Gourd Farm Chapter 23
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 23: Fruits and Cucumbers Hit the Market
After eating some food at home, he rested for a while since he was very tired from hauling chicken manure on several carts this morning. When he woke up, it was already 4:30 pm in the afternoon. Even after sleeping, he still felt drowsy, so he got up, washed his face, and prepared to go to the greenhouse to work.
The greenhouse doesn't need to be watched every day now. The watermelons have grown as big as fists, and the cucumbers are ready for sale. These cucumbers are the type that doesn't grow very large, only two-thirds the size of regular cucumbers. Even if he used "gourd water," they would only grow slightly larger and thicker than regular cucumbers.
He hasn’t tasted these cucumbers yet, but they should taste good. Looking at the full load of cucumbers hanging from the trellis, if the trellis wasn't sturdy enough, it would have collapsed by now.
He has planted cucumbers before, but he has never seen this many grow on one trellis. There must be at least several dozen on each trellis.
During this season, although cucumbers are not very expensive, fruit cucumbers can generally be sold for around five or six yuan per kilogram.
Although he’s not sure about the taste yet, judging from the yield alone, it can rival watermelons.
He found a slightly smaller one, wiped it with his clothes because although the cucumber was fresh, it had quite a lot of small thorns on it, which felt prickly to the touch.
He poured out some water from a cup, washed the cucumber, and prepared to taste it first to see how it felt in the mouth. If it tasted good, he could sell it at a higher price.
The first impression when biting into the cucumber was its crispness. It was exceptionally juicy, and the taste had a slightly sweet sensation. Eating this cucumber felt like eating an apple, and it resembled a certain type of crunchy date.
However, It lacked the slight bitterness that regular cucumbers usually have.
After finishing one cucumber and unable to resist, he picked another one.
He ended up eating three in a row before finally stopping, still wanting more.
The lingering taste in his mouth after eating was refreshing, a unique freshness that spread throughout his oral cavity.
It's astonishing how a single cucumber can have such a fantastic taste. Yang Feng hadn't anticipated this. Previously, he had only focused on increasing the yield and speeding up production, but he never expected to also be able to change the taste of the cucumbers.
Just how many magical qualities does this gourd possess? It puzzled Yang Feng to some extent.
Well, as long as it benefits him, why bother with so many questions?
Now, most of the watermelons in the vegetable garden have been sold. While The vacant space has been assigned to grow vegetables for the fat boss.
The fat boss has now opened two shops. Initially, his son used to work outside. However, because the vegetable business was doing so well, he decided to shut down the other breakfast shop directly.
Now, he is busy with the new shop, handling both stir-frying dishes and vegetables, while his son stays at the old shop to maintain the loyal customers.
"Fat Boss, please bring me a plate of mushroom and greens."
"Alright."
Without much effort, a plate of mushroom and greens, steaming hot, was brought to the table.
"Fatty, your cooking skills have really improved lately. Every time I come here, I have to order two plates of mushroom and greens. It keeps getting more delicious, and the flavor is just right," complimented one of the customers.
"Yes, that's right. Yesterday, I had my wife buy two pounds of greens because ever since we had them at Fatty’s place last time, we've been craving them. But when we cooked them at home, they turned out bitter, so we had to throw them away," added another person who was drinking with them.
"Next time you feel like having it, just come over anytime," Fat boss replied.
He smiled happily, but in his mind, he thought, "It's not that my cooking skills are good. It's this greens that are excellent. You wouldn't believe the taste you can achieve with it."
"Fat Boss, do you have any secret recipe? Can't you share it with us? We're all your loyal customers," someone asked, curious for the Fat Boss’s secret.
At another table, people were also enjoying their mushroom and greens dish.
"What secret recipe? It's not like we're talking about some grand dish like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall or Lion's Head. This is a simple stir-fry. As long as you control the heat properly, you're halfway there," commented one person, dismissing the idea of a secret recipe.
Sensing the situation was turning unfavorable, the fat boss quickly came up with an excuse and tried to divert their attention.
The group of diners looked at each other and realized the truth. Apart from mushrooms and greens, the dish only had two slices of garlic and a few pieces of chili.
"Why hasn't our order arrived yet?"
"Boss, reserve a private room for us and bring us another plate of mushroom and greens."
"Here it is, here it is!"
Chubby boss was bustling around, previously having only a steamed bun shop. He had always wanted to buy a house for his son's wedding, but no matter how much he saved every day, he couldn't keep up with the rising property prices.
But now, things had changed. The steamed bun shop was still booming, and his restaurant was on the right track. This meant that buying a house could be put on the agenda sooner.
Yang Feng prepared the watermelons he would need for the next day, but he will be focusing mainly on selling cucumbers with some fruits as well.
There were still seven or eight watermelons left. He planned to sell them in fruit containers, which would be relatively easier to sell and earn a bit more money. This way, he wouldn't run out of stock.
As the sky began to brighten, Yang Feng went to the greenhouse and picked the cucumbers that he would sell today, loading them onto his truck.
These cucumbers looked so tempting, with their juicy and tender appearance. However, they could prick your hand if you didn't wear gloves.
The little flowers were still on top of the cucumbers, though not as fresh as those found in the market.
Most of them have withered, and I really don't know how those bright yellow flowers in the market are being preserved.
After picking almost all of them, Yang Feng rode his tricycle and headed out.
"Xiaofeng, going to set up a stall again?"
A group of people was still sitting under the big locust tree, seemingly idle.
"Yes," he replied.
"You're always so diligent, working from morning till night. Can you really make money by setting up a stall, working so early and late?" remarked one person.
"It's alright," Yang Feng replied.
"Look at this young man, instead of finding a job outside, he chooses to come back and work on a small plot of land. I don't understand his thinking," sneered a middle-aged man.
"That's right. My son didn't even come back when I asked him to. He said our hometown is a poor and remote place, and he doesn't want to come back," added another person.
"Tell me about it. My daughter is the same. Last time when I was sick, I asked her to come back and visit, but she couldn't be bothered," complained another person.
Yang Feng rolled his eyes, chose not to participate, and revved the engine, driving away.
Just as they arrived at the stall, Xia Ying rushed over and informed them that there was a promotional event happening at the nearby shopping mall, attracting a larger crowd. She suggested that they set up their stall there to potentially boost their sales.
Without hesitation, the two of them hopped on their tricycles and headed towards the shopping mall.
On this side, there seemed to be a car exhibition and sale event. Various car brands were neatly parked in rows at the entrance of the shopping mall. Beside some of the luxury cars, there were car models with slim waists and long legs, looking even more attractive than the cars themselves.
This was a big deal in town, and it left many men's eyes fixated.
As Yang Feng looked at these cars and then at himself riding a tricycle, he thought to himself that when he had money in the future, he would definitely buy a garage full of cars and change them every day.
"Hey, handsome, give me a fruit container," a customer called out.
"Hey, handsome?"
Yang Feng, still mesmerized by the cars, was startled when he heard a voice. He looked up and saw a beautiful car model standing in front of him, asking to buy fruit boxes.
Yang Feng blushed slightly and replied, "I'm sorry. How many do you want?"
"Give me two containers for now, and make sure they're fresh," she said with a smile.
