"How many would Shopkeeper Song like?"
Shopkeeper Song leaned forward to glance at the donkey cart behind Qin Ke. There were only a few watermelons left on it. Normally, the restaurant had staff specifically responsible for procurement, and he should not have needed to come in person. But his youngest son, whom he had only gained a couple of years ago, had been clamoring incessantly to eat this very thing.
The day before, his wife had gone out shopping and bought back a watermelon. At first, he had wanted to scold her for spending five hundred coins on something unfamiliar and unrecognized.
She immediately shot him a glare and snapped irritably, "What do you know? The vendor offered free tastings. I tried it myself and only bought it back because I thought it was worth it!"
Shopkeeper Song had nothing to say. As the manager of the largest restaurant in town, it was not that he could not afford it. He simply wanted to see for himself just how good this so-called watermelon really was.
Madam Song placed the watermelon into an ice chest to chill it, saying they would eat it after their son returned from his studies.
He curled his lip in disdain, thinking to himself, What could be so special about it? Yet when he finally tasted that slice of watermelon, still radiating a trace of coolness, his eyes widened involuntarily. The vivid red flesh and its sweet, juicy flavor instantly conquered his taste buds.
Especially with the chill still clinging to it—one bite was enough to sweep away the summer heat from his body.
With many people in the household, each person only got a single slice. It was gone in just a few bites. His son ate eagerly and immediately wanted more, but Madam Song had only bought one. Where was she supposed to find another?
With no other choice, Shopkeeper Song promised to buy him one at the market the next day. He asked his wife for the location of Qin Ke's stall, planning to go take a look himself.
At the same time, he had other considerations. He prided himself on having tasted countless delicacies, and his restaurant offered all kinds of rare foods. Yet even after just one taste of watermelon, he found himself craving it again—let alone other people.
If this fruit were introduced into the restaurant, it would make an excellent after-meal dessert. Moreover, his wife had told him that the watermelon vendor claimed he was the only person in the entire country selling watermelons.
Thinking of how the new owner of Caiyue Pavilion had recently arrived in Jincheng, Shopkeeper Song wondered why he should not seize this opportunity to make a good impression. He could present the watermelon as a gift—surely the new owner would be intrigued by such a novel and unfamiliar fruit.
Thus came today's visit. Seeing how quickly most of the watermelons on Qin Ke's cart had sold in such a short time, Shopkeeper Song became even more eager to secure a supply.
"I'd like to place an order for half a cart of watermelons to start with. Can you deliver them to the restaurant?" Though he had already decided to purchase some, Shopkeeper Song chose to proceed cautiously. He would test the waters with half a cart first. If sales went well, they could sign a long-term supply contract later.
"That's fine. Delivered to Caiyue Pavilion?"
"Yes. Just mention my name when you arrive."
After paying a deposit, Shopkeeper Song took his leave. Once he was far enough away, Lu Youqing spoke up.
"The ice deal has already been settled—at the price we discussed. Deliveries on the first and fifteenth."
"Mm, my lady truly foresaw everything," Qin Ke said with a smile, full of praise.
Seeing the lingering smile in his eyes, Lu Youqing's lips curved as well. "Caiyue Pavilion is the largest restaurant in town, with branches everywhere. If we can secure a watermelon deal with them, we won't need to set up a stall every day anymore."
"Mm," Qin Ke nodded. "Looks like we planted too little. We should have planted a few more acres back then."
"It's fine. This first year was just a trial run, and a chance to observe the market. Besides, scarcity increases value—if we'd planted too much, we might not have been able to sell them at this price," Lu Youqing replied wisely.
They sold out even faster today than yesterday. It was likely that yesterday's buyers had spread the word. Some people were already waiting when they arrived, afraid Qin Ke might not come.
They once again had lunch in town. Having eaten well these days and done relatively light work, Han Qi had even grown a bit taller.
After returning, Qin Ke arranged to harvest watermelons from the fields specifically for Caiyue Pavilion. Since this was the first delivery, he personally went with Han Qi to deliver the goods.
"Shopkeeper Song, I've come to deliver the watermelons."
They arrived before mealtime, so the restaurant was still relatively quiet. Upon hearing that the delivery had arrived, Shopkeeper Song immediately came out with a smile.
While calling for the staff to unload the goods, he led Qin Ke inside. This was Qin Ke's first time stepping into an ancient restaurant. It truly lived up to its reputation as the finest in town—grand and luxurious.
"May I ask where you're currently residing, Brother Qin?" Shopkeeper Song asked as he invited him to sit, beginning to inquire about him.
"I live at the end of Qinghe Village. Ask around in the village, and you'll find me easily."
Shopkeeper Song memorized the address. Qin Ke could guess his intentions—he likely wanted to observe how the watermelons sold first. Once things were settled, knowing Qin Ke's address would make future contact easy.
"By the way, Shopkeeper Song, watermelon tastes even better when chilled. It can also be juiced."
That piqued Shopkeeper Song's interest. He leaned closer. "Oh? Turning fruit into juice—that's something I've never heard of."
"Yes. You can cut the watermelon into pieces, add some water, and crush it into juice. Add a bit of ice, and it becomes an excellent beverage."
Qin Ke had his own calculations. Watermelon juice had a high cost—a single watermelon yielded only a few bowls. It would be hard to sell at a market stall. But at Caiyue Pavilion, that was not an issue. Anyone who could dine there would not care about the price.
As long as watermelon sales went well, the restaurant would surely come to him for a long-term supply contract, and he would no longer need to run a stall at the market every day.
Before long, the restaurant staff finished unloading the watermelons into the back kitchen. Qin Ke saw a servant approach Shopkeeper Song and whisper in his ear, "Shopkeeper, there are sixty-eight in total."
"Brother Qin, does that number look right to you?" Shopkeeper Song asked, looking up.
Qin Ke nodded. They had counted them when harvesting—there was no mistake.
"Go ahead and add watermelon and watermelon juice to the menu," Shopkeeper Song instructed the servant after Qin Ke left.
"Then what about the pricing, Shopkeeper?" the servant asked, bowing slightly.
Shopkeeper Song stroked his chin. "Set the watermelon at one tael each. Watermelon juice at eight hundred coins per bowl."
"But Shopkeeper, that's much more expensive than the market price. What if customers just buy from the market instead of coming here?"
Thinking of Qin Ke's earlier, tactful remarks, Shopkeeper Song chuckled and waved his hand. "Don't worry. Brother Qin won't be selling at the market tomorrow. Even if they want to buy there, they won't be able to."
Decisive and generous in business, without haggling over petty gains—after this encounter, Shopkeeper Song's opinion of Qin Ke had risen considerably.
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Currently at chapter 166 for advance chapters
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