Chapter 230: Grain and Wine

The sun was shining on the highway in Boston. Beneath the golden rays, a golden-armored SUV sped along the road at high speed. Following closely behind was a massive F750, and trailing it was an extended cart carrying fifteen cows, standing or lying down.

These cows were possibly not as timid as others, having eaten grass nourished by Jiang Hai's spiritual energy. Most of the cows curiously observed the scenery by the roadside, and when the vehicle stopped, they would nibble on the wild grass. However, they only sampled it before moving on. They had grown accustomed to the taste of the grass in Jiang Hai's manor, and the ordinary roadside grasses held little interest for them. Unless they were really hungry, they wouldn't eat.

Despite the cows' calm demeanor, Robbins, the old cowboy, still felt the need to be cautious. After leaving the manor, he always made sure to stop at every rest stop on the highway, carefully observing the cows and giving them some grass and water to keep them in good condition. Though it slowed their journey, it was a safer way to travel. After all, they were heading to New York for a competition, and if the cows fell ill on the road, it would be a headache to return to the manor for replacements.

Still, this slower pace was making the trip feel long. After traveling all morning, Jiang Hai and his team had only reached the outskirts of Boston. The drive from Boston to New York typically took about two hours, but at this pace, Jiang Hai estimated they might not reach New York until after 8 p.m.

The only silver lining was that the event organizers had arranged a cowshed, so no matter how late they arrived, everything would be taken care of. With the exhibition hall reserved for Jiang Hai, he had five rooms for a fee of $1.1 million—money well spent, as it covered food and accommodation. Though the food was just a buffet and the rooms were likely basic guest rooms, at least they wouldn't have to spend time looking for somewhere to stay.

At the last rest stop before leaving Boston, Jiang Hai parked the vehicle, grabbed his purple clay teacup, and stepped out. He always carried this teacup with him because of his love for tea. Having gotten used to the taste, he found other drinks lacking.

Seeing Robbins and the others taking a break, Jiang Hai approached them. This wasn't the first time he had seen this routine, so he knew they were just passing time. He had a few things to buy in Boston, so he said, "You all can eat here. I'll go into Boston for a bit."

"Alright, boss, just keep an eye on the time. We can only stay for a maximum of one hour." Robbins glanced at his watch. Originally, they planned to have lunch at the next stop, but since Jiang Hai was heading to Boston, it didn't matter if they ate here. After all, Jiang Hai was covering the costs.

"No need. I'm just going to a Chinese store. I'll be back soon." Jiang Hai nodded at Robbins, climbed back into his car, stored the teacup, and sped off toward the North City of Boston.

It only took about ten minutes to reach his destination. Jiang Hai parked the car, grabbed his teacup, and got out. Sitting in front of the store was the familiar old man, fanning himself in the shade. This was the place where Jiang Hai often came to buy things.

"Uncle, taking a break?" Jiang Hai walked over with a smile.

The old man hadn't noticed Jiang Hai approaching yet, but his nose twitched.

"Longjing?" He sat up suddenly, looking at Jiang Hai's teacup with a puzzled expression.

"Yes, Longjing. I brought it from China. It's pretty good. Would you like to try it?" Jiang Hai smiled confidently, proud of the quality of his tea.

"No need to taste it. Smell it. It's definitely from West Lake, but it's not the best variety. Let me show you my tea." The old man chuckled and casually picked up the small teapot beside him.

Opening it, the scent of fresh tea leaves immediately filled the air, and Jiang Hai was greeted by a strong, refreshing fragrance of beans.

"Well, this does seem good. The flavor is stronger than mine," Jiang Hai remarked, taking the teapot from the old man to smell it. Indeed, the bean fragrance was more pronounced, and the tea leaves were more complete and beautiful than his own. Jiang Hai recognized that this tea was also Longjing, probably from West Lake, and its taste was undeniably better than his.

After taking a sip, Jiang Hai felt that his spiritual energy, which had been steadily increasing, seemed to be absorbed slightly faster. This convinced him that the old man's tea was indeed superior.

"Uncle, where did you get this tea?" Jiang Hai asked, returning the teapot.

"I grew it at home. Ha, before the domestic controls got stricter, I managed to get a few tea trees. Unfortunately, all the black tea died, but the green tea has done well in recent years. This tea is also West Lake Longjing, though it wasn't irrigated with West Lake water, so I can only call it Longjing." The old man spoke with a proud smile.

"Then can you give me two plants?" Jiang Hai had long wanted to bring tea trees from China, but China doesn't allow the export of living plants, at least not with Jiang Hai's current resources. Much like with Tibetan incense beads and black goats, these things were prohibited from leaving the country.

The old man thought for a moment. "I can't give you two plants, but I can get you a few branches. Whether you can keep them alive depends on your luck."

Jiang Hai was pleased. "Great, thank you."

For most people, keeping tea branches alive would be a challenge, but Jiang Hai wasn't concerned. With his spiritual energy, he could likely cultivate them successfully. He was confident that the tea trees nurtured with his energy would offer unique rewards in the future.

"You didn't just come here for tea, did you? It's not like you to visit in the middle of the day," the old man said, after sipping his tea.

"I'm heading to the New York beef cattle competition. The cows are being observed at a nearby rest stop. Since I had some free time, I thought I'd stop by and see if you have any wine," Jiang Hai replied.

"Wine? Aren't there plenty of wines here?" The old man pointed toward the shelves of packaged wine.

"No, I'm looking for brewed wine made with pure grains," Jiang Hai clarified.

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Pure grain wine? That's not easy to find here. Why do you want that kind of wine?"

Jiang Hai smiled. "I told you before that I went hunting with a group. They took all the adult male deer, leaving the rest for me. I also bought seasonings for stewing venison from you. But now, I want to soak some deer whips in wine."

"Deer whips? That's good stuff!" The old man's eyes lit up at the mention of it.

"Here's the deal," the old man said with a sly grin. "I'll get you some wine and tea, all for free. But you have to give me three of those deer penises."

Jiang Hai didn't hesitate. "Deal!" Three deer penises were nothing to him, but getting pure grain wine was a rare opportunity.

With that, the two of them shared a knowing smile. After a few more words, Jiang Hai left, drove back to the rest stop, and resumed the journey to New York.

As Jiang Hai had predicted, when they finally arrived at the New York venue, the lights were already on.

(To be continued.)