Chapter 260 - 259: Secrets
With such a large quantity and undeveloped transport in ancient times, Chen Afu thought, a good price was definitely dependent first on identifying the right market.
Luckily, there were six acres of watermelons as the vanguard. First, he would sell these good melons to wealthier regions. Once the merchants there found them good, they would come to purchase more on their own.
Peculiarly, Dingzhou was a transportation hub of the Dashun dynasty. The Grand Canal beside the city ran north to the Capital City and south to the vital town of Wu City in Jiangnan, while also connecting to the mother river of this time-space, the Changfu River. These melons seemed plentiful, but as long as the right market is found, the purchasing power along the Grand Canal alone would be overwhelming.
Mr. Zeng had already rented cattle and donkey carts from two nearby villages. Including the one voluntarily lent by Tang Garden and their own cattle cart, there were a total of eight carts, enough to transport all the melons at once. Besides the thousand pounds sent to Chen Er Grains Shop, the rest would be sent to Dingzhou’s Fuyunlai Trading Company. From there, they would be transported along the canal and sold far and wide. The current market was yet to have watermelons, and with their own melons being so large and sweet, they would surely fetch a good price. As for how much exactly, Zeng Shuang, who had conducted a market survey, should know.
Also, they would first pick forty watermelons for their own consumption and to give away as gifts. Fu Garden, Lu Garden, and Tang Garden each would receive several. Each of Old Monk, Abbot Liao Chen, Dabao, and the Yang family from the county town would be sent two. Each favorable household in the village would receive one, and Chen Shiying’s household and Capital Marquis Mansion would each receive five.
The next day was the 20th, Dabao and the others all had the day off. Besides Chu Hanyan, who preferred fewer people and had retreated into Fu Garden, Marquis Chu, Chu Lingxuan brought Chu Lingzhi and Dabao to the watermelon field beside Fu Garden to watch the hustle and bustle. Even Mr. Liao had come. Some households from the village and tenant farmers from Tang Garden, as well as the children of tenants and servants from Tang Garden, many came to watch the lively scene.
Marquis Chu was happily laughing, extremely joyful. Seeing these beautiful large watermelons, he thought of rice, wheat, and autumn corn to be planted in the future using the seeds provided by Master Wu Zhi. If they could yield high amounts and taste great like these watermelons, it would be a boon to the Dashun dynasty.
He had previously not very much approved of his granddaughter-in-law’s excessive enthusiasm for business and farming. It was not that their family lacked money. It’s just that it would seem ridiculous for his granddaughter-in-law to dabble in these things. But now, he saw that it wasn’t a matter of money, but facing the significant issue of fulling the citizens’ meals. And it was providing support for the Emperor. He must fully support this.