Chapter 399: Chapter 225: Not Recommended for Drinking? I Don’t Accept Suggestions

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, three hours had passed.

’Damn it, this waiting is torture!’

Cheng Zongyang felt he truly couldn’t calm his heart. He knew he was being affected by his own personal theory of relativity—the more you fixate on something, the slower time seems to pass.

His attempts to read during those three hours were interrupted several times by his own restlessness.

It was like the difference between carrying a beautiful woman and a fat woman across a fifty-meter-long log bridge—the experience of time would be completely different.

Although only three hours had passed, it was quickly approaching nightfall. There was still no news about the Mole Beast, and Cheng Zongyang didn’t want to spend the night here, so he entered the Wilderness World again.

In those three hours, the team had already cleared out some items from the small ruin town. But with night falling, the workers had settled down in town to rest. Luo Dingran, however, had brought back the valuable items.

"Sir, would you like to take a look?" Luo Dingran asked Cheng Zongyang.

"Just tell me if there’s anything important. I can’t be bothered to look otherwise," Cheng Zongyang said as he walked toward the kitchen. He suddenly had a craving for some stewed Exotic Beast Flesh, paired with some wine. ’Too bad I don’t know how to brew beer.’

Luo Dingran followed beside him and reported, "Most of what we found are things like porcelain, Jade Artifacts, and uncorroded metal tools. They’re basically all common household items."

Cheng Zongyang reached the kitchen doorway and glanced inside. Seeing a fire already lit, he walked in while asking Luo Dingran, "Nothing related to Cultivation?"

Luo Dingran shook his head. "No. We found some items with writing on them, mostly on metal tools and some porcelain pieces, but we can’t read it. Sir, have you tried to see if you can translate it?"

Cheng Zongyang sighed. "I can’t."

Luo Dingran fell silent, then said helplessly, "If it can’t be translated, and we have no reference text or anyone who understands it, then deciphering the script is going to be incredibly difficult."

"What are you making tonight?" Cheng Zongyang asked a Soul Slave skilled in cooking after entering the kitchen.

"Sir, tonight we’re stewing meat to make into jerky. We’ll send it to the supply station in town tomorrow," the Soul Slave replied quickly.

Cheng Zongyang smiled at this. "Alright then, save three or four pounds for me later. Oh, and pour some of the broth over it; don’t make it too dry. As for everything else, just whip up three or four side dishes to go with wine. Send them over to the apothecary later."

"Yes, Sir," the Soul Slave agreed.

As Cheng Zongyang walked out, he looked at Luo Dingran and said, "If it’s hard to translate, then so be it."

As he said this, he suddenly thought of someone. "Right, Ding Xing! Send everything with writing on it to him. His Talent is related to comprehension, so maybe he can glean something from it."

Luo Dingran hesitated. "Will that really work? If no one can even read it, how can he gain any insight?"

"Do you have a better idea?" Cheng Zongyang retorted.

Luo Dingran gave a wry smile and cupped his hands. "Yes, Sir."

"Is there any wine left?" Cheng Zongyang changed the subject to food and drink.

Hearing this, Luo Dingran seemed to recall something and smiled. "In the tavern in town, we discovered a cellar. There were quite a few sealed wine jars inside, all well-preserved. We just don’t know if the wine is still drinkable."

Cheng Zongyang was taken aback. "Judging by the decay of the other items from there, it must have been at least a hundred years, right? Maybe even longer. Wouldn’t drinking that kill someone?"

Luo Dingran chuckled. "I’ve already had them sent to the Preservation Warehouse. There are fifteen jars in total, probably weighing over seven hundred and fifty pounds. We can test it on some animals first. If they’re fine, we subordinates can try it, and then you can have some. With the medical beds, we can get immediate treatment if something does go wrong."

Cheng Zongyang nodded. "Alright, you arrange it."

Luo Dingran then left for the farm to find a few water rats.

Cheng Zongyang, meanwhile, went to the Preservation Warehouse. Sure enough, in a corner of the first floor, he saw the fifteen jars, all caked with dirt.

These were 55-pound capacity wine jars.

Cheng Zongyang recognized them at a glance.

Back when Li Ze delivered wine to the Celestial Fragrance Tower, this was the type of jar he used most often.

Stepping closer, he saw that the mouths of the jars were so thoroughly sealed with dried mud that they seemed to be a single, solid piece. Seeing this, Cheng Zongyang immediately used his appraisal skill.

——

[Aged Wine]

Description: An ordinary wine from the Wilderness World. Having been stored underground for many years, it has become something like an antique aged wine. Not recommended for consumption.

Weight: 50 lbs

Points: 50

——

’Whoa, it can actually sell for 50 Points? This is good stuff.’

Cheng Zongyang’s eyes lit up.

’Not recommended for consumption? I don’t take recommendations!’

’How can it be worth 50 Points if it’s not drinkable? Who are they trying to kid?’

He immediately lifted a jar and started walking outside. Coincidentally, Luo Dingran had just returned, followed by a Soul Slave carrying a small bamboo cage. Inside the cage were three or four plump water rats. They were clearly well-fed.

"Sir, we’re ready. We can test it now," Luo Dingran said.

Cheng Zongyang looked at the water rats in the small bamboo cage and asked, "How is the water rat farm doing?"

Luo Dingran replied, "It’s going quite well. We did a count at the end of last month, and we have over six thousand of them now.

Sir, that Luo Zheng is incredibly skilled. The water rats he raises are much larger than the ones in the wild. The females weigh around three pounds, and the males are about five. The farm is nearly at capacity. In another half-month, when the next breeding cycle ends, the population is expected to surpass ten thousand, and we can start planning an expansion.

And that’s after culling most of the males. Those males were processed into jerky, which is currently stored on the second floor. There are over three thousand of them, each yielding about two pounds of meat, for a total weight of around sixty-six hundred pounds.