

“Is this cabbage really that good too? I’ll take one head!”

“I’ll take three jin of eggplants!”

With someone leading the way and the power of free tasting, Jiang Suisui’s stall quickly drew a crowd.

The few baskets of vegetables they had brought were sold out in less than half an hour.

Gu Xuan handled the money and kept the accounts. Holding the money pouch, he watched the copper coins pile up inside, unable to keep his mouth closed in excitement.

When they counted at the end, the vegetables had earned them over eight hundred wen!

“We… we earned this much?” Gu Xuan held the heavy pouch, feeling as if he were dreaming.

The vegetables he had planted with his own hands had turned into real money. The feeling was even more thrilling than receiving a gold ingot from his grandmother.

Just as they were preparing to close the stall and head home, a well-dressed man, who looked like a manager, hurried over.

“Excuse me, were the vegetables just sold here grown by you?” he asked politely.

Jiang Suisui nodded.

“I am Liu, the purchasing manager of Yuelaiju,” he said, handing over a business card with great respect. “Our owner just tasted the cucumbers from your estate and was astounded. How many more of these vegetables do you have? We at Yuelaiju would like to purchase them all!”

Yuelaiju was the largest and most upscale restaurant in Qingshi Town.

The person Jiang Suisui had been waiting for had finally arrived.