Chapter 50 - Aunt said not to sell the watermelons

Just as Shi Lichun was about to go to the field with the villagers to pick watermelons, Shi Jiahao ran over.

As he ran, he shouted, “Grandpa, Grandpa!”

“What’s wrong, Haohao?” Shi Liqiu asked.

“Grandpa, Aunt said that Aunt said not to sell the watermelons,” Shi Jiahao said loudly.

Shi Lichun frowned slightly.

The villagers didn’t think much of it. They smiled and asked, “Haohao, you said it yourself. And you said it was your aunt.”

Shi Jiahao said seriously, “My aunt said so. Aunt is brushing her teeth and washing her face now. She’ll be down in a while. Aunt asked me to come down and tell Grandpa first.”

Shi Lichun asked suspiciously, “Haohao, did your aunt really ask you to come?”

Shi Jiahao was only a three or four-year-old child. If no one had told him, he wouldn’t have run over to tell him not to sell watermelons.

Shi Jiahao nodded and said, “Yes, Aunt asked us to come. Little Brother and I were waiting for her at the door of Aunt’s room. When she opened the door, she asked Haohao to come and told Grandpa not to sell watermelons for now. Aunt will be down soon.”

The villager beside him smiled and said, “Lichun, your grandson is quite articulate. He’s only three or four years old, but he’s already so eloquent.”

Another villager immediately said, “Lichun, are we still going to pick these watermelons?”

Shi Jiahao immediately said loudly, “Auntie said that our watermelons can’t be sold now. We can’t pluck them now.”

The villager immediately said in amusement, “Yo, Hao Hao, your aunt’s words are an imperial edict. If you don’t want to sell it, are you going to let the watermelons rot in the fields?”

He turned around and asked again, “Lichun, are you still picking your watermelons now?”

Although the child’s words could not be trusted, the child would not say such things for no reason.

Therefore, the child’s words might really have been said by Shi Lichun’s niece.

“Grandpa, Aunt said that she’ll be down in a while.” Shi Jiahao was afraid that his grandfather wouldn’t believe him, so he looked a little anxious. “Aunt really told me not to sell our watermelons.”

Shi Lichun frowned slightly and said, “Is your aunt really awake?”

“Yes, he woke up.” Shi Jiahao nodded.

Shi Lichun said to the villagers, “I’ll wait for my niece first.”

A villager immediately smiled and said, “Don’t tell me you really listen to your niece. You’re not selling so many watermelons just like that?”

Shi Lichun frowned and said unhappily, “My niece won’t harm us. There must be a reason why she doesn’t let me sell watermelons.”

“But you brothers still have at least 50,000 to 60,000 catties of watermelons in the fields. Today, Boss Liu came to buy 20,000 catties, so there are only 20,000 catties less in the fields. At that time, even if your family loses money, it won’t be too much.”

The villager, Shi Chunming, persuaded kindly, “Although that Boss Liu lowered the price, he also collects a lot of watermelons. I also heard that the price he gave your family is not bad. It’s higher than the price of other families.”

Shi Lichun shook his head and said, “Yes, I know. I’d better wait.”

Just as they were waiting, a few more villagers, Second Uncle, Third Uncle, First Uncle, and Third Aunt arrived one after another.

Seeing that her man and a few villagers were still in the courtyard, her aunt asked in confusion, “Why are they still standing here? Didn’t they go to the fields to pick watermelons?”

Other than more than ten strong men in his family, he had also invited more than ten strong men.

They had just received a call from Boss Liu saying that they needed 20,000 catties of their watermelons.

Therefore, they had yet to go to the field to pick watermelons.

Shi Jiahao said to his aunt, “Grandma, Aunt said that our watermelons are not for sale.”

“Huh?” Her aunt didn’t react.

Shi Jiahao said anxiously, “Grandma, Aunt said not to sell our watermelons. Aunt said that after she brushed her teeth and washed her face, she would come down and tell us not to sell watermelons.”

No matter how good he was at talking, he was only three or four years old.

He would say whatever Gu Qingming instructed him.

Hearing Shi Jiahao’s words, everyone looked at Shi Lichun in unison.

The villager, Shi Chunming, smiled and said, “Your niece asked Hao Hao to say that he’s not selling these watermelons anymore and that he shouldn’t pick the watermelons in the field.”

Second Uncle and Third Uncle looked at their eldest brother and asked in confusion, “Brother, did Ming’er really say that?”

Shi Lichun shook his head and said, “I don’t know. That’s how Hao Hao came to pass the message. But, in a moment, Ming’er will come down.”

Her aunt thought for a moment and said, “Then I’ll go take a look.”

With that, he turned around and went upstairs to look for Gu Qingming.

She wanted to ask about this.

20,000 catties of watermelons was not a small matter.

They had hired someone to work again. It was better to work early now when the weather was not hot.

Once it got too hot, there was a high chance of heatstroke from work. Especially when it came to heavy work like picking watermelons.

“Grandma, I’ll go with you!” Shi Jiahao shouted happily from behind.

Her aunt had just gone up to the first floor when she bumped into Gu Qingming at the staircase.

Gu Qingming knew what was going on as soon as she saw her aunt.

She immediately said, “Aunt, I saw Uncle and the others picking out the frames downstairs. Are they selling watermelons today?”

Her aunt nodded and said, “That’s right. Boss Liu, who just received the watermelon, said that he wanted 20,000 catties.”

“What’s the acquisition price?” Gu Qingming and her aunt asked as they walked.

She had only heard it from the window just now. Now, she had confirmed it with her aunt.

Her aunt sighed softly and said, “This year’s watermelon harvest is good, but the weather is not good this year and it can’t be sold at a good price. This Boss Liu came to collect our watermelons. At first, he agreed on 50 cents per catty, but in less than five minutes, he cut the price to 45 cents. If we sell them for 50 cents, he will collect 10,000 catties. If we sell them for 45 cents, he will collect 20,000 catties.”

Eldest Aunt was not satisfied with this price either, but watermelons in the fields did not wait for anyone.

After Gu Qingming understood the general situation, she said directly, “Aunt, I have an idea. I have a friend who is in the fruit business. However, her family’s fruits are all sold to middle and high-end consumers. The quality of her fruits must good. However, the price of her fruits would be more expensive than ordinary fruits.”

When her aunt heard this, her eyes lit up and she looked excited. She asked, “Ming’er, do you mean that she can come and collect our watermelons?”

Gu Qingming said, “Aunt, our watermelons have met the mid-to high-end requirements in terms of quality. Besides, our watermelons have never been tainted with pesticides or applied with farm fertilizer. They would meet the quality requirements of green organic products.”

Her aunt was just an ordinary farmer’s wife and did not know anything about green or organic products. However, when she heard Gu Qingming’s words, her heart skipped a beat.

She still asked worriedly, “Ming’er, are our watermelons really that good? Is your friend willing to come over?”