Chapter 94 Watermelon
Su Family's watermelon had ripened.
Mrs. Su originally thought that her daughter wouldn’t be able to grow anything with those black melon seeds. At that time, You Jin had confidently vowed: "This watermelon is similar to a pumpkin. Maybe it can be grown?"
Nearly three mus of watermelon seeds were planted on the hills in the bay. Unexpectedly many of them survived.
Nourished by spring rain and irrigated in summer, it had produced a field of watermelon. Mid-July was the time when the watermelons were ripe. You Jin didn't forget that she had promised Xiao Lin Feng that she would send a batch to the capital for him once they ripened.
So a horse carriage from Wuliqiao staggered away. It pulled a cart of nearly ripened watermelons with green vines and patterned skins and headed for the capital. Along with them were some new teas that You Jin had made in Chaxiang in the past two months and a reply letter to Xiao Lin Yu.
But before Su Family's watermelon was delivered to the capital, Xiao Lin Yu had already arrived in Luohe Prefecture.
"Eldest Brother Xiao?" Today, she had nothing to do. She remained at home and trained the few big and handsome wolfhounds at home and brought the dogs back from the navigable Luohe Prefecture Canal. This was when she saw a person she hadn't seen for months riding a white horse. He grinningly looking at her.
Xiao Lin Yu had already seen her from a distance. You Jin, who was wearing a water-green narrow-sleeved slanted-lapel gown dress and matching loose trousers. Used to seeing delicate noble daughters, Xiao Lin Yu felt that she was pleasing to his eyes. He cheerfully spoke: "Long time no see. You haven't changed at all."
What Xiao Lin Yu meant by she hadn’t changed wasn’t about her appearance. But the tenacity and the light in her eyes were the same as when he first met her. On the contrary, the girl whom he hadn't seen for more than half a year had now appeared more and more graceful. Xiao Lin Yu realized that You Jin’s coming of age was approaching. He felt somewhat restless.
You Jin didn't think too much about it. She called the big dogs to a halt. Smiling, the peach blossom eyes turned into crescent moons: "Long time no see. How are you doing, Eldest Brother Xiao?"
Xiao Lin Yu got off the horse, handed the reins to the study attendant who was riding behind him, and stood beside You Jin. The two of them intentionally or unintentionally kept a distance of half a foot apart. Slowly, they walked towards Su's house on the river bank. The few wolfhounds were taught to be intelligent. Seeing their master walking slowly home, they also walked leisurely behind the master on four legs.
You Jin glanced at the one study attendant and one guard following behind. She was a little surprised: "Eldest Brother Xiao just came from the capital? Why did you only bring two people this time?"
"Came out to relax. It's too restrictive to bring so many people." Xiao Lin Yu explained with a faint smile on his face.
Seeing that he was very tired, haggard and lonely, You Jin knew that he had something on his mind. So she changed the subject without asking any more questions. The two chatted. Taking in the ships that were approaching from a distance in the canal and the lively two sides of the canal, Xiao Lin Yu sighed leisurely: "In less than a year, you guys have also undergone major changes. Things have really changed. Things change with the passing of years."
Because the berth of the Luohe Prefecture Canal in Luohe Prefecture was established half a kilometer south of Luohe Prefecture City and two kilometers away from Wuliqiao, the traffic on the waterway gradually gathered more people nearby. The west side of Wuliqiao River, which was initially somewhat desolate, had become much more lively.
"It's indeed much more lively than before." Smiling and nodding to a passing villager, You Jin responded with a smile.
There was nothing to say for a while. After a while, Xiao Lin Yu asked: "Why haven't you replied to my letter for these two months?"
For some reason, he was a little disappointed due to You Jin not replying to his letter.
You Jin sighed and responded, "Eldest Brother, not everyone can stay at home and write letters every day, okay? I went to Chaxiang in May and worked hard for two months straight. I just came back. I didn’t receive the letter at all, so how can I reply?”
Comparison makes people miserable. How can people who were born with a golden spoon in their mouths understand the misery of ordinary people?
Seeing her disappointed expression of ‘you're still too young’ toward him, Xiao Lin Yu's frustration was swept away. He smilingly apologized: "So, it's my fault."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked for a quarter of an hour before returning to Su's house.
Since Xiao Lin Yu didn't mention it, You Jin didn't ask him why he suddenly came to Luohe Prefecture. Mrs. Su Family welcomed Xiao Lin Yu's arrival. After Xiao Lin Yu made a request to temporarily live in Su’s house, she readily agreed. Somewhat apologetic, she spoke: "It was our honor for Gentleman Xiao to live in our countryside folks’ place, but our small place is inconvenient. I'm afraid of making Gentleman Xiao aggrieved."
"Although the countryside isn’t as prosperous as the city, it still has a bit of rustic charm. I often hear from Lin Feng that Auntie Su's cooking is excellent. This time, I boldly bother you." Xiao Lin Yu respectfully saluted as a younger generation and jollily responded.
Although Yu Lan and Auntie Song felt it was a little inappropriate, but since the person himself said so, they naturally had nothing to say. Xiao Lin Yu was arranged to live in a guest room in the front yard. The two people he brought lived in Su Family's old house separated by a wall. Little Seven and Little Eighth had some recollection of this big brother whom they had met two or three times. They were overjoyed.
"From what you said, you have been tossing a lot in Chaxiang for the past two months." After tasting the new tea brought back from Chaxiang by You Jin, Xiao Lin Yu forever had his light like a breeze smile: "Not bad. This time’s tea is much better than the one you gave me last time."
You Jin poured another half cup of tea for him and replied with a slight smile, "It’s thanks to Eldest Brother Xiao’s help. If not, I wouldn't be able to do this." Back then, when Xiao Lin Yu suddenly stuffed the money, there was a knot in You Jin’s heart. Now that she thought about it, the money that Xiao Lin Yu lent to her on his own initiative was indeed a great help. So she sincerely thanked him.
"You are quite perceptive today." Xiao Lin Yu put down the teacup in his hand and caught little Eighth who was waddling towards him. Without looking at You Jin, he spoke: "In the letter from back then, you wished to berate me until my head is bloody. Why have you changed your temper now?"
She watched him hold little Eighth and both of them laughed happily. It was the first time for You Jin to see him laughing so happily. She responded: "You are born with a golden spoon in your mouth. So naturally you don't think it's a big sum. However, Gentleman Xiao, the total wealth of our family isn’t that much. If it were you, what would you do?"
Xiao Lin Yu fed little Eighth a piece of green plum cake newly developed by Su's kitchen. Only then, little Eighth followed Auntie Song out of the parlor in content. Picking up the handkerchief on the table, Xiao Lin Yu gently wiped his hands: "In this case, I really didn't think carefully."
"Still, I must thank Eldest Brother Xiao. If it weren't for your money, I'm afraid it would take a good few years to start this stall." You Jin wasn’t a person who didn't know good and bad. Her faint self-esteem was unintentionally hurt a little by rich and powerful Xiao Lin Yu for a while. No matter what, Xiao Lin Yu did it with good intention. She couldn't treat him like a donkey.
***
The wind in Luohe Prefecture blew day after day. The lotus planted by You Jin sisters in front of their house bloomed brilliantly all summer.
Unknowingly, Xiao Lin Yu had lived in Su's house for more than a month. Letters from the capital came every other day. But Xiao Lin Yu always remained like an old god. He didn’t say when he’ll leave. He even taught Kang-er and little Eighth on learning to read every day. Putting it nicely, it was called ‘imparting rudiment knowledge’.
The first crop of watermelons grown by Su Family this year had brought a large amount of income to Su Family. Those melon and fruit sellers, restaurants, teahouses, and some wealthy people knew that Sujiaxiang snack shops sold watermelons. Many of them directly found You Jin and bought the goods. After all, the taste of the watermelons from Su Family was almost the same as the watermelons from the Western Regions. The price of the Su Family’s was ten percent cheaper than the price of those brought back from the Western Regions. In the long term, it wasn’t a small sum.
You Jin was naturally happy to do big business. Each picking took less than half an hour to be transported to Luohe Prefecture. Dozens of watermelons can be sold out. This saved a lot of trouble.
Now You Bao was learning account management by You Jin's side. You Jin's requirement for several younger sisters was that they all have at least one skill. Since childhood, You Bao had a quiet temperament and didn't like to interact with outsiders. But seeing her elder sisters running around for the family every day made her feel very uncomfortable. So when You Jin said that she should learn to manage accounts, You Bao agreed without a second thought.
"Eldest Sister, we sold out this season’s watermelons and earned a lot of money!" You Bao’s abacus never left her hands every day. Although she can't compare with the three elder sisters in using abacus, she wins because of her hard work. So she did it like an experienced one: "Our watermelon only sells for five liang. Since we didn't invest much money in the first place, it's all pure profit then!"
You Jin flipped through the account book with immature handwriting that had clearly jotted down every income and expenditure. She nodded with satisfaction: "The accounts are clear. It seems that it won't take long for you to do better than me. I was afraid that your health would not be able to bear it. From the look of it, I was worrying too much."
Standing in front of You Jin, You Bao’s fair face flushed slightly from hearing Eldest Sister’s praise. She smiled a little shyly and continued what she hadn't finished: "This year our family only planted less than three mu of watermelon. A total of two thousand and forty-nine were sold. Eighty-seven were eaten by the family or given away. If we grow a few more mu next year, we will earn more money!”
You Jin was also a little shocked. This was due to the difference. Although the average price of their own watermelons was only four liang, the income had reached more than 8,200 liang in one summer. Excluding the few hundred liang silver cost, the final net profit was as high as 8,000 liang!
"Since it’s like this, let's grow more watermelons next year." You Jin closed the ledger and asked, "Is there enough seeds left?"
In You Jin's opinion, germinating watermelon seedlings wasn’t difficult. As long as there were enough seeds, then it was feasible to plant more than ten mu. But seeing You Bao's excited face, You Jin had to pour cold water on her: "Although this year we can still sell it for four or five liang silver each, it will be hard to say next year. After all, planting this kind of watermelon isn’t difficult.”
Sure enough, when You Bao heard what Eldest Sister said, her excited mind that was planning to plant more than ten-twenty mu of watermelon next year to make a fortune instantly dropped a lot. Soon, she recovered her spirit: "It's okay. Even if the price is half of this year’s, we can still make a lot of money. I have asked Elder Brother Han Li and Er Hua to properly store away the watermelon seeds. We can plant more than ten mus!"
While she excitedly talked, she grabbed the abacus and sat directly next to Eldest Sister. Clicking away the abacus, she muttered to herself: "If fifteen mu are planted next year and one mu produces eight hundred, it means twelve thousand watermelons. One watermelon is set at three liang. Therefore, a profit of 36,000 liang. In the worst case scenario, one sells for one liang, then we can still earn as much as this year!!"
Seeing her younger sister's shining eyes, the smile on You Jin's face deepened: "So, we still have a lot of money, don't we?"
You Bao nodded like a chicks pecking at rice: "Eldest Sister, I'm going to find Elder Brother Han Li and get him to find a way to find me some more seeds. Let's plant more seeds next year."
Su Family's watermelon had ripened.
Mrs. Su originally thought that her daughter wouldn’t be able to grow anything with those black melon seeds. At that time, You Jin had confidently vowed: "This watermelon is similar to a pumpkin. Maybe it can be grown?"
Nearly three mus of watermelon seeds were planted on the hills in the bay. Unexpectedly many of them survived.
Nourished by spring rain and irrigated in summer, it had produced a field of watermelon. Mid-July was the time when the watermelons were ripe. You Jin didn't forget that she had promised Xiao Lin Feng that she would send a batch to the capital for him once they ripened.
So a horse carriage from Wuliqiao staggered away. It pulled a cart of nearly ripened watermelons with green vines and patterned skins and headed for the capital. Along with them were some new teas that You Jin had made in Chaxiang in the past two months and a reply letter to Xiao Lin Yu.
But before Su Family's watermelon was delivered to the capital, Xiao Lin Yu had already arrived in Luohe Prefecture.
"Eldest Brother Xiao?" Today, she had nothing to do. She remained at home and trained the few big and handsome wolfhounds at home and brought the dogs back from the navigable Luohe Prefecture Canal. This was when she saw a person she hadn't seen for months riding a white horse. He grinningly looking at her.
Xiao Lin Yu had already seen her from a distance. You Jin, who was wearing a water-green narrow-sleeved slanted-lapel gown dress and matching loose trousers. Used to seeing delicate noble daughters, Xiao Lin Yu felt that she was pleasing to his eyes. He cheerfully spoke: "Long time no see. You haven't changed at all."
What Xiao Lin Yu meant by she hadn’t changed wasn’t about her appearance. But the tenacity and the light in her eyes were the same as when he first met her. On the contrary, the girl whom he hadn't seen for more than half a year had now appeared more and more graceful. Xiao Lin Yu realized that You Jin’s coming of age was approaching. He felt somewhat restless.
You Jin didn't think too much about it. She called the big dogs to a halt. Smiling, the peach blossom eyes turned into crescent moons: "Long time no see. How are you doing, Eldest Brother Xiao?"
Xiao Lin Yu got off the horse, handed the reins to the study attendant who was riding behind him, and stood beside You Jin. The two of them intentionally or unintentionally kept a distance of half a foot apart. Slowly, they walked towards Su's house on the river bank. The few wolfhounds were taught to be intelligent. Seeing their master walking slowly home, they also walked leisurely behind the master on four legs.
You Jin glanced at the one study attendant and one guard following behind. She was a little surprised: "Eldest Brother Xiao just came from the capital? Why did you only bring two people this time?"
"Came out to relax. It's too restrictive to bring so many people." Xiao Lin Yu explained with a faint smile on his face.
Seeing that he was very tired, haggard and lonely, You Jin knew that he had something on his mind. So she changed the subject without asking any more questions. The two chatted. Taking in the ships that were approaching from a distance in the canal and the lively two sides of the canal, Xiao Lin Yu sighed leisurely: "In less than a year, you guys have also undergone major changes. Things have really changed. Things change with the passing of years."
Because the berth of the Luohe Prefecture Canal in Luohe Prefecture was established half a kilometer south of Luohe Prefecture City and two kilometers away from Wuliqiao, the traffic on the waterway gradually gathered more people nearby. The west side of Wuliqiao River, which was initially somewhat desolate, had become much more lively.
"It's indeed much more lively than before." Smiling and nodding to a passing villager, You Jin responded with a smile.
There was nothing to say for a while. After a while, Xiao Lin Yu asked: "Why haven't you replied to my letter for these two months?"
For some reason, he was a little disappointed due to You Jin not replying to his letter.
You Jin sighed and responded, "Eldest Brother, not everyone can stay at home and write letters every day, okay? I went to Chaxiang in May and worked hard for two months straight. I just came back. I didn’t receive the letter at all, so how can I reply?”
Comparison makes people miserable. How can people who were born with a golden spoon in their mouths understand the misery of ordinary people?
Seeing her disappointed expression of ‘you're still too young’ toward him, Xiao Lin Yu's frustration was swept away. He smilingly apologized: "So, it's my fault."
Chatting and laughing, the two walked for a quarter of an hour before returning to Su's house.
Since Xiao Lin Yu didn't mention it, You Jin didn't ask him why he suddenly came to Luohe Prefecture. Mrs. Su Family welcomed Xiao Lin Yu's arrival. After Xiao Lin Yu made a request to temporarily live in Su’s house, she readily agreed. Somewhat apologetic, she spoke: "It was our honor for Gentleman Xiao to live in our countryside folks’ place, but our small place is inconvenient. I'm afraid of making Gentleman Xiao aggrieved."
"Although the countryside isn’t as prosperous as the city, it still has a bit of rustic charm. I often hear from Lin Feng that Auntie Su's cooking is excellent. This time, I boldly bother you." Xiao Lin Yu respectfully saluted as a younger generation and jollily responded.
Although Yu Lan and Auntie Song felt it was a little inappropriate, but since the person himself said so, they naturally had nothing to say. Xiao Lin Yu was arranged to live in a guest room in the front yard. The two people he brought lived in Su Family's old house separated by a wall. Little Seven and Little Eighth had some recollection of this big brother whom they had met two or three times. They were overjoyed.
"From what you said, you have been tossing a lot in Chaxiang for the past two months." After tasting the new tea brought back from Chaxiang by You Jin, Xiao Lin Yu forever had his light like a breeze smile: "Not bad. This time’s tea is much better than the one you gave me last time."
You Jin poured another half cup of tea for him and replied with a slight smile, "It’s thanks to Eldest Brother Xiao’s help. If not, I wouldn't be able to do this." Back then, when Xiao Lin Yu suddenly stuffed the money, there was a knot in You Jin’s heart. Now that she thought about it, the money that Xiao Lin Yu lent to her on his own initiative was indeed a great help. So she sincerely thanked him.
"You are quite perceptive today." Xiao Lin Yu put down the teacup in his hand and caught little Eighth who was waddling towards him. Without looking at You Jin, he spoke: "In the letter from back then, you wished to berate me until my head is bloody. Why have you changed your temper now?"
She watched him hold little Eighth and both of them laughed happily. It was the first time for You Jin to see him laughing so happily. She responded: "You are born with a golden spoon in your mouth. So naturally you don't think it's a big sum. However, Gentleman Xiao, the total wealth of our family isn’t that much. If it were you, what would you do?"
Xiao Lin Yu fed little Eighth a piece of green plum cake newly developed by Su's kitchen. Only then, little Eighth followed Auntie Song out of the parlor in content. Picking up the handkerchief on the table, Xiao Lin Yu gently wiped his hands: "In this case, I really didn't think carefully."
"Still, I must thank Eldest Brother Xiao. If it weren't for your money, I'm afraid it would take a good few years to start this stall." You Jin wasn’t a person who didn't know good and bad. Her faint self-esteem was unintentionally hurt a little by rich and powerful Xiao Lin Yu for a while. No matter what, Xiao Lin Yu did it with good intention. She couldn't treat him like a donkey.
***
The wind in Luohe Prefecture blew day after day. The lotus planted by You Jin sisters in front of their house bloomed brilliantly all summer.
Unknowingly, Xiao Lin Yu had lived in Su's house for more than a month. Letters from the capital came every other day. But Xiao Lin Yu always remained like an old god. He didn’t say when he’ll leave. He even taught Kang-er and little Eighth on learning to read every day. Putting it nicely, it was called ‘imparting rudiment knowledge’.
The first crop of watermelons grown by Su Family this year had brought a large amount of income to Su Family. Those melon and fruit sellers, restaurants, teahouses, and some wealthy people knew that Sujiaxiang snack shops sold watermelons. Many of them directly found You Jin and bought the goods. After all, the taste of the watermelons from Su Family was almost the same as the watermelons from the Western Regions. The price of the Su Family’s was ten percent cheaper than the price of those brought back from the Western Regions. In the long term, it wasn’t a small sum.
You Jin was naturally happy to do big business. Each picking took less than half an hour to be transported to Luohe Prefecture. Dozens of watermelons can be sold out. This saved a lot of trouble.
Now You Bao was learning account management by You Jin's side. You Jin's requirement for several younger sisters was that they all have at least one skill. Since childhood, You Bao had a quiet temperament and didn't like to interact with outsiders. But seeing her elder sisters running around for the family every day made her feel very uncomfortable. So when You Jin said that she should learn to manage accounts, You Bao agreed without a second thought.
"Eldest Sister, we sold out this season’s watermelons and earned a lot of money!" You Bao’s abacus never left her hands every day. Although she can't compare with the three elder sisters in using abacus, she wins because of her hard work. So she did it like an experienced one: "Our watermelon only sells for five liang. Since we didn't invest much money in the first place, it's all pure profit then!"
You Jin flipped through the account book with immature handwriting that had clearly jotted down every income and expenditure. She nodded with satisfaction: "The accounts are clear. It seems that it won't take long for you to do better than me. I was afraid that your health would not be able to bear it. From the look of it, I was worrying too much."
Standing in front of You Jin, You Bao’s fair face flushed slightly from hearing Eldest Sister’s praise. She smiled a little shyly and continued what she hadn't finished: "This year our family only planted less than three mu of watermelon. A total of two thousand and forty-nine were sold. Eighty-seven were eaten by the family or given away. If we grow a few more mu next year, we will earn more money!”
You Jin was also a little shocked. This was due to the difference. Although the average price of their own watermelons was only four liang, the income had reached more than 8,200 liang in one summer. Excluding the few hundred liang silver cost, the final net profit was as high as 8,000 liang!
"Since it’s like this, let's grow more watermelons next year." You Jin closed the ledger and asked, "Is there enough seeds left?"
In You Jin's opinion, germinating watermelon seedlings wasn’t difficult. As long as there were enough seeds, then it was feasible to plant more than ten mu. But seeing You Bao's excited face, You Jin had to pour cold water on her: "Although this year we can still sell it for four or five liang silver each, it will be hard to say next year. After all, planting this kind of watermelon isn’t difficult.”
Sure enough, when You Bao heard what Eldest Sister said, her excited mind that was planning to plant more than ten-twenty mu of watermelon next year to make a fortune instantly dropped a lot. Soon, she recovered her spirit: "It's okay. Even if the price is half of this year’s, we can still make a lot of money. I have asked Elder Brother Han Li and Er Hua to properly store away the watermelon seeds. We can plant more than ten mus!"
While she excitedly talked, she grabbed the abacus and sat directly next to Eldest Sister. Clicking away the abacus, she muttered to herself: "If fifteen mu are planted next year and one mu produces eight hundred, it means twelve thousand watermelons. One watermelon is set at three liang. Therefore, a profit of 36,000 liang. In the worst case scenario, one sells for one liang, then we can still earn as much as this year!!"
Seeing her younger sister's shining eyes, the smile on You Jin's face deepened: "So, we still have a lot of money, don't we?"
You Bao nodded like a chicks pecking at rice: "Eldest Sister, I'm going to find Elder Brother Han Li and get him to find a way to find me some more seeds. Let's plant more seeds next year."
very cute sibling interaction
ReplyDeleteand the MC/ML talk was needed and quite well executed
I'm so uncomfortable. Did he break off the engagement before he left or is he waiting for her to fall into the pit? How can he live in a house full of women with a free conscience? Why are none of the 3 older women worried about the girls' reputations? Why don't they question his intentions when he can afford to live in the city? & This grimy behaviour of MC holding onto a thigh is so unattractive. I'm irritated and uncomfortable.
ReplyDelete