Fruit Farmer In A Cultivation World

For the past twenty years since his reincarnation, Sen Lin had lived a simple yet happy life.

His day started early when the roosters crowed and the sun peeked from the horizon. He had a simple meal and got busy tending to his little farm all the way until night settled in.

There wasn't room for much else in his life and excitement were few and far between.

But today, things were very different. A sense of excitement and nervousness were both budding inside him.

What was the reason for this unusual change? What else could it be but the Autumn festival.

After waiting for almost a week, the day he had been looking forward to was finally here. Sen Lin calmed his beating heart and headed for the East Ridge city with Blacky in tow.

Maybe because of the busy day ahead, the young farmer didn't get any urges to snack on the plums on the way. Noticing his mood, the usually mischievous donkey followed behind obediently as well.

Without any distractions on the way, the pair of man and beast swiftly made their way to the city. Unfortunately, Sen Lin encountered an unexpected hurdle before he could experience the feeling of money flowing in that he had so often dreamed of for the past few days.

The kiosk he had previously rented had doubled in price. He tried haggling but was met with a cold response every single time.

Seeing that many others had come to rent a kiosk and they were running out of possible space at a breakneck speed, he reluctantly fished out 24 ricetalons and handed them over to the owner.

The sky-high cost hurt his pocket as much as it did his heart. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long before customers started coming in.

A middle-aged woman stopped by and picked up a plum to examine it. Feeling its healthy texture, she inquired about the price.

"3 ricetalons for a kilogram."

The woman nodded to show that she understood and paid for two kilograms.

Watching her leave, Sen Lin breathed a sigh of relief. It was a common belief that one shouldn't haggle during Autumn festival or their family wouldn't be blessed with good luck for the year.

The types of customers he feared most were always housewives. Their bargaining skills were unmatched and even if they didn't buy anything, they'd stand by the kiosk for a few minutes at the very least letting him know how he couldn't do business like that the entire time.

But since the Autumn festival was here, even the housewives had to give up on their expert haggling skills and pay the asking price or walk away.

After the middle-aged woman departed, the next customers who came to his kiosk was an old man and his granddaughter.

The two were dressed simply and seemed to be of moderate means. Since it was the Autumn festival, the old man seemed to have come out with his granddaughter to spoil her a little.

"Look Meili, these plums look nice and plump. Would you like to try some?"

The little girl glanced at the fruit before quickly tearing her eyes. "It's alright. Fruits are always expensive. It's better to save the money so we can spend it on something more practical in the future."

The old man wanted to try and convince her but the little girl seemed to be one of those precocious children who didn't want to put any strain on their family's finances.

Seeing the man's inner struggle, Sen Lin decided to help out a little.

"Little lady, why don't you give one a try. I can guarantee that you'll love the taste. If you don't like it you won't have to pay for it."

The girl took the plum handed to her by Sen Lin and looked at her grandfather to ask him what she should do. After receiving the signal to try the plum, she took a small bite.

As her teeth sank into the tender flesh, a gush of nectar like juice rushed assaulted her taste buds. She was enchanted by the rich flavors that were unlike any plum she had ever tasted before.

The combination of sweet and tart was something she couldn't get enough of and without her realizing, she had taken another bite of the fruit.

By the time she came to her senses, the plum was all but gone.

"You seem to really like it. Let grandpa buy it for you. Shopkeeper how much is it?"

"3 ricetalons for a kilogram." Sen Lin answered with a professional smile. He was pleased to see the little girl enjoying the fruit he had worked so hard to grow.

"Give me a kilogram…" The old man had just started speaking when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw his granddaughter shaking her head.

"It's too expensive grandpa. We don't need a whole kilogram. A third should be enough."

"Shopkeeper, give me one ricetalon worth of plums."

"Sure thing." Sen Lin weighed the plums on the scale that came with the kiosk and secretly packed a few more plums for the two.

He was filled with a sense of pride and warmth as he watched the little girl walk away while clutching the bag filled with plums as if they contained a treasure. The old man looked back and nodded to him in appreciation. He was clearly aware that Sen Lin had gave them more than a third of a kilogram.

'I didn't expect to be caught red handed by the old man. Looks like I'm still too inexperienced.'

Sen Lin chuckled silently before directing his attention to other customers who were coming to him.

Business was good because of the festive atmosphere and it didn't take long for him to empty his panniers. It wasn't even noon when he had managed to sell all 30 kilograms he had brought with him.

'What a great day. I hope tomorrow will be just as good.'

Sen Lin weighed his money pouch that had suddenly gotten heavier and bid goodbye to the kiosk owner. Under the scorching sun, the young farmer and his trusty donkey made their way back to their dwelling.

When he finally saw his home, he was surprised to see a familiar face waiting there.