"Master, be careful, don't strain your back!" Madam Liu scolded playfully, but she was also quite intrigued by the cold melon and fragrant melon on the table.
Liu Zhiheng and his wife had a good relationship, which had remained unchanged for many years. Seeing that his wife was happy, he called a servant to bring a knife.
The large winter melon was cut in half, completely revealing the bright red flesh inside, along with the black seeds embedded within, each one distinct.
He personally cut it into pieces, then carried a plate to the study in the front yard for his elderly father, and on the way, he called his children to come to the back yard for a fresh meal.
Old Master Liu was also surprised, "Where did this cold melon come from? It looks really good! I've never heard of foreign vassals sending tribute."
Tianwu is now being beaten like a stray dog by the barbarians, living in a remote corner in Jiangnan, barely surviving. Forget about paying tribute, it's a miracle if the foreign vassals don't come to harass the border.
Liu Zhiheng personally picked out the seeds from the melon before presenting it to his elderly father with both hands.
“Father, do you still remember Broken Gold Beach? It’s the manor where Jinrou stayed for a while. Besides the hot spring valley, there’s also a riverbank there. I heard that in the spring, the Marquis managed to find some melon seedlings to plant. I didn’t take it seriously, thinking they wouldn’t grow. But today, Jinrou had someone send over these winter melons, along with two golden melons. They look very appealing.”
Old Master Liu took a bite of the melon, and the sweetness softened his entire complexion.
"This is really good stuff. It's not like no one has grown it before, but the plants were all small and didn't taste good. They were much worse than this."
Everyone thought that the land in Tianwu was unsuitable for growing this kind of wild melon, but unexpectedly, it was successfully grown in a small place like Suijin Beach.
Liu Zhiheng looked on with envy, reached out and picked up a piece, finishing it in a few bites.
"Father, Jinrou means that I should help sell the cold melons and fragrant melons in Suijintan."
Old Master Liu nodded, "You should agree. These things are sure to be in high demand, and it'll be good for the family to make more connections. Also, send me a few dozen of the first batch you picked; I want to present them to the palace."
Liu Zhiheng quickly agreed. The emperor intended to summon his father back to court, but his father had never agreed. However, he would occasionally enter the palace to talk to the emperor.
Since the family is going to sell winter melons and cantaloupes, if they don't first offer some to the Emperor, it will easily cause gossip.
Moreover, this cold melon is truly excellent; it would be absolutely perfect as a tribute.
Soon, Liu Zhiheng returned to the backyard, where Madam Liu and her children had already shared the cold melon and were chatting and laughing while eyeing the two fragrant melons.
Seeing this, Liu Zhiheng shared a cantaloupe with his wife and children, and it tasted even better than a cold melon.
Cold melon quenches thirst and is especially suitable for men to enjoy eating heartily.
But cantaloupe is more suitable for women; it has a rich aroma and is even sweeter than honeydew melon.
He changed his clothes, gave a few instructions, and hurriedly led his men to Broken Gold Beach.
Madam Cui was playing cat's cradle with Jiayin, while Old Lady Li was picking vegetables. The three of them chatted occasionally, creating a lively atmosphere.
Originally, picking vegetables and cooking were Zhao Yuru's chores, but now that the third son's family has gone to Luo'an, the old lady has taken over the cooking pot.
After all, the son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren all have jobs and earn work points every day. We can't let them come home tired after a long day and then have to prepare dinner again.
But cooking for a family of seven or eight, plus Uncle Zhao and several other old men, is no easy task.
Fortunately, when Madam Cui stayed here for a while, Sister Qiong would help her.
When Madam Cui returned to the estate, Dongmei and Yeshan from next door would lend a hand.
The couple quietly guarded Young Master Ye's small courtyard, remaining silent most of the time, occasionally only taking Jiayin out to play for a while, and never causing trouble.
On the contrary, the old lady was afraid that they would be bored, so she often invited them to eat together and chat.
Just then, Sister-in-law Qiong came in from outside and reported with a smile.
"Madam, Master Liu has arrived. He went straight to the melon field, accompanied by the village chief and the second master. I heard he wants to count how many melons are in the field!"
"This is a big deal. There are several acres of winter melons. It's not something that can be counted in a short time," said Old Lady Li with a smile. She then asked Sister-in-law Qiong, "Go to the valley and tell Fourth Brother's wife to cook a few dishes and bring them back to entertain Master Liu tonight."
Sister-in-law Qiong agreed and went. Jiayin, eager to join in the fun, hugged Madam Cui's neck and shook her, "Auntie, go, go count the winter melons!"
Madam Cui chuckled and tapped her little head, "You can't even count yet, why are you joining in the fun?"
But despite saying that, she still stood up and said, "Auntie, I'll take Fu Niu for a walk."
"Go on, go on, she's just causing trouble at home." The old lady went inside and found a specially made gauze hat, covering her granddaughter from head to toe in the light gauze before letting them go out.
Jiayin found the light gauze restrictive and twisted her body to take it off, but Madam Cui pressed her small hand down, "Have you forgotten that you were bitten all over a few days ago!"
Jiayin immediately became obedient. A few days ago, just as night fell, she followed her grandmother back from the valley and was chased and kissed by mosquitoes all the way.
If her brother hadn't rushed to the old doctor to get the ointment, she wouldn't have been able to sleep at night.
Even with such a good ointment, she still felt itchy for two whole days before the red spots all over her body finally came off.
Madam Cui carried Jiayin all the way to the melon field, and she was exhausted.
Upon seeing this, Li Lao Er immediately took his niece away.
This little girl is like a meat bun, getting rounder and rounder, it's hard for anyone to hold her.
When Liu Zhiheng saw his sworn sister coming over, he beamed with joy.
"Jinrou, Father said he wants to pick some to present to the palace first!"
"This is wonderful news!" Madam Cui was also delighted. Fearing that the villagers would be reluctant to part with the melons, she helped explain, "After they are presented to the palace, our local winter melons and fragrant melons will become tribute items. Everyone will be scrambling to buy them, so there will definitely be no shortage of buyers."
Li Lao Er, the village chief, and the nearby villagers were all extremely excited to hear this.
Actually, whether or not they sell silver is no longer important; what matters most is that the emperor eats the cold melons they grow.
The village chief added, "Before, because that county magistrate's son came to seize our territory, Mr. Wen even took us to file a complaint with the emperor. I even met the emperor and received a gift of rice from him. Now that we've established ourselves and have a bountiful harvest of winter melons, it's only right that we send some to the emperor to try."
This reminded Liu Zhiheng, "Then we should inform Junior Brother Wen, and it would be best if he and my father could go to the palace with you."
As he spoke, he called for Chang Sui to hurry back to the city.
It was already dusk; if we didn't hurry, the city gates would be closing.
Soon, everyone gave a rough estimate, and Liu Zhiheng made up his mind before returning to the Li family with the others.
Tao Hongying and a woman helped carry back two large food boxes. Along with the rice steamed by Grandma Li, a large plate of washed vegetables, and a large bowl of fried egg sauce, dinner was served.
The village chief, Uncle Zhao, and several others, along with Doctor Zhang, all came to keep the guests company. After they had eaten and drunk their fill, they began to discuss the important matters.
Liu Zhiheng cut to the chase, "After these cold melons and fragrant melons are sent to the palace, the Emperor will distribute them as rewards to important officials and dignitaries. Once their reputation spreads, we can start selling them. I don't plan to sell them by weight; such fine things shouldn't be sold like ordinary fruit. This time, we'll sell them individually!"
Selling them individually? Everyone understood then; no wonder they had gone to the field to count them earlier.
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