Chapter 14: Iced Melon

Time flowed leisurely.

In the blink of an eye, summer had arrived.

The weather was scorching hot, the sun hanging high in the sky like a great fireball, roasting the earth.

During this period, Xu Chuan had successively taken in three more servants, all young and robust men in their twenties.

They were all refugees.

One of them was called Zhou Ming, who had talent in management.

His mind was nimble, and he could help handle many miscellaneous matters and mediate disputes.

The other three had all practiced martial arts. Each was a martial artist, though their family circumstances were ordinary, and busy with various affairs, they had not yet opened all thirty-six acupoints. However, they all adhered to principles and didn't abuse their martial power to act recklessly.

This was why Xu Chuan took a liking to them.

If Xu Chuan supplied them in large quantities with medicinal cuisine, blood and qi medicinal materials and other resources, all three had hope of becoming third-rate martial artists, or even second-rate martial artists.

Several thatched cottages had been added around the Xu family, rather crude, they belonged to them.

The thatched cottages were merely for their residence.

As for food, they all ate at the Xu family courtyard, eating together with Xu Chuan and the others.

"Brother Chuan, the watermelons in the melon field are all ripe. When should we harvest them?"

Chen Ergou ran excitedly to the Xu family home, his expression showing excitement mixed with anticipation.

After all, this was his first time seriously engaging in commerce.

"I went to look this morning. We can harvest tomorrow and sell them the day after in the surrounding villages."

Xu Chuan said with a smile, "Have Zhao Dalong, Sun Fugui, and Qian Youcai go together. They have some martial skills and dealing with a dozen or so adult men won't be a problem."

"Mm, this way I also save myself from having to find my elder brother."

"After all, I don't want to see that stinking face of his that looks down on everyone."

"Uncle Ergou."

Xu Mingyuan walked out from his room, greeting him with a smile.

Chen Ergou stepped forward and patted his shoulder, saying cheerfully, "Ahyuan, the day after tomorrow follow Uncle Ergou to sell melons in the surrounding villages. Excited?"

"Uncle Ergou, you're the one who's excited. It's just selling melons, not some huge business deal." Xu Mingyuan said indifferently.

"Hey, what kind of way is that to talk to your Uncle Ergou? I think you're looking for a beating."

Chen Ergou pretended to raise his hand, but Xu Mingyuan wasn't afraid at all.

Whether it was a joke or not, he could tell at a glance.

No matter what, Chen Ergou wouldn't discipline him in front of Xu Chuan.

The day after tomorrow, Xu Mingyuan set out with Chen Ergou and the others.

Bai Jing's face was full of worry, her eyes showing some reluctance.

After all, Xu Mingyuan was only seven years old and had to travel far, gone for several days.

When a son travels a thousand li, the mother worries.

Xu Chuan sighed slightly in his heart, grasped Bai Jing's hand, and comforted her, saying, "With Ergou, Dalong and the others there, it'll be fine."

Zhao Dalong cupped his fists toward Xu Chuan, saying, "Family head, rest assured. We will definitely keep the second young master safe and let him return completely unharmed."

Xu Mingyuan also said, "Mother, your son is only going out for a few days. I'll be back very soon."

"Everyone, set out."

Dozens of cartloads of melons, worth several hundred taels.

Of these, the Xu family took thirty-five percent, the Chen family sixty-five percent.

Everyone in Dongxi Village knew that the Xu family grew good melons, so before Chen Ergou and the others even left Dongxi Village, quite a few households had already bought two or three to try.

In a flash, over a hundred had been sold.

"Father, I want to eat melon."

Xu Mingxuan, feeling the scorching weather, ran over.

Xu Chuan smiled and readily agreed, "Alright, let Father cool down the watermelon first."

He found a large wooden bucket, poured in water, threw in a piece of white crystal, and then placed a watermelon weighing four to five catties into the bucket.

The watermelon bobbed up and down in the bucket.

Xu Mingxuan put his hand in, then looked at Xu Chuan in surprise, "Father, this water is so cool."

"Right? Wait half an hour or so, and we can eat iced watermelon."

"Yay!"

Xu Mingxuan scampered off to the side to play with Li Zhi.

The current Li Zhi was no longer the skeletal appearance from before, having recovered to look like a normal three or four-year-old child.

Chubby and plump, with somewhat handsome features.

Xu Chuan thought for a moment and put two slightly smaller watermelons in as well.

After half an hour passed, he called Xu Mingwei over and pointed at the melons in the water bucket, saying, "Shitou, go deliver one each to Uncle Chen's family and your Uncle Ergou's family."

"Alright, Father."

Xu Mingwei carried the two watermelons out and quickly arrived at Chen Ergou's house. After delivering one, he went to Uncle Chen's house.

"Grandpa Chen, this is iced melon my father sent over. Summer is scorching hot, eat one to cool down."

"Iced?" Uncle Chen touched the watermelon and said in surprise, "It really is. Your father is becoming more and more capable."

Xu Mingwei smiled bashfully.

"Thank your father for me."

After Xu Mingwei returned, Xu Chuan, Bai Jing, and the Li father and son were all eating melon.

He walked over and casually picked up a cut piece of watermelon from the table. Then sat down beside Xu Chuan and took a bite.

Immediately, light red juice splattered.

"So sweet."

…

Five days later, the melon-selling team returned.

This trip went very smoothly. All the melons were completely sold, selling for a total of over three hundred taels.

At the Chen Ergou household, when Xu Yan saw the nearly one hundred plus taels of silver Chen Ergou brought back, her eyes smiled into crescents.

She counted the silver and copper coins several times over.

This was just from selling watermelons. There were also other seasonal crops that together could sell for one to two hundred taels.

As for the fruit trees on the thirty mu of mountain forest, the fastest harvest would be next year or the year after.

Added together, they should be worth three to four hundred taels at least.

"Wife, let me tell you, selling our melons went extremely smoothly. When other places heard they were grown by Brother Chuan's family, basically none of them haggled on price."

Chen Ergou leisurely took a sip of tea, his face wearing a smug smile.

"That good? Then next time we can raise the price a bit."

"No can do. I suggested it, but Ahyuan vetoed it. He said these melons are already priced a bit higher than ordinary ones and already have quite good profit margins. There's no need to ruin our reputation over this."

"Moreover, for those who bought five or more at once, he even gave gifts."

"What gifts?"

"Seems to be some kind of stones or something. Put in water, they can lower the temperature and make iced watermelons."

"So that's how the iced watermelon Shitou brought over last time was made."

Xu Yan was quite surprised. She felt these stones had a lot of business potential, especially in summer, they should sell very well.

"Where did those stones come from? Did you ask?"

"I asked. Ahyuan doesn't know either. Brother Chuan gave them to him, and the quantity isn't much."

Chen Ergou's eyes rolled around, and he stretched out his legs straight, propping them on a stool.

"Wife, now you see your husband's capabilities, right? Why don't you come give me a shoulder rub, pound my legs. I've been so tired these past few days."

Chen Ergou wanted to establish his authority as the husband.

Xu Yan glanced at him, letting him figure it out himself.

Chen Ergou was exhausted.

This woman!

Made money and still treats me with this attitude, so hard to deal with!

"By the way, tonight we're eating at Brother Chuan's house to celebrate this trip's harvest."

…

That evening.

Xu Yan naturally wouldn't pass up this opportunity and asked about the origin of the white stones.

Xu Chuan only said he had accidentally found them in the mountain forest and accidentally discovered their use.

This wasn't really lying.

It was just that after some investigation and research, he had discovered saltpeter mines nearby.

He just didn't yet have the ability to mine them, so he could only temporarily set it aside.

Most importantly, that area was unclaimed mountain forest, strictly speaking belonging to the Qingjiang County government.