Peasant Woman’s Decreed Life as a Wife

Chapter 2148: Chapter 2145: Making Money

"Get ready to sell watermelon seeds." Chu Heng ate up the watermelon in a few bites and got up to wash his hands.

Ye Muyu asked upon hearing this, "Are you planning to publicize the watermelon matter?"

Since growing watermelons, most wealthy families in the capital have tried to buy them and experiment with growing them themselves, but the seeds are scarce.

So those who know about watermelons are aware of their high price but don’t know much else, thus only a few people value them, while common people just see them as a rare commodity, without considering planting them.

Previously, without seeds, Ye Muyu naturally didn’t bother to advertise.

"Exactly, as per your suggestion, an agricultural section has been added to the official newspaper. This watermelon can fetch a good price and, crucially, it can be grown in sandy soil, not needing fertile land, giving hope to people in barren areas." As Chu Heng spoke, he picked up a pen and noted down this event.

He planned to publicize it in the upcoming newspaper edition.

"Oh yes, there’s also ’The Imperial Examination Path,’ this book could be printed more."

Ye Muyu was indeed overjoyed upon hearing this, "Ah, didn’t expect it to go so smoothly, we can make a fortune now."

Considering just the students in the capital alone, numbering in the thousands, even if not everyone buys a copy, just half, with a book priced at five hundred wen, could bring in two thousand five hundred taels.

Without yet counting other potential customers, what about other state government offices? Adding up to a dozen states, earning thirty to forty thousand taels is no problem at all.

In an instant, savings could be replenished.

You must know that recently, Tang Dongfeng has been helping her buy land, build manors, buy properties, which cost quite a bit of silver, the family savings have nearly run out. If there’s an urgent need, they can only draw funds from the shops.

Actions like Ye Muyu’s, letting people buy properties and lands everywhere, are seen as an act of extravagance and madness by most noble families.

Noble families are so because they have deep roots in a certain Prefectural City; even if they have no officials in the court, they can still act as Local Emperors locally.

If in a certain generation, a capable descendant emerges, they can bring prosperity to the family and revive its glory.

That’s why you hear references like "The Li family" or "Madam Wang."

To them, Ye Muyu’s scattered family assets seem like she’s just wasting money with nowhere to spend it, for being so spread out, without a local foundation, owning just a house or manor, what use is it?

Ye Muyu entirely has a futuristic perspective, buying these manors and houses for investment.

With more profitable businesses, buying land becomes cheap for her.

Additionally, it’s for storing grain and securing some fallback options.

Of course, if the family remains steady, those houses can serve as convenient lodgings while traveling to various locales later; staying in one’s place is always more convenient than hotels.

Because of this little hobby, Ye Muyu arranged it this way.

Meanwhile, Chu Heng, knowing his current identity, feels that aiming to develop into a noble family would be suicidal; if Emperor Xuanming found out, he’d be the first to be displeased with him. No matter how much he wanted to use him, he wouldn’t allow a smart but overly self-interested subject to remain under his nose.

One can refer to the process of Emperor Yongzheng’s attitude shift towards Nian Gengyao.

Since Ah Yu can’t openly hoard land, he has to let her continue like this.

And for Ye Muyu to achieve owning land and houses everywhere, hiring people to farm on the manors, it would cost at least two to three hundred thousand taels of silver.