Gourd Farm Chapter 22
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 22: Seeing Injustice on the Road
"What are you doing? Let go quickly," the middle-aged woman protested, feeling reluctant after being pulled by Yang Feng.
"If you want watermelon, I have even better ones over there. I am with her, come with me, and I'll get it for you," Yang Feng replied.
"Hmph, you're lucky. Much better than that little girl over there," the woman responded fiercely.
They moved to a quieter area, away from the crowd.
"So you're saying this watermelon was bought here. Do you even know what variety it is?" I asked.
"Of course, I know. This is the 8424 variety, bought for three yuan per kilogram," the woman confidently answered.
"Fine, give me the watermelon. I'll smash it open right now. If it's what you say it is, you can take as many watermelons from the car as you want. But if it's not, I will definitely call the police," Yang Feng said sternly, his face serious without a hint of joking.
"I... Well..."
The middle-aged woman, upon hearing Yang Feng's words, lost her previous arrogance and became a bit flustered. She had indeed intended to take advantage of the young girl.
"Alright, now go over there and tell them that you made a mistake. Let's pretend nothing happened. It'll be better for everyone; don't you think?" Yang Feng suggested.
Seeing the middle-aged woman silent, Yang Feng didn't want to embarrass her too much. Doing business in a friendly manner leads to prosperity. Otherwise, he could have exposed her right away.
"Okay."
Realizing that her intentions had been exposed, the middle-aged woman's face turned red and then pale.
Although they only had a few steps to walk, it felt like an arduous journey for the middle-aged woman.
Finally reaching Xia Ying, she forced an even more awkward smile than if she were crying and explained that it was all a misunderstanding.
People around them started discussing the situation.
"I told you this girl wouldn't cheat on the weight. I've bought from her several times before."
"Yes, I bought one here yesterday, and they didn't even charge me for the extra bit."
"That's right. This little girl seems trustworthy. Give me a watermelon to weigh."
...
As everyone overwhelmingly supported Xia Ying and defended her, the middle-aged woman couldn't bear to stay any longer. She rode off on her electric bike, casting a fierce glare at Yang Feng before leaving.
Xia Ying initially thought that her business would suffer today, but unexpectedly, fortune smiled upon her. Now her small stall was surrounded by customers, all eager to buy watermelons.
Yang Feng's business was slightly slower on his side. After all, his watermelons were relatively more expensive, and most people were scared away by the prices. However, those who stayed were generally loyal customers.
After observing for a while, it was already ten o'clock, and he had sold three or four watermelons intermittently.
While he was preparing fruit salads, getting ready to go to the school gate, Xia Ying appeared out of nowhere.
"Yang Feng, thank you today!" she said.
"No need to thank me. It wasn't your fault to begin with," he replied.
"Are you hungry? I brought some sesame candy biscuits from home."
Xia Ying reached into a small bag and took out a neatly packed plastic bag containing two pieces of sesame candy biscuits. She handed them to Yang Feng.
Yang Feng smiled and waved his hand to refuse. "Keep them for yourself. You've been out all day."
Before he could finish speaking, Xia Ying forcefully handed over the still warm sesame candy biscuits and quickly walked away without looking back.
Surprisingly, he started to feel a bit hungry now. Yang Feng only had a bite of breakfast until now.
As he took a whiff, it really smelled delicious. He remember that sesame candy biscuits were only available during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But it's been many years since he last had them.
Although these sesame candy biscuits are tasty, they are quite troublesome to make. First, you have to grind the clean sesame seeds in a stone mortar, then mix them evenly with white sugar before wrapping them. Finally, they are cooked on a flat pan.
Without hesitation, he took out one sesame candy biscuit and took big bites. The moment it entered his mouth, it was filled with the aroma of sesame.
Although there are sellers on the streets now, most of them are not authentic. You can hardly taste the sesame in them, unlike these ones that are packed full.
After eating his fill, he rode his bike to the school gate.
Perhaps because he sold all day yesterday, as soon as he parked his cart, someone came to buy a fruit salad, saying they missed out yesterday.
Today, I prepared a bit more and added some strawberries to make it look more colorful.
"Young man, why is this watermelon this color?" an old man stood in front of the cart, seemingly here to pick up his child.
"Oh, this is a new variety," he responded.
"Mommy, the uncle who sold watermelons yesterday is here again. You promised to buy me watermelon if I finished my homework," the little child exclaimed, pulling a woman's hand as they approached Yang Feng's cart.
Looking up, Yang Feng recognized them as the mother and daughter who were the first to buy a fruit salad yesterday.
"Hey handsome, did you put something in this watermelon? Our daughter seems addicted to it. She kept demanding watermelon all night," the woman asked curiously.
"How is that possible? If she likes this watermelon, it means it's really delicious. Children are usually picky eaters, and only tasty things leave a lasting impression on them," Yang Feng replied with a smile.
"Mommy, Mommy, please buy it for me!"
"Alright, we barely make enough money each day to fill the gaps between your teeth."
The little girl happily held the container of watermelon and followed her mother home.
"Waaah!"
Just as Yang Feng finished selling the watermelon, he heard a child crying incessantly not far away.
"Grandma is a big liar! I want to eat that yellow watermelon!"
"Eat what? Didn't I tell you that watermelon has hormones in it? Eating it will make your tummy ache."
"I won't listen! Grandma is lying! One of my classmates brought that watermelon this morning, and it was so delicious when I tasted it," the mischievous child said, covering thier ears with their hands.
"I..."
The old lady seemed like she wanted to say something, but after struggling for a while, she sighed and took out her money pouch.
"Fine, I'll buy it for you. You're such a little troublemaker."
"Hmph."
The tearful child from earlier immediately burst into a smile and happily hopped over to Yang Feng's cart.
"Grandma, come here quickly!"
The old lady shook her head, seemingly helpless, but in the end, she walked over reluctantly.
"Young man, can't you make the watermelon a bit cheaper?"
"I'm afraid I can't make it any cheaper. It has always been this price."
"Grandma, I want this container."
The old lady wanted to say something more, but the mischievous child had already grabbed a box of watermelon and held onto it tightly. In the end, the old lady had no choice but to obediently pay for it.
In fact, there were many situations like this. That's why Yang Feng chose to sell near elementary schools and kindergartens instead of going to the high school area.
Throughout the day, he sold more than twenty boxes, with many of them being repeat customers from yesterday. The parents who had bought the watermelon yesterday also tasted it and gave positive feedback on the flavor.
Compared to yesterday, business was even better today, with some customers buying half or whole watermelons directly.
Half an hour had passed, and there were only two watermelons left. It was almost time to go home since there weren't many customers at this point.