Chapter 6

After gathering with friends, Liu Yunxuan and Zhao Yan returned to Kaoshan Village the next day. Liu Yunxuan drove, as Zhao Yan was still a bit dazed from drinking too much the previous day.

Fangfang's eyes lit up with joy as she saw the fried dough twists and buns that Liu Yunxuan had brought back. She loved eating the fried dough twists and buns from Tianjin.

After a brief conversation with his parents, Liu Yunxuan informed them that he had found a buyer for the watermelons, who would come to pick them up in a few days.

Zhao Yan, on the other hand, had to return to the county to see his wife.

Liu Yunxuan took Fangfang in the pickup truck to the melon field. Before the car had even stopped, Da Huang and Banli, hearing the noise, were already jumping around the car door.

"Brother, how did it go? Did you sell the watermelons?" Liu Yunhai, hearing the car, walked out of the shack and asked.

"They're sold, for 7 yuan per pound."

"Contact your friend in the county who does transportation. We'll pick the melons on the 21st and send them to Tianjin. Discuss the transportation fees with him; it's fine if they're a bit higher."

Liu Yunxuan instructed.

"Really 7 yuan per pound? Am I dreaming?" Liu Yunhai pinched his thigh, not believing that the watermelons could sell for such a high price.

"Go and book the trucks, find those who drive steadily," Liu Yunxuan reminded him.

"Alright, I'll call right away." Liu Yunhai took out his phone.

"Hey, Lao San, are you running any jobs now?"

"No, not much work. That's good."

"Don't worry, I have a job for you. On the 21st, we'll be transporting watermelons to Tianjin. Bring plenty of straw pads, and we'll add 100 yuan per ton for transportation."

"By the way, how many large trucks are idle at the freight station? I need at least 10, and you can help me call them all. They'll come to load the melons when they arrive."

"You know where my place is, right? Drive to the intersection of 102 Line and our village, and call me when you get there, and I'll lead you."

"Alright, see you then."

"Got it, brother. There's no work now, and the trucks are all parked at the freight station. They'll come in the morning to pick the melons."

"You stay here and watch over. I'll go find Li Yong; we need more people."

Liu Yunxuan drove to find Li Yong, as more labor was needed this time. Fangfang stayed behind to play with Da Huang and Banli.

"Brother Yong, are you home?" Liu Yunxuan called out at Li Yong's house.

"I'm here, Xuanzi, do you have a job?"

"Yes, and we need a lot of people, about 40, and two large tricycles."

"All strong laborers, picking watermelons, which are heavy. The usual rate is 100 yuan per person, with dinner provided. The vehicles will cover fuel costs, which will be calculated separately."

"The work needs to be meticulous; the melon vines should be cut along with the melons," Liu Yunxuan added some requirements.

"Don't worry, the first round of weeding is done, and everyone is relatively idle now. When do we start?"

"Early morning on the 21st. You can lead the people directly to the field. Work will start as soon as the trucks arrive. Contact them first, and I'll check if Wang the Chef is home."

Villagers rarely go to restaurants for weddings or funerals; they usually hire a village chef to save money and hassle.

Wang the Chef specialized in this, bringing his own kitchenware, tables, and utensils. The host only needed to provide the materials.

"Hey, Xiaoxuan, you're a rare visitor," Wang the Chef said, seeing Liu Yunxuan.

"I really need your help. We need to set up five tables for dinner on the 21st. I thought of you."

"Sure, no problem. What standard do you want?"

"About 300 yuan per table, excluding drinks. It's for the villagers, so the dishes don't need to be too varied, just more meat for value."

Liu Yunxuan made his request. 300 yuan per table was considered high-end in the countryside.

"No problem. How about two pork knuckles, two chickens, four stir-fried dishes, a pot of braised meat, and a bowl of egg soup?" Wang the Chef asked.

"You decide. It's up to you," Liu Yunxuan said, handing over 1800 yuan, 1500 for the food and 300 for the labor.

"That's too much. For five tables, 200 yuan for labor is enough. Take back 100 yuan." Wang the Chef felt it was a bit too much for five tables.

"It's not too much. Just pay more attention to it," Liu Yunxuan insisted.

"Xuanzi, you can count on me. If anyone doesn't eat well, you can slap my face," Wang the Chef guaranteed.

On the morning of May 21st, Liu Yunxuan drove the X5 to the highway exit to pick up Wang Yue and Lao Li, who had set out in the middle of the night to avoid delaying the melon picking.

Liu Yunhai, on the other hand, drove the pickup truck to lead the trucks to the town's weigh station, as 600,000 pounds of melons were easier to weigh there.

Many villagers came to watch, as they had heard that Liu Yunxuan's watermelons were about to be harvested and sold at a high price.

While they were all growing melons, Liu Yunxuan's were larger and more expensive, while their own were still in the ripening stage, at least half a month away from being ready. People really couldn't be compared.

Ten large trucks parked by the roadside waiting to be loaded was quite a spectacle. Usually, only two or three trucks would come at a time during the melon season.

"Everyone, listen up. When picking the melons, cut the vines along with them, as long as possible, and be careful not to damage them."

"Place any damaged melons aside for us to eat, and put the smaller ones aside to be shared later. Got it?" Liu Yunxuan shouted.

"Don't worry, I've already instructed them. Clear two paths first for the trucks to park."

"Before you arrived, I had Yunhai put some labels on the melons. Everyone will pick according to the labels," Li Yong said.

"Alright, Brother Yong, lead everyone to start. I'll go talk to Wang Yue," Liu Yunxuan said and walked over to Wang Yue.

When Wang Yue saw the melons, he finally felt reassured. It was his first transaction, and he was worried that the remaining melons wouldn't be as large as the samples.

"Yunxuan, what about those smaller ones? Can I take them too?" Wang Yue asked, eyeing the smaller melons.

Though they were smaller, they were still quite large and had ripened to about 80-90% over the past two days. They would ripen fully in a few days at home and still taste good.

It wasn't that Liu Yunxuan was unwilling to part with the larger melons; he just needed the money during the early stages of his business.

"Please don't worry about them. I plan to share the smaller ones with the villagers. By the way, I need to reserve about 400 melons for gifts," Liu Yunxuan said.

"That's understandable," Wang Yue agreed, knowing that maintaining relationships was important no matter how big the business.

"Yunxuan, come over here," Village Chief Liu Tianlai called Liu Yunxuan over.

"Sure, I'll come over," Liu Yunxuan replied, noticing a few people with the village chief, including a town official.

"Yunxuan, let me introduce you. This is Town Mayor Wang, who heard about your melon harvest today and came to see it," Liu Tianlai introduced.

Liu Yunxuan quickly shook hands with Mayor Wang, "Mayor Wang, welcome. I'm honored to have you here for the inspection."

"I know you; you were the top student in the county before. Now, you're probably the watermelon king of the county."

Mayor Wang Mingyuan extended his hand to Liu Yunxuan.

Mayor Wang was pleased with Liu Yunxuan's humility. Though he was a town mayor, he couldn't control Liu Yunxuan, and he had come with a request.

"How are the melons selling?" Mayor Wang asked.

"Pretty well. These are organic melons, so the investment is higher, but the price is also higher, at 7 yuan per pound," Liu Yunxuan didn't hide the price, as everyone would find out eventually.

Hearing this, everyone gasped. They knew the price would be high, but not this high. This large field of melons would be worth several million yuan.

"Good, good, good," Mayor Wang said, "A top student is a top student, even in growing melons."

"Thank you, but the investment is high, and so is the risk," Liu Yunxuan humbly replied.

Some of the workers overheard the conversation and started discussing it. They were more careful when handling the melons, as each one was worth nearly 200 yuan.

After a busy day, the last truck was loaded by around 6 PM. They had a quick lunch in the field to save time. Mayor Wang also joined Liu Yunxuan for dinner.

The mayor, of course, sat at the main table, but the food was the same for everyone; only the guests' status differed.

"Yunxuan, I'll call you brother. Can you consider promoting your watermelon growing techniques in our town?"

"To be honest, I also want our fellow villagers to live better, but my capabilities are limited, and I haven't found a good business yet," the mayor asked.

"Mayor Wang, rest assured. I have considered promoting this technology."

"I've set an example, and people will see the high profit from these melons."

"Rushing into it without proper preparation wouldn't be accepted by everyone."

"Another issue is the planting conditions. We need to plan the planting areas to avoid a lack of land."

Liu Yunxuan took a sip of wine and continued.

"I plan to set up a contract with the villagers through my agricultural company."

"We'll provide the seeds and technology, and the villagers can contribute their land. The profits will be split 50-50, with at least 1.5 yuan profit per pound of melon."

"Of course, there are risks. If the weather is bad, there might be losses."

"What risk? Only a fool wouldn't do it. If the weather is bad, everything suffers. I don't have land, but if I did, I'd be the first to sign up."

Mayor Wang laughed, "Yunxuan, you're thinking of everyone. I represent the town's people and raise a glass to you."

Without waiting for Liu Yunxuan to respond, Mayor Wang raised his glass and drank it all.

Liu Yunxuan, feeling the same, also drank it all.

After a day of interaction, Liu Yunxuan felt that Mayor Wang genuinely cared about the villagers.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have spent the whole day here just for a dinner.

Everyone was satisfied with the meal. As Mayor Wang left, he exchanged private phone numbers with Liu Yunxuan, telling him to call directly if needed.

Liu Yunxuan was also happy. Success is better shared, and everyone benefiting would ensure long-term success.

With Mayor Wang's support, things would be much easier.

After seeing off Wang Yue and the others, Liu Yunxuan arranged to send 50 large melons and 100 small ones to the town the next day, leaving the distribution to them.

After reserving the melons, 675,000 pounds were sold, earning 4.725 million yuan. After expenses, he made over 4 million yuan.

Seeing this, Liu Yunxuan's parents decided that their son was truly successful and would let him do as he pleased in the future.

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