Chapter 278: Only Then Can It Bring Good Fortune to the Marquis Fu

At the Yan Marquis Fu, He Zu's crops are not yet ripe, so there is no rush.

Early the next morning, Qin Yan went to find Qin Tang.

"Is Qin Bi going to the Wildlands?" Qin Yan asked.

"I haven't heard her mention it," Jiang Shi said, arriving in the courtyard to join the conversation.

Jiang Shi was dressed briskly, planning to go to the Wildlands herself; naturally, the children would follow. Their own melon harvest was abundant, so why would they not go? Everyone was already up by now.

"Today, our Marquis Fu is harvesting melons," Qin Yan said. "It will be lively if Qin Bi goes too."

Qin Tang clearly sensed the importance Qin Yan, the Marquis Fu heir, placed on Qin Bi. Whether this was the Marquis's will or Qin Yan's own, it was a good thing; in this cultivation world, one could not get far without a family.

If Qin Bi does well, the Fourth Branch does well too.

After Qin Yan left, the morning being tight on time, Qin Tang sent Qin Xun to the Rong Prince Fu to inquire.

The Rong Heir did not make the decision himself; he went to the bedroom to ask Qin Bi.

Qin Bi was already awake. Surprised that her brother had come specifically to ask, she thought for a moment and said, "Rong Yang will go first; I will follow to the Wildlands later. Once there, Second Brother, keep an eye on Rong Yang. If the ordinary watermelons can be sold, sell them."

The Rong Heir spoke up: "Three beast crystals for one."

Qin Bi and Qin Xun were stunned, but neither questioned the Rong Heir. Rong Juan had fought on battlefields and seen much; he had consumed many immortal treasures. Setting this price must have its reasons.

Rong Yang called out, "Uncle, I and the advisors are heading to the Wildlands first."

Qin Xun smiled and said, "We will arrive shortly."

Rong Yang and Lin Yao led the group away, and Qin Xun hurriedly returned to the Marquis Fu.

The Wildlands became lively. The Young Prince and the Minister of War had gone early to join the fun. Scholar-cultivators who heard the news also rushed over. If they couldn't get the spirit melons, they could at least afford to eat ordinary watermelons.

People from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue helped set up stalls. Good heavens, the Wildlands' first melon and fruit market.

Early in the morning, the entire Wildlands was very lively.

The Rong Heir's guards picked a basket of ordinary melons, and Qin Tan picked a basket too, calling Rong Yang to the market. There was no choice; the Vice Minister of Revenue and the Vice Minister of Works were urging urgently, so they had to pick some melons and fruits to support the market.

"What is the price?" a Lady asked.

Before Qin Tan could answer, Rong Yang said, "Three beast crystals for one watermelon."

Qin Tan was stunned; the asking price was too ruthless.

The Lady grew angry: "Ordinary watermelons cost only a few copper coins each."

Qin Tan smiled cheerfully: "That is the price."

The Lady was so angry she could not speak, yet she did not leave. She wanted to see if these melons would sell. How could something worth a few copper coins suddenly skyrocket in value just because it was grown in the Wildlands?

"How much for these melons?" a rough-looking man asked a child.

Rong Yang, in a childish voice, replied, "Six low-grade beast crystals for one."

The rough man: "..."

Qin Tan: "..."

Lin Yao pondered, clearly not knowing this price either.

Qin Tan whispered to the child, "Wasn't it three low-grade beast crystals per melon?"

The child whispered back to Qin Tan. His family's ordinary watermelons tasted delicious; they cracked at a touch, were sweet and crisp, and were cool and thirst-quenching. This was the price his father and he had set.

Qin Tan thought about it. The ordinary watermelons grown by Qin Bi were indeed tastier, in a stage between ordinary watermelons and spirit melons. For cultivators who could not afford spirit melons, this was a viable alternative.

The Young Prince pulled the Minister of War, running over with a rush. The Young Prince shouted, "I'll take them all."

The other onlookers were dumbfounded. The Young Prince immediately counted the melons, and the Minister of War paid. It was done in one smooth motion without hesitation. No one knew the effects of these melons better than the Young Prince.

Seeing this, people from the Minister of Revenue's residence and the Minister of Works' residence quickly bought melons. One basket was definitely not enough; a crowd rushed to the fields to pick melons fresh, as freshly picked melons were fresher.

The Minister of War and others, all backed by powerful families, could not afford spirit melons, so they took as many ordinary watermelons as they could get.

"Are your Marquis Fu's watermelons for sale?" the Minister of War asked.

Qin Yan grinned and confirmed the price: "Three low-grade beast crystals?"

The Minister of War nodded, without haggling: "Three low-grade beast crystals."

Qin Lang rolled up his sleeves: "Sold."

The Su Heir was young; his mind was not as sharp as the Minister's. He had brought his younger brothers today to help pick melons, only thinking about buying spirit melons. Seeing the situation, he finally realized what was happening and quickly pulled Qin Yan aside.

"I'll take them all," the Su Heir said.

Qin Yan could not possibly sell everything to his maternal grandfather's family; that would be inappropriate. He set aside a plot of melon field for the Su Heir, sold off the large remaining area, and kept a small patch for his own family to eat.

There was no rush for the melons kept for their own family; picking them now would not make them fresh. They would pick melons for others first.

The Minister of War personally entered the melon field, his gaze sharp, picking melons that were ripe and excellent. With Lin Yao watching over this side, Rong Yang directed the guards to pick all the spirit melons and send them back to the Rong Prince Fu.

By noon, every family had harvested their spirit melons.

The Rong Prince Fu sent over dishes. Everyone ate quickly and continued picking melons. The children of the Qin Yan Marquis Fu were beaming with joy. Qin Tan and Qin Yan were also smiling broadly. Qin Tang remembered something and sent someone to summon Jiang Mo.

Qin Yan Hou and Qin Di also arrived, picking some melons for their own family to eat.

Qin Han had not just sent her husband Jiang Mo and their children; she came herself. With her were Qin He, Qin Yan, Qin Cui, and others. Qin He had just recovered from a serious illness and was treated like a star among stars.

Qin Lang saw Qin He and asked, "Why is she here?"

As an elder, Qin Tan did not say anything despite his displeasure. Qin Di and Qin Tan began picking melons.

Jiang Shi, Lin Shi, and Zhu Shi were busy running around. A concubine-born son of the Third Branch glanced at Qin He, showing little favor. Back when the Third Branch took Qin Bi away from Jingcheng, Qin He had never looked kindly on the Third Branch.

Qin Yan asked the same question as Qin Lang: "Qin He, why are you here?"

"The Marquis Fu is harvesting melons; such a big event, I had to come and see," Qin He said with a smile. She stepped closer to the melon rows and peered in: "These melons are quite large; ordinary melons could not grow in the Wildlands before."

Qin Yan immediately chimed in: "I heard the Wildlands do not grow crops, only small patches of farmland."

Qin Yan was busy and had no time for idle chat. He said, "Qin He, your health is poor. The sun in the Wildlands is fierce; it is not beneficial for nurturing your spiritual foundation. Go back soon."

Jiang Mo looked at the melon field with excitement. Qin Han held her posture and asked what their family needed to do.

Qin Yan said, "Carry the melons."

After speaking, Qin Yan went to attend to his duties.

Qin Han called Qin He to help move the melons. Qin Tang did not stop them; his melon field was at a distance from Qin Yan's, so long as they did not come to his field, it was fine. He could not afford to use Qin He's labor.

The Young Master Su's wife followed Young Master Su to help. Qin He spoke with the woman: "A good melon field should not grow in this desolate land."

"Indeed," the Young Master Su's wife nodded. Qin He was a young lady of Marquis Qin Yan's Hou Fu, so the Young Master Su's wife gave her some face, saying: "There is no rain in this desolate land, making it hard for crops to grow. The Hou Fu was simply lucky to cultivate a melon field."

Qin He smiled: "My fortune is high, so I can bring good luck to the Hou Fu."