Chapter 14: Iced Watermelon (Seeking Follow-up Reads)
Time flew by.
Summer arrived in the blink of an eye.
The weather was scorching, the sun like a giant fireball hanging high in the sky, baking the earth.
During this time, Xu Chuan successively recruited three more servants, all young, strong men in their twenties.
They were all refugees.
One of them was named Zhou Ming, and he had a talent for management.
He was quick-witted and could help with many miscellaneous tasks and mediate disputes.
The other three had all practiced martial arts and were all Martial Artists, but their family backgrounds were ordinary, and they were busy with various tasks, so they had not yet managed to open all thirty-six acupoints.
However, they all adhered to their principles and did not act recklessly based on their martial prowess.
This was why Xu Chuan took a liking to them.
They became guards for the Xu Family, protecting their home, fields, and forests.
If Xu Chuan provided ample resources such as medicinal meals and Qi and blood herbs, all three of them had the potential to become third-rate Martial Artists, or even second-rate Martial Artists.
A few simple thatched huts appeared around the Xu Family, which were their residences.
The thatched huts were only for them to live in.
As for food, they all ate in the Xu Family courtyard, sharing meals with Xu Chuan and his family.
“Chuan Ge, the watermelons in the melon patch are ripe. When should we pick them?”
Er Gou excitedly ran to the Xu Family, his expression a mix of excitement and eagerness.
After all, it was his first time doing proper business.
“I checked this morning. We can pick them tomorrow and sell them in the surrounding villages the day after tomorrow,” Xu Chuan said with a smile. “Let Zhao Dalong, Sun Fugui, and Qian Youcai go together. They have some martial arts skills, so dealing with a dozen adult men won’t be a problem.”
“Mm, that way, I won’t have to bother my older brother.”
“After all, I don’t want to see that arrogant look on his face.”
“Second Gou Uncle.”
Xu Mingyuan walked out of the room, greeting him with a smile.
Er Gou stepped forward, patted his shoulder, and chuckled, “A Yuan, are you excited to go sell melons with Second Gou Uncle in the surrounding villages the day after tomorrow?”
“Second Gou Uncle, you’re the one who’s excited, aren’t you? It’s just selling melons, not some huge business,” Xu Mingyuan said indifferently.
“Hey, how dare you talk to your Second Gou Uncle like that? I think you’re asking for a beating.”
Er Gou feigned raising his hand, but Xu Mingyuan was not afraid in the slightest.
He could tell at a glance whether it was a joke or not.
No matter what, Er Gou would not discipline him in front of Xu Chuan.
The day after tomorrow.
Xu Mingyuan set off with Er Gou and the others.
Bai Jing’s face was filled with worry, and her eyes showed some reluctance.
After all, Xu Mingyuan was only seven years old and would be going on a long trip for several days.
A mother worries when her child travels far.
Xu Chuan sighed inwardly, took Bai Jing’s hand, and comforted her, “With Er Gou and Zhao Dalong there, he’ll be fine.”
Zhao Dalong cupped his fists to Xu Chuan and said, “Family Head, rest assured, we will ensure the Young Master’s safety and bring him back completely unharmed.”
Xu Mingyuan also said, “Mother, your son is only going out for a few days; he’ll be back soon.”
“Let’s all set off.”
Dozens of carts of melons, worth several hundred taels.
Of this, the Xu Family accounted for thirty-five percent, and the Chen family accounted for sixty-five percent.
Everyone in Dongxi Village knew that the melons grown by the Xu Family were good, so even before Er Gou and his group left Dongxi Village, many households bought two or three to taste.
In a flash, over a hundred were sold.
“Father, I want to eat melon.”
Xu Mingxuan, feeling the heat, ran over.
Xu Chuan smiled and readily agreed, “Okay, let Father cool down the watermelon first.”
He found a large wooden bucket, poured water into it, dropped a white crystal into it, and then placed a watermelon weighing four or five catties into the bucket.
The watermelon floated up and down in the wooden bucket.
Xu Mingxuan put his hand in and then looked at Xu Chuan in surprise, “Father, this water is so cold.”
“It is, isn’t it? In half an hour, we can eat iced watermelon.”
“Yay!”
Xu Mingxuan then scampered off to the side to play with Li Zhi.
Li Zhi was no longer emaciated; he had recovered to the appearance of a normal three or four-year-old child.
He was chubby, and his eyebrows had a hint of handsomeness.
Xu Chuan thought for a moment and put two smaller watermelons in.
Half an hour later.
He called Xu Mingwei over, pointed to the melons in the bucket, and said, “Stone, go deliver one to Chen Bo’s house and one to your Second Gou Uncle’s house.”
“Okay, Father.”
Xu Mingwei carried the two watermelons out and soon arrived at Er Gou’s house. After delivering it, he went to Chen Bo’s house.
“Grandpa Chen, this is an iced melon my Father brought. It’s hot in the summer, so eat one to cool down.”
“Iced?” Chen Bo touched the watermelon and said in surprise, “It really is! Your Father is becoming more and more capable.”
Xu Mingwei smiled shyly.
“Thank your Father for me.”
After Xu Mingwei returned, Xu Chuan, Bai Jing, and Li Er and his son were also eating melon.
He walked over and casually picked up a slice of watermelon from the table.
Then he sat beside Xu Chuan and took a bite.
Immediately, light red juice splattered.
“So sweet.”
Five days later.
The melon-selling team returned.
The trip was very smooth; all the melons were sold, totaling over three hundred taels.
At Er Gou’s house.
When Xu Yan saw the nearly one hundred taels of silver Er Gou brought back, her eyes curved into crescents from smiling.
She counted the silver and copper coins several times.
This was just the money from selling watermelons; there were also other seasonal crops, which could add up to one or two hundred taels.
As for the thirty mu of mountain fruit trees, the earliest harvest would be next year or the year after.
All combined, it could be worth three or four hundred taels.
“Wife, let me tell you, our melon selling was incredibly smooth. When other places heard it was grown by Chuan Ge’s family, almost no one even haggled,” Er Gou said, taking a leisurely sip of tea, a smug smile on his face.
“That good? Then we can raise the price next time.”
“No, I suggested it, but A Yuan rejected it. He said these melons are already a bit higher priced than ordinary ones and already have a good profit, so there’s no need to ruin our reputation over it.”
“Moreover, for those who bought five or more at once, he even gave them a gift.”
“What gift?”
“It seems to be some kind of stone. When put in water, it can lower the temperature and make iced watermelon.”
“So that’s how the iced watermelon Stone brought last time was made!”
Xu Yan was quite surprised. She thought this stone had many business opportunities, especially in summer, it should sell very well.
“How did that stone come about? Did you ask?”
“I asked. A Yuan didn’t know either; Chuan Ge gave it to him, and there aren’t many of them.”
Er Gou’s eyes darted around, and he stretched his legs out on the bench.
“Wife, do you see your husband’s capability now? Why don’t you come and give me a shoulder rub and a leg massage? I’ve been so tired these past few days.”
Er Gou wanted to assert his authority as a husband.
Xu Yan glanced at him, letting him figure it out himself.
Er Gou felt exhausted.
This woman!
She’s still treating me like this even after I made money. So difficult!
“Oh, right, we’re eating at Chuan Ge’s house tonight to celebrate this trip’s harvest.”
In the evening.
Xu Yan naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity to ask about the origin of the white stone.
Xu Chuan only said that he accidentally found it in the mountains and unexpectedly discovered its use.
This was not exactly a lie.
It was just that after some investigation and research, he had discovered a saltpeter mine nearby.
He just didn’t have the ability to mine it yet, so he had to put it aside for now.
The main thing was that the area was an ownerless mountain forest, which strictly speaking belonged to Qingjiang County’s county office.