"Auntie, you've brought two more watermelons! They look even bigger than yesterday's. Sell me some more!" The speaker was the same elderly lady who had bought watermelons and vegetables yesterday.
She had finished the watermelons, and her grandson had been pestering her all day, asking for more watermelon.
So, she had gone out and bought a watermelon for fifty cents a pound.
To her surprise, after she cut it open, her grandson took one bite and said the taste was wrong. He insisted on eating the kind of watermelon she had bought last night.
She had argued with him all morning, and the nagging had given her a headache. So, she came out to escape the noise and perhaps ask Liu Ju if her nephew's watermelons could be sold at a wholesale price.
After all, two yuan per pound for watermelon was not cheap.
Buying a little occasionally to try the taste was manageable.
But eating it every day would drain even a mountain of gold and silver.
Who knew she would encounter her here, and she had brought two more watermelons!
Thinking about how she had sold them for two yuan per pound yesterday, Liu Ju felt a pang of regret.
She stopped her tricycle and said angrily, "Sell? I'm not selling.
I lost a lot of money selling them to you for two yuan a pound yesterday. You want to take advantage of me again? No way!"
The elderly lady was stunned. "Two yuan a pound, and you lost money?
Go ask around, whose watermelons can sell for two yuan a pound? You obviously made a profit, and now you're saying we're taking advantage of you? You should speak with a conscience!"
"Do you know how much my nephew's watermelon sells for per pound, wholesale?"
"How much per pound?"
"To tell you the truth, he sells them for eight yuan a pound, four times what I sold them for. Do you think I didn't make enough profit? If we're not taking advantage of you, who is?" Liu Ju said emotionally.
The elderly lady, however, did not believe her. "You're bluffing. Eight yuan a pound wholesale? Who would be foolish enough to buy it?
I know you just want to raise the price because the watermelons are delicious. How about two yuan and one mao per pound? You can sell me a watermelon then, right?"
"Two yuan and one mao? Are you trying to swindle me? I won't sell for less than six yuan a pound." Liu Ju knew that selling them for eight yuan a pound was almost impossible.
But if she could sell them for six yuan a pound, making three hundred yuan per watermelon, that would be good.
"Six yuan a pound is too expensive. We're not rich people, who can afford that? A little cheaper. How about we meet halfway? Two and a half yuan a pound, a fifty-cent increase. I'll buy one directly. How about that?" the elderly lady said generously.
If what Liu Ju said was true, and her nephew's watermelons sold for eight yuan a pound,
then buying them at two and a half yuan a pound would be a huge profit.
"If you think it's too expensive, you don't have to buy it. I'm not forcing you," Liu Ju refused to back down.
She regretted selling them so cheaply yesterday, and she wouldn't sell them for a low price today at any cost.
Just then, a few more people arrived. One of them was the person who had bought watermelon last night, and the other two were people who had wanted to buy but couldn't because they were sold out.
Seeing the watermelons on the tricycle, they all expressed their desire to buy some.
"Don't rush to say you want to buy. The price of the watermelon is different from yesterday.
It's six yuan a pound now. Buy it if you accept, don't buy it if you don't!" Liu Ju announced loudly.
"What? Six yuan a pound? That's an outrageous price increase!"
"Exactly. No matter how delicious a watermelon is, it's still a watermelon. Selling it so expensively is like robbing people."
...
After hearing the price, everyone expressed their dissatisfaction.
Liu Ju ignored their thoughts. "You still think six yuan a pound is expensive? My nephew sells them to others for eight yuan a pound!
And those people who buy watermelons are even driving large trucks to load them up!
If they buy at eight yuan a pound, they'll sell them for at least ten yuan a pound, or even more!
Compared to that, do you still think my price is too high?
Anyway, this is your only chance. Whether you buy it or not is up to you.
But if you want to eat such watermelons in the future, you'll have to pay even more!"
Everyone's expression was hesitant.
On one hand, they really wanted to buy the watermelons. On the other hand, the price was beyond their acceptable range.
But if they didn't buy this time, they would have to pay more later, and then they would be even more reluctant.
Thinking of this, a young man gritted his teeth. "Give me ten pounds. I want to see how delicious this watermelon is to sell for such a high price!"
Liu Ju's face lit up when she heard he wanted to buy. "Young man, you're smart! I'll call my daughter-in-law to bring the knife and scale down!"
Seeing that someone was buying, those who were still hesitating and observing also expressed their desire to buy!
This made Liu Ju extremely happy. If she had known they would accept six yuan a pound, she would have sold them for eight yuan a pound.
However, what was said could not be taken back, and six yuan a pound was acceptable.
It wouldn't be too late to sell them for eight yuan next time. At this moment, she had already forgotten her promise to Chun Sheng.
If she didn't sell watermelons for six yuan a pound, she would be foolish!
Anyway, as long as she didn't say anything, Chun Sheng wouldn't know she had sold the watermelons.
However, if she sold them, she would have to go and get more after some time, otherwise, she would be suspected, and it would be difficult to explain.
While Liu Ju was busy selling watermelons, Liu Chun Sheng was also weighing them.
A total of one thousand and thirty watermelons were picked, weighing 50,965 pounds.
Su Wan Ru opened her phone calculator and calculated: "Uncle Liu, the total is 407,720 yuan. I will transfer the money to Mr. Liu's account later."
"Okay, as long as it's calculated correctly!" Liu Chun Sheng nodded.
"Alright, you've all worked hard. Please move the watermelons onto the truck. I'll treat you to lunch!" Su Wan Ru said to the workers.
"It's already half past eleven, and I still can't get through to Yifeng. I need to go look for him!" Liu Chun Sheng said, worried.
"Uncle Liu, don't worry. They're probably already on their way back," Su Wan Ru comforted him.
However, in her heart, she was also considering whether to call the police.
At the same time, Liu Yi Feng and Tong Tong had finally found the medicinal herbs they were looking for!
However, the herbs grew on the edge of a cliff, and picking them would be somewhat dangerous.
"Tong Tong, you wait here. Daddy will go and pick the herbs!" Liu Yi Feng said.
"Okay, Daddy, be careful!" Tong Tong replied.
Liu Yi Feng nodded, then cautiously walked towards the edge of the cliff.
When he reached the edge of the cliff, he immediately lay down on the ground to prevent himself from falling. He reached out his hand, grabbed the root of the herb, and prepared to pull it out.
Suddenly, the soil loosened, and the front half of his body sank down. He was so scared that he didn't dare to move.
"Daddy, be careful!" Tong Tong shouted when he saw this.
"Don't worry, Tong Tong, Daddy is fine!" Liu Yi Feng whispered reassuringly.
After speaking, he slowly began to move his body backward. But as soon as he moved, the soil loosened again, and more than half of his body was outside the cliff.
He was so scared that he didn't dare to move at all, but he couldn't just hang there indefinitely.
Just then, a vine stretched over.
"Daddy, grab it quickly." Tong Tong's voice sounded.
Liu Yi Feng's hand was still holding the root. If he let go now, it would be almost impossible to pick it.
He held the root with one hand and the vine with the other.
Then he said, "Tong Tong, wrap the vine around the tree and tie several knots." He knew Tong Tong didn't have the strength to pull him up.
So, he could only hope that the vine would be tied tightly.
After a while, Tong Tong's voice sounded again: "Daddy, I've tied lots and lots of knots! Come up quickly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the cliff collapsed again. Fortunately, Liu Yi Feng held onto the vine tightly, or he would have fallen.
"Daddy..." Tong Tong screamed in terror as he saw his father disappear.
He immediately burst into tears.
Just then, a hand reached out and gripped the ground forcefully. "Tong Tong, don't cry, Daddy is fine!"
Liu Yi Feng, using the strength of the vine, climbed back up.
After climbing up, Liu Yi Feng was completely exhausted and lay flat on the ground. His hand was still tightly clenched around the root, which was covered with medicinal herbs.
"Daddy, you scared Tong Tong to death!" Tong Tong ran over and threw himself onto Liu Yi Feng.
Liu Yi Feng hugged Tong Tong with one arm. "Tong Tong, you saved Daddy's life again!"
After resting for a while, Liu Yi Feng got up from the ground. It was then that he noticed that his arm had been scratched by a branch and was bleeding profusely.
"Daddy, you're bleeding!" Tong Tong said with a pained expression.
Liu Yi Feng smiled indifferently. "It's okay, it doesn't hurt. Tong Tong, is this medicine enough?"
"Yes, it's enough!" Tong Tong nodded vigorously.
"That's good! It's getting late, let's hurry back. Grandpa must be worried sick." Liu Yi Feng picked the medicinal herbs from the root and put them into a bag.
"Daddy, I'll carry this. You carry the wild mushrooms. Those are too heavy for me!" Tong Tong said obediently.
"Okay, thank you, Tong Tong!" Liu Yi Feng picked up the wild mushrooms. Indeed, they were quite heavy!
They emerged from the deep mountains past noon.
As soon as they came out, he received a call from his father.
"You rascal, you're finally answering the phone! Where are you?" Liu Chun Sheng asked.