However, Cheng Qingyan herself was also basking in the sun, helping to pick watermelons.
Sweat beaded on his forehead and cheeks.
Her clothes were soaked with sweat. Recently, she had changed into more comfortable clothes for working in the fields.
She's not as upset as she was when Shen Ziyu first left, but Cheng Qingyan and the others still don't trust her, so she needs someone by her side at all times.
Instead of enjoying a relaxing time at home or eating chilled watermelon, she was dragged to the fields to bask in the sun.
The sun in June and July shines on whoever feels it; only they know how it affects them.
This melon field has no shade at all; the only place to rest is the melon watcher's shack.
Cheng Qingyan carried a small watermelon and put it in the shed, instructing Ruan Banxia: "If you are thirsty or hungry, eat this watermelon. I knocked it over, it's ripe, I guarantee it's ripe."
Ruan Banxia wiped the sweat from her cheeks and frowned at her: "Did you knock your head on a door yesterday?"
"On such a hot day, you called me out, but you won't let me pick melons or go home. You just want me to eat melons here?"
Her clothes were soaked with sweat.
I don't know if it's because she's been sick lately, but she's still a bit weak and sweats more than normal.
Cheng Qingyan glanced at the sun and sighed softly, "There's nothing I can do. Do you think I wanted to?"
"If you stand outside in the sun for an hour, I won't pull you out."
"Besides, no one is home today. My wife specifically told me that I must take you with me wherever I go."
"I can't possibly disobey my wife, can I?"
With so much sweat, Ruan Banxia naturally needs to replenish her fluids.
Inside the shed, there was well water drawn by the melon watchers and pickers, and Cheng Qingyan also put a watermelon into another bucket.
The watermelon was so big that it squeezed out a lot of water from the bucket, which spilled all over the ground.
"Never mind, you won't disobey your sister-in-law's orders anyway."
"Since that's the case, I'm very thirsty now. I don't want to drink tap water. How about I go back and drink some hot water before coming back?"
Cheng Qingyan refused without even thinking: "No, I don't drink tap water. Then you can cut a melon and eat it."
"Perfect timing, they need to rest too, the sun is really strong!"
After taking her to the field, Cheng Qingyan ignored her completely.
I only glance this way occasionally when I'm busy.
Ruan Banxia was quite certain that the reason Cheng Qingyan glanced at her from time to time was to see if she was still there.
Ye Lingyu instructed Cheng Qingyan to keep an eye on her, because if Cheng Qingyan failed to do so, he might not be able to explain himself to Ye Lingyu.
Sigh~ When it comes to matters of the heart, it's always more interesting to look at other things.
At Cheng Qingyan's call, everyone who came to pick melons, including those who were transporting them, gathered around.
"Everyone has worked hard today, helping to pick melons in this hot weather."
"There's nothing much to offer, just cut two watermelons so everyone can quench their thirst and take a break."
This move was met with widespread approval.
Watermelon was called "cold melon" in ancient times.
In most places, watermelons grown in this region do not have bright red flesh, and they taste less sweet and even a bit sour.
However, when this type of fruit was not widely available, not everyone could afford to eat cold melon.
Some of these watermelons are being transported to Yuanning County, while others are being transported to Wanfeng County.
In the town, there's nothing to buy.
It was also at Cheng Qingyan's place that they tasted what a real cold melon was like.
It turns out that not all cold melons are sour, unlike the cold melons some of them had seen before, which only had a little bit of red in the center and the rest of the flesh was white.
The large watermelon that was cut open must have weighed at least twenty pounds.
It was devoured in no time, and Ruan Banxia only managed to get a piece of watermelon.
Before she had finished eating, the watermelon was completely devoured, leaving only a slice of juice left on the cutting board.
The traditionally grown winter melons are not tasty and are rather expensive.
Cheng Qingyan's watermelon has a thin rind, few seeds, and sweet, crisp flesh. One bite and your mouth is filled with sweet juice—it's incredibly delicious.
Someone smacked their lips and jokingly asked Cheng Qingyan, "Young Master Cheng, this winter melon of yours is the most delicious thing I've ever eaten!"
"I wonder if we can afford your cold melon?"
Ruan Banxia was a little unhappy because the melon was gone before she had her fill.
Hearing that some people were still thinking about the watermelons, she looked at the watermelon field and said, "You might be able to afford to buy these watermelons, but you might be a little reluctant to part with them."
"The few of us just ate a watermelon that cost five qian of silver, which was about twenty jin. You do the math yourself, and you can imagine how much money that would have cost you."
The man scratched his head, sweat dripping down his face: "You're absolutely right, our wallets really can't handle it."
A melon costs six or seven hundred coins, and they can only earn less than one hundred coins a day.
If these watermelons cost thirty coins a pound, and you could buy a not-too-big one for three hundred coins if you grit your teeth.
But if I buy this, my wife will probably nag me nonstop.
To make a living, you must first eat your fill before you have the opportunity to buy other foods to improve your quality of life.
Cheng Qingyan didn't actually want to price the watermelons so high, but Luo Ji and Liu Baisheng both suggested that she make money from the scarcity of the product at the beginning.
Wait a year or two before lowering the price of the watermelon.
Their business in Wanfeng County also reached its peak due to the arrival of watermelons.
Even state officials were attracted to the watermelon.
The first batch of watermelons delivered has already been snapped up.
These people were also hired temporarily to pick melons and urgently transport them to the county seat and Wanfeng County.
The reason we listened to their quotes was that they were people of this era and knew better how to survive under such a feudal class system.
Of course, Ye Lingyu also gave her opinion.
Therefore, when something new suddenly appears, it is always very expensive, which Cheng Qingyan can understand.
So we can only make these people wait. Next year or the year after, those people in higher positions will definitely find a way to learn how to grow watermelons and get the seeds.
When more people plant them, she will plant even more than this year, and then she won't have to worry about people in the neighborhood not being able to eat watermelons.
She planted more than just watermelons this year, in addition to these delicious fruits.
Not far from the watermelon patch, there is also a cantaloupe field.
Because it was very close to a watermelon field, its reputation was overshadowed by the delicious watermelons, and its name as a melon was not yet known to the public.
Another reason might be that melons already existed at this time.
However, the variety of melons is not as great as the variety in her melon field.
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