A small plot of land in a mountain village

"ah!!"

The aroma of the wine was several times stronger than the one I had tasted at noon. The entire kitchen was filled with its fragrance, and this rich aroma was not unbearable.

Everyone involuntarily took a deep breath.

Old Zhu and Xiao Dong were both attracted by the aroma of the wine. It was probably the first time they had ever seen such a thing in their lives. Besides the aroma, what was most surprising was that after Zhang Niu poured the plum wine into the bowl, the liquid was as smooth as silk.

"Why is this wine so thick?" Old Zhu couldn't help but ask Old Zhang, looking at the green wine in the bowl.

Chairman Zhang was now captivated by the aroma of the wine, inhaling its fragrance incessantly.

Hearing Old Zhu's question and answer, he turned around and said with a smile, "This plum wine is amazing in this respect. Don't be fooled by its thick texture; it's incredibly smooth on the palate, something you can't imagine."

"Look, the aroma of the wine is forming a faint white mist," Xiao Dong exclaimed.

The aroma of wine emanating from the front formed a white mist that drifted around.

The aroma of wine forms a mist; this is truly incredible.

This greatly surprised Lao Zhu and Xiao Dong. Just by opening the bottle, the aroma of the wine could form a white mist, something they had never heard of before and was a rare occurrence in their lives.

Old Zhu had been staring at the wine in the bowl and hadn't noticed how the mist had formed. If it weren't for Xiao Dong's exclamation, he really wouldn't have known.

"The aroma of this wine has turned into mist?" he muttered to himself.

Even though he spoke softly, Old Zhang still heard him. "Curious, aren't you? It was my first time seeing it too, just like you. I was completely dumbfounded. Now you know why I said it's all thanks to you!"

With such fine wine, it's no wonder that most people wouldn't bring it out. It seems that Old Zhang was right. Thanks to my good fortune, I guess I'll have very few chances to drink it.

One bottle of plum wine was poured into six large bowls, so each person didn't actually get much.

"You two, don't just stand there. The sooner you drink this wine after opening the bottle, the better the effect. If you leave it for too long, it will turn into mist, which would be a pity," Zhang Niu said, seeing that Lao Zhu and the other man were not moving.

Fatty and Liang Shan had already picked up their plum wine and were tasting it.

The aroma of wine transforms into mist. I once heard that an ancient emperor had a wine pot from which the fragrant wine he poured could conjure up two dragons playing with a pearl. This aroma of wine transforming into mist is actually quite similar.

Everyone started drinking, and Old Zhu followed suit, picking up his bowl and bringing it to his lips.

The light liquor entered my throat and flowed down into my internal organs. Once inside, it transformed into a gentle wave of heat that ran through my entire body, and a few beads of cold sweat appeared on my forehead.

This wine can actually generate heat? That was the only thought in my mind.

Old Zhu felt lightheaded and exceptionally comfortable all over. After a short while, the heat dissipated, but his whole body was filled with a faint, natural, and warm feeling.

This made Lao Zhu truly believe that he had arrived in some kind of large forest.

Two different feelings were swirling within them. Looking at Lao Zhang and the others, they all closed their eyes and enjoyed the experience. The effects of this wine were truly remarkable; the young man was a genius.

Then close your eyes and savor the feeling of nature.

Those few minutes felt like an eternity. Old Zhu gained a great deal during that time. If he hadn't come here today, he probably would never have known about this extraordinary wine in his lifetime.

The recipe is truly a secret; such a unique wine can only be produced in small quantities and is considered a premium product.

"Old Zhu, how's this wine?" Chairman Zhang asked, opening his eyes.

He gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Fantastic! This is the first time in my life I've tasted wine like this. Even Moutai pales in comparison!"

It's actually hard to express what Lao Zhu said in any particular word.

"We just drank this wine, so the most noticeable effects will be tomorrow. Let's eat." He gestured for everyone to eat.

After drinking this wine, Old Zhu felt he had no appetite for food anymore; his mind was entirely on the plum wine. Everyone's faces immediately turned rosy after just one sip.

With Chairman Zhang's invitation, Old Zhu still managed to sample quite a bit of the food.

Once the wine was served, Zhang Niu knew its effects. He recalled how he felt the same way the first time he drank it; the next day he felt refreshed and like he was at his peak physical strength.

They didn't actually eat much at the afternoon meal. For Chairman Zhang and his group, after the first round of drinks, they quickly recovered from the second round, unlike Lao Zhu and his group who were still savoring the experience.

After the meal, Chairman Zhang took Old Zhu to the bamboo pavilion to rest. There was a newly made bamboo rocking chair there, which was perfect for lying down and resting in the afternoon, since it was not a good time for a nap now.

It's almost four o'clock, as I can see from the clock.

Zhang Niu brewed a pot of "Lady's Tea" and brought it over.

"Have some tea, everyone, so you won't feel so down." He placed the teapot on the bamboo table and sat down on a bamboo chair nearby.

Lying on the rocking chair, Zhang Niu felt that sitting on the bamboo chair was more comfortable.

"Young man, your name is Zhang Niu, right?" Old Zhu asked, holding a cup of tea.

"Yes, thank you for your help this time."

After drinking that bowl of wine, Old Zhu's mood was no longer as gloomy as it had been that morning. His spirits lifted, and a smile appeared on his face as he asked the question.

"Young and promising, at such a young age, he already knows how to make extraordinary wines."

"You flatter me. This is just something I cobbled together. I picked up half a secret recipe before, just messing around with it for fun," Zhang Niu replied with a smile.

What? Young and promising, yet you rely on your social media space for help? That's such a boring statement.

"Young man, humility is good, but being too humble is a problem." He emphasized slightly.

"That's right, I'm still young, I need to learn first." Zhang Niu didn't know how to answer.

"Old Zhu, I suddenly remembered something while you were here, and I need your help with something," Chairman Zhang, who was leisurely drinking tea nearby, interjected.

Curious what Old Zhang wanted to do to get my help, I said, "Tell me! What do you need my help with?"

Both Fatty and Xiao Dong were curious, and being idle themselves, they came over to join in the fun. Fatty naturally tried to strike up a conversation with the driver to see what he could find out.

Pointing at Zhang Niu, he said slowly, "This matter is still with Zhang Niu."

"What's this all about?" Zhang Niu shook his head, not knowing what he needed help with.

"Old Zhu, you don't know, there are quite a few animals in this park, including a crocodile, a wolf, and a pangolin. If someone reports it and they take them all away, that wouldn't be good. That's why I'm asking you to do me a favor."

What?! Crocodiles? Wolves? Old Zhu hadn't expected this. A simple orchard would have crocodiles. And this young man is no ordinary person. If Old Zhang hadn't mentioned it, who would have known?

"Do you need to issue a business license to prove that this is privately owned and has been registered?" he said casually.

"Okay, issue a certificate stating that the crocodile doesn't bite and the blue wolf is safe," Chairman Zhang responded.

Zhang Niu had never thought about these things. With the animals grazing freely down the mountain, who would come? He never expected that Chairman Zhang would bring this up today. It was an unexpected event.

"Ah Niu, don't forget, you can't think long-term. If business gets better in the future, a lot of people will know about this place. There are many good people these days, but there are also many bad ones. If someone reports you, things will really get complicated."

I didn't expect Chairman Zhang to think so far ahead. "Thank you, but I'm young, I only think about the present."

Chairman Zhang waved his hand and said, "No, I'm just a guest. Seeing these animals making noise every day puts me in a good mood. If they were gone one day, I would really feel like something is missing."

"Old Zhang, what you said makes a lot of sense, I agree," the fat man said enthusiastically while sipping his tea.

"Xiao Dong, then make a call and explain how to get the document processed." In a great mood, Old Zhu didn't mind this small request and was just doing a favor.

Xiao Dong naturally knew what to do after hearing this.

Unexpectedly, this official position is quite high; a simple phone call can resolve the issue, which greatly elevates Old Zhu's standing in Fatty's eyes.

"Does that mean the thugs now have household registration?" Zhang Niu suddenly became excited.

"You have crocodiles here, take us to see them!" Old Zhu became interested in the crocodiles. Although there are many crocodiles in zoos, they are usually surrounded by wire mesh and can only be viewed from a distance. It is rare to be able to see them up close.

Old Zhu offered his opinion, so naturally we wouldn't refuse. The thugs should still be resting in the courtyard right now!

Zhang Niu stood up. "Okay, but we don't know if this guy has run into the pond. Let's follow him and check!"

Zhang Niu led several people to the small courtyard.

They were lucky; the thug was resting in a corner. Two little rabbits were hopping around nearby.

"You crocodile doesn't eat rabbits?" Upon entering, Old Zhu was stunned to see two rabbits next to the crocodile.

Crocodiles are prehistoric animals that eat a lot of food every day, but the little rabbit next to them doesn't seem afraid at all, just like a cat and a mouse sleeping in the same burrow.

Outsiders usually think this way, which actually breaks their conventional thinking.

"The animals here all get along well. That's why I dare to keep them as pets."

"Old Zhu, how about you go up and touch the crocodile? It feels amazing," Chairman Zhang tempted Old Zhu from the doorway.

Old Zhu had this idea, but looking at it was still terrifying. He shook his head and said, "Forget it, this guy is not something my old bones can handle. I'm satisfied just to be able to look at him."

"I've tried it several times, and it feels really good. This crocodile is very gentle and sleeps most of the time. Ordinary people usually don't pay much attention to it."

The more Chairman Zhang said this, the less Lao Zhu dared to go; wasn't he just asking for a beating?

However, Chairman Zhang quickly ran to the thug's side, touching his thick scales and saying, "How is it? Gentle, right?" He even pulled on the crocodile's long tail.

With a pull of its tail, the thug opened its eyes, glanced around, crawled forward a considerable distance, and then closed its eyes again.

Although the thugs shrank considerably after leaving the space, Zhang Niu still goes to town every day to buy leftover meat and bones. His income is soaring and will soon return to its previous level.

Seeing that Chairman Zhang was alright, Old Zhu had an idea and went over to try touching the scales. This was a live crocodile, and most people wouldn't dare to do that.

After his close encounter with the crocodile, Old Zhu beamed with a smile, proving that the crocodile was quite attractive.

If the officials in the provincial capital knew that Secretary Zhu, who usually had a stern expression, was now all smiles, they would probably think quite rudely. (To be continued. For more chapters, please log in to support the author and read the original version!)