belly crops and muffler franchise

[blueeye]

In Lee Child's Killing Floor there are two sentences I don't understand. I'd be very grateful if anybody helps me.

"Very long and straight bushes in the fields. Peanuts, maybe. Belly crops, but valuable to the grower..." What could "belly" mean in this context?

"He looked like a plumber or the guy who runs your local muffler franchise."

Thanks!

[Anglika]

In Lee Child's Killing Floor there are two sentences I don't understand. I'd be very grateful if anybody helps me.

"Very long and straight bushes in the fields. Peanuts, maybe. Belly crops, but valuable to the grower..." What could "belly" mean in this context? Food that fills the belly [stomach]

"He looked like a plumber or the guy who runs your local muffler franchise." "muffler" here is "silencer" on a vehicle exhaust. It is the American term, and the guy holds a franchise for their installation.
Thanks!

..

[blueeye]

Thank you, Anglika, I also thought it's food which fills stomach, but I was confused with that "but" (but valuable...), like it's valuable inspite it's belly crop. In that case it doesn't make much sense, does it? But perhaps I was wrong.

But here is another one phrase from the same book (fortunately at the end of it):

The sort that uses grainy photograph of money at play. (Description of a rich men which looks like an ad).

Can you help mi with this?

Thanks.