Qin Lin carried the three Quality 2 watermelons out separately.
Now he wanted to see whether these Quality 2 watermelons really could make people lose control of their taste buds.
He carried one watermelon to the front, picked up a knife, and cut it in half. He put one half in the fridge, then sliced the other into wedges.
As soon as he set down the knife, Qin Lin was astonished to see a black dog crouching beside him, stretching its head toward the cut watermelon.
"Damn, you just show up whenever you feel like it. You really don't think of yourself as an outsider." Qin Lin could only shake his head at the black dog.
But he was in a good mood, with his daily earnings about to exceed ten thousand. He took a wedge for himself and tossed one to the black dog, figuring the mutt was in luck.
Qin Lin took a bite of his watermelon, and his eyes lit up at once.
The Quality 2 melon was unbelievably delicious. Each bite was sweet and fragrant, and its juices ran freely, yet it wasn't cloyingly sugary at all. It was wonderfully crisp, and the combination with all that juice was simply perfect.
Best of all, after he swallowed, a delicate fragrance lingered on his palate.
Was that the Aftertaste +2 attribute?
It was like eating watermelon and tasting a feast of rare delicacies.
It was definitely far better than Quality 1 watermelon.
He couldn't speak for anything else, but back in college he'd tried an imported specialty watermelon bought by his rich roommate. It had tasted great, but compared with this one, it was nothing.
Moqing would definitely love this melon.
Qin Lin quickly polished off his wedge, and just as he reached for another, he saw that the black dog had finished its own, too. It must have been so delicious that this time the dog eagerly reached a paw toward the watermelon on the table.
When it noticed Qin Lin looking over, it whined, sheepishly crouched back down, and gazed up at him with pleading eyes.
Qin Lin frowned. The black dog actually dared to reach for the table. That was the sort of thing only a pet dog would do.
Did this dog not know its place, or had it gotten carried away?
Ignoring the shameless black dog, Qin Lin picked up another wedge and began eating. This watermelon was so good.
He had barely finished the wedge when he felt something at his feet. The black dog was rubbing its head against his leg, grinning up at him with an ingratiating look.
"Damn..." Qin Lin was at a loss. Had this dog become a spirit? Was it really trying that trick on him?
Looking at its expression, he almost felt bad refusing it, so he tossed it another wedge and solemnly warned the black dog, "This is the last one. That's it!"
This was even better than imported specialty watermelon, and he'd already given two wedges to a dog. How many people had never even tried imported specialty watermelon? Ninety-nine percent of people in Youcheng County probably hadn't, let alone the even tastier Quality 2 kind.
Qin Lin quickly polished off two more wedges. After the black dog finished its wedge, it obediently lay down in front of his shop, basking contentedly with its belly exposed.
Qin Lin didn't have much else to do, so he closed the shop again and entered the game, planning to explore its world.
Story of Seasons wasn't limited to the ranch. Its map was quite large: there was a town outside, as well as a harbor, and mountains rose in the distance...
Qin Lin entered the game and headed for the ranch exit, intending to take a look outside. But when he reached the entrance, he found an invisible wall of air blocking his way. He couldn't get out at all.
It seemed to be some kind of restriction.
He had no choice but to wander around the ranch. There were no obstacles anywhere within its grounds: patches of land overgrown with weeds, fences waiting to be repaired, empty plots where factories could be built, and a river running through the ranch...
After spending some time getting a general feel for the ranch's boundaries and layout, Qin Lin exited the game.
As the sun began to set, Market Street grew lively. It was just the time when people were buying fruit and vegetables for dinner.
Qin Lin checked the game screen in his mind and saw that all 24 plots of watermelon had ripened. He immediately controlled the Game Character to harvest the watermelons and put them in storage. Then he cleared away the withered vines and planted more watermelon seeds, so another batch would ripen tomorrow morning.
But if he really wanted to earn ten thousand a day, he'd need to find a new sales channel for the watermelons.
Given the demand from the fruit shops in the WeChat group, a harvest of over 400 watermelons from 24 plots would be enough to supply one batch a day, at best.
The limitation came from the shops' locations. Small independent stores like these generally had a customer base within a five-kilometer radius.
Even Market Street had a limited reach, since there wasn't a large enough parking lot. Most people chose to go to the commercial plaza in the eastern part of town, where the county's largest Darunfa Supermarket had a spacious parking lot.
As he was thinking about this, he received a message on WeChat.
Moqing, my wife: "I'm back at the bureau. Remember to pick me up after work."
Seeing the message, Qin Lin smiled and replied. Then he immediately closed the shop and went home to take a good shower before heading out again. He went downstairs, got on his little electric scooter, and set off.
The Youcheng County Tax Bureau was in the riverside area of the eastern district. Qin Lin arrived on his electric scooter at around five. The bureau had already closed for the day; after all, government offices kept nine-to-five hours.
Before long, Zhao Moqing came out. She had a pretty, delicate face and wore only light makeup, while her lively, almond-shaped eyes added to her charm.
Zhao Moqing wasn't a breathtaking beauty, but she was the sort of woman plenty of people would pursue if they saw her on the street.
In the end, all that mattered was that the two of them were right for each other. To each other, no one else could compare.
Qin Lin was about to call out to her when a handsome young man with slicked-back hair came hurrying out of the building. "Moqing, we're going the same way. Let me give you a ride."
As he spoke, the young man pressed the key in his hand. An Audi flashed its lights, showing off his wealth.
He naturally wanted to pursue Zhao Moqing.
Though he was an ordinary civil servant like her, his parents, sister, and brother-in-law had helped him get a leg up over peers who had only graduated a year or two ago. With just five thousand of his salary, he'd bought himself an Audi.
"Chen Hao, no need. My husband's here to pick me up." Zhao Moqing was clearly a little awkward about being pursued in front of Qin Lin. To keep him from getting the wrong idea, she finished speaking and walked over to Qin Lin, then climbed onto his electric scooter.
"Let's go," Moqing said.
Qin Lin nodded, started the scooter, and rode off.
Chen Hao watched the scooter disappear into the distance, then glanced down at the car key in his hand. He couldn't help wondering what he'd done wrong.
And how did she already have a husband?
What a waste—such a lovely cabbage had been eaten by a pig.
The little electric scooter rolled through the streets. With the wind blowing toward them, they felt as carefree as if they were speeding along at eighty miles an hour.
Moqing hugged Qin Lin tightly around the waist and pressed close against his back. "I said I wanted watermelon. Did you get any?"
"Yeah. I've got a surprise for you." Qin Lin nodded, tactfully avoiding any mention of what had just happened.
That was basic trust. If he got worked up just because someone pursued his wife, he might as well have married an ugly woman or stayed single.
Back at the shop, Zhao Moqing asked eagerly, "Where's my surprise?"
Qin Lin immediately took the other half of the Quality 2 watermelon out of the fridge, cut it into wedges, and handed one to Moqing. "Try it."
Zhao Moqing took the watermelon and nibbled at it. A rich, delicate fragrance filled her mouth, followed by an indescribably sweet flavor that swept over her taste buds.
"Qin Lin, how is this watermelon so delicious?" Zhao Moqing couldn't help exclaiming. She'd never tasted watermelon this good in her life.
"I know you like watermelon, so I got this especially for you." As he spoke, Qin Lin picked up a wedge for himself and took a bite. He found that chilled, the melon tasted even better.
If only he could produce Quality 2 watermelons in bulk. He could sell them for the same price as imported specialty melons.
"Give me another wedge." Zhao Moqing had turned into a little foodie. She usually kept a close eye on what she ate to maintain her figure, and even though she liked watermelon, she never ate too much. But faced with this delicious melon, she forgot all about that and ate several wedges in a row.
Before you continue