It was already evening when Li Xu got back to his clinic from Bailingyu Village.
He was exhausted after a long day of running around.
He took a shower and went to bed early.
When he woke up the next day, he checked the system’s intelligence report.
[Today’s Intel: Zhou Xiaolin is selling traditional, large, black-skinned waterlons at the Chengguan Wholesale Market. Although sweet, their thick rinds and large size make them unpopular. They are, however, perfect for making Waterlon Frost.]
[Addendum: Ancient recipe for Waterlon Frost...]
’Waterlon Frost...’
Li Xu froze for a mont before it dawned on him.
It was the height of sumr, and with waterlons in peak season, it was indeed the perfect ti to make Waterlon Frost.
Waterlon Frost, an ancient traditional Chinese dicine, had a long and storied history.
Legend has it that it first appeared in the Song Dynasty, when a physician nad Chen Ziming discovered that the white crystalline powder produced by combining waterlon and Mangxiao had a miraculous effect on sore throats.
The famous Qing Dynasty doctor Ye Tianshi recorded in detail the production thod and dicinal value of Waterlon Frost in his *Guide to Clinical Practice with dical Records*.
Traditional Waterlon Frost has the effects of clearing heat, purging fire, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. It is particularly effective for symptoms such as sore throats and mouth sores.
Modern research has also shown that Waterlon Frost contains various amino acids and trace elents, effectively inhibits the growth of many types of bacteria, and is a natural and safe anti-inflammatory dicine.
Li Xu checked the ti.
It was a little after six in the morning.
Most people weren’t even awake yet, but it was the busiest ti of day for the fruit and vegetable vendors.
Li Xu was worried he’d miss out on the large, black-skinned waterlons if he was too late.
He hurriedly washed his face and rode his electric scooter to the Chengguan Wholesale Market.
The Chengguan Wholesale Market was on the western outskirts of the city. Covering nearly a hundred mu, it was the largest agricultural distribution center in the western district.
Every day at three in the morning, the place was already brightly lit. Farrs from the surrounding villages and towns would drive in on trucks and three-wheelers, flooding the market with vehicles laden with fresh fruits and vegetables.
The air was thick with the earthy fragrance of soil and the fresh scent of produce. Shouts from vendors and the clamor of haggling rose and fell, painting a vivid tableau of city life.
It wasn’t far from Li Xu’s clinic, and he arrived in just over ten minutes on his scooter.
The sumr sun was already high in the sky, its rays spilling over rows of neatly arranged stalls.
He pushed through the bustling crowd and headed straight for the fruit and vegetable section.
It was late July, the height of sumr, and waterlons were in season. Nearly every stall was piled high with round, erald-green specins.
In recent years, smaller waterlon varieties had beco all the rage.
Li Xu noticed the most popular type was a small waterlon called "Early Spring Red Jade." Each one weighed only two or three pounds, with paper-thin skin, no seeds, and a shocking sweetness.
Nearby were other new varieties like "Black Beauty" and "Special Little Phoenix." None were large, but they were popular because they were easy to eat and perfectly sized for small families.
Li Xu stopped to look at one of the stalls selling small waterlons.
A lot of people were browsing and making their selections.
"These small ones are great. You can finish one in a single sitting, no need to stick it in the fridge," a middle-aged woman said as she chose one. "Who buys those huge waterlons anymore? They’re twenty or thirty pounds each. You can never finish them, and the rest just goes to waste."
Li Xu nodded and continued walking, looking for Zhou Xiaolin’s stall of large waterlons.
Before long, he found his target. The stall was simply too distinctive to miss.
It was piled high with enormous black-skinned waterlons, each weighing over twenty pounds. Their rinds were a deep, inky green, gleaming with an oily luster under the sun.
The owner was a swarthy man in his early forties, squatting by his cart and smoking out of boredom.
Li Xu didn’t rush over.
Instead, he took another lap around the market.
Although a few other vendors were selling large waterlons, none of them were black-skinned; they didn’t match the description from his intel.
He circled back.
"How much are these waterlons?" Li Xu walked up and asked.
Zhou Xiaolin’s head snapped up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He quickly stubbed out his cigarette and scrambled to his feet. "Sir, you looking to buy a lon? These are super sweet, I guarantee it! Ripe and sweet!"
He spoke with a thick country accent, patting a waterlon beside him with a large, rough hand. It made a dull THUMP THUMP sound.
"How much a pound?"
"Eighty cents!" Zhou Xiaolin said eagerly. "If you buy a lot, I can give you a better price."
Li Xu glanced around. The smaller waterlons at other stalls were generally selling for a dollar twenty to two dollars a pound. By comparison, this price was a steal.
But even so, Zhou Xiaolin’s stall was deserted.
"Cut one open for to try," Li Xu said.
Without a second thought, Zhou Xiaolin grabbed his waterlon knife and skillfully sliced one open.
The bright red flesh was instantly revealed, juice dripping down the blade.
He cut off a large piece and handed it to Li Xu. "Have a taste, sir. This lon is really sweet!"
Li Xu took the slice and bit into it. A sweet fragrance instantly filled his mouth.
The waterlon was surprisingly sweet, even more so than the smaller varieties, but it was full of seeds. He had to spit out several shiny black ones with every bite.
"It is very sweet," Li Xu nodded. "It’s just that there are too many seeds."
Zhou Xiaolin sighed. "Yeah, everyone likes seedless waterlons these days. Mine is an old variety—thick-skinned and full of seeds, but the flavor is absolutely authentic!"
"Where are these lons from?" Li Xu asked, feigning casualness.
"Do you know Tang Mountain? It’s over there," Zhou Xiaolin replied. "We’ve been growing these lons there for decades. They used to be really popular. Now..."
He shook his head, a flicker of dejection in his eyes.
"Tang Mountain?"
Li Xu’s interest was piqued. "I know it. There’s a place called Wangjia Gou nearby."
Zhou Xiaolin said hurriedly, "That’s right! Our village is right next to Wangjia Gou. It’s called Zhouzhuang."
"Your surna is Zhou?"
"Yep. My na is Zhou Xiaolin."
The information was a perfect match for the system’s intel.
Li Xu could finally relax.
He glanced at the agricultural three-wheeler behind Zhou Xiaolin, which was piled high with at least three hundred more large waterlons.
"How many more of these waterlons do you have in your fields?" Li Xu suddenly asked.
Zhou Xiaolin blinked. "There’s... there are still ten mu that haven’t been picked. The weather was good this year, so the yield is high. We can get about five thousand pounds per mu."
He added with a bitter smile, "But it looks like I won’t be able to sell them. I was planning to ask the paste factory in a couple of days to see if they’ll take them."
These waterlons were also good for making waterlon paste.
The only problem was the low price the paste factory offered.
They only paid thirty cents a pound.
If he had any other way to sell them, Zhou Xiaolin would never sell to the factory.
"I’ll take all of them."
Having confird the information, Li Xu decided to buy them all.
"Huh?" Zhou Xiaolin’s eyes went wide. He couldn’t process what he’d just heard.
"The ones on your cart and all ten mu’s worth from your fields. I’ll take it all," Li Xu said, his tone firm. "At eighty cents a pound. Take to see the fields now."
Zhou Xiaolin couldn’t believe his ears. He was both shocked and overjoyed. "S-Sir, you’re not joking, are you? Ten mu... that’s fifty thousand pounds of lons, at least!"
"I’m not joking." Li Xu smiled. "But there’s one condition. You have to help transport the waterlons to a place I designate."
"Done! Absolutely!" Zhou Xiaolin was so excited he was practically babbling. "Sir, even if you wanted to deliver these lons to the Moon, I’d figure out a way!"
Li Xu chuckled at his reaction. "It’s not quite that dramatic. Co on, let’s go take a look at your fields."
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