How can I go back to the past?

Chapter 198 Buying Watermelon

Are Li Le and his team hot? It is quite hot, but compared to those workers, it is much better.

No matter how hot the weather is, workers have to work, and they work in the workshop. You have to know that the temperature in the workshop is very high.

Ordinary workshops are okay, but places like textile factories, rolling mills, steel mills, etc. are even worse.

Let me put it this way, even if it is not a place like a steel mill or a steel plant, as long as it is a factory with machines, the temperature inside the workshop will be several degrees higher than outside.

But we still have to work even in such a hot weather, and we can’t work less or even be lazy.

After breakfast, Li Le, Ma Feng and their friends went out on their tricycles, of course to collect waste.

To be honest, it's not a good day to collect waste because it's too hot.

Li Le was sweating not long after he went out. He had no choice but to find a big tree to cool off.

It was much more comfortable, and there was even a slight breeze. Li Le took out a palm-leaf fan from his waist.

Fanning the mosquitoes away, he called out, "Collecting junk! Any broken stuff to sell?"

This big tree is on the side of the street. There are many housing estates nearby, and many elderly people are enjoying the cool under the tree.

It's a good place, isn't it? It's a good place for those who are not alone to enjoy the cool air, and it's also a good place to collect waste.

"Do you have any junk for sale? Toothpaste tubes, torn books, old newspapers."

"Young man, how much is a pound of old books?" asked an old lady.

"Old lady, the old books are two hundred per pound."

"Only two hundred per pound! It's too cheap." The old lady shook her head.

Li Le is helpless about such old people. This is the price of old books, and if he charges higher, he will lose money.

"Mrs. Yang, the price that young man offered is not low. You can't pay so much if you sell it to others!" an old man said to the old lady.

It seems that there are still some people who understand. To be honest, the price given by Li Le is indeed not low. Many scrap collectors even offer 150 yuan per kilogram!

"If you think the price is too high, then sell it?" the old lady said to the old man.

"You..." The old man shook his head and stopped arguing.

I guess he felt it was unnecessary! Yes, as the saying goes, a good man doesn't fight with a woman, so it's not worth it for him to argue with an old lady.

Li Le smiled and nodded to the old man, as a way of thanking him for speaking for him.

"Collecting junk!"

"Selling broken ones?"

After staying outside for a whole morning, Li Le didn't receive much, but he was very hot.

So Li Le decided to go home. It was so comfortable to go home! He would eat something and take a nap with the fan on.

Just as Li Le was riding his tricycle towards home, he met two elderly people pulling a cart of watermelons.

Li Le's eyes lit up, and he quickly chased after him and asked, "Old man, are you selling these watermelons?"

It’s not like the later times, where we have watermelons to eat as soon as summer begins. They are either shipped from the south or grown in greenhouses.

Watermelons of this era are planted after the wheat harvest or in the wheat fields, and they will not mature until July at the earliest.

When the two old men heard someone asking, they stopped immediately, looked at Li Le and said, "Yes, young man, do you want to buy watermelon?"

The two old men were wearing shabby clothes, with their toes showing through their shoes. They were probably farmers working in the suburbs. Now that watermelons have harvested, they came to the city to sell them.

"Yes, buy watermelon." Li Le nodded.

"How many do you want? I'll get them for you." the old man asked quickly.

"Uh!" Li Le was stunned for a moment, looked at the old man and asked, "Are you selling it by the piece?"

To be honest, Li Le has never met anyone who sells things by the piece. No matter whether they are selling watermelons or vegetables, they all sell by pound.

Li Le's words made the two old people very embarrassed. At this time, how could Li Le not understand what was going on? It was probably because the old people didn't have a scale at home.

"Okay, let's talk about it! How much is one?" "Three thousand each."

"Three thousand each, so cheap?"

You have to know that watermelons of this era are all very big, with thick skin, and it is normal for one to weigh more than ten or twenty kilograms.

Of course, it is also because of this that watermelons are not that sweet, unlike the small watermelons that were improved in later generations.

Although it is not that sweet, it is also a rare summer-relief item! Take a watermelon and soak it in well water, open one when it is hot, and eat it to cool down.

"It's not cheap either. It was originally 200 yuan per pound, but these are a little smaller, about 16 or 17 pounds each, so I sell them for 3,000 yuan each," said the old man.

"Okay! How about this, can you help me take them home? I'm ready to take them all."

Li Le was not looking for a bargain! He saw that it was not easy for the two elderly people. In such a hot day, they had to pull a cart of watermelons and they didn't know when they would be able to sell them all.

Also, Li Le's family has a large population, and this cart of watermelons can only last for a few days.

There's nothing we can do. We are all grown men and we can eat a lot. Even if we open a watermelon weighing more than ten kilograms, it's probably not enough for us to eat just one.

"You want them all?" the old man looked at Li Le in surprise and asked.

"Yes, all of them. I have a large family and they are all young people, so it's no problem for us to eat more."

Hearing what Li Le said, the old man nodded and said, "Sure, sure, I can deliver it to your home."

"Okay, follow me!" Li Le said and walked ahead while pushing the tricycle.

The reason why Li Le pushed the bike was that if he rode it, even if he slowed down, it would still be faster than walking.

In this case, the two old men would probably have to run to catch up with him, so they could only push him.

Fortunately, it was not too far, and twenty minutes later, we arrived at Li Le’s house.

At this time, Ma Feng and the others also came back. These guys came back earlier than Li Le.

"Old man, please wait a moment, I'll call someone to help." Li Le said as he pushed the tricycle into the yard.

Then he shouted to the house, "Everyone come out and help me quickly."

"Brother, what's the matter?" Li Daila ran out first and asked.

"I bought a cart of watermelons. Go and help push it in."

"What? Buy a cart of watermelons?" Li Daila looked at Li Le and asked.

I've bought watermelons before, but only 10 or 20 at most. This is the first time I've bought a whole cart of them at once.

"Okay, stop talking nonsense and go quickly."

"Oh! Okay."

A few guys ran out quickly and helped the two old men push the cart in.

"Yanhan, pour some sugar water for the two elderly people." Li Le said to Zhao Yanhan.

"Okay Brother Le."

"No, no, we're not thirsty." The old man waved his hands quickly.

"It's okay, old man. You sweat so much, how can you not be thirsty?"

At this time, Zhao Yanhan had already come out with two bowls of sugar water.

"Uncle, Madam, drink some water!"

"Thank you!"

Seeing the water, the two old men pursed their lips, thanked them and took it.

"Ma Feng, the rest of you move the watermelons into the house, and Yanran counts."

(End of this chapter)