Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

Shao Yunduan smiled warmly and nodded at his eager wife. “We can’t possibly consume that many strawberries ourselves. It’s such a shame to let them go to waste in the fields!”

Zhao Shu, with a knowing grin, chimed in, “I frequent Jinquan Restaurant quite often. What if I speak to the manager tomorrow?”

Qiao Xuan’s eyes lit up with delight. “That’s a fantastic idea! Songshi can deliver a basket of strawberries to you tomorrow morning, and you can present them to the manager for his consideration.”

Zhao Shu readily agreed, and the very next morning, Songshi ventured into the vast 500-meter strawberry field to pick half a basket’s worth of strawberries, which she promptly handed over to Zhao Shu.

Accompanied by his companions, Zhao Shu made his way to Jinquan Restaurant. This establishment was renowned as an upscale tea house located in the heart of the capital. Among its three counterparts in the city, Jinquan Restaurant was Zhao Shu’s preferred haunt, and his generosity had made him a cherished and distinguished guest there.

Engaging the manager was a straightforward affair given Zhao Shu’s reputation. After tasting a single strawberry, the manager’s eyes gleamed with approval. He readily accepted Zhao Shu’s proposal, stating that a single tea house could easily consume 500 to 600 kilograms of strawberries each day.

Adding up the demand from all three tea houses, it amounted to almost 100 kilograms daily. They agreed on a price of two qian for every 500 grams, with a daily supply of 90 kilograms.

This arrangement promised a daily profit of 36 liang, translating to over 1,000 liang each month. With Songshi’s remarkable abilities, the strawberry harvest would continue until November, ensuring a steady supply in the foreseeable future.

The potential earnings were staggering, amounting to thousands of liang within a few months. Moreover, as the strawberries continued to grow and could be planted every few days, the yield was only set to increase with time.

This was an incredibly significant opportunity.

The small plot of strawberry fields held the promise of a luxurious life for both Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan within the capital, though they knew the importance of keeping their newfound success a closely guarded secret. They couldn’t afford to draw attention from Shao Yunduan’s colleagues, whose reactions would undoubtedly be complex and potentially troublesome.

Qiao Xuan couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of pride in the effectiveness of her superpower.

When Shao Yunduan first learned of their newfound prosperity, he was taken aback. He had always heard about the struggles of life and the difficulty of making money. Yet, it seemed effortless for his wife to accumulate wealth.

With a confident smile, Qiao Xuan expressed her desire for more land, realizing that the current 20 mu wouldn’t suffice for their ambitious plans involving potatoes and strawberries. She eagerly encouraged Shao Yunduan to inquire about available land beyond the town, even if it meant going as far as 70 or 80 miles from the capital.

Shao Yunduan nodded in agreement, taking note of her request. “I’ll start looking tomorrow. Finding a large piece of land won’t be easy.”

Given his position as an officer in the Ministry of Revenue, Shao Yunduan had access to valuable information. Within a few days, he managed to locate a suitable plot of land located over 1,000 mu away from the capital, in Cloud Water Town, roughly 40 miles away.

Such a substantial piece of land was a rare find, even with Shao Yunduan’s resources.

The following day, Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan visited the site together. Situated at the base of a gentle mountain slope, the land offered a relatively flat terrain with small hills rising and falling only a meter or two in height. It comprised over 1,200 mu in total. According to the owner’s calculations, the price was set at 124 liang per mu, totaling nearly 17,000 liang for the entire plot.