A small plot of land in a mountain village

"Fatty, what are you doing? Your eyes are practically bulging out." Zhang Niu, who had been looking at the car, turned to see the dumbfounded Fatty.

The fat man quickly waved his hand, "It's alright, let's hurry back! Old Zhang is probably waiting for us at Happy Little House." He said hastily.

The fat man was in a huge turmoil. The mysterious cadre must have witnessed this in the car, and the longer he stayed, the more panicked he became. He needed to leave this place first.

Seeing that the fat man was speaking hastily, Zhang Niu still nodded in agreement, "Okay, let's go back!"

The two turned and walked towards the gate. The fat man's work vehicle was still near the flower market park; they would have to take a taxi to get there.

"Fatty, where are you rushing off to?" A familiar voice came from behind them as the two turned around.

The voice that was being called out naturally came from Chairman Zhang, who had come out of the house.

"I thought you were at home, but I couldn't find you anywhere when I came out," the fat man said with a smile as he turned around and saw Chairman Zhang.

The group that came out included Xiao Dong and Lao Zhu.

When Zhang Niu saw the driver, he realized that the person next to Chairman Zhang must be the owner of the car!

The fat man had better eyesight than Zhang Niu. He could tell at a glance that this middle-aged man, apart from being younger than Chairman Zhang (at most a few years apart), had a stern face and exuded official authority, making it clear that he was a high-ranking official.

"We just came out. If we had come any later, who knows where you two would have gone." He said, walking down the stone steps.

This made the fat man feel embarrassed, thinking that the other person hadn't come. "Since you're out, you'd better leave quickly! You can't let people be your spectators."

Many people in the back corridor looked towards the area, and it really did seem like what the fat man had said about being a monkey.

The group climbed into the car together, but the fat man ran straight out.

Just as Chairman Zhang was about to get into his car, he saw this and complained, "Fatty, where are you going?"

"Drive there. My car is still at the flower market. You guys go first, I'll catch up right away." He dashed out the gate and disappeared in a flash.

Zhang Niu naturally sat in the front. Chairman Zhang and Old Zhu sat in the back.

The car drove out of the police station.

The car maintained a steady speed throughout, and Zhang Niu watched as Xiao Dong focused intently on driving. He wanted to thank him, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Are you alright inside? How did you get arrested again?" Chairman Zhang asked, having nothing better to do.

Speaking of this, Zhang Niu felt incredibly unlucky. He had been selling ironwood trees early in the morning, browsing the flower market, when he ran into Gang Tou. If he hadn't kicked him a few times that time, this whole thing probably wouldn't have happened! It was all his fault for not being able to hold back those kicks.

"Oh! I don't know anymore. I thought I was going to jail, but then I ran into them at the market. I quickly made my escape. Unfortunately, I had a close encounter with this car."

"Close contact? You're lucky you didn't end up in the hospital." Chairman Zhang hadn't expected him to say that. He found it somewhat amusing.

"Why did you have to run to the street instead of the police station? Is your brain rusted?" he said sternly.

Zhang Niu rubbed his nose. "I didn't expect this. I just wanted to go around the road and slip into the alley. Who knew it would turn out like this?" He then secretly glanced at Xiao Dong and the others a few times.

Zhang Niu didn't dare to ask Xiao Dong and the others any questions, since he had come here headfirst and the matter couldn't be explained in a short time.

After Zhang Niu finished speaking, Xiao Dong and Lao Zhu's first thought was to laugh, especially Xiao Dong. "That lad's a real speedster! If it weren't for the car breaking down today, slowing him down considerably, I really wouldn't believe you weren't going to the hospital."

Young people are still young and inexperienced; running like that is practically suicide.

It wasn't that Zhang Niu didn't want to go to the police station, but after what happened last time, he had developed a bit of a phobia about it.

This is like being paranoid about something, or being overly cautious about something for ten years.

Chairman Zhang and the others were unaware of Zhang Niu's true thoughts; they simply assumed that he couldn't recall them for a moment while being pursued. This was understandable.

People often say that if you have a problem, go to the police; it seems Zhang Niu won't have that chance.

The car quickly drove back to Happy Little House.

Old Zhu had his eyes closed, seemingly lost in thought, but Chairman Zhang could still discern a lot from his expression, much like how he used to be.

It is said that too much worry is bad for your health, and this is indeed very true. If your mind is constantly preoccupied with worries, it is hard for anyone not to suffer. No matter how scheming you are, you won't live long.

In the Three Kingdoms period, strategists who were skilled in calculation either fell ill or died young.

"You're back." Liang Shan, who was rummaging through dried bayberries outside, spotted the car returning at a glance.

He got out of the car and pushed open the door. Zhang Niu stepped out first, saying with a sigh, "I'm back. Home is the best."

Seeing that Zhang Niu was alright, Liang Shan's face was no longer worried. "You guys haven't eaten yet. The food is still warm inside. Hey, where's Fatty?"

Liang Shan noticed that the fat man wasn't among those who got off the carriage. He wondered why the guy hadn't come back with them.

"I'm going to get the car, I should be there soon," Zhang Niu said, already heading towards the kitchen.

Although I ate a lot for breakfast, the two brothers in my stomach were already fighting. If I didn't get some more rice, they might start to rebel.

"Young people are all like that, Old Zhu doesn't mind." He watched Zhang Niu silently head towards the kitchen.

Chairman Zhang explained to Old Zhu, "At the very least, you should greet people when you eat! If you don't even have this much manners, it will leave a very bad impression on people."

After getting off the bus, Old Zhu no longer had a poker face; he had clearly suppressed his worries. Otherwise, who would be able to eat later?

Old Zhu said casually, "It's nothing, young people are all like that."

The group of people went into the kitchen.

The two entered the house, and Liang Shan brought out all the dishes that were in the pot and placed them on the table.

No sooner had the food been set out than the fat man appeared like a gust of wind.

"You came back pretty fast, the car must have been flying!" Zhang Niu, sitting in his chair, looked at the fat man, who was covered in sweat.

"I'm hungry, why don't you hurry back? There aren't many pedestrians or vehicles on the road, so you don't need to drive fast." He seemed to be blaming Zhang Niu, saying that he was driving recklessly.

"Stop chatting, let's eat!" Liang Shan said with a smile as he placed the dishes on the table.

Chairman Zhang did not intend to reveal Old Zhu's identity; a higher status would create distance.

"This is my friend, Lao Zhu, he works in the provincial capital," he introduced to Zhang Niu and the others.

Zhang Niu was easy to fool; that guy knew nothing. The fat man, on the other hand, was more familiar with the license plate. But since they had already said that, he naturally wouldn't say anything more. As long as he became an official, that was all that mattered.

It turned out he was Old Zhu's friend, and quite imposing, reminding Zhang Niu of the moment he left the police station.

Old Zhu seemed quite satisfied with Old Zhang's introduction. At most, he might have some guesses, but he could also have more to discuss, so why not?

"Old Zhu, would you like to have some more plum wine to calm your mind?" He took out the plum wine that was left over from lunch.

"I'll drink it, pour me some! This will satisfy my craving," Old Zhu Mei said. The fat man shouted back.

"You, you drank the whole bottle of plum wine." The man teased the fat man.

Fatty loves to drink, and everyone at Happy Little Abode knows that he has an unusually high alcohol tolerance. He can drink without getting drunk, so there's really nothing anyone can do about Fatty.

"You guys eat here first, I'll go get another bottle of plum wine," Zhang Niu said, standing up.

"Get some good plum wine. The pure green kind." The fat man remembered the finest plum wine as soon as he heard about getting wine.

Zhang Niu naturally knew what they meant; with Chairman Zhang's friend here today, it seemed they had been quite helpful. He'd better bring a bottle of good wine.

The latest batch of green plums that have borne fruit, when soaked in water from the lower space, tastes very different. You can tell the difference just by tasting them. The plum wine liquid in the upper layer has now turned into a silky liquid.

Zhang Niu usually only drinks the lower-grade plum wine, and only occasionally uses this silk-based plum wine to entertain guests.

"Are there several kinds of plum wine?" Xiao Dong, who had been sitting there silently, asked in confusion.

The plum wine we drank at noon was so enticing that Xiao Dong's craving for alcohol was instantly aroused. He had drunk plenty of good wine while following the Party Secretary around, but he had never tasted such a seemingly ordinary good wine before.

Most of the plum wine is homemade and rarely sold to outsiders. Moreover, the plum wine made by Zhang Niutou is particularly strong, and it knocked Ma Ge out after just a few cups.

"Well, at noon, the kitchen only had this ordinary plum wine. The other kind is a secret recipe, and even we don't know what it is. We've only tasted it occasionally, and its effects can't compare to this one. We're really lucky to have this wine today. You'll see how good it is in a moment." He finished speaking and gave a mysterious smile.

Old Zhu listened silently. After downing a cup, he felt completely relaxed. He couldn't even imagine the therapeutic effect if it were any other wine. He was extremely surprised, thinking, "This is such good wine, surely it's sold on the market?"

Old Zhu, who rarely speaks, uttered these words, which was still unexpected.

"Old Zhu, you don't know this, Ah Niu said that this plum wine is a secret recipe, the ingredients are hard to find, and there are many terms we've never heard of. He figured out the plum wine himself." Chairman Zhang said a lot of things.

Old Zhu suddenly realized, stroking his chin. "No wonder! If we were to enter the liquor market, even Moutai wouldn't be a match. It's a rare opportunity to taste this."

For wine connoisseurs, nothing is more honorable than having tasted over a hundred wines in their lifetime.

"The drinks are here—"

Zhang Niu usually keeps his plum wine in his spatial storage. Last time, he used spatial water to brew it and then placed it outside, but the taste was very different. Since then, he has always kept his plum wine in his spatial storage.

There are differences in how plum wine is stored. The plum wine in the upper layer changes dramatically, while the plum wine in the lower layer is simply better tasted than regular wine and has a bit of medicinal properties.

Zhang Niu himself had hardly drunk any, and now the lower level of the space could be described as a large lake, leaving only a small portion of open space, with the rest being occupied by the lake.

"Come on, everyone, have a taste."

The fat man was the most excited. It was only the second time he had drunk this wine here, and the wine looked very tempting in front of him.

After removing the earthen seal from the bottle neck, you can see the emerald green liquid swaying inside the bottle.

In Lao Zhu's eyes, this wine tasted similar to what he had drunk at noon, but he didn't know how it would taste. He saw Lao Zhang next to him, who was very eager to try it.

The moment the seal was opened, the aroma of the wine filled the air. (To be continued. To find out what happens next, please log in for more chapters, support the author, and read the official version!)