The aunt hesitated upon hearing the price of five yuan per catty: "How about one and a half yuan? I'll buy ten catties!"
Liu Ju was about to agree when a middle-aged man spoke first: "I'll buy it for two yuan per catty, and I'll take twenty catties!"
This person had bought watermelons from Liu Yifeng before, spending over three hundred yuan for one. He had spotted Liu Yifeng from afar and, upon hearing his second aunt offer it for two yuan per catty, knew she didn't understand the watermelon's true value, or she wouldn't have sold it so cheaply. So, before the boss could stop her, he quickly spoke up.
Liu Ju was overjoyed when she heard someone was willing to buy it for two yuan per catty: "Are you really buying twenty catties?"
"Yes, here's forty yuan. Please cut ten catties for me!" Liu Ju feared he was a骗子 (piànzi - swindler), but he feared the other party would go back on his word even more, so he paid the money upfront.
With him taking the lead, the aunt also patted her thigh: "Then give me ten catties too!"
Seeing that the watermelon was being sold, the young woman immediately asked for eight catties! In a short while, one watermelon was pre-sold. Liu Ju's smile was so wide her mouth couldn't close. She quickly asked her son to go upstairs to get a knife. Such a large watermelon couldn't be cut with an ordinary fruit knife; only a cleaver would do.
However, there was no scale, so she didn't know how much ten or twenty catties was. Fortunately, Liu Yifeng had an electronic scale in his car, which could be used.
Liu Yifeng saw that the watermelon had already been sold by his second aunt for two yuan per catty. He couldn't say anything more, only hoping she wouldn't regret it later. On the contrary, Liu Ju, seeing that she had sold the watermelon for two yuan per catty, urgently reminded Liu Yifeng: "Yifeng, this watermelon can be sold for two yuan per catty. From now on, you can't sell it for less, understand?"
Liu Yifeng gave a wry smile and said nothing. Liu Ju didn't understand his expression.
"Yifeng, Second Aunt sold the watermelons you brought. You're not angry, are you?"
"It's nothing. This watermelon was given to Second Aunt to eat. You can eat it or sell it as you please!" Liu Yifeng said indifferently.
Liu Ju was beaming: "My nephew is so sensible. Such a big watermelon, I can't finish it all if I don't sell some! It's a good opportunity to let the neighbors try it. If they like it, they can do business with you in the future!" She spoke eloquently.
Liu Yifeng just smiled and remained silent. If he were to sell it for two yuan per catty, he would rather let the watermelons rot in the fields.
Soon, Zhao Kunming brought a cleaver. Liu Mei placed the watermelon on a clean snake-skin bag and cut a slice. Just looking at the color of the watermelon flesh made many people's mouths water. She placed the cut watermelon on the scale: "Eleven catties, is that okay, Auntie?"
"Fine, eleven catties it is. Here's twenty-two yuan!" The aunt paid and left with the watermelon, unable to wait to taste it! Soon, one watermelon was sold, totaling one hundred and three yuan, with the few cents not taken. The little boy, seeing that his mother had bought a watermelon, happily trotted home with her.
Finally, one watermelon was left. Liu Ju bought thirty catties, and there were still twenty catties left, which she planned to eat herself! Someone who didn't get to buy one pestered her and bought another five catties. In the end, only fifteen catties of watermelon remained. Liu Ju happily counted the money. She hadn't expected two watermelons to sell for so much.
"Yifeng, have dinner at Second Aunt's house tonight. I'll go buy some meat later and make you braised pork!"
"No, Second Aunt. It's getting late, and Tongtong is waiting for me at home. Since the watermelons are almost sold, I don't need to carry them up. Please take the vegetables and watermelons upstairs yourself, Cousin and Second Aunt!" Liu Yifeng said.
When Liu Ju heard this, she didn't insist further. She had invited him, and if he didn't eat, that was his business; she couldn't be blamed for being stingy: "Alright, remember to come for dinner sometime!"
"Okay, then Second Aunt, I'm leaving!" With that, Liu Yifeng got into his car.
"Drive slowly on the road, and come visit when you have time!" Liu Ju waved goodbye.
After watching Liu Yifeng leave, Zhao Kunming couldn't help but exclaim: "I really didn't expect Liu Yifeng to be so capable, to grow such big watermelons. People are buying them for two yuan a catty. I wonder how many watermelons he has in his field. If he had tens of thousands of catties, wouldn't he strike it rich!"
"I'll go take a look another day. If there are many, I'll bring a few more back and sell them to the neighbors. Didn't you see they weren't enough to sell?"
"Mom... isn't that a bit inappropriate!" Zhao Kunming was also a person of integrity.
"What's inappropriate about it? I'm his Second Aunt. What's wrong with eating a few of his watermelons? He wouldn't refuse, would he?" Liu Ju said dismissively.
Zhao Kunming explained: "It's not about him refusing, but it doesn't feel right to sell his watermelons for money! Just now, I saw that Yifeng's expression wasn't quite right!"
"You worry too much. I thought Yifeng looked very happy. Besides, by selling them to others, aren't I advertising for him? If people in the neighborhood want to eat them in the future, they'll come to me, and I can introduce business to him?" Liu Ju reasoned.
Zhao Kunming thought about it and agreed. It was just a few watermelons; Liu Yifeng wouldn't be so petty as to begrudge them!
After going upstairs, Liu Ju impatiently cut two slices of watermelon for her two grandsons, then one for her son, and finally one for herself. Zhao Kunming's son ate his watermelon ravenously after tasting it, as if he had never eaten a watermelon before in his life. Watching her grandsons eat with relish, Liu Ju also started eating.
The moment she took the first bite, her eyes lit up. This watermelon was incredibly delicious! It was juicy and extremely sweet, so good she wanted to eat the rind too.
"Mom, this watermelon is really delicious. We should have kept it all instead of selling it. There's so little left, it's not enough to eat!" Zhao Kunming said, stuffing himself with watermelon.
"Don't worry, when this is finished, I'll go get some from your Second Uncle's place!" Liu Ju replied.
"Grandma, Grandma, I want more!" Zhao Kunming's eldest son ate the fastest!
"Okay, Grandma will cut you a bigger piece!" Liu Ju put down her watermelon.
"Grandma, me too! I want some too!" The younger grandson had also finished eating and was getting anxious, afraid there would be none left. The fifteen catties of watermelon were finished by the four of them in one sitting, consuming half of it. They stopped only because they were too full.
"By the way, Mom, Yifeng also sent some vegetables. I guess his vegetables must be extraordinary too," Zhao Kunming said.
Liu Ju then remembered the vegetables in the snake-skin bag and poured them all out. There were water spinach, beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Every vegetable was beautifully colored, with not a single insect-eaten leaf. They looked like premium vegetables, far superior in appearance to what she usually bought.
"These vegetables are good. But Yifeng sent so many, and we can't eat them all at once. What do you think about selling some to the residents, like the watermelons? Otherwise, they'll wilt if left for too long and won't be fresh," Liu Ju had a new idea.
Zhao Kunming looked at the vegetables, which were at least thirty catties, and agreed with his mother's idea: "How do you plan to sell these vegetables?"
"They will definitely be more expensive than ordinary vegetables. You don't need to worry about that; I know what I'm doing. Just help me carry the vegetables downstairs to the neighborhood," Liu Ju said.
Zhao Kunming then packed the vegetables into bags, leaving a plate or two of each kind for themselves, and packed the rest before carrying them downstairs. Liu Ju, in the kitchen, found the scale she usually used to weigh her groceries.