Gourd Farm

Chapter 15: The Giant and the Tiny Phoenix

These days, Yang Feng has been busy preparing the soil in the greenhouse. Today, he woke up early and used a cart to haul two loads of manure.

Fortunately, there is a chicken farm in the neighboring village, and the owner is an old classmate's father. So, he didn't charge Yang Feng for the manure, and in return, Yang Feng gave him two boxes of milk and a pack of cigarettes. Otherwise, he wouldn't feel comfortable asking for more manure in the future.

After working for over an hour, the sun had just started to warm up. It was the end of September, and the temperature was noticeably cooler.

The fat boss had already reserved all the vegetables in the garden. He came every evening to pick up the vegetables he needed for the next day.

He kept insisting that Yang Feng sell him the vegetable garden, saying that the land had great potential, which made Yang Feng feel a bit helpless.

Moreover, Yang Feng has been busy working in the greenhouse, and hasn't had much time to set up his stall. Yesterday, a chef called and said that the potatoes Yang Feng had sold him last time were excellent and he wanted to buy  another 200 kilograms.

However, Yang Feng had only grown a few of them by chance last time, and he couldn't produce that many right now, so he had to decline the offer.

After unloading all the manure, Yang Feng was preparing to go set up his stall today. The watermelons in the vegetable garden had been growing vigorously these past few days, each day looking more impressive than the last.

After sniffing himself, realizing he was covered in the stench of chicken manure, Yang Feng knew he couldn't go to the market smelling like this, or he might suffocate someone. He rushed home and took a quick shower, changing into fresh clothes.

To sell his watermelons today, he borrowed his friend's electric tricycle instead of using his bike, which could only carry a few melons and was prone to breaking down. He gathered a few handfuls of straw from the haystack and laid it on the bottom of the tricycle so that the melons wouldn't get jostled around too much.

I arrived at the vegetable garden and opened the gate. I hadn't paid much attention to the watermelon these past two days, but the fat boss kept saying they were growing quickly, in an exaggerated tone.

The vegetable garden was full of watermelon vines, and I spotted a watermelon just a few steps in. I pushed aside the vines and exclaimed, "Holy crap! Did the old man deceive me? Is this still the same 'Special Little Phoenix'(mini watermelons)? It's even bigger than a regular watermelon. Judging from its size, it must weigh over 20 catties."

I've seen watermelons this big before, usually in the northeast region. They're usually sweet and crisp, but the skin is thick and there are a lot of seeds.

However, upon closer inspection of the watermelon's pattern, Yang Feng realized that it did resemble the Tefeng variety. He also gave it a few taps with his hand, and upon hearing the clear, loud sound, he concluded that it was likely ripe.

He then took out a sharp knife from his cart, which he had specifically bought for selling watermelons. To avoid losses in case the watermelon was not ripe, he decided to cut open one to check.

"Ka cha."

The knife had just touched the watermelon and hadn't been exerted much force when the watermelon cracked open with a sound. Juice flowed out of the crack, but Yang Feng didn't care. He had been working all morning and his mouth was dry. It was a good time to taste the watermelon and see how it taste.

He used some force to pry the watermelon apart into two halves. Looking closely, the flesh of the fruit didn't have the light yellow color of the small phoenix watermelons sold in supermarkets. The flesh of this small phoenix had a golden yellow color.

Upon closer sniffing, there was also a faint scent of freshness. The watermelon skin was also exceptionally thin, only half as thick as a regular watermelon skin.

What's most surprising is that the entire fruit doesn't have a single seed! When Yang Feng bought it, the vendor even said that this variety would have a few seeds, so it's impossible for there to be none.

Looking at this tempting watermelon, he picked up a pointed knife and dug out a large piece to taste.

"Mmm, it's too sweet but not too heavy. It's extremely crispy, with an abundance of juice. In short, it's very delicious."

Unable to resist, he continued to eat for a while. This half of the watermelon was at least ten kilograms, but he had already eaten half of it in just a few minutes.

"Burp~"

With a satisfied burp, Yang Feng rubbed his stomach, feeling a bit full.

"I haven't had such a satisfying watermelon all summer. It feels really good."

Yang Feng enjoyed sitting on his electric bike, realizing that the watermelons he usually bought were either not sweet enough or lacked moisture. The watermelons sold by the Watermelon Girl were okay, but they couldn't compare to his own.

After eating his fill and drinking enough water, he looked at the other half of the watermelon and decided to take it to town. When someone questions the quality of his watermelon, he can offer them a taste as proof.

He then picked more than twenty watermelons from his vegetable garden. Each one weighed between ten to twenty catties, none of them were small, unlike those found in supermarkets that were usually around two catties.

Looking at his fully-loaded tricycle with the tires noticeably flattened, he covered the top layer with straw to prevent them from cracking under the sun.

The vehicle was heavily loaded, so he rode it slowly towards town. It took him around forty minutes to get there because he didn't dare to drive too fast.

Today, he only had strawberries and watermelons to sell, so he didn't have to put them on the ground. He could sell them directly from the tricycle, which saved him a lot of trouble.

After a few days of absence, there was now another vendor selling watermelons alongside Yang Feng and the Watermelon Girl on the roadside. 

This new vendor was selling watermelons from a tractor, but it didn't seem like his business was doing too well. 

Meanwhile, there were already two or three customers gathered around the Watermelon Girl's stall, while Yang Feng had yet to attract any customers.

As he cycled past the Watermelon Girl's stall, they exchanged smiles and greetings.

Yang Feng then took out the half watermelon he had eaten earlier and placed it in a prominent position on his stall, hoping to attract the attention of passersby.

Just as Yang Feng finished setting up, an electric bike pulled up in front of his stall.

"Hey handsome, how much are you selling your watermelons for?" asked a young woman in her twenties.

"Eight yuan per catty. If they're not good, you don't have to pay," replied Yang Feng.

"Eight yuan? Are you robbing us?" exclaimed the woman, almost biting her tongue.

Watermelons are quite expensive this season, but they usually cost around 1.5 yuan per kilogram. Eight yuan is outrageous!

"These are special Tiny phoenix watermelons, a new variety," Yang Feng explained.

"But Special Tiny Phoenix is only sold for just over five yuan in the supermarket. You are charging too much," said the young girl, who was also attracted by the size and flesh of the watermelon and had stopped to take a look.

"Try a piece and see if it tastes good or not," Yang Feng said, quickly cutting off a small piece and handing it to her.

After hesitating for a moment, the young girl took a bite. At first, she had a nonchalant expression, but as soon as she tasted it, her face changed. 

She took another bite, her big eyes fixed on the fruit.

"Hmm, it's really good. I haven't had a watermelon this delicious in years. I remember eating a similar one when I went to Japan, but it wasn't as good as this one," she said, nodding her head repeatedly.

After much deliberation, she made up her mind and said, "Boss, give me a catty."

"Alright," Yang Feng replied. 

At this moment, several more people arrived and upon hearing the young girl's words, they all wanted to taste it. Yang Feng cut a piece for each of them, unwilling to lose customers.

"Mmm, it really is delicious."

"Daddy, this watermelon is so sweet, I want more."

"Boss, give me half, I can't finish a whole one by myself at home."

...

What was originally a quiet little stall suddenly became lively, and the watermelons on the cart were quickly grabbed up.