The sun hung high in the sky, marking the peak of midday heat.
Daocun, with its picturesque mountains and clear waters, would have been unbearable under the direct sunlight, but under the shade of the trees, the heat was hardly noticeable.
The rice fields buzzed with the croaking of frogs, while the cicadas in the woods added their rhythmic chorus. The village was peaceful and serene at noon, showcasing the most beautiful side of nature. Most villagers had already started their afternoon naps, a summer tradition in Daocun. Whether adults or children, everyone took a midday break.
At this time, aside from the occasional sight of a teenager sneaking out while their parents slept, calling a few friends to go bathe in the creek, the fields were practically empty.
Jiang Fei and Lin Moli carried baskets as they picked grapes from the vines at Aunt Liu’s house at the edge of the village. Aunt Liu’s family grew a lot of grapes—almost an entire acre! And the variety was excellent, each grape plump, juicy, and incredibly sweet.
Every year, Aunt Liu’s family would sell their grapes at the market, earning a decent income. Jiang Fei and Lin Moli had already discussed with Aunt Liu that they would pick the grapes themselves and pay her based on the market price per pound.
After Jiang Fei took a few photos for Qiao Yiyi, she flipped through her phone’s gallery, deleting the ones she didn’t like. She couldn’t help but complain, “You’re good at everything, like there’s nothing you can’t do. So why is your photography skill so terrible?”
Jiang Fei, busy picking grapes, ignored her.
He had noticed that almost every woman, whether a goddess or not, seemed to be a selfie addict! Lin Moli was a bit better in this regard—at least she didn’t insist on photographing her food before eating it. She only felt the urge to take pictures when she encountered beautiful scenery.
But some women would take photos of everything—riding in a car, eating a meal, or even having street-side spicy skewers. Jiang Fei couldn’t stand that!
Are you afraid people won’t know someone treated you to a six-yuan spicy skewer meal?!
“I’m not a professional photographer, nor am I the great photography artist Mr. Chen. Of course, my skills aren’t great!” Jiang Fei replied without turning his head.
Honestly, the scenery here was like a painting, and the people were more charming than flowers. Even if his photography skills were lacking, it wasn’t a big deal. The woman was just setting her standards too high.
“Pervert!” Lin Moli shot Jiang Fei a glare, scolding him playfully.
Then, unable to resist, she took several photos of Jiang Fei and posted them on her social media before finally putting her phone aside.
Jiang Fei was picking grapes to make wine, while Qiao Yiyi, hiding in the shade, picked a large, deep purple bunch of grapes. Without washing them, she started peeling and eating them directly.
“Mmm, so sweet! The soil in Daocun is amazing. Everything grown here is so delicious!” Qiao Yiyi exclaimed in admiration.
Seeing this, Jiang Fei couldn’t help but feel speechless. “You’re a respected CEO at the hospital, commanding authority. How come at home, you act like an eighteen-year-old girl?”
Lin Moli glared at Jiang Fei, displeased. “What do you mean, ‘like an eighteen-year-old girl’? Am I that old? Can’t I be youthful?”
No matter how strong or composed a woman might appear, that’s usually just a facade for the outside world. When she’s with a man she likes, why would she keep up that protective shell?
When a cold, strong woman becomes cute and carefree in front of you, it means she’s interested in you.
“You’re twenty-five. Look at your friends—many of them are married, and their kids can already run errands. A ‘little girl’? More like an ‘old girl,'” Jiang Fei teased.
“You’re the old man!” Lin Moli retorted, walking over to Jiang Fei and stuffing a freshly peeled grape into his mouth, clearly annoyed.
I’d like to get married and have kids too. It’s just that someone here is as dense as a block of wood!
Jiang Fei tasted the grape Lin Moli had fed him, spat out the seed, and nodded. “It is really sweet and juicy. But next year, when the grapes I planted ripen, they’ll be even sweeter!”
The grapes Jiang Fei grew were carefully nurtured, given the best nutrients, and benefited from Daocun’s natural soil and environment. Even if they couldn’t match the world’s top vineyards, they wouldn’t be far off!
They didn’t spend too much time picking grapes. After filling four baskets with about twenty pounds of grapes, they left the fields and returned to the villa.
Now, it was time to start making wine.
“To make good wine, the grapes must be fresh—the fresher, the better. They can’t sit around for too long after being picked. You also want deep purple grapes—the darker the skin, the redder the wine. And make sure there are no spots or mold on the grapes. Any spoiled ones need to be thrown out.”
Back at the villa, Jiang Fei gently placed the grapes into a large basin of water and explained the process to Lin Moli.
Lin Moli sat on a small stool, full of enthusiasm, eager to help Jiang Fei.
“Hey, don’t wash them too hard! Just rinse the bunches twice in water to remove any surface impurities,” Jiang Fei quickly stopped her when he saw her scrubbing the grapes as if she were washing rice or clothes.
“Why? If I don’t scrub hard, the dirt won’t come off,” Lin Moli asked, confused.
“That white layer on the grape skins isn’t dirt. It’s covered in wild yeast, which is essential for fermentation. If you wash it off, we won’t be able to make wine!” Jiang Fei explained, giving her a stern look.
Lin Moli stuck out her tongue playfully, then muttered, “There’s so much to learn.”
After washing, they carefully plucked the grapes from the stems, discarding any damaged or loose ones, and let the rest dry.
From this point on, Lin Moli couldn’t help much. The rest was up to Jiang Fei.
Making wine depended on two key factors. The first was the quality of the grapes. In famous European vineyards, the grapes were meticulously cared for from the moment they started growing. Since Jiang Fei was using grapes from other villagers’ fields and not his own, he couldn’t control this aspect as much.
But the second factor—the brewing process—was something Jiang Fei could master.
With his Level 9 Master Brewer skills, he had already prepared all the necessary equipment. He crushed the grapes one by one, added sugar in the right proportion (a crucial step for fermentation), and adjusted the amount based on the grapes’ natural sweetness. This was easy for Jiang Fei.
As for the fermentation vessel, Jiang Fei didn’t use ordinary glass or plastic bottles. Instead, he had prepared the best tool for the job—a wooden barrel!
Once everything was set up, all that was left was to wait for fermentation.
When the villa was built, there was no basement, and it was too late to build a proper wine cellar now. So, Jiang Fei took a more straightforward approach—he dug a cellar himself!
But in his long-term plans, he intended to build a dedicated wine cellar once he had the funds.
After setting everything up, it was just a matter of waiting. With Jiang Fei’s special setup, the wine would be ready to drink in about a month. Of course, if left to age longer—say, a year or more—the flavor would become even richer.
However, for the foreseeable future, Jiang Fei wouldn’t have much extra money.
Although Jiang’s Clinic was doing well, with a steady stream of patients, the initial investment had been significant, and he still owed the bank a large sum.
Not only did he need to pay off the loan, but he also felt he should get Lin Moli her own car. Sharing one vehicle was just too inconvenient. So, lately, Jiang Fei had been feeling the financial pressure.
Sometimes, he even regretted turning down Jing Ran’s partnership proposal so quickly at Bai Mangguo’s birthday party. Even if they couldn’t collaborate in the medical field due to differing philosophies, there might have been other opportunities.
“Maybe I should make more wine? It’s not too troublesome, the cost is low, and the cycle isn’t long. In about a month, I could start selling it. With my Level 9 Master Brewer skills, I could probably sell a bottle for tens of thousands, maybe even more,” Jiang Fei mused, stroking his chin as he looked at the sealed barrels in the cellar.
If he wanted to, winemaking could be a great way to make money. As for sales, Ye Yuanyuan could probably help with that.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?” Lin Moli asked, having just enjoyed a hearty serving of grapes.
“Thinking about how to make money,” Jiang Fei replied.
Just then, a sudden notification sounded in Jiang Fei’s mind.
Ding!
Congratulations, player! You have successfully brewed a large barrel of wine. Experience points +16. Current experience: 2001/2000. Would you like to level up?
Jiang Fei was stunned. Without realizing it, his experience bar had filled up again! Ever since joining the “guild,” his experience points had been skyrocketing.
Plus, he had been staying in Daocun for a while now, doing plenty of things that earned him experience. He had set the system to only notify him when his experience bar was full, so this was a surprise.
Without hesitation, Jiang Fei chose to level up.
But before he could do anything else, another change left him speechless.
“Congratulations! Your character has reached Level 3. The Shop System is now unlocked…”
