Li Shizhen once wrote: "Every part of a deer benefits humankind, whether boiled, steamed, or dried, and it pairs well with wine. The deer is a Divine Beast, a creature of pure yang and longevity that can clear the Governing Vessel. As it feeds on fine grasses, its meat and antlers are wholly beneficial."
Stewing a pot of venison once in a while was both nourishing and delicious.
âBesides, Iâm just eating it at home in private. No one else will know. I wonât even tell Granny Lian or Jiang CaiâEr. If they ask, Iâll just say I bought it online. Plenty of farmed venison is sold these days. Even if itâs a different species of deer, once itâs cut into chunks, stewed in a pot, and seasoned, how could anyone who doesnât eat it regularly tell the difference?â
"The landscape is as picturesque as a painting!" Standing atop the snowy mountain, Li Xiang gazed into the distance, pushing his Night Vision Superpower to its absolute limit, able to see the scenery tens of kilometers away.
The Hailuogou Primeval Forest was exceptionally well-preserved, and from this summit, one could truly appreciate the saying, "all other mountains seem small."
Due to the extreme altitude, last yearâs snow on the summit had still not melted, making the mountain range appear even more majestic and spectacular.
Li Xiang was filled with heroic spirit and was about to recite a poem when, unexpectedly, the Spiritual Power in his body surged upward like the gushing waters of Baotu Spring. He found it difficult to suppress. It was likely because he had eaten too many Spirit Fruits on his way up the mountain, and he had already been honing his abilities at the Third Tier for a long time. He decided to stop deliberately suppressing it and let Nature take its course.
Everything fell into place.
About ten minutes later, a Spiritual Power Vortex condensed within Li Xiangâs right forearm.
This was his fourth Spiritual Power Vortex, following the ones in his glabella, right calf, and left calf.
A Tier Four Extraordinary Being.
System: "Congratulations to the Host on breaking through to a new Realm. Reward: 2,000 Achievement Points. You have also received a surprise reward: Systemâs Otherworldly Warehouse side length x2."
The Systemâs Otherworldly Warehouse expanded dramatically. Its side length extended from the previous 8 meters to the current 16 meters. It was a cubeâ16m x 16m x 16mâfor a total of 4,096 cubic meters.
At the same time, he discovered that a Rune had formed within the Spiritual Power Vortex in his right forearm. It was possibly related to his current environment, as the Rune turned out to be a snow mountain Rune.
Moreover, it was an offensive type. When his Spiritual Power passed through that Rune, it would transform and condense a mass of Cold Ice Sword Qi within the Spiritual Power Vortex.
"WHOOSH~" With a light flick of his right arm, Li Xiang shot the Sword Qi out.
It was faster than the White Fang Dagger, and in an instant, it vanished into a large rock over a hundred meters away.
The rock was covered by a thick layer of snow. Unsure of the attackâs power, Li Xiang went over and brushed away the snow and ice, only to find a deep hole, like the shape of a scabbard, in the hard rock beneath.
It had, of course, been created by the Sword Qi he had just fired.
He placed his hand over it and sent his Spiritual Power probing into the deep hole. It was about seventy to eighty centimeters deep.
âThis power is incredible! Itâs much stronger than a bullet.â
After all, shooting this Stone with a bullet would never create such a deep hole.
And compared to the White Fang Dagger, this was far more convenient. When he threw the White Fang Dagger, he had to go and retrieve it. If it accidentally fell into a deep ravine, finding it would be a real hassle.
His gains had been immense. Li Xiang hurried home before dawn.
Then, a little after nine oâclock, Zhao Xueqing arrived, bringing a man in his fifties with her.
"Uh, didnât I give you all the day off today?" Li Xiang asked.
"Well, our village chief heard that our spring bamboo shoots are selling very well, so he wanted to come and ask about a partnership," Zhao Xueqing explained, introducing the older man behind her to Li Xiang.
"Ah, Teacher Li, a pleasure, a pleasure! First, I must congratulate you on becoming the party secretary and village director of Li Family Village. I suppose that makes us colleagues, in a way," the man from Zhaojiaping said very enthusiastically, shaking Li Xiangâs hand right away to build rapport.
This was indeed true. In a few days, Li Xiang had to go to the township for a meeting, which the party secretaries and directors from all the surrounding villages would also attend. He would certainly have to get to know them and share a meal together.
It was just that he had only recently taken over as party secretary and village director and hadnât had any dealings with these people yet.
"A pleasure to meet you!" Li Xiang led his guest to the backyard and enthusiastically served him, brewing tea at the same tea table as before. "The house isnât finished yet, so things are a bit of a mess. Please donât mind."
"Not at all, not at all! Your backyard is well-built, and the house is magnificent. And with so many small Divine Beasts, it will surely be like a palace once itâs decorated!" Village Chief Zhao praised.
"Youâre too kind, youâre too kind."
After some discussion, they finally reached an agreement with the village chief of Zhaojiaping. Li Xiang would help them sell their products. As it was a charitable act to support farmers, he charged a relatively low commission of only 10%.
This was because transportation, after-sales service, and labor all incurred costs.
The village chief of Zhaojiaping was very understanding. After all, you treat insiders differently from outsiders. The previous 5% commission was a benefit for Li Family Village and his own employees; as an outsider from another village, he certainly couldnât expect the same.
In fact, the Zhaojiaping village chiefâs initial expectation was a 15% commission. He hadnât expected Li Xiang to be so generous and ask for only 10%. It was a pleasant surprise.
They decided to act immediately and start the livestream that very afternoon.
Village Chief Zhao went back to organize his people and bring all the villageâs spring bamboo shoots over. The livestream would start in the afternoon, and SF Express would come for pickups in the evening.
As a native of Zhaojiaping, Zhao Xueqing was naturally busy, bustling about and working overtime with everyone else.
The reason for the rush was that the price of spring bamboo shoots is heavily influenced by when they hit the market. Right now, the shoots were just coming out, and the quantity was relatively small. People were also after the freshness and texture, so the price was relatively high. For the best-quality ones, Li Xiang set the price at 28 yuan per jin. The slightly inferior ones were priced at 22, 18, and 15 yuan per jin, respectively.
In a few days, as the quantity of spring bamboo shoots increased, the price would definitely drop by at least half.
Therefore, time was money. The sooner they started the livestream, the more they would earn.
That same day, they sold over five thousand jin for Zhaojiaping. Word spread like wildfire, and all the surrounding villages came seeking a partnership.
People from Lei Family Gully, people from Yaojialing, and many other villages came. However, because Zhaojiaping, Yaojialing, and Lei Family Gully had connections, their information was more timely, so they arrived the earliest. The people from other villages were relatively later.
Li Xiangâs house was bustling with people coming and going, and it was so chaotic that Jiang CaiâEr couldnât even come over to do her homework anymore. She had to do it at her own home and would just run over to play when she found a spare moment.
Li Xiang also worked day and night, leading several female hosts. They worked overtime every day, often until eight or nine at night.
A week later, Li Xiang received a special call from the county. When he answered, he was surprised to find it was the county magistrate himself, inviting him to the county seat to do a livestream and sell products for the people of the entire county.