Chapter 5: Eating Watermelon with the Gusto of a Gourmet Feast!

Qin Lin set the three Quality 2 watermelons aside. He wanted to see if these watermelons were truly capable of overwhelming one's taste buds.

He carried one of the watermelons to the front, sliced it in half, put one half in the refrigerator, and cut the other half into wedges. As he set the knife down, he was startled to find a black dog crouching nearby, stretching its neck to peer at the sliced watermelon.

"Seriously? You come and go as you please, not acting like an outsider at all," Qin Lin muttered, feeling helpless against the dog.

However, with his daily income about to exceed ten thousand, he was in a good mood. He picked up a wedge for himself and tossed one to the dog—a bit of good luck for the creature.

Qin Lin took a bite of his watermelon, and his eyes instantly widened. This Quality 2 melon was incredibly delicious. Each bite was filled with a rich sweetness, yet it lacked that cloying, overwhelming sugary sensation. The texture was exceptionally crisp, and the juice that flowed with every bite made for a perfect experience. Crucially, after finishing a bite, there was a lingering, refreshing fragrance.

Was this the "Aftertaste +2" attribute at work? It felt as if he were eating a delicacy rather than just a watermelon. It was significantly better than the Quality 1 melons. He didn't know much, but back in college, a wealthy roommate had once bought an imported specialty watermelon; while that had tasted good, it felt like trash compared to this.

Moqing would definitely love this melon.

Qin Lin quickly devoured his wedge and was about to reach for another when he noticed the black dog had finished its piece too. It seemed so good that the dog was actually daring enough to reach out a paw toward the remaining wedges on the table. Seeing Qin Lin look over, it let out a whimper, timidly crouching back down while watching him with longing eyes.

Qin Lin frowned. The dog had actually dared to lunge at the table—something only a pet dog raised at home would do. Did this dog not know its place, or was it getting cocky? Ignoring the thick-skinned black dog, he picked up another wedge and started eating. This melon was truly fragrant.

No sooner had he finished that wedge than he felt movement at his feet. The black dog was rubbing its head against his leg, grinning and looking at him with a fawning, flattering expression.

"Damn..." Qin Lin was speechless. Had this dog become sentient? Pulling this stunt on him? Seeing its behavior, he felt bad not giving it more, so he tossed it another wedge, sternly warning, "That's the last one! No more!"

This was better than any imported specialty melon, yet he had given a dog two wedges. How many people had never even tasted an imported specialty melon? It was safe to say 99% of the people in Youcheng County had never had one, let alone this even better Quality 2 variety.

Qin Lin made quick work of two more wedges. After the black dog finished its second piece, it laid down at the shop entrance, contentedly exposing its belly. With nothing else to do, Qin Lin closed the shop door and entered the game, planning to explore the world further.

This "Story of Seasons" game wasn't just about the farm; the map was quite vast, featuring a town, a harbor, and mountains in the background. Qin Lin entered the game and headed toward the exit of the farm, but as soon as he reached the gate, he found an invisible air wall blocking his path. He couldn't leave. It seemed to be some sort of restriction.

He had no choice but to wander around the farm. There were no obstacles within the farm itself—patches of overgrown weeds, pastures waiting to be repaired, empty plots waiting for factories, and the river flowing through the fields. After spending some time familiarizing himself with the layout, Qin Lin exited the game.

As the sun began to set, Market Street grew lively; it was the time when people prepared their dinner fruits and vegetables. Qin Lin looked at the game screen in his mind; the watermelons in the 24 plots had matured. He immediately controlled his character to harvest them, store them in the storage room, clear away the withered vines, and replant seeds so another batch would be ready by tomorrow morning.

But if he really wanted to make ten thousand a day, he needed new sales channels. With the demand from the fruit shops in his WeChat group, a harvest of over 400 watermelons from 24 plots would barely satisfy one batch a day. His shop's location was a limitation; such small, private shops usually only had a fixed customer base within a five-kilometer radius. Even the reach of Market Street was limited, as it lacked a large parking lot, leading most people to prefer the commercial plaza in the East City, which housed the county's largest RT-Mart and ample parking.

Just as he was thinking about this, a message popped up on WeChat.

"Wife Moqing: I'm back at the bureau. Remember to pick me up after work."

Seeing the message, Qin Lin replied with a smile, closed the shop, and headed home. After a quick shower, he went back out, grabbed his small electric scooter, and set off.

Youcheng County's Tax Bureau was located in the riverside area of the East City. By the time Qin Lin arrived on his scooter, it was nearly 5:00 PM. The bureau had already closed, as it was a nine-to-five establishment.

Not long after, he saw Zhao Moqing walk out. She had delicate features and wore only light makeup, her bright, lively peach-blossom eyes adding much charm to her appearance. Zhao Moqing wasn't a world-shattering beauty, but she was the type who would attract plenty of admirers on the street. The key was that once two people saw eye-to-eye, their partner became the most beautiful person in the world to them.

Just as Qin Lin was about to greet her, a handsome young man with slicked-back hair chased out of the building. "Moqing, we're heading the same way. Let me drive you home." As he spoke, he pressed his car key, causing an Audi to flash its lights, showing off his status.

He naturally wanted to pursue Zhao Moqing. Although they were both ordinary civil servants, with the financial backing of his parents and his sister and brother-in-law, he had better capital than his peers who had only graduated a year or two ago; he had bought an Audi on a 5,000-yuan salary.

"Chen Hao, no need. My husband is here to pick me up," Zhao Moqing said, clearly feeling awkward being pursued in front of Qin Lin. To avoid any misunderstanding, she walked over to Qin Lin and hopped onto his scooter.

"Let's go!" Moqing said.

Qin Lin nodded and started the scooter. Chen Hao watched the small scooter drive away, looking at his car keys in confusion. Where did he lose? And more importantly, how did she already have a husband? It was truly a case of a good cabbage being trampled by a pig.

The small scooter rode onto the street, the headwind making it feel as though they were flying at eighty miles an hour. Moqing hugged Qin Lin's waist tightly, leaning affectionately against his back. "I said I wanted to eat watermelon. Did you prepare any?"

"Yes, I have a surprise for you," Qin Lin nodded, tacitly choosing not to mention what had just happened. This was the most basic form of trust; if he felt insecure just because his wife was being pursued, he might as well find an ugly woman or stay single.

Back at the shop, Zhao Moqing asked expectantly, "Where's the surprise?"

Qin Lin immediately took out the Quality 2 watermelon he had kept in the refrigerator, sliced it, and handed a wedge to Moqing. "Try it."

Zhao Moqing took the watermelon and took a small bite. A rich, refreshing fragrance instantly filled her senses, followed by an indescribable sweetness that flooded her taste buds.

"Qin Lin, how is this melon so delicious?" Zhao Moqing couldn't help but be amazed. She had never eaten such a good watermelon in her entire life.

"I knew you liked watermelon, so I prepared it especially for you." Qin Lin said, picking up a wedge for himself. He found that the melon tasted even better after being chilled. If only he could mass-produce this Quality 2 melon, he could easily sell it at the price of imported specialty fruit.

"Give me another slice." Zhao Moqing transformed into a little foodie. She usually controlled her diet strictly for her figure and wouldn't eat much watermelon even if she liked it, but in the face of such deliciousness, she couldn't care less and proceeded to eat several more wedges.