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🕑 Added 2025-05-04 06:06:00 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 188 - Last Days Before the Wedding
The organic vegetables from Dante's greenhouse had exceeded all expectations at the farmers' market.
In the morning, there were only a few customers and the atmosphere was relatively calm, but as the sun rose, more and more people began to arrive throughout the afternoon.
The fresh organic fruits and vegetables attracted a growing number of customers, some of whom decided to buy immediately after tasting them.
Although business was going great, John Wick and the two new cowboys weren’t very good at arithmetic and often made mistakes in their calculations.
These were the kinds of things John—who spent most of his time at home walking his dog or horseback riding—did to keep himself distracted.
But being around so many people made him very nervous.
After receiving a call from one of the cowboys, Dante had no choice but to run over and help. After all, he had to look after his workers.
The word “organic” had almost become synonymous with high quality and high prices in the U.S. market.
Dante had once asked the chicken seller, Morgan, if the chickens were certified organic, because he understood what that truly meant.
Consumers can’t just accept the term “organic” by hearing it or seeing it on a label.
“Organic” requires a rigorous certification process.
The fruits and vegetables sold at the Dutton ranch had passed the USDA organic certification and met the strictest standards on the market.
That also meant their prices would be much higher than regular vegetables—possibly even more than double.
Dante watched as John, a man trained to kill, carefully packed the customer’s organic lettuce into a bag and handed it over with a standard business smile. The customer casually handed him a five-dollar bill.
John gave no change, and the customer didn’t complain.
In regular markets, a head of lettuce usually costs around a dollar, but organic lettuce was clearly marked at five dollars per head.
At the stall, a small bunch of fresh radishes sold for $2.50, spinach was $5 per pound, a small box of raspberries cost $7, and aloe vera was $6 per pound.
Despite the high prices, organic fruits and vegetables of this quality still attracted consumers with strong purchasing power.
As more people paid attention to healthy eating, the group of consumers choosing organic food kept growing year after year.
Though some customers thought the prices were a bit steep, they often kept quiet when they saw the bright USDA-certified organic logo.
“This is exhausting…”
“But it’s better than killing, right?” Dante was also tired of killing—it was truly draining to endure those emotions.
“You’ve got a point.”
The red radishes he had planted were about ready to harvest, but no matter how good the quality, they probably wouldn’t sell for such a high price.
After all, those radishes didn’t even meet the basic requirements for organic certification.
To earn organic certification, the soil must go through a three-year conversion period.
During this time, no prohibited chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides can be used on the land.
Dante’s land had only recently been cleared, and it clearly didn’t meet that standard yet.
However, the barley field that was about to be harvested had already passed the organic certification. As long as he continued farming according to organic standards, he shouldn’t have trouble passing the Agriculture Department’s certification review next year.
“Help me pack these three boxes of raspberries.”
A familiar female voice interrupted John’s thoughts.
He looked up and saw it was the woman who had previously been helping some of the older vendors.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the surrounding branches, softly shining on the tips of her fiery golden hair.
The woman beside her had her head down, holding a gray kitten in her arms. The cat’s furry body was slightly curled and gently squirmed in the woman’s embrace.
Dante, seeing this, stood up and said, “Remember the prices—those are your earnings and the cowboys’.”
After walking away, John stayed and chatted with the woman who wanted to buy his products.
Dante, on the other hand, walked through the market stalls, buying many items to donate later.
Life remained peaceful still.
