Chapter 264: Harvesting Spirit Melons

As the name suggests, the Barren Lands are devoid of spiritual energy.

The soil lacks rain, remaining almost rainless year-round; the land is arid and compacted. The entire Barren Lands lie desolate under the scorching sun, with few small animals, only stubborn plants able to survive here.

In such desolate Barren Lands, a patch of green crops suddenly appeared.

An advisor's eyes bulged in shock: "Spirit melons? They are actually spirit melons?????"

Another advisor stretched his neck to look, his eyes believing what they saw, yet his mouth still fixed on the vast crops: "Is this really the Barren Lands? The Barren Lands are barren!"

A guard pointed at the vast melon fields, including the plots belonging to Qin Tang and the others, smiling with curiosity: "Several mu of land."

There were vast melon fields and fruit trees bearing fruit.

One more glance, his eyes popping: Good heavens, spirit fruit trees.

The advisors, being men of letters, were quite calculating: "These belong to our Young Master."

There was no other reason; the advisors and cultivation guards belonged to the Rong Prince's residence, obeying the Rong Prince and the Rong Heir, but the Young Master's wife's possessions were harder to claim as the residence's property, so assigning them to the Young Master was best.

"Indeed," guard Yan said. "The Young Master has great fortune, possessing a field even in the Barren Lands."

The advisors also offered congratulations. Rong Yang, small and delicately carved like jade, smiled on his face. Rong Chi gnawed on a spirit melon, making "ah ah ah" sounds, exclaiming melons, so many melons. The Rong Heir held him, preventing the little milk dumpling from lunging out.

The Rong Heir was tall and handsome, standing tall and graceful while holding the little milk dumpling. The little milk dumpling was small, milky, and restless, constantly jumping and flailing about.

The Rong Heir was doting, showing endless patience toward his youngest son.

Qin Bi heard the words of the advisors and guards and considered them tacit approval. She spoke: "Harvest the melons."

Upon hearing this, the advisors rolled up their sleeves and stepped into the melon field. The guards sheathed their swords and knives, becoming cautious upon reaching the field's edge. They moved gently, clearing the melon vines covering the ground to reveal empty patches for footing before finally setting a foot down.

Lin Yao rushed ahead first, calling to several advisors: "A few of us will harvest the melons, while the others carry them. Some melons in this mu of land are not yet ripe; let us pick only the fully ripe ones first."

A slender advisor nodded and stepped into the melon field: "Indeed, we cannot pick the unripe ones."

Picking unripe melons would be a waste.

The guards were displeased: "Our captain also knows ripe from unripe."

Guard Yan happily entered the melon field as well. Each person took a ridge and began harvesting. The others followed, carrying the melons and gazing at them with delight several times before delivering them to the field's edge.

Rong Yang ate melons while watching the basket, placing leafy spirit melons one by one into it. The little milk dumpling, Rong Chi, laughed "ah ah," so delighted he wanted to lie down in the basket. The Rong Heir lifted the little dumpling's small body upright.

He gave him a piece of melon, temporarily pacifying him.

In the melon field, the advisors were initially joyful, but the spirit melons, having received ample water and irrigation, had skins too brittle. One touch would crack them. How brittle were they? Even pulling a melon from the vine by hand with that force would cause it to crack with a snap.

One cracked, and their hearts ached.

Two melons cracked, and the advisors dared not harvest anymore.

"Use knives to harvest the melons," Lin Yao said.

Very well, it was better to harvest than not. The advisors and guard Yan took small knives to harvest. The guards carried the spirit melons with extreme care, for these were spirit melons; if they all cracked, they would not keep.

Everyone moved gently, yet spirit melons still cracked from time to time.

There was no choice but to move them aside, separating them from the good melons.

Qin Tan and Qin Tang and the others came to help. Qin Tan looked at the basket of spirit melons: "What a pity. Cracked spirit melons do not keep, and the children cannot eat them all. It is better to sell them to cultivators."

Qin Bi had the same intention and nodded: "Spread the news; say we are selling spirit melons."

Qin Yan immediately became interested: "Really selling them?!"

Qin Bi sighed helplessly: "They do not keep."

Qin Yan immediately thought of his maternal grandfather's family. The Duke Su's residence would surely buy spirit melons. He had heard Young Master Su mention several times trying to buy spirit melons at the Immortal Gate but failing. Qin Tan also thought of his well-connected colleagues.

"How do you plan to sell them?" Qin Yan asked.

"Will you buy?" Qin Bi asked.

"No," Qin Yan said, worried Qin Bi might gift him melons. These were spirit melons, so he hurriedly explained: "My maternal grandfather's family has always wanted to buy spirit melons. They went to the Immortal Gate but could not find any. I will inquire for them."

Considering the spirit melons cracked and did not keep, and two children could not finish them, Qin Bi said: "One high-grade demon beast crystal or one hundred low-grade demon beast crystals for one spirit melon."

The Rong Heir did not object. The price was not high, but cracked melons were indeed discounted.

Given the cool taste of the spirit melons Qin Bi planted, they could be sold to the Immortal Gate at a higher price. However, abundant harvests of grains were rare; it was better to keep this ability hidden, avoiding the Immortal Gate's covetous gaze.

Knowing the price of the spirit melons, Qin Tan and the others sent people to inform their acquaintances.

Rong Yang also hurriedly sent a guard to leave the Barren Lands and enter the palace to inform the Young Imperial Prince. Rong Yang said in a milky voice: "Tell the Young Imperial Prince brother that our family is selling cracked spirit melons. One high-grade demon beast crystal or one hundred low-grade demon beast crystals for one melon, freshly harvested. If the Young Imperial Prince brother wants to eat, come quickly."

The guard quickly left the Barren Lands and entered the palace to see the Young Imperial Prince Yan Xun.

"What?" The Young Imperial Prince was stunned: "Young Brother Rong Yang's family has spirit melons??????"

"Spirit melons just harvested from the vines," the guard swallowed, though he had never eaten one himself, but knowing how brittle they were from cracking at a touch: "Crisp and sweet, cool and refreshing."

The Young Imperial Prince looked disbelieving: "Really?"

The guard nodded. The Young Imperial Prince immediately sent people to inform the Minister of War.

The Minister of War was attending court in the front hall. Upon receiving the news, he initially disbelieved it, but hearing it was grown at the Rong Prince's residence, he could not contain himself. He requested leave from the Great Yan Emperor and left the Golden Hall.

The Young Imperial Prince was already waiting. He activated the teleportation array and immediately went to the Barren Lands.

Beneath the few spirit fruit trees that existed in the Barren Lands, a sandalwood table was set up, with bluestone paving the ground. Grape vines climbed the spirit fruit trellis, with clusters of fruit resembling green jade.

Only the grapes grew well on the spirit fruit trees, their lush foliage blocking the Barren Lands' scorching sun.

Sliced red-fleshed spirit melons were arranged on the table. The spirit melons were sandy-fleshed; one bite was cool, refreshing, and sweet. The Rong Heir held his youngest son, while Rong Yang gnawed on a melon nearby.

Seeing this scene, the Minister of War and the Young Imperial Prince Yan Xun wiped sweat from their brows, immediately feeling the temperature drop. Eating spirit melons under the spirit fruit trees was too pleasant, making the Young Imperial Prince extremely envious.

"Young Brother Rong Yang!" the Young Imperial Prince called out.

Rong Yang held a piece of spirit melon and lifted his small head: "Imperial Prince Brother."

The Young Imperial Prince pulled the Minister of War and ran over. Rong Yang handed a piece of spirit melon to the Young Imperial Prince. The little milk dumpling in the Rong Heir's arms went "ah ah," saying "Mine, mine," flailing his tiny hands.

The Rong Heir took back the little dumpling's hand. Rong Yang was the Prince's Heir and had the authority to distribute the spirit melons.

The little milk dumpling's displeasure was useless.