Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 66 The golden thick thigh_1

Chapter 66: Chapter 66 The golden thick thigh_1

After bidding farewell to Elder Meng, Mo Yan walked home with a heavy heart.

Elder Meng’s words might not be entirely accurate, yet they served as a wake-up call for Mo Yan. Families with wealth and power might take interest in her modest assets, but there was no guarantee that those who followed the powerful elite wouldn’t seize the opportunity to plot and snatch benefits. If such people indeed came after them, the Mo Family would be utterly powerless to resist.

Moreover, the greenhouse vegetables were only a minor part of her plan to become wealthy. What she valued most were her orchards, herb gardens, and even the high-yield rice in the Space. These, especially the high-yield rice, could greatly interest the elite in this ancient era, where an average yield was only three hundred catties per mu. If utilized properly, it could certainly become a renowned achievement in history.

With the miraculous Ancient Jade Space, building the Jinxiu Manor of her dreams wasn’t difficult, but she had no desire to pave the way for others. However, in this society where imperial power was supreme and social hierarchy rigid, her family had no foundational support. Once they began to develop, defending against the envious powers that be—those red-eyed "nobility"—would be almost impossible.

Just like the earlier Bu Shi Ren, even though he was merely a humble shopkeeper, he dared to frame others and use extrajudicial punishment on a Scholar, all because of the backing of Duke Wu’an’s Mansion. With such a non-descript figure difficult to contend with, Mo Yan felt even more out of her depth.

What to do? Could she really only plant a variety of vegetables in the Space?

Mo Yan scratched her head, feeling utterly useless. In her previous life, when she read those transmigration novels, the heroines could meet an incredibly influential figure by just strolling through the market, who would help them solve all sorts of troubles. Yet, here she had been in this world for so long and hadn’t even bumped into a minor official, not to mention an important one—

Oh, she did actually encounter one!

Unexpectedly, Mo Yan thought of the icy Xiao Ruiyuan! Regrettably, she had avoided trouble back then and didn’t cozy up to him. It wasn’t impolite, but it certainly wasn’t courteous, and no wonder he left abruptly after dropping a thousand taels of silver and a treasured sword, without so much as a greeting.

Alas, once she had a golden thigh before her, she didn’t know to cling to it until it was gone, and only then did she deeply regret it!

Okay, she didn’t actually regret it. For an individual or a family to truly grow strong, they must rely on themselves! Xiao Ruiyuan might indeed be an important figure, but this important figure came with big troubles. It was probably better to keep a safe distance!

After some reflection, Mo Yan very Q-ly decided that her decision back then was exceptionally wise, easily casting aside that bit of regret and secretly planning which dishes to cook for dinner to celebrate the great sale of vegetables.

By the time she returned home, it was already dark. Mo Yan called Xin Er and Liyan into the kitchen to help, beginning the preparation for the night’s feast.

The ingredients at home were limited, with just a small piece of pork belly, two pounds of spare ribs, and some previously made cured lamb. With these, Mo Yan planned to make double-cooked pork, sweet and sour ribs, and steamed cured lamb—three meat dishes—along with two vegetable dishes of garlic green vegetables, stir-fried shredded radish, and a refreshing tofu and pickled mustard soup to cleanse the palate.

The dishes were all simple home cooking and were ready in less than half an hour.

Despite everyone already knowing that Mo Yan was an excellent cook and that she could make even the most ordinary radish delicious and appetizing, every time Mo Yan cooked, it sparked new expectations. She had such a vast repertoire of dishes that even for ten days or half a month, there would hardly be any repeats.

Many dishes were such that even the worldly and experienced Lizhong had never tasted, or even heard of before. More than once, Lizhong joked that with Mo Yan’s cooking skills, simply opening a snack shop could bring in a wealth of money, ensuring the family would be without worries for food and clothing.

Mo Yan, on the other hand, had never considered making money from her cooking. Cooking was a hobby for her, and making dishes for friends and family, conquering their taste buds, gave her a great sense of pride. If she were to turn making delicious food into a profession, what would be the fun in that?

...

The next day, as dawn was breaking, the father and daughter hurriedly had their breakfast and headed towards the North gate.

They hadn’t been there long when Elder Meng and the other nine came through the city gate on time, driving their mule carts and ox carts, covered tightly with tarpaulins that didn’t attract the attention of passersby. Lin Da and the other six were also sitting in the carts. Upon seeing Mo Yan and her father, they all dismounted and greeted them.

Lin Da and Lin Song sold vegetables in the West Market, but neither of them had ever been to the vegetable market street. So, Elder Meng, who was familiar with the area, took the lead and brought them there. The West Market was inhabited by ordinary commoners, and it wasn’t likely that many would be willing to spend nearly the price of pork on vegetables, so for the time being, only Elder Meng’s cart of vegetables made the trip.

In the Southern Market lived the wealthy merchants and traders, and though it was their first day selling there, there were expected to be quite a few buyers. To prevent a repeat of yesterday’s situation in the Eastern Market, Mo Yan arranged for three carts to go with Mo Qingze and Lin An.

The remaining five carts of vegetables were taken to the Eastern Market by Mo Yan. Based on yesterday’s experience, even if they didn’t sell all the vegetables, there wouldn’t be much left over.

Indeed, as soon as they unloaded the carts, many people gathered to buy. Some of them were customers who had purchased vegetables the day before. After trying them at home, they found the vegetables even tastier than those in season; old and young alike loved them. They came early in the morning hoping to buy more to give to friends and relatives, for gifting vegetables in winter was a matter of great prestige.

Even more people came early in the morning having heard from their neighbors and wanted to taste for themselves. Seeing how good the vegetables looked, they didn’t mind the higher price and bought a little of each kind regardless of the cost.

Madam Xiong and Mrs. Zhou were quick and efficient, and warmly welcomed the customers, earning Mo Yan’s silent praise. She let them take charge of packing the vegetables and weighing them, while she and Lin Meng were responsible for collecting and giving back change. With their cooperation, they barely managed to keep up with the endless stream of customers.

Despite the hectic business, no one felt tired! Especially Lin Meng and his company, who could hardly believe vegetables that could rival the price of meat sold so well. The amount of money they made from selling vegetables in one day was probably more than they would earn from a whole year of hard labor!

Luckily they knew their place. After Mo Yan and her father left the day before, Lin Yong had seriously cautioned them. Although they were extremely envious, they also knew they relied on the Mo Family for their livelihood and dared not harbor any other thoughts.

It was only the end of winter, and these greenhouse vegetables could probably be sold until the end of February next year. As long as they remained honest and diligent, the Mo Family would surely continue to employ them. In three months, they would effortlessly earn three taels of silver, which was far better than what those hard laborers earned.

Putting aside their thoughts, Mo Yan was also exceptionally happy. The five carts of vegetables sold faster than she had anticipated. In just two hours, most were sold, and the pouch tied around her waist became heavier and heavier, almost making her legs buckle.

When the last vegetable was sold, Lin Meng took the initiative to call for a donkey cart. The four of them, with their hefty pouches of coins, boarded the cart and headed straight for the Mo Family in the West Market...