What is it like to ask Grandpa Watermelon for an autograph?

In the spring of 2009, my fruit feature series reached my favorite subject of all: watermelon. To write about watermelon, I absolutely had to interview Chen Wen-yu, the "Watermelon King." I did a lot of homework before the trip. After watching Discovery's Taiwan People (Taiwan People) and reading his biography "The Magician in the Field," I already felt boundless admiration for this elder rising in my heart.

Finally the day of the interview arrived. With the buoyant heart of a fan about to meet an idol, I arrived at the farm of Nung-Yu Seed in Wandan, Pingtung. When Grandpa Chen himself appeared before me in his signature look - a straw hat and thick-rimmed glasses - warmly inviting us to eat watermelon, I was so moved in that instant that I was momentarily at a loss for words, and I almost could not even get out my first question... So this is what true grace looks like!

Grandpa Chen's secretary told me that he had actually just been discharged from the hospital, and had immediately hurried over to take part in this season's watermelon breeding selection. He always said that whenever he felt unwell, he just needed to come look around the garden and he would be fine.

Grandpa inspected the army of watermelons spread across the field with great seriousness, either observing their appearance, cutting out a small piece with a knife to taste, or scratching the rind to feel its firmness, and then carefully recording notes in his notebook with a pencil. At that moment I thought to myself, in his lifetime, how many notebooks stained with watermelon juice like this one must he have filled.

"I've loved eating watermelon since I was a little kid," Grandpa said. Back then the varieties were big yellow-fleshed ones, full of seeds and not sweet. "I hoped to breed good varieties, so that when farmers grew them they would get high yields and make money, and when consumers ate them they would find them delicious and healthy."

"Back then I thought to myself, if I'm going to do it, I'm going to be number one in the world!" That was the ambition of the young man he once was.

If it weren't for Chen Wen-yu, we might still be eating seedy, not-sweet watermelons to this day. Can you imagine a summer without big red watermelons?

Sitting beside Grandpa Chen, it was easy to mistakenly believe that I really was his grandson, nestled up against him listening to stories. At first Grandpa happily talked about the health benefits of watermelon, and his deep affection for watermelon showed through in his words. Then the topic shifted, and he spoke of his worries and hopes for Taiwan's agriculture:

"People cannot be separated from agriculture. Look at city people - no matter how much money they make, after they retire they all want to buy a piece of land."

"People engaged in agriculture should feel proud."

"Right now the countryside is all old people, making no money. Only young people can save the countryside."

"Farming requires capital. Young farmers need to organize, do their own packing and marketing, and sell watermelons with a story."

"The countryside needs its own culture. Farmers shouldn't only know how to hold a hoe; they should also know how to hold a pen."

Finally, Grandpa smiled again and spoke of his love of art. "Life is short, but art is forever."

"Life should be wasted on happy things. Eating watermelon, and painting - those are my happiest things."