53: The Temptation of Expansion and the Hidden Offer
The days following the harvest festival were filled with a quiet sense of accomplishment for Li Mei. Her booth at the festival had been a great success, and word of her remedies had spread throughout the village, even reaching nearby towns. The wealthy woman who had visited her stall left with a promise to return, and the sales were enough to provide Li Mei with a much-needed financial cushion. But despite these small victories, she couldn't shake the thoughts of the merchant, Zhao Wei, and his offer.
Li Mei had always been a woman who valued integrity, patience, and slow, steady growth, but now that her remedies were becoming more popular, the temptation to expand quickly seemed to be everywhere. She spent her days in the garden, tending to her plants and experimenting with new remedies, but even there, her mind couldn't rest.