Before dawn the next day, while the sun had yet to rise and the air was still cool, Qin Ke took everyone to the watermelon fields to harvest melons. Lu Youqing changed into an old set of clothes and went along with them.
Qin Ke instructed them to pick the larger, rounder watermelons first and to be careful, worried that they might get bruised on the way to town. He had spread a layer of straw and old bedding over the cart, since the rural roads were uneven and bumpy.
Qin Ke chose a spot some distance away from the others and, taking advantage of the lack of attention, harvested many watermelons and placed them into his system space. His system space was a perfect cube with three-meter edges. Normally, he only used it to store valuables. Later, after Lu Youqing took charge of managing the household, he handed over the silver and property deeds to her.
In his spare time, Qin Ke had experimented with the space. There was no air circulation inside, nor any passage of time. This meant that whatever was placed inside remained exactly as it was when stored and would never spoil—a great advantage for storing grain.
Of course, there were drawbacks. Without air, he couldn't store living things inside.
Once the donkey cart was fully loaded, they headed straight for town. With the cart full of watermelons, there was no room for everyone to sit. Li Nanqiao and Han Qi walked behind instead. Since they had to be careful with the melons, the cart moved slowly anyway.
It took them twice as long as usual to reach town. The marketplace was divided into the East Market and the West Market. They had previously visited the East Market more often, where everyday necessities were sold cheaply for ordinary people. The West Market, however, sold more expensive goods that common households were reluctant to buy, such as pastries and rice wine.
Lu Youqing suggested setting up their stall in the West Market. At their price point, families barely getting by wouldn't be willing to buy in the East Market.
Qin Ke nodded—targeting the right customers was perfectly reasonable. Although the stall fee in the West Market was higher, as long as they could sell the melons, the fee was insignificant.
Fortunately, they weren't too late and managed to find an empty stall. After paying a stall fee of five hundred copper coins, Qin Ke parked the cart behind them and placed several watermelons on a wooden board.
Standing up, he looked at the stream of passersby, cleared his throat, and called out loudly,
"Come take a look! Refreshing, juicy watermelons—sweet and bursting with juice! If it's not delicious, you don't pay!"
People had already been eyeing the green, round objects they'd unloaded. No one had ever seen anything like them before. They looked edible, and curiosity made people stop and watch.
As soon as Qin Ke started shouting, someone stepped forward and asked,
"What is this that you're selling?"
"This is watermelon," Qin Ke replied with a smile. "It's a fruit grown from seeds I bought from foreign merchants. Five hundred copper coins per melon."
The crowd sucked in their breath at the price. While some families weren't short on money, it was still expensive—especially for something they'd never seen before.
Seeing them whisper among themselves, Qin Ke knew they needed reassurance and said with a smile,
"This watermelon is absolutely worth the price. Of course, if you're hesitant, you can try a piece first. If it's not good, you don't pay."
He lowered his head and gave Li Nanqiao a look. She immediately understood and cut open a watermelon on the spot, slicing it into over twenty small pieces—just the right size for tasting.
"Are you sure the tasting is free?" someone asked.
"Absolutely," Qin Ke nodded, inviting them. "I guarantee that in the entire Great Yan Dynasty, only I have watermelons. You won't find them anywhere else."
A bold customer was the first to pick up a piece and take a bite. Others watched closely as red juice trickled down from the corner of his mouth, waiting to see his reaction.
"It's delicious! I've never eaten fruit this sweet and juicy before!"
The man was stunned by the rich sweetness and refreshing taste. He couldn't help but close his eyes in enjoyment and instinctively reached for another piece.
Qin Ke smiled and stopped him, calling out to the crowd,
"Everyone may only try one free piece. If you like it, you can buy one to take home. If you have ice, chilling it makes it even more refreshing and helps beat the heat."
Qin Ke wasn't surprised by the reaction. He had already looked into it—at present, there were very few fruits in the Great Yan Dynasty. Including red dates, there were only three or four common varieties, most often red dates, pears, and citrus.
As for lychees, their short shelf life made them exclusive to nobles and aristocrats.
According to Lu Youqing, among all the fruits she had tasted before, none were as sweet and juicy as watermelon.
"Then give me one!"
Li Nanqiao and Han Qi worked together—one lifting watermelons from the cart, the other collecting payment.
Seeing how decisively the first customer paid after tasting, others crowded forward as well. In no time, Qin Ke's stall was completely surrounded.
The dozens of tasting slices were quickly snatched up, forcing Qin Ke to cut open another watermelon.
Five hundred copper coins might be a large sum for farmers, but towns were full of wealthier households—especially those who frequented the West Market. After tasting, most found the flavor worth it and bought one to bring home for their families.
Before noon, nearly all the watermelons they had brought were sold. While everyone was busy, Qin Ke discreetly took out more from his system space and added them to the cart.
Seeing that only a few remained and realizing he hadn't yet explored the West Market, he took Lu Youqing's hand and said to Li Nanqiao,
"My wife and I will go have a look around. Keep an eye on the stall."
"Go ahead, Master. Don't worry—I've got this," Li Nanqiao waved cheerfully.
Anyone collecting that much money would have trouble keeping the smile off their face.
Qin Ke suddenly realized that since arriving here, he hadn't bought Lu Youqing any jewelry. She always dressed simply—but what woman didn't love beautiful things?
When he spotted a decent-looking jewelry shop, he pulled her inside.
With watermelon sales going so well, Qin Ke was in high spirits. Caught up in the excitement, he wanted to buy Lu Youqing a gift. Though his means were still limited, it was his heartfelt intention.
His gaze settled on a silver hairpin. Its surface was smooth and flawless, with a simple, unadorned design—no excessive embellishments, yet elegant in its restraint.
"Let me see that hairpin."
The shop assistant, seeing their plain clothes, responded coldly.
Qin Ke couldn't be bothered with someone so shallow. He took the hairpin directly, carefully lifting it and gently holding it near Lu Youqing's hair, comparing it with focused care.
"How much is this?"
"Two taels."
Qin Ke immediately pulled out a piece of silver from his robe and tossed it onto the counter.