Chapter 175 (1/2)
Chapter 175
Chapter 175 - A Taste of Sweetness
With this, w.a.n.g Ergou, humming off tune, happily pushed his family’s wheelbarrow and soon arrived at the Yu Family’s melon field .
Looking at the pile of watermelons on the ground, w.a.n.g Ergou smiled so brightly that he showed his uneven teeth and happily said, “Oh my! I thought I came early, but it seems you guys came even earlier than me! If there is anything I can help with, just tell me…By the way, this is the money I made from selling the watermelons yesterday . The total is fifty-four taels, shouldn’t be wrong!”
Yu Xiaocao took the money from his hands and gave him his IOU back . Seeing that he was so happy that it looked like he couldn’t find his direction, she smiled and said, “Was yesterday’s business good? You look quite happy!”
w.a.n.g Ergou smiled and nodded his head, “Yesterday, I was pretty lucky . A boat that belonged to an official landed . The steward who came to pick them up basically bought twenty-some watermelons . Hehe! Just from them, I made more than thirty taels! The rest were sold out before the afternoon!”
After living for over thirty years, w.a.n.g Ergou did business for the first time in his life . His wife was anxious about it that she followed him to the pier with a slightly pregnant belly .
At first, the pier was mostly docked with cargo s.h.i.+ps . Other than a couple of stewards who were more experienced and had seen watermelons before, the rest mostly circled around looking curiously . Upon hearing that the watermelons cost a few taels each, they dispelled their notion of buying any .
After a while, there was still no buyers . w.a.n.g Ergou was a bit worried and was about to go into town to sell the watermelons . His wife stopped him and said, “How can you do business without the determination? Take a look at Xiaolian, isn’t it until noon that she gets busy? Wait a little longer . Xiaocao said, as long as you capture the opportunity there won’t be any worries in the future . What you are lacking in is precisely the patience!”
w.a.n.g Ergou didn’t want his wife to run around with him, so he forced himself to hold back his anxiety and shouted out to the pa.s.sing travelers who were always moving, “Watermelon, big and sweet watermelons! If it's not sweet, then it’s free!!”
Good things come to those who wait . Not long afterward, they began doing business! The buyer was one of the head stewards of Qingyao Trading Company, one of the four major trading companies . This head steward had traveled all over the place and had more experience . Upon seeing watermelons being sold in this season, he was surprised and immediately bought one . He opened it on the spot to try it, and the sweetness of the watermelon stunned him .
Originally, he had decided to buy all the watermelons at a lowered price, but w.a.n.g Ergou was reluctant to give up profit . The steward had also brought back a lot of goods, so he couldn’t clear any s.p.a.ce for the watermelons . He could only give up, but nevertheless, he still bought two more watermelons to take back for his master to try .
The first step was the hardest . After making his first watermelon sale, w.a.n.g Ergou held the fifteen taels in his hand and was very pleased with himself . He calculated, and, if they continued like this, then by selling ten or so watermelons, they could break even . The remaining watermelon sales would be pure profit… .
Right at that moment, the s.h.i.+p of an official pulled onto sh.o.r.e . Allegedly, it was a high-ranking official returning to the capital with his family to report on his work . The Great Ming Dynasty’s att.i.tudes towards women were less harsh . Thus, the women and children, who had been on the s.h.i.+p for a month, got off the boat as soon as it was ash.o.r.e to walk around and breathe some fresh air .
The six-year-old daughter of the official heard w.a.n.g Ergou’s shouts and went to him accompanied by her maidservant . Curiously, she examined the big round watermelons on the wheelbarrow . She pouted and said, “You’re lying . Watermelons aren’t that big! The watermelons I’ve eaten watermelons are only this big!”
The adorable little girl used her hands to show the size . She stared at him with a pair of big round eyes, looking cute and innocent . w.a.n.g Ergou couldn’t help but think of the child in his wife’s belly . If it was a girl, would it be as beautiful as the child in front of him? (Author’s note: You’re overthinking it . With your looks, if your daughter looked like you, it would be the scene of a crime!)
w.a.n.g Ergou patiently bent down, squeezed out a kind and gentle smile, and softly said, “Young Lady, the watermelons I’m selling are big watermelons! They are big and sweet,I’m definitely not lying!”
The little girl carefully thought about it and said in a clear voice, “Then I have to try it first before paying . You said it earlier If it’s not sweet then . It’s at no cost”
w.a.n.g Ergou scratched his head and unwillingly chose one of the smallest watermelons in the wheelbarrow . He used a clean cloth to wipe the knife he brought over before chopping the watermelon . The maidservant, upon seeing the knife was clean, didn’t say anything .
The little girl took a bite of the watermelon gracefully and immediately exclaimed, “Wow! It really is really sweet! Xiaomei, pay him! You——can you help me take the watermelon over there? I want to let my mother and older brothers try too!”
“Of course!” w.a.n.g Ergou took the three taels, picked up the remaining watermelon and the leftover pieces that the little girl didn’t finish, and followed behind her towards the pier .
The little girl’s brothers were surprised and curious upon seeing the red pulp fruit . They all couldn’t help but grab a piece to try . The watermelons, which had been irrigated by the mystic stone water, had a delicious flavor that was indescribably good . Even the members of this official’s family, who had all eaten watermelons countless times, never had watermelon this good before .
The little girl’s father, upon seeing his wife and children eating so delightfully, waved his hands and bought fifteen watermelons from w.a.n.g Ergou . In this season, if he were to give them as a gift, then his reputation would increase greatly .
It was in this way that half the watermelons that w.a.n.g Ergou brought were sold . Afterward, several more s.h.i.+ps came ash.o.r.e and the remaining watermelons were sold . After careful calculation, he found out that over twenty watermelons had been sold for a total of one hundred and two taels, and his profit was more than forty-two taels .