Brother Mu returned from the prefectural city and brought watermelon seeds to Yi'an.
"Yi'an, this time there are not only watermelon seeds, but also a new kind of seeds, which are said to have been sent by merchants from other places."
Brother Mu handed Yi'an a paper package. He didn't recognize it himself, so he showed it to Yi'an.
Mu Yi'an took it, opened it, and saw that it contained cantaloupe seeds. The specific variety couldn't be determined from the seeds; they would have to wait until the melons were harvested to find out.
"Brother, I don't recognize it either. I'll try planting it and see. If it bears fruit, then I'll know."
Mu Yi'an couldn't say it was a cantaloupe seed; how did she know? She couldn't keep using the same excuse, as it didn't hold up to scrutiny.
"Alright, you can keep it. Your watermelons should be ready soon, right? My third uncle took me to see the manager of the biggest merchant house in the prefecture. He was very interested in the watermelons I mentioned and will come over to take a look in the next couple of days. If the watermelons taste good, he'll buy them all, even though they won't be cheap."
Mu Ziwu's heart raced as he thought about the price of watermelons.
"Brother, how much can you offer per pound?"
"My third uncle said that last year, watermelons in the prefectural city sold for thirty coins a pound, and a watermelon only weighed three or four pounds."
Upon hearing this, Mu Yi'an understood. Their watermelons already weighed four or five jin (2.5-2.5 kg), and in a few more days, they would grow to over seven jin (3.5 catties). The price would then increase, with retail prices exceeding thirty wen (0.3 yuan) and wholesale prices rising accordingly.
"Big brother, we're going to be rich!"
"Yes, thanks to Yi'an. We'll be able to make a good profit this year, and next year the watermelons might become famous."
“I understand. This matter needs to be discussed with the county magistrate by my second brother. He wants political achievements, while we want tangible benefits. We can’t fight city hall; our family doesn’t have such a powerful backer. Money can be tempting, but our survival is the priority.”
Mu Yi'an saw things clearly; she didn't want to have money but not live to enjoy it. This was ancient times, not a modern society where everyone is equal before the law.
"I understand, brother. We've also discussed it with Uncle San. If the head manager of the prefecture city takes a liking to our watermelons, they have to keep the price a secret. Next year, when we plant them on a large scale, the price will come down."
"Big brother is the most thoughtful. This is the best way. We should keep our wealth hidden and make a fortune in silence."
The brother and sister discussed it for a long time in the house and finally decided that they could also plant some seeds with relatives and friends with whom they had a good relationship, and that all favors and benefits should be recorded in the open.
"My third uncle said that we should prioritize those with good relationships within the clan and those by marriage, so that we can stand out from the crowd. I bought a lot of watermelon seeds this time, so that we can grow more watermelon seedlings. Each family can have 100 or 200 seedlings, which will be a considerable income."
The main advantage is that it won't take up much land, and even in bad weather, it won't have much of an impact. These days, every family only has a few acres of land; it's their lifeline.
Mu Yi'an thought her third uncle was really amazing; he understood everything from every angle.
"Brother, after the watermelons are sold, let's each give Uncle a big red envelope."
"That's for sure. Without Uncle San's help, we wouldn't have been able to get things so smoothly. As for how much to give, we'll discuss that later."
"Okay, I'll do as my brother says."
After finishing their business, the siblings took a stroll around the melon patch. Mu Yi'an's watermelons ripened a few days earlier than her older brother's, allowing them to sell in staggered batches. Even her own watermelons wouldn't all ripen at once; they would be harvested in several batches.
On the third day after Brother Mu returned, people from the prefectural city arrived.
"Manager Zhou, you must be tired from your journey!"
"Young Master Mu, it's a pleasure to meet you. May we go and look at the watermelons now? Our boss values these watermelons highly. If the quality is up to standard, we can discuss the rest."
Manager Zhou's employer is a prominent family in the capital, and the branch in the prefectural city is just a branch. He hopes that the watermelon will really be as good as the Mu family uncle and nephew said, so that he can also gain face in front of his employer.
"Okay, let's go check out my family's melon patch first, then my sister's. Hers will be a few days earlier; some should be ripe by now."
Mu Yi'an wasn't one to dawdle, and led the group to his family's melon patch.
"Manager Zhou, this whole area is thirty acres."
Mu Ziwu pointed to the ground covered with round, green watermelons, which looked very tempting and made him very proud.
Shopkeeper Zhou stared in astonishment at the sight of the large watermelons scattered on the ground. Each watermelon must have weighed four or five pounds, much larger than the ones they had bought before. Moreover, there were so many watermelons, all roughly the same size and with excellent shapes. If these were transported to the capital, he would truly impress his boss.
"Young Master Mu, how many more days until this watermelon ripens?"
"Four or five days, but my sister's should have ripe ones by now, let's go take a look."
"Okay, let's go."
Mu Ziwu asked Uncle Wang to go ahead and inform them, and he and Manager Zhou would arrive shortly after.
"Understood, young master, I'll go right now."
Mu Ziwu led Manager Zhou and his group back home, had a cup of tea, and then got up to head to Jiangjia Village.
Upon receiving the news, Mu Yi'an first asked her aunt and cousin-in-law next door to help Jiang Qi prepare a meal before she and Jiang Shuyun went to the melon field to wait.
Mu Yi'an and the others cut a watermelon themselves yesterday. It tasted good, quite sweet, and very similar to the Sweet King Watermelon from their previous life. They ate the watermelon at home and didn't send it to the old house, fearing it might cause unnecessary trouble.
"Manager Zhou, we've arrived. The area surrounded by thorns is it."
"Also thirty mu of land?"
"Yes, it's also thirty mu of land."
Mu Ziwu led his group to Jiang Shuyun and Mu Yi'an and introduced them to each other.
"Shuyun, Yi'an, this is Manager Zhou of Fuyuan Trading Company in Fucheng. Manager Zhou, this is my brother-in-law Jiang Shuyun, and my sister Mu Yi'an."
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