Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 457: Preparations for Constructing a Winery (3)_1

Chapter 457: Chapter 457: Preparations for Constructing a Winery (3)_1

The beautiful days seemed just within reach, and the mother and daughter wore brilliant smiles on their faces. Somehow, Mo Wu’s smile gradually faded as she looked at the strings of copper coins laid out on the table. She expressed her concerns to Mo Yan, "Yan girl, our mother-daughter duo setting up a stall in the city every day can’t be hidden from the others back home. If they find out how much money the stall is making, they might get some crooked ideas. From now on, let’s keep the day’s earnings with you. If Aunt Tong needs money, she can take it from you."

"Those people" naturally referred to the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law duo of Mo Hong’s and Mo Niu’s families, and even included Old Man Mo. These three were very greedy. They had repeatedly exploited Mo Qingze in the past under the guise of his upbringing, demanding benefits from him. After settling in Liu Yang Village, they had also caused trouble for the Mo Family, trying to take advantage of them.

With their insatiable greed, if they learned that the stall was profitable and that Mo Wu had a share in it, they would certainly not be content to let Mo Wu run the stall alone. It was anyone’s guess what trouble they might stir up. It was only natural for Mo Wu to take precautions.

"Aunt Tong, rest assured, if the silver coins are with me, I guarantee no one will dare to have any designs on it," Mo Yan readily agreed, not wanting Old Man Mo and others to take advantage of her without any hesitation.

After that, the business of running the stall was entirely left to Mo Wu and her daughter; Mo Yan no longer interfered. Seeing that the ingredients the mother and daughter brought out each day were increasing, and the bags of money they brought back got heavier, she was completely reassured. She then devoted all her energy to another important matter...

Although it was already the end of the lunar month and spring had begun, the weather was still very cold. In the orchard, aside from the hardy orange seedlings sprouting a few green leaves, the other fruit seedlings were left with only their bare trunks. Fortunately, they had been watered with Spirit Spring Water, which significantly improved their cold resistance. They were also wrapped in straw ropes for warmth, or else these delicate fruit seedlings wouldn’t survive the cold winter.

"Little boss, these fruit seedlings are in their second year and they are growing well. I’m afraid they might start to flower once the weather gets warmer. If they bear fruit, do you think we should keep them?" Knowing how much Mo Yan valued these precious fruit seedlings, Aunt Tong carefully sought her opinion after touring the orchard.

Typically, fruit seedlings would bloom in their second year after being transplanted. However, as the seedlings are still young and need nutrients to grow, they are not yet able to bear fruit. There are exceptions though; if the seedlings grow well and absorb enough nutrients, they might bear a few fruits. These fruits, however, would not be large, and their taste would not be very good. If one did not want the fruits to hinder the growth of the trees, they could simply be removed.

Aunt Tong asked this question because she did not understand the growth characteristics of these rare fruit seedlings. She felt that since the seedlings were growing well, if they bore fruit, keeping one or two would not be too detrimental.

Having Spirit Spring Water meant there was no need to worry about lack of nutrients. However, to successfully raise fruit seedlings that even the Agricultural Politics Department had failed to nurture properly for over a decade would be quite conspicuous. If they could successfully bear fruit and be harvested in the second year, it would be incredibly shocking to conventional wisdom.

Mo Yan did not want to attract unnecessary troubles for this reason. However, the prospect of having to destroy with her own hands what could have been a successful harvest was an utterly terrible feeling.

After some consideration, Mo Yan had an idea. She said to Aunt Tong, "Let’s see when the time comes. If they don’t bear fruit, then it’s fine, but if they do, just leave one or two on each seedling. At least we can taste them and find out what these fruits look like and whether they taste good."

Hearing this, Aunt Tong roughly understood. She secretly planned to collect more chicken manure and bury it at the roots before the seedlings bloomed, so they would not have to worry about the growth being stunted due to the energy spent on sustaining the fruits.

After leaving the orchard, Mo Yan walked upstream along the small river, paying close attention to the terrain near the riverbank. Ever since the idea of entering the grape wine business sparked in her mind on New Year’s Eve, she had been mulling it over. Now, having the time and the energy, she wanted to finalize the location for the vineyard and winery construction, to get them built as soon as preparation was completed.

In Mo Yan’s mind, the winery and vineyard weren’t just about picking a plot of land, planting a large number of grapevines, and building a few houses next to it to house a few workers to make wine. Instead, she envisioned a manor themed with "grape wine" culture.

In her previous life, countless literati and scholars had written poems praising grape wine. Compared to other wines, grape wine carried an extra layer of romantic charm. If the winery she planned to build could perfectly integrate grape wine culture, it would certainly elevate the status of the grape wine, gaining the affection and pursuit of the Scholar Class.

Mo Yan was well aware that building such a winery was not something that could be done overnight. The complexity and magnitude alone were daunting, not to mention the silver coins it would cost, which were beyond what she could afford at that moment. Once grape wine was popularized in Great Chu, its potential was not only a massive economic value but might also bring many unknown dangers.

While the prospect of entering the grape wine business was tempting, she, a farmer’s daughter with little wealth and no influence, simply couldn’t manage it alone. She needed someone to help, and she already had someone in mind!

However, to get that person to willingly invest money and effort, she needed enough capital of her own. Mo Yan had a strategy in mind, and upon returning home, she locked herself in the small study, forbidding anyone from disturbing her. Apart from necessary breaks, she hardly stepped out of her room.

Xin Er and the others knew she was working on something very important and did not dare to disturb her lightly. The three beasts had also been warned beforehand, and instead of causing a commotion, boredom led Dabai to take Little Flower and Mao Tuan back to their den. There they patrolled their territory, played, and hunted, living a carefree existence.

Half a month later, Mo Yan emerged from her room, her eyes swollen from lack of sleep. She didn’t have time to rest, holding a 120-page winery proposal as she rode the carriage with full confidence, heading straight for Huixian Residence...