The villagers liked to pickle the vegetables they couldn't finish or dry them into vegetable crisps. Pickled vegetables were fine—when stir-fried well, they went nicely with rice—but Xu Han truly disliked dried vegetables. No matter how they were prepared, she felt they carried a sun-dried taste.
Tan Yue smiled gently. "Actually, Miss Qiao, you don't have to limit yourself to selling within the village. These vegetables are better suited for people outside."
How could Xu Han not know that selling to outsiders would be more profitable? But she was deep in the mountains. Not to mention the transportation costs, the vegetables would have rotted by the time they arrived.
"I was planning to take some to Town during market day and see how well they sell."
Tan Yue shook his head. "That's too troublesome. There's actually a shortcut."
A shortcut?
Xu Han's eyes lit up. She casually picked a large, plump tomato and eagerly handed it to Tan Yue, wearing an expression that practically begged for guidance.
Tan Yue accepted the tomato with a helpless laugh. Holding it in his hand, he generously pointed her in the right direction.
"I noticed there's a farmhouse restaurant in your Town doing quite well. Go negotiate a deal to supply them with vegetables. They'll cook your family's vegetables for their guests. After eating them, the guests will think, hey, these taste far better than what they usually eat in the city, and they'll want to buy them. Take the opportunity to persuade the owner to sell both cooked dishes and raw vegetables. He can effortlessly earn the middleman's profit, and wouldn't that mean you've sold your produce outside?"
As soon as Xu Han heard that, she realized he was right. How had she not thought of that?
"You could even open a restaurant in Town yourself once you have the money. I see your Town has been developing its tourism industry these past few years. Isn't that supposedly quite effective Matchmaker Temple about to finish renovations? By then, there'll definitely be more single people than you can imagine coming to pray for romance. That's a huge business opportunity."
Xu Han tucked back her hair and said, "I wouldn't dare think that far ahead. For me at this stage, it's not very realistic."
"No, no, no. If you want to succeed, you have to dare to dream and dare to act." Tan Yue's urge to speak as a successful entrepreneur had been stirred up, and he spoke eloquently. "If I were you, I wouldn't just open a restaurant. I'd turn my products into a brand. For example, Dehydrated Vegetable Crisps are very popular right now. Your family's vegetables are so delicious and naturally grown. You could absolutely build up that reputation and turn it into something bigger—a personal brand, right?"
Xu Han had truly never considered any of what Tan Yue had said. First, she genuinely lacked a head for business. Second, she didn't dare think too far ahead and worried about everything before and after. She preferred taking things one step at a time and steadily walking the path already before her.
But Tan Yue was different. As a businessman, he truly had far-reaching vision. Just looking at a garden full of vegetables, he could think that far ahead.
And everything he said was logical and convincing...
Xu Han realized that he had actually gotten her blood boiling.
Could she really make a fortune from this and rise to the peak of her life?
"I just don't know much about business," Xu Han admitted honestly. She felt that she did have ideas, but lacked foresight and couldn't think that far ahead.
"No one is born knowing how. Miss Qiao is clever and perceptive, so it shouldn't be difficult for you to learn." Tan Yue took out a business card and revealed a nearly perfect smile. "If Miss Qiao has any questions, you can discuss them with me."
"Oh, all right." Xu Han accepted the card with both hands and glanced at its antique yet exquisite design. Printed on it was the title: "Chairman of Shangfu Group."
Shangfu Group... It looked familiar too, but Xu Han couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
"Is something wrong?" Tan Yue asked when he saw her staring blankly at the business card.
"No." Feeling that she had been rude, Xu Han put away the card. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, Miss Qiao."
Tan Yue had driven himself there. He loaded the trunk full of vegetables and stuffed some into the back seat as well. It seemed he was not only taking them home to eat, but also giving some away.
Before leaving, Tan Yue gave Xu Han another meaningful look. "Miss Qiao, I look forward to seeing you again."
Xu Han waved at him. "Take care, Mr. Tan."
After Tan Yue left, Xu Han happily counted the stack of cash in her hand, then quickly caught Yellow Immortal as he darted past her.
Yellow Immortal wore an unhappy expression as the delighted Xu Han held him in her arms and gave him a thorough petting. "You really do seem a little magical. How about blessing me so my second wish comes true too?"
Ever since Yellow Immortal had been upgraded from livestock to household pet, Xu Han had unlocked a new skill—Petting Yellow Immortal.
Though Yellow Immortal was a wild weasel, his fur was especially soft. He felt like a fluffy little ball when petted, satisfying every person's longing for furry animals.
Yellow Immortal rolled his eyes as she kneaded him. Finally, irritated beyond endurance, the old fellow farted at Xu Han.
...Weasel farts were top-tier disgusting, practically poisonous. One reason Qiao Wanqing's uncle and the others had fled in panic that night was because Yellow Immortal's foul fart had driven them away.
Xu Han was left questioning her entire life.
For offending the dignity of the head of the household, Yellow Immortal was punished with a day's rations withheld.
Yellow Immortal: Wronged.jpg
Tan Yue's words had greatly inspired Xu Han. Of course, at her current stage, she did not aim too high and rush to open her own farmhouse restaurant. It would be too much trouble, and she did not know whether it would work. She decided to first find the owner of that farmhouse restaurant and follow the first suggestion Tan Yue had given her.
A farmhouse restaurant's vegetable consumption was not actually very large, probably even less than the school's. But if they sold the vegetables to tourists, it was hard to say how much they might consume. If things went well, along with the school's orders, she might earn over ten thousand a month.
Xu Han was instantly filled with fighting spirit.
As usual, she picked a bagful of vegetables and went to Town to find the owner of that farmhouse restaurant.
The farmhouse restaurant's owner was a plump woman. Before Xu Han could finish speaking, the woman rudely interrupted her. "We don't need vegetables here. Take them away, take them away. I don't have time to waste arguing with you."
"Boss, my family's vegetables really taste better than everyone else's. If you don't believe me, you can try some first."