Chapter 120: Heaven’s Bounty
Chapter 120: Heaven’s Bounty
Zhu Houzhao had brought these watermelons to sell for money. Yet Zhang Heling got to eat one for free! How could Zhu Houzhao not be furious?
Fang Jifan tugged Zhu Houzhao’s sleeve, signaling him to hush.
Right now, letting someone taste it was essential. How else could they prove these were good watermelons?
The Marquis of Shouning trying one was even better. After all, Fang Jifan had some past friction with the Zhang brothers. An endless cycle of revenge solved nothing.
Zhang Heling perked up immediately. “Free?”
“Free!” declared Fang Jifan with grandiose airs. “This young nephew has always admired my respected Uncle. I’ll cut you a piece right away.”
Zhang Heling stared wide-eyed. To miss out on free stuff would disgrace one’s ancestors!
Zhang Yanling hurried over too, looking greedy and saying, “I want some too. I’m hungry.”
“Fine, fine, fine,” Fang Jifan agreed sincerely. He truly wanted to patch things up with the Zhang brothers. Being constantly hated by this pair of troublemakers made it hard to sleep at night sometimes!
He picked up the watermelon knife, took a melon, and in full view of everyone, sliced it cleanly in two.
Watermelon juice instantly flowed out. The assembled officials, both civilian and military, opened their eyes wide. They smelled the sweet melon scent and saw the thick juice spilling.
It really was a watermelon…
It truly… was a watermelon…
Instantly, many were shocked. Unable to stop themselves, they started drooling.
After all, no one had tasted watermelon for over half a year. To see one sliced open right before their eyes now… evoked an indescribable feeling.
Fang Jifan skillfully cut one half into slices. “Have a taste.”
Zhang Heling was never one to stand on ceremony. He snatched the biggest slice. Zhang Yanling, equally impatient, grabbed the next largest piece.
Both brothers gripped their melon slices in both hands and started devouring them hungrily.
Sweetness filled Zhang Heling’s mouth as he ate. Smacking his lips, he couldn’t help but say, “Delicious! Delicious! Haven’t tasted anything this good in ages.”
“Mmmff, so good…” Zhang Yanling was so eager he didn’t even spit out the seeds.
The sight of the two brothers eating like this, heads lowered and thoroughly enjoying it, stirred many appetites.
Zhang Heling ate with dancing eyebrows, secretly delighted. Watermelons costing ten taels of silver each! He’d gotten a huge bargain today. That fool Fang Jifan thought a slice could win him over? Hmph! After finishing this melon, he still planned to hold a grudge.
Still… the joy of getting a bargain filled Zhang Heling with an indescribable pleasure. Wonderful! Eating his enemy’s melon and getting away with it—what happiness!
Finally, everyone was certain. This was indeed watermelon.
A melon grown right in the bitter cold of winter!
The winters in the Capital were long and harsh. The supply of fresh fruits and vegetables became extremely scarce and monotonous. Even high officials rarely got to enjoy fruit.
Though they often had lavish feasts, seeing real watermelon right here was incredibly tempting.
It was just too expensive.
Ten taels of silver! Outrageous! And besides, in a few more months, the usual melons would ripen. Why fear no melon then?
Yet, they still couldn’t fathom – where did this winter watermelon even come from?
Someone coughed and stepped forward. “Fang Jifan…”
Fang Jifan beamed warmly. “What guidance does this minister offer?”
The man asked, “Where did this melon come from?”
“We grew it in the Ha…” Zhu Houzhao started eagerly, eager to claim credit.
Fang Jifan hastily tugged his sleeve.
He couldn’t let him say it grew in the House of the Crown Prince!
Ten taels for one watermelon? Expensive? Hugely so! That was the equivalent of several years’ wages for a commoner.
Even many lords and nobles would probably balk at the price.
So, while a winter-grown melon was rare and a treat, getting people to open their purses purely for its novelty would be challenging.
By next year, once large-scale planting began in the Western Hills, watermelon prices would inevitably crash. But Fang Jifan still envisioned them remaining a luxury item.
To sell such a luxury, however, it needed an extraordinary meaning.
Luckily, since His Majesty found Zhu Houzhao’s melon-growing disgraceful and had imposed silence on the House of the Crown Prince, few knew the truth. Those who did didn’t dare speak up.
Fang Jifan set down the watermelon knife, cleared his throat, and announced, “This melon was planted in and harvested from the Western Hills!”
The Zhang brothers were still gnawing on the rinds, clearly determined not to waste a bit. Upon hearing “Western Hills,” their bodies stiffened mid-chew.
“Oh? The Western Hills?” The Hundred Officials glanced at each other, stroking their beards, finding this even more baffling. “Can melons grow in the Western Hills during such bitter cold?”
“Why not?” Fang Jifan argued logically. “Look, hasn’t the Western Hills also produced coal? And smokeless coal at that!”
Zhang Heling suddenly felt a tiny pang in his chest. But… he couldn’t waste the rind in his hand! He kept munching.
“But… what does that have to do with growing melons in the winter?”
Fang Jifan smiled. “Because the Western Hills is a Heaven’s Bounty land! It gathers the essence of heaven and earth. If it can yield smokeless coal, it naturally can produce this miraculous melon! Born from such fertile ground, absorbing the land’s essence, this melon isn’t just sweet. It strengthens the body, nourishes the kidneys, preserves youth… truly wondrous effects! It’s the concentrated essence of heaven and earth! I, Fang Jifan, stake my honor on it! This is a health-giving melon, utterly extraordinary!”
The Hundred Officials stared fixedly at the melons, unconsciously nodding their heads.
Belief in mystical geography (feng shui) was widespread in this era. Fang Jifan’s explanation made a strange sort of sense. The Western Hills was odd – the coal there didn’t smoke. And these melons, said to be grown there… how else could you explain winter-picked watermelons? There seemed no other answer.
If so, couldn’t this melon’s efficacy rival hundred-year-old ginseng?
The eyes of many immediately lit up.
Most high-ranking court officials weren’t very healthy, especially those who’d overtaxed themselves. They cherished kidney health… no… treasured longevity and well-being.
One person spoke up. Though some still couldn’t stomach the price, others were tempted to try.
After all… it was a melon born in deep winter! Incredible! At this moment, even money couldn’t buy such a thing!
Besides, many ministers did have money. Though they often acted impoverished and their salaries were low, apart from oddities like Ouyang Zhi, most officials didn’t live on their salaries alone. They were gentry families! Their home counties might have tens or hundreds of thousands of acres of land, row after row of shops in the county town bearing their family name.
“I’ll take one!” The main driver for many was curiosity. Could it truly improve health? What did a winter-grown watermelon really taste like? Ten taels of silver could solve these questions – it wouldn’t be a loss, it wouldn’t be fraud.
But…
No one noticed Zhang Heling had frozen. He was still holding uneaten melon, too shocked even to chew.
Beside him, his brother Zhang Yanling kept devouring his portion, gnawing the rind clean.
Zhang Heling, however, clearly possessed more intellect than his brother. Fang Jifan’s words echoed relentlessly in his mind.
Land of the Western Hills…
Essence of Heaven and Earth…
Produces smokeless coal…
Grows melons in winter…
Strengthens the body…
Nourishes the kidneys…
Western Hills…
Wasn’t that… the Zhang Family’s land?
Then these watermelons… They were the Zhang Family’s melons! Ten-tael-per-melon winter watermelons!
He seemed petrified.
Beside him, Zhang Yanling munched on his rind, juice dripping onto his short beard. He chirped happily, “Brother! Delicious! And it nourishes the kidneys!”
“Waaaaaah!” Zhang Heling suddenly erupted into hysterical sobs. Half-chewed melon sprayed from his mouth. He flung his rind away. Clawing desperately at the clothes over his chest, he started pounding furiously on himself.
Thud!… Thud!… Thud!…
Fist after fist slammed into his breastbone like drumbeats.
He opened his mouth wide, emitting choked, wailing sobs. His lips trembled violently, seemingly choked by utter fury, preventing any coherent sound from escaping his throat.
This was the Zhang Family’s land!
Land bestowed by the Emperor!
Land meant to be passed down to their descendants!
A blessed paradise capable of yielding smokeless coal and longevity watermelons!
Zhang Heling didn’t want to live. He wanted to beat himself to death. Clean oblivion. Torrents of tears streamed down his face, carving gullies through the grime.
These are MY melons!
MY coal!
MY land!!!
Zhang Yanling was startled. He immediately tried to stop his brother from hurting himself, grabbing him in a hug. “Brother! What a waste! Such good rind just tossed away! Brother, stop crying! What’s wrong?”
Zhang Heling didn’t answer, only wept in utter misery. Zhang Yanling had to call several Imperial Guards to quickly carry his brother away.
The assembled officials watched the Marquis of Shouning’s excessive reaction in dumbfounded silence. That Marquis of Shouning had always been eccentric and a bit foolish. Today was even worse.
Fang Jifan, however, stood exceptionally pleased. He beamed. “The Marquis of Shouning was so moved after tasting our melon he simply couldn’t contain himself. He must never have tasted something so wonderful in his life.”
“…” The Hundred Officials listened, their eyes gleaming brighter.
Could it truly be that miraculous?
Naturally, some righteous souls present voiced stern objections. “Selling melons is the petty trade of merchants! Your Highness is the nation’s Heir Apparent! How can you engage in such activities?”
Fang Jifan replied, “His Highness, seeing the plight of the refugees in the Western Hills and wishing to better their lives, is selling these melons precisely to aid them! I now announce: All silver earned from melons sold today will be distributed to the refugees of the Western Hills!”
“…”
It was blatant nonsense. The refugees in the Western Hills were all miners now, supported entirely by Fang Jifan himself. Providing them food and funds was his duty. Saying the melon money would go to them was simply shifting funds from one pocket to another.
But… there was no arguing with him.
“This minister will try one!”
“This minister will take one too!”