Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 308 - 307: The Melon Seller Grandpa

The rice in the fields is starting to turn yellow.

This year, it’s the first time the villagers of Liu Family Village have followed Qin Yao in using intensive farming methods. With the harvest season approaching, everyone’s heart is hanging in suspense.

Coupled with the previous food shortage, this autumn harvest is not only a major concern for the farmers, but also closely monitored by officials of all ranks in Kaiyang County.

Old Liu now goes out three times a day, checks the rice ears, then the stalks, and finally runs back to see if the field’s water has been drained.

Feeling the full rice ears puts his mind at ease, allowing him to sleep peacefully and wear a constant smile all day.

Whenever he has time, he also helps out at the third son’s field. Passing by the melon patch, he spots a few village kids sneaking away with something in their arms, sliding down the ridge. Realizing they are melon thieves, he strides after them.

"What are you kids holding in your arms!"

The four or five young lads didn’t expect to be caught red-handed. They quickly stash their loot in the bushes and shake their heads with hands behind their backs, saying, "Nothing!"

Old Liu stands on the ridge, pointing down at them and angrily shouts, "Still denying? Give me back the melons you hid in the bushes!"

"They aren’t from your family!" Da Niu retorts defiantly.

"Hey!" Old Liu is taken aback and, before he can continue, Liu Xiaoniu joins in on his brother’s words, "You’ve long been separated, and we didn’t take any melons, please don’t wrongfully accuse us, sir."

Qin Yao returns home from the factory, and as soon as she raises her eyes, she sees Old Liu across the riverbank. Seeing him standing by her field, she perplexedly calls out, "Dad, are you here to pick cool melons?"

The boys were hidden by the bushes and below the ridge, so Qin Yao didn’t see them, only found it odd.

Unexpectedly, when Da Niu and the others heard her voice, their faces turned pale with fright. They abandoned the melons, stopped arguing with Old Liu, and ran off toward the mountain’s base.

Only then did Qin Yao notice people in the bushes, and she guessed what happened, smiling helplessly and started walking toward the opposite bank.

Old Liu had already retrieved the melons that the kids had stolen from the bushes, holding them angrily, "These little rascals, I saw with my own eyes them carrying the melons, yet they dared to argue! I’ll tell their parents and have them get a good scolding, teach them a lesson!"

Seeing Qin Yao could still smile, Old Liu urged her to quickly count the melons to see if any were missing.

With this reminder, Qin Yao started to count, and indeed, three melons were missing.

Moreover, the traces were obvious. When she picked them, she used a knife, leaving a neat stem.

The three missing ones had their stems twisted mercilessly, clearly plucked with force.

This made Old Liu’s heart ache, "These damned little brats, always causing trouble!"

Qin Yao shook her head, "Forget it, I’ll have Ah Wang keep an eye on it next time."

Telling their parents might just make them seem petty.

Old Liu was just speaking in anger, and when he heard Qin Yao say to let it pass, he let out a sigh, "It’s because of being poor."

If they had money, they would come to buy them.

There are villagers who come to buy them for two hundred cents each, picking their own, but after buying once, they couldn’t bring themselves to spend two hundred cents again.

Compared to their golden treasures, Jinbao and Da Mao, who rely on their third aunt, can eat whenever they want and even stuff themselves until they’re sick, Old Liu finds it too indulgent.

"They are all just kids. Who doesn’t crave snacks?" Qin Yao knew what Old Liu was thinking and said warmly with a smile.

Old Liu, lacking her broad-mindedness, only felt wasteful and painful. Holding the melon in his hand, he helplessly said:

"They could have lasted a few more days if they hadn’t been picked; now they’ve made the young ones happy."

Qin Yao asked Old Liu if he was busy, and Old Liu nodded. The autumn harvest hadn’t started, and the crops like beans and peanuts planted in the fields didn’t require much attention, so he was indeed a bit idle.

Qin Yao pointed toward the melon patch, "Pick a couple of melons and take them to the village well, sell them sliced, for five to ten cents, whatever works."

Before eating enough watermelon, she had indeed overestimated her appetite.

Now, seeing the surplus, she simply decided to sell slices; with lower prices, the village kids could afford them, saving them from stealing.

Old Liu found this idea appealing, "Then I’ll help you sell, and the earnings will be sent home by Jinbao."

Qin Yao agreed, making Old Liu happy again, having something to do.

Immediately, he selected a less appealing-looking melon along with the freshly recovered one, carried them home, and had Mrs. Zhang prepare a stall, becoming the grand melon seller.

Melon slices sold for five cents each, alluring not only the kids but the adults too.

Especially the factory workers, knowing melons were sold by the village well, after work, they would come to buy a slice.

This cool melon has no appeal until tasted, but once tried, it’s impossible to quit, making one feel content after having it daily.

The factory workers, having money in hand, didn’t find five cents expensive. Many even bought halves to take home, intending to let their families have a taste.

The unexpected good business filled Old Liu with a sense of accomplishment. No wonder Qin Yao loved doing business; the feeling of buying and selling was so wonderful.

As the evening approached, the road repair team was chatting and laughing, heading back. They realized that an unfamiliar young man had joined their ranks unnoticed.

The man was dressed like a scholar, wearing a long gown that made him look refined. He carried a bundle on his shoulder and walked briskly as if in a hurry to get home.

Noticing some glances, the man raised his head, filled with confusion, and murmured to himself, "Did I take the wrong road?"

Two women in the group, feeling a sudden brightness before them, stood in place, mouths slightly open in shock—this man was just too handsome!

"Who are you?" Liu Ji suspiciously asked, pointing ahead, "Are you heading to Liu Family Village?"

The mute nodded, pointing at him, asking if he was from Liu Family Village.

Liu Ji thought, wondering how there could be a mute, but still nodded, saying, "Yes, I’m from Liu Family Village. You don’t seem to be from our village."

The two women finally snapped out of their trance, a little excited as they explained, "We’re refugees from Huangque Town, grateful for the help from people of Liu Family Village. We’re helping to repair the village road for some food."

"This... young master," one woman struggled, finally finding a term that matched the man’s handsome appearance, and curiously asked, "Which household of Liu Family Village are you from? We haven’t seen you. Are you often away?"

Hearing this, Liu Ji finally felt his guard lowered, smiling as he walked, "I usually stay in the county academy, but since you’re staying in our village, you must have heard of my name."

The mute and others looked at him eagerly, waiting for him to reveal his identity.

Liu Ji confidently smiled, lifting his chin, "I am Liu Ji, the third in my family, and my wife’s name is Qin Yao."

After saying this, he waited to see their jaws drop.