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Lin Bo and his son were delighted, noting that the 80 mu of watermelon fields were thriving exceptionally well, already bearing many watermelons, some weighing two to three catties each. In about half a month, the first batch of ripe melons could be harvested.
Just then, Chu Xiaoniu, accompanied by a laborer, Wang Laowu, arrived. Wang Laowu, in his twenties, had lost most of his hair and had a notably receding hairline.
He was an outsider, a distant relative of Gao Lizheng. He claimed that his hometown had suffered from a flood, resulting in the death of all his family members. Seeking refuge, he had come to this area. Gao Lizheng had helped him to obtain a household registration, and he had rented a small courtyard at the north end of the village, two houses away from the former Chen family’s courtyard. Since then, he had been living here, working as a laborer, doing any work to earn money.
He was a man of few words, very hardworking, but had extremely high standards when it came to finding a wife, insisting she must be beautiful. In the village, he had proposed to almost every family with beautiful daughters. Initially, he had a liking for Chen Feng and often coincidentally met her in the vegetable garden. This man was the subject of ridicule in the village, with people saying that he was like a toad wanting to eat swan meat. So, even at twenty-five, he had yet to find a wife.
Last year, when Fengyuan and Luyuan were hiring field workers for the farmlands and watermelon fields, he had signed up. Chen Ming and Chen Feng thought he was decent, hardworking, and reliable, although his standards for finding a wife were unrealistic, and he lacked cleanliness. They hired him under the condition that he must maintain personal hygiene.
He was very diligent, more so than the other three laborers, willing to use his brain, and had improved his hygiene. Chen Feng later promoted him to a small team leader and put him in charge of the watermelon fields.
Wang Laowu proudly held a nearly ten-catty watermelon, his face beaming with joy, and his sweat-soaked hair appearing even sparser.
Chu Xiaoniu chuckled, “Young Miss, our watermelons at home have grown so big!”
Wang Laowu replied with a smile, “Reporting to Young Miss, there are quite a few large melons in the fields. I tapped them, and they sounded ripe. Young Miss, take a look. If they are ripe, we can start picking them in the coming days.”
Chen Feng was also extremely pleased and immediately had the melons washed and sliced open. The flesh was vibrant, and upon tasting it, she found it to be sweet, crisp, and juicy. If they waited a few more days and the melons developed a bit more grit, they would be even more delicious.
Lin Bo, filled with excitement, exclaimed, “Heavens, why are the melons ripe at this time? They’re at least ten days earlier than the ones in Wangshan Village, and they taste better than any watermelon I’ve had before.”
Chen Feng, of course, couldn’t mention that this was due to the rare fertilizer she had used. She simply said, “Perhaps it’s related to the soil here.” She promptly instructed someone to contact Zeng Shuang in Dingzhou, so they could begin harvesting in three days and transport the melons to Dingzhou for sale. Dingzhou was an important transportation hub in Dachun, with a canal leading north to the capital and south to Jiangnan. From there, the watermelons could be sold to two of the wealthiest regions in Dachun and some other places along the coast.
At the same time, she allocated a small portion to Chen’s Grain Shop in Sanqing County. Although the shop mainly sold grains, it could also sell watermelons.
Apart from leaving a piece for Chu Hanyan, who was sleeping, and one in the space for the Golden Swallow, the rest of the melons were distributed among the servants and the animals. Of course, Zhui Feng showed no interest, but the two clever birds, Qiqi and Gray, loved anything delicious.
Then, she instructed Wang Laowu to pick two more melons, one to be sent to Luyuan and the other to Tangyuan. After some thought, she had him pick two more to be sent to Master Wuzhi and Abbess Liao Chen.
Late at night, after a busy day, Chen Feng cut a melon into a small bowl and took it to the space. Since receiving the amber little bird, Golden Swallow had been playing in the space and couldn’t be coaxed out.
“Sweetheart, come and have some watermelon, it’s delicious,” Chen Feng called out.
The Golden Swallow was busy pecking at the amber little bird with his wings and said, “Mommy, it’s so strange. If it were a bit darker, I’d think it was carved to look like me when I was little. Why does it resemble me so much? I have a feeling that it seems to be alive, just sleeping for now, but one day it will wake up.”
Startled, Chen Feng leaned in to carefully examine the amber little bird, shaking her head, “How did I not see that it looked lifelike? To me, it’s not much different from the other ornaments in my room, just prettier.” Seeing the Golden Swallow’s beak becoming even sharper, she added with a smile, “Mommy is just an ordinary person, not as perceptive as Golden Treasure. Maybe this little amber bird is absorbing spiritual energy in the space, and it may really wake up one day. It would be great if it woke up, then Golden Treasure wouldn’t feel too lonely in the space during winter. It would be even better if it’s a female, then my darling would have more… sisters.”
Originally, she intended to say “wives,” but thinking that having more of this desire would lead to more “foolish fantasies”, she changed it to “sisters.”
The Golden Swallow was delighted, her mouth forming a smile as she chirped, “Mommy, don’t call it the amber little bird anymore, it’s cold and looks like an ornament. Call it Jinbei, it sounds like a pair with someone.” He then added regretfully, “I wonder if it will wake up in a hundred years or a thousand years.”
With no involvement and such a long wait, Chen Feng lost interest. Yawning, she said, “Sweetheart, hurry and eat the watermelon. It’s so sweet and grows fast, just like you.”
On the 19th in the evening, Fengyuan was having dinner. Chen Feng sat with the three children at one table, while the old Marquis sat at another, enjoying his wine. Golden Treasure led Qiqi and Gray around a colorful porcelain plate, and Zhui Feng buried his head in a small wooden basin, relishing his fragrant meal.
Suddenly, Old Zeng’s delighted voice echoed from the courtyard, “Oh, the master is back!” He raised his voice and called out, “Young Miss, the master is back!”
With the sound of footsteps, Chu Lingxuan entered the dining room. He had already returned to Tangyuan to bathe and was now dressed in a sky-blue robe, his damp hair falling loosely.
Chu Hanyan had already set down her chopsticks and hurried to the door. Upon seeing him, she stretched out her arms and called, “Father, father!”
Chu Lingxuan lifted Chu Hanyan, first smiling at Chen Feng, then giving a nod of respect to the old Marquis.
Chen Feng stood up and said, “Mr. Chu, you haven’t eaten yet. I’ll have someone bring a set of utensils and cook a couple more dishes.”
“Alright.” Chu Lingxuan nodded and sat next to the old Marquis.
Dabao and Chu Lingzhi walked over to pay their respects, one calling “Father” and the other “Brother.” Qiqi and Gray joined in, shouting “Father” with enthusiasm.
Chen Feng personally went to the kitchen and prepared two dishes Chu Lingxuan liked – ginger-infused hotpot chicken and stir-fried pork with green peppers. She knew he might come back tonight, so the ingredients were already prepared. However, fearing he might return too late, she hadn’t cooked them yet.