Chapter 5

It was mid-May, the transition from late spring to early summer, and the midday sun was already quite hot. Liu Yunxuan and Liu Yunhai were now mostly living in the melon field, accompanied by Dahuang and Banli.

The melon vines grown from the seeds soaked in the space water were as thick as an adult's little finger. Each vine bore a large watermelon, and even though they were not fully grown, they already weighed over 20 pounds. Occasionally, smaller watermelons, weighing about 10 pounds, would grow on other branches, but they were still considered small compared to the larger ones.

After a busy night, Dahuang and Banli had caught a few field mice stealing melons. They were now dozing in the shade by the shed, bored.

Dahuang and Banli were no longer as cute as they used to be; they had become more formidable. Standing on all fours, they were 70 centimeters tall and over a meter long. Now, only family members could approach them, and even Zhao Yan needed Liu Yunxuan to calm them down before he could touch them.

"Xuanzi, how come you have such good luck? Even two ordinary dogs you raised are so smart," Zhao Yan said, his voice filled with envy.

"Ha, haven't you heard that while there are many talented horses, there are few good judges? What you are is what you get. You can't envy me," Liu Yunxuan replied, making Zhao Yan's teeth grind in frustration.

"Bro, I checked the melons the field mice bit yesterday. Some of them are already ripe. I think we can open the field in about a week. How do you plan to sell these melons?" Liu Yunhai asked, holding a melon that had been bitten by the field mice.

"Yeah, our melons are quite large, with the first batch weighing over 20 pounds each. The early melons in our area haven't even started to grow, and I think others won't be able to harvest until June at the earliest. I think we can sell our melons for at least 3 yuan per pound," Zhao Yan said, becoming serious when it came to business.

"3 yuan? I won't sell them for that. You've tasted our melons. They should be at least 7 to 8 yuan per pound," Liu Yunxuan said dismissively.

"Can you really sell them that expensive? We have 600 plants per mu, and if each melon weighs 20 pounds, that's 12,000 pounds. At 10 yuan per pound, that's over 80,000 yuan per mu. Who can afford such expensive melons?" Zhao Yan was taken aback by Liu Yunxuan's price.

"You haven't seen much. Our melons haven't been treated with chemical fertilizers. They are completely organic and pollution-free."

"People nowadays want not only delicious food but also healthy food. We have both, so selling them cheaply would be a loss."

"In a few days, let's pick 10 melons and go to Tianjin City. There are more high-end customers there, and we can't sell so many melons locally."

Liu Yunxuan explained, "Also, let's pick a few and take them to the agricultural university in the provincial capital for testing. We need a report from them."

The agricultural university in the provincial capital had a dedicated food testing facility, so this was quite simple.

They drove to the provincial capital in Zhao Yan's X5, with 10 large melons in the cargo hold. They took the highway and arrived at the agricultural university in just over two hours. After greeting the security guard, they went directly to the laboratory, where the testing office was located.

A female researcher with glasses greeted them. Since it wasn't the peak season for fruit and vegetables, there were almost no people coming for testing. After paying, the results were ready in less than two hours.

As Liu Yunxuan had expected, the melons contained higher levels of various trace elements and showed no signs of fertilizer or pesticide residue.

The extra melons were left with the institute, and the staff were very happy, as organic melons that came to market so early were quite expensive.

On the way back, Zhao Yan was still excited. Although he hadn't been heavily involved in the melon field, this was still a product of their company. In the future, he could tell his father that he was involved in a big project.

The next day, the two of them drove directly to Tianjin City.

The Hongqi Agricultural Wholesale Market in Tianjin City was the largest agricultural market in the city, specializing in the wholesale of fruits and vegetables. It covered an area of 100,000 square meters and had complete facilities.

They came here because Liu Yunxuan had a friend whose uncle was in the fruit wholesale business. Although Liu Yunxuan was confident in his melons, it was always easier to have a connection.

"Uncle Wang? I'm a friend of Xiaotao. He told you about me. I have a batch of organic melons, and I brought a few samples today. Can you take a look?" Liu Yunxuan said when the call was answered.

"Oh, you're Xiaoliu. Xiaotao told me. I'll come and pick you up," Uncle Wang said. His nephew had told him about a friend who was growing melons and asked for help if possible.

Actually, Uncle Wang hadn't taken it too seriously. Organic melons that came to market so early couldn't be that good, based on his years of experience.

Early melons often had poor taste, and people bought them mainly for the novelty.

Seeing the large melons in the cargo hold, Uncle Wang began to take the young man in front of him more seriously.

He cut open a melon and tasted it slowly. Liu Yunxuan didn't say much, letting the taste speak for itself.

"Uncle Wang, how is it?" Zhao Yan asked eagerly.

"Hmm, not bad. It's juicy, the flesh is crisp, and it's very sweet. Most importantly, it has a unique fresh aroma that opens your appetite. I haven't tasted such good melons in years," Uncle Wang said, remembering the last time he had such a melon was when he was a child.

"Uncle Wang, here's the test report from the agricultural university," Liu Yunxuan handed over the report. No matter how good the product, it needed proof from an authoritative institution.

"Having this is good. It saves me the trouble, and customers will feel more secure when buying," Uncle Wang nodded.

"Xiaoliu, how much do you have, and what price do you want to wholesale them at?"

"I plan to target the high-end market. The price might be a bit higher. The delivery price is 7 yuan per pound, and the yield is quite high, about 600,000 pounds," Liu Yunxuan said after a rough calculation.

"Wow... that's a lot. What do they look like?" Uncle Wang asked, disbelieving.

"These melons were picked randomly from the field. They are all about the same size, which is why the yield is so high."

That was true; most organic melons only weighed about 10 pounds at most.

"The price is reasonable, but the quantity is too large. I can't handle it alone. Wait here while I call a friend to help," Uncle Wang said and ran out without waiting for Liu Yunxuan's response.

"Wow, Xuanzi, you can really sell them for 7 yuan per pound. That's millions of yuan. In just three months, you've made millions," Zhao Yan exclaimed.

At that moment, Uncle Wang returned with another person.

He wasn't unwilling to take the melons, but the quantity was too large. Even with a profit of nearly 2 yuan per pound, the slow sales would tie up too much capital.

"Old Li, don't ask questions. Try the melon first," Uncle Wang said, giving Old Li a piece of melon.

Old Li, who was brought by Uncle Wang, had been friends with him since childhood and had decades of experience in fruit wholesale. One bite of the melon was enough to tell its quality.

"Not bad. The taste is excellent. We can handle it," Old Li said confidently, taking another piece.

"Uncle Wang, Uncle Li, rest assured. This is our main product, and because melons need to be rotated, the future yield won't be too high."

"Also, you two know the domestic fruit wholesale market well. We will prioritize supplying you with organic melons in the future."

This was equivalent to giving them exclusive rights to sell the organic melons. In business, benefits should be clear.

"Kid, you're doing business on a grand scale. Let's sign the contract right away," Old Li said, knowing the future popularity of the melons. This was equivalent to a stable profit of hundreds of thousands of yuan per year, so it was best to sign the contract quickly.

The contract was straightforward. Uncle Wang and Old Li paid a 100,000 yuan deposit and agreed to pick the melons on the 21st, five days later.

The four of them went to a restaurant for a small celebration.

Liu Yunxuan and Zhao Yan didn't rush back, as they were quite tired from the long drive.

Moreover, Liu Yunxuan wanted to meet up with his old friends in Tianjin.

They took a short nap at a hotel in the afternoon and then drove to the meeting place. They didn't go to a fancy restaurant but to a street stall for beer and skewers.

It was both affordable and enjoyable.

Wang Tao and two other friends, Zhang Huan and Liu Jie, arrived first. As soon as they saw Liu Yunxuan, Wang Tao hugged him and shouted, "Rich man, please take care of me."

"Ha, you're the real rich man, not me. He's in the coal business and worth millions," Liu Yunxuan introduced Zhao Yan, who had lost weight and was now closer to a standard size, probably due to the space water and vegetables.

After introductions, they sat down.

"I know you made over 4 million yuan this time. Still not a rich man?" Wang Tao tried to expose Liu Yunxuan.

"Wow, Xuanzi, you really made it. 4 million yuan in one deal," Zhang Huan exclaimed. He had advised Liu Yunxuan to persevere and wait for a better opportunity to change jobs.

Who would have thought that Liu Yunxuan would quietly return home and start a big business.

"That's not true. The cost is high. These are organic melons, and the cost is very high," Liu Yunxuan explained.

Zhao Yan, sitting next to him, rolled his eyes, thinking, "What cost? The seeds are the only expensive part."

"Can't tell from the price. If they were really valuable, they wouldn't be in plastic bags."

"It seems Xuanzi made the right move. Not only did he become his own boss, but he also made a fortune," Liu Jie said enviously.

"Well, what can I do? It was all out of necessity."

"At the time, it was just to prove a point. As they say, people are pushed to their limits."

"I didn't expect the melons to grow so well. I've invested everything I've earned over the years," Liu Yunxuan sighed.

He hadn't expected to make so much money. He hadn't thought that the melons grown from seeds soaked in space water would grow so well, almost identical in size to those in the space, with only a slight difference in taste.

"Anyway, you're a small tycoon now. We're still poor. You should come back more often and treat us more," Wang Tao joked.

"I don't have that much time. You can come visit me."

"By New Year's, I'll have a batch of pigs that haven't been fed any feed. I'll invite you to a real pig feast."

Liu Yunxuan invited them.

"Sure, we'll come. A pig feast in Northeast China, just thinking about it makes my mouth water."

Wang Tao quickly agreed, and Zhang Huan and Liu Jie nodded in agreement.