Chapter 96: Good Wine
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
At three in the afternoon, Yu Qian and Zhou Chao’s presence graced the racecourse. Master Yu appeared to have regained his composure considerably. If not for the faint aroma of alcohol, one wouldn’t have guessed that they had shared two bottles of white wine during lunch.
“Come, let me show you my prized steed,” Yu Qian said as he led Zhou Chao to the area where the small ponies were being raised.
“These small ponies are like the lifeblood to me. They eat the fodder I’ve air-shipped all the way from Hailar.”
“You’re giving them a diet even fancier than what people eat. 1 bet these purebred ponies don’t come cheap,” Zhou Chao remarked, eyeing the dozens of purebred ponies within the enclosure, already thinking about starting his own ranch someday.
“Hehe, just the annual costs for maintaining this stable, including feed, labor, and grounds rental, amount to nearly eight figures!”
“Amazing!” Zhou Chao walked to the edge of the enclosure and activated his animal affinity. In no time, Yu Qian witnessed a magical scene as all the miniature horses gathered in front of Zhou Chao.
“What… what’s happening here?” Yu Qian was astonished at the orderly sight of the ponies standing before Zhou Chao.
“Hehe, you can disperse now!” Zhou Chao deactivated his animal affinity, and soon the ponies dispersed.
“Goodness!” Yu Qian walked up to Zhou Chao, reaching out to touch his hand. It was true; they were both human. How could there be such a difference?
“Let’s go, I’ll show you around the entire racecourse.” Yu Qian and Zhou Chao led the way, with Lin Wu, Wang Feng, and Xiaolong trailing behind.
“Master Yu, will these alpacas spit on you?” Zhou Chao unexpectedly noticed a few cute alpacas and thought of their spitting behavior. He couldn’t help but ask curiously.
“Hehe! They’ve spat at me before. You have no idea how my heart felt back then, it went ice-cold!”
“Hahaha, 1 never imagined Master Yu to have such a miserable experience.” “Gah, gah, gah!” Suddenly, a calling sound caught Zhou Chao’s attention. Looking around, he saw an animal within a large cage making the noise. “Master Yu, why do you have so many geese? You’re not raising them for consumption, are you?” Zhou Chao observed dozens of plump geese inside the cage.
“Listen, young man, let me explain. This is quite beneficial. Given the vast expanse of my racecourse, mice, and weasels are bound to be around. However, ever since these creatures arrived, the rodent population has significantly dwindled. Isn’t that quite remarkable?”
“Is that for real? I’ve never heard of this.”
“Young man, why would I lie to you?”
“Unless you give me two of those big geese when 1 leave, then 1’11 believe you.”
“Oh, so you were waiting for this, huh? No problem, when you leave, I’ll get you two big geese.” Yu Qian suddenly realized what was going on. Zhou Chao had ulterior motives regarding his geese.
“Lin Wu, remember to catch the fattest geese later!”
“Yes, boss!” Lin Wu was also visibly excited.
“Come on, 1’11 show you my treasures—genuine purebred horses!” Saying this, Yu Qian led Zhou Chao and the others to another side of the racecourse. They spotted several robust and handsome steeds taking a leisurely stroll.
“I heard Lao Guo gave you a purebred horse. Is it one of these?”
“Yes, a New Zealand purebred horse!”
“Master Yu, after touring your racecourse today, I’ve been truly captivated. If I get the chance, I want to have one too and raise a stable of purebred horses!”
“That’s good to hear. If my horses need to breed, I’ll reach out to you.”
“Hahaha.” At that moment, all five of them burst into laughter.
“Master Yu, I’ve enjoyed the wine and spent time with the horses, so I believe it’s time for me to head back.”
“Sure, young man, Lao Guo might want to have a direct conversation with you later. It’s up to your convenience.”
“I will be in Jingdu recently. If you need to find me, just go to Building 30 in the courtyard by the canal. That’s where I’ve been staying most of the time.”
“Xiaolong, take this young gentleman, Lin, to catch those big geese and clean them. We’ll have some tea and wait until they’re done.”
“Alright, let’s have some tea first.” Yu Qian led Zhou Chao back to the courtyard. Master Yu was a spirited host who understood the art of living. The yard was adorned with Zhou Chao’s favorite lounge chairs, and without any ceremony, Yu Qian reclined in one of them.
“All, comfortable!” As he settled in, feeling the gentle sway of the chair, Zhou Chao was transported back to his childhood, a time of ease and freedom.
“Master Yu, that wine today was really something special. How about we take a stroll through your wine cellar?”
“Sorry, that won’t work. If I were to take you down there, I’m afraid you’d end up hauling my entire wine collection away.”
“I promise not to take a single bottle. Is that okay?” After a brief contemplation, Yu Qian nodded in agreement. He had a feeling Zhou Chao wouldn’t go back on his word.
In an instant, Zhou Chao rose from the lounge chair. “Let’s go.”
Yu Qian led the way while Zhou Chao followed. It turned out there was a spacious wine cellar beneath the yard. As Zhou Chao entered, he saw a variety of wines arranged, and he examined each one closely.
Zhou Chao’s intention was to complete a check-in in the wine cellar, hoping to receive an item for checking in with wine.
“System check-in.”
“Congratulations, Host, for checking in and receiving a liquor gift pack. The pack has been stored in the system space.”
“Nice!” Zhou Chao couldn’t help but applaud.
“Hey, what’s gotten into you?” Yu Qian wondered, observing Zhou Chao’s sudden excitement, fearing he might be bringing up something about the wine.
“It’s nothing. I’ve seen enough. Let’s go. Lin Wu and the others should be done with the geese by now.”
“Alright.” Yu Qian led Zhou Chao out of the wine cellar. As soon as they exited, they spotted Lin Wu and Wang Feng each carrying a plump goose into the courtyard.
“Master Yu, I’m really leaving this time. I’ll leave the matter 1 asked for earlier in your hands.”
“No problem, young man. Tomorrow, I’ll bring Ma Wei to your place for a visit.” To Yu Qian, this matter was hardly an issue at all. Their relationship was far from ordinary.
“In that case, 1’11 eagerly await your visit with fine wine and dishes.”
After bidding farewell to Yu Qian, Lin Wu drove away from the racecourse.
“Ding ding ding.” Zhou Chao checked his phone and saw a call from Si Cong.
“Hello, Si Cong.” Perhaps it was due to the wine he had during lunch, but Zhou Chao felt rather sluggish lying down.
“Chao, I got Yu Qian’s phone number. 1’11 send it to you later.” Glancing at the time, it was already 4 o’clock.
“I’ve already had dinner with him. If 1 had waited for you, I’d have missed this opportunity.” Si Cong chuckled with a hint of embarrassment upon hearing this.
“Well, I’ve worked hard this morning.” Zhou Chao thought Si Cong was quite clever. Zhou Chao had a hunch that this guy forgot about his request due to his own distractions, otherwise, he wouldn’t have taken this long.
“Alright, get some rest and take care of your kidneys!” With that, Zhou Chao promptly hung up, leaving no room for Si Cong to respond.
Back home, Zhou Chao informed Da Wu and Xiao Wu about the visitors scheduled for tomorrow, urging them to prepare more good stuff.
Zhou Chao then made his way upstairs. Halfway up, he turned to Da Wu and said, “Let’s cook a pot of stewed goose tonight.” With that, he headed back to his room.
“System, open the alcohol gift package..”