"A bolt from the blue! Why aren’t they for sale? Is it because you think we can’t afford them?"

Shen Yu read through the fans’ comments and decided to reply: "Hey dears, these tea leaves are all harvested from old tea trees in the mountains and are specially roasted by our tea factory’s Uncle Qiao. We only get a few pounds of it each year, so it’s not sold online."

In reality, they did plan on selling it. But tea of this caliber needed to be sold through more strategic channels to maximize profits. If they sold it online, the first hurdle would be the price.

If the price was too high, fans would accuse them of a cash grab. But if it was too low, Tan You would be dissatisfied, because the quality of this batch was truly exceptional. So after mulling it over, Tan You and Fifth Uncle unanimously decided to place this special-grade tea in their own shop, treating it as the store’s crown jewel.

That’s right—the tea factory now had its own shop in town, though it was still small. But business was good; after all, the locals loved their tea.

Plus, with Tan You’s large following, everyone was curious about the tea that wasn’t for public sale. It wasn’t long before someone found their way to the shop. The man was a connoisseur and, with a grand gesture, offered to buy their entire stock.

Naturally, Tan You refused. "The most I can spare is half, and I’m not just playing hard to get. If you like it, I can set aside more for you when next year’s spring tea is harvested."

The man, a teahouse owner, smiled at her words. "Alright, then I’ll be waiting. President Ji, you must set aside more spring tea for me next year. The regulars at my teahouse have very discerning palates."

Tan You smiled. "There are only a few of those old tea trees, so we can’t offer an unlimited supply. We also have to think about the future and can’t over-harvest them. We most likely won’t be picking any autumn tea from them next year."

The man sighed. "In that case, let me know the moment you start picking next year. I’ll definitely come to your village and wait."

He was a man who knew quality. Tea like this had to be secured as early as possible.

His gaze lingered on the canister of tea right in the center, and he asked reluctantly, "That box of tea... are you sure it’s not for sale?"

Tan You’s smile didn’t waver. "No. Uncle Qiao poured his heart and soul into roasting that batch. It’s only for a destined buyer."

When the teahouse owner finally left, Fifth Uncle looked pained. "The price he offered wasn’t low. Doesn’t it hurt to turn him down?"

Tan You shrugged. "That tea tree is different. Since the village is using it to build a reputation, we have to set a high standard from the start. We can’t sell it cheap, or we’ll never establish its prestige."

"Think about how much effort we put into harvesting this tea. Besides, it’s a genuine Ancient Tea Tree; the village just never made it public. These days, you’re not even allowed to harvest from Ancient Tea Trees, which makes this one unique."

Fifth Uncle shook his head. "Then how much do you plan to sell it for?"

Tan You thought for a moment. "That depends on how much a true connoisseur values it. My bottom line is this."

She held up two fingers. Fifth Uncle smacked his lips. "Two hundred thousand?"

He didn’t say twenty thousand because the teahouse owner had just offered a hundred thousand and Tan You hadn’t even budged.

Tan You narrowed her eyes. "Add two more zeros."

"Twenty million?" Fifth Uncle’s voice cracked. "That asking price is insane! What kind of moron would buy that?"

Tan You closed the ledger. "Fifth Uncle, I think you need to change your perspective. If you’re only considering the value of the tea itself, then yes, the price is absurd. But you have to look at its added value. First, this tea tree is incredibly rare."

"This specific tea is one-of-a-kind on the market, and in this world, uniqueness is what makes something precious. If we can’t sell it, that’s fine. The worst-case scenario is we just stop harvesting it and let the tree grow peacefully in the mountains."

"But if we are going to sell it, we have to find a buyer who truly recognizes its worth. If its price doesn’t even surpass the other famous teas on the market, then I consider that a slight and an insult to the tree itself."

Fifth Uncle shook his head. "I don’t understand your logic, but I can accept it. I’ll do as you say."

Tan You smiled. "Don’t worry. If this autumn tea doesn’t sell, we’ll just harvest less spring tea next year. To be honest, I wouldn’t even be able to bear drinking it myself if we did harvest it."

Fifth Uncle said, "We’ll do it your way. I’m just worried the other villagers won’t see it like you do. What if they want to harvest more tea?"

"That would be the worst-case scenario," Tan You said. "I once heard a saying: If you want to cut a window in a wall, first tell everyone you’re going to tear off the roof. Naturally, people will object."

"Then, you can propose your actual idea as a compromise."

Fifth Uncle mulled it over for a long time. "Alright. If this box of tea sells, I’ll call a village meeting. We can present it as a choice: either we manage it this way, or we register it as a protected Ancient Tea Tree and get nothing from it at all. Let’s see who dares to complain then."

"You’ll have to be the one to handle that in the end," Tan You said. "I don’t have enough sway, and I can’t take the heat from the villagers’ anger."

Fifth Uncle chuckled. "Don’t worry, I’d never make you do the dirty work. But Ji Li, are you sure you don’t want to be the next village chief? I’ll be retiring in a few years..."

Tan You demurred. "I’d better pass. I plan on becoming a major entrepreneur. I can’t build my business if I’m the village chief. Besides, I’m not exactly patient, and I don’t enjoy dealing with administrative trifles."

Fifth Uncle sighed. "You’re just too independent."

He didn’t press the issue. In his eyes, Tan You was the perfect candidate for village chief. She was capable, had a commanding presence, and could lead the villagers to prosperity, all while having the backing of her family.

But she had made it clear she didn’t like dealing with pesky problems. And truth be told, while the village was largely harmonious on the surface, there were always minor frictions behind the scenes. Whenever a dispute broke out, Fifth Uncle was needed to mediate, and it was certainly a hassle.

"Oh, right. I just came from the township government. I picked up our documents. Just as you predicted, our village’s tea factory qualifies for the agricultural support program. The higher-ups are going to provide funding." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Fifth Uncle grew excited and handed the file to Tan You.

Tan You took it, looked it over carefully, and handed it back to Fifth Uncle. "This is great."

"To be honest," Fifth Uncle said, "everyone’s lives are already so much better this year. It’s a world of difference compared to before."

"It’s only going to get better," Tan You replied.

In the end, that box of tea was sold. The buyer contacted Tan You directly, and he was clearly an expert. It was unclear how he’d gotten his information, but upon learning Tan You’s minimum price, his opening offer was two million higher.

When he heard the number, Fifth Uncle’s breathing grew heavy. He was getting a real sense of just how wealthy and extravagant the buyer was. He also started wondering: how were they going to divide up all that money?

Compared to Fifth Uncle, Tan You was unbelievably composed. It was as if the number on the check was just a string of digits, having no impact on her whatsoever.