Chapter 245: Chapter 245: Using Him Without Holding Back
"This..."
Sun Yufeng stared at Shen Nian, her eyes wide.
"Mom, if the vegetables from our farm were all this quality, do you think we could make a profit?"
’Of course we can! Absolutely! The flavor of these vegetables is simply incredible!’
Shen Nian was already a great cook, but with this dish, all Sun Yufeng could taste was the pure, unadulterated flavor of the greens. Aside from some essential seasoning, nothing else had been added.
Lu Shaoping and Lu Xinyue tried a bite after Sun Yufeng and had the exact same reaction.
"Xiao Nian, where did these vegetables come from?"
"Dad, I grew these myself in those few pots on the balcony. Actually, Lu Cheng used his connections to get a batch of newly developed, improved seeds and a special agent for treating the soil. The vegetables they produce are incredibly nutritious and have an excellent texture. This is what we plan to grow on our farm."
In truth, the vegetables Shen Nian served were from her experiments—grown in soil that had been treated with an optimal dilution of her Spiritual Spring Water.
’In any case, all the farm’s future produce will be of this quality, so it’s good to let my in-laws know what to expect ahead of time.’
Besides, Lu Cheng himself had told her she could pin anything on him, so Shen Nian didn’t hesitate to use his name.
"This..."
If Shen Nian had claimed she got the seeds and the agent herself, Father Lu and Mrs. Lu might have been skeptical. But since it came from Lu Cheng, they didn’t have a single doubt.
’Their son was so capable, after all. A few seeds and some special agent were nothing to him.’
’And since they were newly developed, wouldn’t that put their farm at the cutting edge?’
"If that’s the case, then this farm of yours should do quite well!"
"See? Even you think so, Dad! From now on, we won’t have to buy vegetables from anywhere else. The farm will supply us year-round."
"But if you want to scale this farm up, it’s going to require a lot of money, won’t it?"
"Yes, it does. We’re still in the process of fundraising. The government gave us a generous grace period on the lease for the fields and forest, so we’re confident we can figure something out by then."
"I heard that when you visited your family, you borrowed money from your relatives and let them invest it as a stake. If that’s the case, why don’t you count our family in as well!"
"Huh?"
Shen Nian had come up with the debt-for-equity scheme purely as a way to keep her troublesome relatives from the Shen and Miao families in check. She never expected her father-in-law, Lu Shaoping, to want a piece of the action too.
But Shen Nian’s surprise lasted only a moment before turning into delight.
’If the Lu Family joined, that would be fantastic! That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about them objecting to her plans.’
’Plus, the farm would become a joint venture between the two families. Their relationship might even get better!’
As for the possibility that the farm losing money could sour the relationship between the two families, Shen Nian didn’t even entertain the thought. ’It’s simply impossible!’
Sun Yufeng was also surprised to hear Lu Shaoping say they should invest. She was about to say something, but then she thought about how delicious the vegetables were. ’They’re sure to sell well! If our family invests, we’ll get a share of the profits when the farm starts making money!’
’Besides,’ she thought, ’this farm is a project for Shen Nian and Lu Cheng. Shen Nian’s family has already invested, so of course our family should too.’
"If you’re willing, Dad, that would be wonderful, of course."
And just like that, in a matter of moments, Shen Nian’s farm had gained another shareholder.
Although the Lu Family was very close to Shen Nian, they agreed to the same terms as the Miao Family: they would only receive dividends and would not participate in the farm’s management or operations.
Since Shen Nian was establishing the farm for Shen Xiangdong, it was crucial to secure his position and interests.
And with the Lu Family’s investment and approval, Shen Nian’s trip to the provincial capital was now completely unobstructed.
