Pomelo Naturally Grows in the Shape of a Gold Ingot; Young Man from Rong County Sells Them for 100 Yuan Each
"Golden Ingots" Growing on Trees
Li Jiequan Observing the Growth of "Golden Ingot" Shatian Pomelos
"Golden Ingot" Honey Pomelos Are Full of Festive Cheer.
Ordinary Shatian pomelos usually sell for just over 10 yuan each on the market, but a post-90s young man named Li Jiequan from Qianqiu Village, Rongzhou Town, Rong County, used a nearly gamified way of thinking to turn Shatian pomelos into a kind of "mascot," selling them for more than 100 yuan each. At present, the Shatian pomelos he meticulously crafted with the words "zhao cai" (attracting wealth) and "jin bao" (bringing in treasure) have attracted the attention of some bosses in Guangdong and may be sold outside the province, with prices likely to continue rising.
With Mold Sleeves, Pomelos Grow into Fruit "Aristocrats"
Golden-yellow pomelos shaped like gold ingots, with the words "zhao cai" and "jin bao" growing on either side, look like a three-dimensional New Year picture, giving a feeling of festive good fortune. This was the "different" pomelo that the reporter saw recently at Li Jiequan's home in Qianqiu Village, Rongzhou Town, Rong County. When this post-90s young man brought out these masterpieces made entirely by his own hands, his face was covered with a proud smile.
"I've already sold several, and the most expensive went for 125 yuan each," Li Jiequan said. This time he tried "creating" more than 20 "golden ingot" pomelos in total, half honey pomelos and half Shatian pomelos. He told the reporter that a few days earlier he had finished picking all the "golden ingot" honey pomelos. "When I took them to the street to sell, they aroused the curiosity of many citizens, who came over to look and marveled at how unusual they were."
Afterward, the reporter followed Li Jiequan to his Shatian pomelo orchard and saw the "golden ingot" Shatian pomelos he had not yet picked. The pomelos were green and not yet ripe. Each of these "golden ingot" Shatian pomelos was fitted with a transparent plastic mold, with only two to three molds per pomelo tree. "I originally wanted to concentrate all the experiments on one pomelo tree, but when I bought these molds, many of the pomelos had already grown too large to fit into them. So I could only select some smaller pomelos on each tree for the experiment."
These "golden ingot" pomelos were only about the size of a fist, slightly more miniature than the ordinary pomelos beside them. Li Jiequan said the "golden ingot" pomelos are mainly used for display in living rooms. If eaten, they are not worthwhile, "because there is too little pomelo flesh inside." He said these "golden ingot" pomelos, like ordinary Shatian pomelos, must wait until the tenth lunar month to be picked. By then, they will also sell better, because the New Year is approaching and people will like these "mascots" even more.
Li Jiequan said there would certainly be no problem selling these "golden ingot" Shatian pomelos. At present, a boss from Guangdong has already contacted him, "and the price may be even higher." "Next year I will continue to expand the number of 'golden ingot' pomelos planted, and slowly build this 'golden ingot' pomelo into a real brand."
Innovative Methods Give Shatian Pomelos Fame
Li Jiequan is a major Shatian pomelo grower in the village. He contracted 10 mu of mountainous land to plant Shatian pomelos. Growing "golden ingot" Shatian pomelos came from a news item he saw online this year: "Japanese square watermelons are sought after by Russians." These Japanese-produced square watermelons sell for as much as 860 US dollars each (about 5,300 yuan), 300 times the price of ordinary watermelons. So he wondered whether Shatian pomelos could be "carved" into the shape of a "golden ingot" and engraved with some auspicious words. "Rong County's Shatian pomelos are a local specialty famous throughout the country. If this shape can be created, it will definitely be popular," Li Jiequan said.
Once he had this idea, he began contacting sellers online to buy molds. But before he had even bought the molds, Li Jiequan was mocked by neighbors and friends, who said it was impossible and that no one had ever done such an experiment, and they all advised him not to indulge in fantasy. But Li Jiequan did not lose heart. "Shatian pomelos have to grow. If a mold is put on when they are small, they can only grow according to the shape of the mold." Soon, through the internet, Li Jiequan ordered more than 20 molds from a mold factory in Fujian at 35 yuan each.
"At first I was a bit nervous too. If it failed, how embarrassing that would be," Li Jiequan said with a smile. After the molds were fitted, Li Jiequan ran to the orchard every day to watch. As the fruit grew larger and larger, Li Jiequan felt more and more reassured. The pomelos grew according to the molds, and the words "zhao cai" and "jin bao" on both sides slowly grew out as well.
After the fruits took shape, neighbors and friends all rushed over to see the novelty. Some friends even photographed them with their phones and posted them to WeChat Moments. "When it's time to pick them, I'll put them online to promote and sell them, letting Rong County's Shatian pomelos become famous once again." Li Jiequan was full of confidence.