Chen Afu thought that with such a large quantity and underdeveloped transportation in ancient times, if he wanted to sell it at a good price, he must first explore the sales channels.
Fortunately, we have these six acres of watermelons as a front line. We can sell such good watermelons to wealthy areas first. The merchants there will think they are good and come to buy them.
Dingzhou was the transportation hub of the Dashun Dynasty. The Grand Canal beside the city ended at the capital in the north and at Wucheng, an important town in the south of the Yangtze River, and was connected to the Changfu River, the mother river of this time and space. There were so many watermelons, and as long as they could find a good sales channel, the strong purchasing power along the Grand Canal alone would keep them in short supply.
Zeng Laotou has rented ox carts and donkey carts from two nearby villages, plus an ox cart lent by Tangyuan on a voluntary basis and his own ox cart, a total of eight carts, which can pull all the goods in one go. In addition to the 1,000 kilograms given to Chen Erliangpu, the rest will be sent to Dingzhou Fuyunlai Trading Company, which will then sell them to distant places along the canal. Watermelons are not on the market yet, and since his own watermelons are big and sweet, the price must be good. As for how much they should be sold for, Zeng Shuang, who has done market research, should know.
Also, pick forty watermelons for your own consumption and to give away. Pick a few each from Fuyuan, Luyuan, and Tangyuan, two each from the old monk, the abbot Liaochen, the eldest wife, and the Yang family in the county, one each from the good friends in the village, and five each from Chen Shiying's family and the Marquis's Mansion in the capital.
The next day was the 20th. Dabao and his family had a day off. Chu Hanyan didn't like too many people entering Fuyuan. The old marquis, Chu Lingxuan, Chu Lingzhi and Dabao watched the fun in the watermelon field next to Fuyuan. Even Mr. Liao came. Some families in the village, the tenants of Tangyuan, and the children of the farmhands and servants of Tangyuan also came to watch the fun.
Lord Chu smiled happily. Seeing these beautiful big watermelons, he thought of the rice, wheat, corn and other crops he would plant in the future. These were the seeds provided by Master Wuzhi. If they were as high-yield and delicious as these watermelons, it would be a blessing for the people of Dashun Dynasty.
He had not approved of his granddaughter-in-law's enthusiasm for opening a business and farming. His family was not short of money, and letting his granddaughter-in-law do these things would easily make people laugh. But now he saw that this was not a matter of money, but a major issue related to the people's food, and it was to relieve the emperor's worries. He would strongly support this.
Ah Fu, what a good name, he is such a blessed man. This grandson's wife is a good choice!
The old man did not treat himself as an outsider, and had someone pick two melons and cut them into small pieces to entertain the onlookers.
Dabao looked at Chu Lingxuan standing under a tree in the distance. He couldn't get along with these old farmers and just stood there stupidly. Unlike the old marquis and Mr. Liao, they could blend in with the villagers and talk to them about the weather and the harvest.
Dabao came to Chu Lingxuan with a piece of watermelon, handed it to him with both hands and said, "Daddy, eat watermelon, it's very sweet."
Chu Lingxuan was stunned for a moment, then happily took the watermelon and took a bite, saying, "Yeah, it's very sweet."
Dabao didn't leave, but stood beside him and said, "These watermelons will definitely sell for a good price, and my family will make a lot of money. Mother also said that I also helped when she was planting watermelons, and she would give me ten taels of silver as wages. This money is the first pot of gold I have earned. I want to buy some gifts for mother, grandma, grandpa, and dad as a filial piety. What kind of gift would Dad like?"
Chu Lingxuan didn't know why Dabao suddenly showed kindness to him, nor did he know why he called ten taels of silver a bucket of gold, but such a sensible and grateful child softened Chu Lingxuan's heart. Seeing him looking at him with his clear and bright eyes, there was cunning, flattery, caution, innocence, and clarity in these eyes.
Chu Lingxuan thought that if he grew up in that big yard, he would never have the latter two looks. Although he suffered a lot in the countryside and lived cautiously before, the kind-hearted Chen family still let him grow up happily.
Thinking of the incredible news that his grandfather had brought, Chu Lingxuan was really surprised and happy. Before, he was afraid that Chen Afu was of low birth and his family would not agree. He thought of many ways to deal with the elders' disapproval, and even thought that it would be unlikely to arrange a marriage in the next few years. However, he did not expect his grandfather to agree so readily. Later, he learned that when his grandfather went to explain the matter to that person, he learned an incredible secret. This matter, except for the emperor and that person, deceived everyone...
God is really helping him. He will be able to marry his beloved woman next year. Although the responsibility on his shoulders is heavier, he is willing to bear it. For loyalty to the emperor and for Ah Fu.
Seeing that Chu Lingxuan did not answer his question, Dabao's eyes darkened, and he twisted his fingers nervously and said, "Dad, don't you like the gift I gave you? Although it is not worth much, it is my filial piety to you."
Chen Dabao's words interrupted Chu Lingxuan's contemplation. Chu Lingxuan quickly smiled and said, "Thank you, Dabao. You have earned money and still know how to honor me. Daddy is very pleased. If you want to give Daddy a gift, then give..." He pretended to think for a moment and said, "Just give me a pen. Whenever I write, I can think of Dabao."
Dabao nodded happily and said, "Okay, I will go to the county town to buy some better pens."
At the end of May, the watermelons in Wangshan Village began to be picked again. Although the taste of these watermelons is slightly inferior, they are still sweeter and bigger than the watermelons grown by contemporary farmers.
In early June, after the watermelons on the six acres of land were harvested, Chen Afu had the land prepared for planting autumn corn.
Over the past half month, Chen Ahfu has been in both pain and joy. He counts accounts, checks accounts, and counts money every day, and his mouth is so happy that it is crooked with smiles.
This time, the watermelons from the six acres of land were sold at the highest price because they were on the market early, big and sweet. A total of more than 3,200 taels of silver were earned. After deducting several hundred taels of silver for transportation costs, mainly shipping costs, there were more than 2,400 taels of silver left.
The watermelons from Wangshan Village will be sold at a lower price, but because of the large quantity, they will earn more money. However, they will not sell as well next year. Other farmers will use this kind of watermelon to grow melons. If there are more of the same variety, the price will not go up.
Chen Dabao also received the ten taels of silver wages given to him by his mother as he wished.
On June 10th, he was going to the county town to buy gifts to honor his elders.
In addition to Chu Lingxuan, he also asked for the opinions of several other people. He planned to buy a pine wood carved comb for Chen Afu and Wang, and a set of tea bowls for Chen Ming. Later, he felt that Mr. Chu, Mr. Liao, and Mrs. Chen were also elders, so he should buy them gifts, so he decided to buy a pen for the first two and a comb for Mrs. Chen.
Chen Afu didn't have time to accompany him, so he asked Xue Dagui to accompany him. Tangyuan sent two more guards to deliver five more melons to the Yang family. It would be even better if the two little brothers and sisters from the Yang family could be brought over.
At the beginning of noon, some unexpected guests came to Fuyuan. They were Chen Shiying, and he also brought three siblings, Chen Yulan, Chen Yuqing, and Chen Yuxia.
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