Chapter 122: Jimo Aged Wine [Third Update]

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Listening to stories while savoring fine food, many people found themselves enjoying a different kind of leisure and warmth at that moment. One had to admit that this was what life was truly meant to be. It was like an employee at a hectic company in a major city suddenly taking a year-long vacation after working themselves to the bone.

Lying on a beach beneath the sun, sipping red wine and enjoying life—that was the way of living the modern world needed most. This was the ultimate pleasure. At such a moment, everything else seemed unimportant.

Just then, Lu Xiao suddenly realized that Li Long seemed somewhat different from before. Li Long had always been a man of few words, hardly ever speaking at such length, much less possessing so many interesting stories.

Of course, this was merely Lu Xiao’s one-sided impression. Aside from occasionally discussing food, the two had never had much private contact. Perhaps Li Long simply had another side to him.

Seeing that he could no longer compete with the chef in culinary skill, Xiao Xuefeng had no choice but to open a wooden box.

“President Lu, take a look at my second gift. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

Lu Xiao knew that Xiao Xuefeng still had something good in store. When he saw what was inside, he was immediately drawn to it. It was a bottle of white liquor, unremarkable at first glance, resting inside a small white bottle.

After what had happened with the spiced beef, Lu Xiao knew that this little bottle could not be ordinary. He asked a waiter to bring wine cups, and they each poured themselves a little.

Lu Xiao was an avid drinker. Whether it was white liquor, beer, or red wine, he could hardly enjoy a meal without alcohol. Of course, Lu Xiao was extremely particular about what he drank. If it had not been a gift from someone else, he would never have touched a bottle with such a roadside-stall appearance.

He poured a little into his cup and discovered that it was not white liquor at all, but yellow wine. He raised it to his nose and sniffed. There was no harsh alcoholic sting. Instead, the aroma was mellow and pure, strangely familiar, though he could not remember what it reminded him of.

Unable to identify the wine by its scent, Lu Xiao took a sip. The instant it slid down his throat, he suddenly remembered.

“Could this be… Jimo Aged Wine?”

Xiao Xuefeng smiled and nodded, praising him.

“President Lu, you truly are a man of wide experience. I never imagined that you could identify a wine that disappeared from Earth so many years ago. I’m impressed.”

Wan Feng and Cui Yunhai were not particularly knowledgeable about wine, but Wang Jiang, who was sitting nearby, understood immediately. He hurriedly took a sip as well.

“My heavens, it really is Jimo Aged Wine! President Lu, this wine must have been discontinued for many years, surely? I never thought I’d be able to taste it here today. Coming here was absolutely worth it. What a fine wine!”

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Qian Xiaoxiao shot Wang Jiang a sidelong glance.

“How do you know it’s Jimo Aged Wine? Have you tasted it before?”

At this, Wang Jiang lifted his head proudly.

“After the Great Catastrophe, I was lucky enough to obtain a bottle. Later, I gave it to my father. I never expected to drink it here today. Ha ha… What a wonderful wine.”

Wan Feng had heard of Jimo Aged Wine as well, but he did not know why it bore that name, so he asked Lu Xiao.

“President Lu, since this wine is so remarkable, perhaps you could tell us the origin of Jimo Aged Wine.”

Lu Xiao smiled faintly. He was not very good at telling stories, so he turned his eyes toward Fang Nian. Fang Nian had enjoyed drinking in that other world and knew something about Jimo Aged Wine, so he spoke up.

“President Lu is not much of a storyteller. Since you want to hear the story, allow me to tell it instead. In truth, Jimo Aged Wine may be called a wine, but it is also a pearl of the food industry. It has a long history, a distinctive brewing process, and a characteristic local flavor that made it immensely popular.”

As he spoke, Fang Nian poured himself a small cup and took a sip, completely ignoring Xiao Xuefeng’s disapproving look.

“Jimo Aged Wine is clear and transparent, with a deep brownish-red color. Its fragrance is rich, its flavor full-bodied, and it carries a slight bitterness followed by a lingering sweetness. It truly is an excellent wine.”

“You may not know this, but Jimo Aged Wine has a history of more than four thousand years. Its principal ingredient is yellow millet, which is rich in minerals and nutrients and is believed to strengthen the muscles and bones. It almost resembles a medicinal wine. On a cold winter’s day, warming a pot of Jimo Aged Wine is ideal. Its ability to dispel the cold is remarkable.”

Cui Yunhai had practically become Fang Nian’s devoted admirer. He loved listening to the man’s stories and eagerly asked, “Since this wine has such a long history, where did it first appear?”

Fang Nian picked up a sheet of paper and wrote the word “Jimo” upon it.

“That is where it originated: Jimo. There are many legends concerning Jimo Aged Wine, but the most widely circulated one goes like this.”

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“It is said that long, long ago, Jimo belonged to the land of the Eastern Yi. Along its southeastern coast stood a great mountain, steep and lofty, its forests dense, its springs abundant, and its ravines deep. It was called Mount Lao. At the northern foot of the mountain ran a small river fed by springs. It descended through the mountain ravines, winding this way and that. When it reached Jimo, the current grew swift, and the bends had carved out many deep pools. From above, their waters looked as dark as ink, yet they were so clear that the bottom could be seen, and their taste was sweet. Thus, the river came to be known as the Inkwater River.”

“Beside this river stood a small mountain village. In the village lived a widow named Chi Nü. Her husband had died defending the nation on the frontier, leaving behind only a son named Shuo’er. Because her husband had been a hero, the villagers continued to care for the mother and son. The mother was virtuous, the son filial; he tilled the fields while she wove cloth. Though their lives were modest, they never lacked food or clothing.”

“Until one day, when Shuo’er went into the mountains to gather firewood, he suddenly heard strange sounds coming from the forest. He ran toward the noise and, deep within the woods, saw a massive roc gripping a silver fox in its talons and tearing into it. The silver fox twisted desperately, struggling to escape the roc’s grasp.”

“When Shuo’er saw that the fox was covered in wounds and would soon be tormented to death by the great roc, he did not stop to think. He hurled the axe he had been using to chop wood, striking the roc squarely in its enormous head.”

“Struck by Shuo’er’s axe, the great roc cried out and flew away. Shuo’er lifted the silver fox and treated its wounds, finally saving its life. Once the rescued fox had recovered enough to move, tears glistening in its eyes, it lowered its paw and bowed its head in thanks to Shuo’er. Then, despite its injuries, it crawled toward a cave beneath the cliff.”

Qian Xiaoxiao listened with rapt attention and began to feel that Fang Nian was speaking far too slowly.

“Go on! Did the fox hide the recipe for Jimo Aged Wine in that cave? Is that it? This is driving me crazy!”

Watching Fang Nian deliberately string out the suspense, Xiao Xuefeng’s temper flared again. Hadn’t he been the one who brought the wine? How had this fellow ended up telling the story instead? Although Xiao Xuefeng himself knew nothing about the wine’s origins…

He almost wished he could ram his head into a wall and be done with it. And the story had only just begun.

The end.

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