Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 305 - 304: Returning Favors

There wasn’t much dinner made by Ah Wang, as the whole family was too full from eating watermelon.

Taking advantage of the daylight still lingering on the horizon, Da Lang was the first to put down his bowl and chopsticks. Qin Yao handed him two taels of silver, "You need to personally hand this to Mr. Fu, and then bring back the payment for our watermelons."

Second Lang curiously asked how much was to be brought back from the watermelons. Upon learning the amount, he asked Qin Yao why she didn’t simply give Da Lang one tael and eight maces of silver to deliver, since that would settle it directly, avoiding two trips.

"You just don’t get it, do you?" Qin Yao waved her hand to let Da Lang hurry off. Watching him leave, she turned back to explain to Second Lang and the others,

"Not everyone likes to account like this. Your Mr. Fu has a one-track mind, so handling each transaction separately is best."

Otherwise, if he can’t keep the accounts straight later, he’ll have to come to me to sort it out.

Second Lang and the others nodded, indicating they understood.

However, Second Lang couldn’t help but grumble, "This is too much trouble. It’s really simple; isn’t it that easy to calculate?"

Qin Yao simply said that they were too young and only had these few accounts on their minds.

The accounts in an adult’s mind, that’s another story.

Da Lang returned soon enough, delivered the two taels of silver, and smoothly retrieved the two hundred cents payment for the watermelons. Liu Dafu’s family was having dinner and even gave him half a bowl of millet cake to take back.

Unfortunately, the whole family was too full to eat any more, so Qin Yao asked Ah Wang to put it away until morning to reheat it for breakfast for the four siblings.

As the sky darkened, a cool breeze blew, and the mother and her five children sat in front of the main hall door, enjoying the breeze.

Ah Wang had fried a bowl of peanuts, sprinkled them with sugar, and placed them on the small table. Qin Yao grabbed a handful and crunched them noisily.

Da Lang asked with concern, "Aunt Yao, are we going to sell all the cool melons from our house?"

Qin Yao discussed family matters openly with the children, making them feel involved.

Unlike other families where adults would send kids away when they asked questions, thinking children’s business is not to meddle in adults’ matters.

Qin Yao shook her head, "We’ll eat as we sell. Let’s make sure we have enough to eat first."

At her words, Second Lang, Sanlang, and Si Niang’s eyes lit up, almost bouncing up in joy: Great!

Given the limited seeds, Qin Yao used two acres to plant watermelons, but with scattered planting, one acre yielded only seventy to eighty watermelons, less than a thousand pounds.

Adding two acres together, less than two thousand pounds, totaling one hundred fifty-seven watermelons.

Yet, even with her family’s consumption, they couldn’t finish them all this summer.

Subtracting what was shared as favors, there would still be some left to sell for money.

But this year, Qin Yao didn’t count on making money from the watermelons, it was mainly a trial.

Fortunately, the planting was successful, just perfect for satisfying cravings, and more seeds could be saved to plant more acres next year to increase production.

Listening to Qin Yao’s plans, the Da Lang brothers and sisters were even more relieved—they could eat with abandon!

The wonderful experience of having as much delicious fruit as you want delighted Si Niang. Holding her small face, she leaned contentedly against Mother, declaring she would eat half a melon by herself tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that!

"No way." Qin Yao sternly instructed, "Moderation is key, children cannot eat too much."

Si Niang wailed dramatically and buried her head into Mother’s embrace, her little pigtails swinging back and forth as she pouted, "Then can I at least eat half tomorrow and a little less the day after?"

"We’ll see about tomorrow." Qin Yao stifled a laugh, pretending to be serious.

Si Niang sighed, "Okay then."

The following morning, Qin Yao picked six more melons, planning to give them as gifts.

One for the village head, one for the Clan Leader, two for everyone to taste at the factory, and one for Liu the carpenter’s family.

She saved one more for the road construction team, to quench Hua’er and the others’ thirst and boost their morale.

Working hard under the sun in the summer isn’t easy. On her way back from town yesterday, she met Hua’er and her family returning from work and barely recognized the father-daughter pair.

Their faces were gray and dusty, and their hands tanned dark.

Hua’er’s neck, perpetually exposed to the sun, was already peeling. The sight of the little girl made one’s heart ache.

Qin Yao carried a sack of watermelons, delivering them from house to house.

No one who received a melon was unhappy.

Yesterday, Liu Dafu had bragged in the village about how delicious the cool melons from Qin Yao’s family were and how rare they were, giving them free advertisement.

Families familiar with Qin Yao secretly had hopes, and seeing those hopes fulfilled this morning, their joy was doubled.

After delivering throughout the village, she also told Old Liu he could pick his own from the field when he wanted to eat. Qin Yao carried the last watermelon for the road construction team along the newly built road.

"Madam!"

Hua’er, helping in the shed with the fire, was the first to spot Qin Yao, thinking she was headed to town, called out to her in delight.

Unexpectedly, Qin Yao, holding something, walked straight over.

"Busy, huh?" Qin Yao smiled at everyone, nodded at the little girl, and placed the watermelon on a clean plank nearby, telling the woman cooking,

"This is a cool melon from my home. Today the sun is especially harsh, so I specifically brought one over for everyone to cool down from the heat."

Liu Dafu, supervising the construction below the roadbed, vaguely heard Qin Yao’s voice. He climbed up to see and, indeed, it was her, bringing a watermelon. He couldn’t help but think she was showing off, just like he does.

"Uncle Dafu, you’re here too. Perfect, you can distribute the melon to everyone. I have things to do, need to get back to work." Qin Yao casually called Liu Dafu over, then brushed herself off to leave.

"Oh, wait!" Qin Yao suddenly turned around, waving at the little girl in the corner of the shed, "Why don’t you come work at the factory? They need someone to help in the cafeteria."

Hua’er couldn’t believe her ears, eyes wide with shock and delight.

Everyone knew that workers at the stationery factory not only earned a high wage but also got two full meals a day, often with meat dishes, a benefit that made others envious.

Hua’er pointed at herself, confirming once more if Qin Yao meant her, and seeing the nod, she hastily dropped the fire stick and ran towards Qin Yao, under the envious gazes of the nearby women.

"Dad, I’m going to the factory with the lady!" Hua’er excitedly told her mute father, busy below the roadbed with sweat streaming down his face.

The mute man was initially taken aback, but understanding dawned, and he waved his hand with a smile, signaling her to hurry along and work diligently.

Hua’er nodded, turned to see Qin Yao had already strode off ahead, and quickly jogged to catch up.

The two reached the entrance of the stationery factory, where Qin Yao instructed her to find He and tell her Qin Yao had arranged this. She couldn’t accompany Hua’er inside because last night Liu Bai returned with a convoy carrying lumber, and she needed to learn what happened.