I Have a Penglai Immortal Island

After a whole day of earning just some attention, Zhao Zhao's entrepreneurial journey hadn't even started. She didn't feel like making dinner. At this moment, a drink seemed fitting... wait, wine?

"Yaoguang, is the grape wine I made ready to drink?" she asked, turning and entering her space.

While in the capital, she had learned to make three barrels of grape wine using the grapes from her space. She had even bought oak barrels to store it, placing them in a cool spot under the mountain wall.

"According to Google, it should be drinkable in principle," Yaoguang said uncertainly.

"What do you mean by 'in principle'? I followed all the steps, combining the best techniques. It has to be a success! Let's open it and see."

"Wow~" She took a deep sniff.

The moment she opened the barrel, the fragrance wafted out. Turning the barrel, the fruity aroma was rich and the wine was clear. It was a success!

Zhao Zhao exclaimed, "I knew I was a genius! Yaoguang, you're so lucky to have such a good master!"

Yaoguang: ...

"Here's the problem: we don't have any wine glasses at home. Such beautiful wine, and I have nothing to pour it into. Luminous cups would be ideal, but I don't have any. Should I drink it from a porcelain bowl?"

That's not classy.

Yaoguang thought for a moment. "What's a luminous cup? We do have drinking vessels for wine."

It dived into the cave mansion and came back with a tray, using its spiritual power to carry it.

Zhao Zhao's first reaction was that the purple color didn't quite match the wine—it would blend in too much! Glass luminous cups would be better. She paused and then realized—an antique from the cave mansion? Jackpot!

She carefully took the tray and placed it on the oak barrel. It held a three-legged jug over 20 centimeters tall, accompanied by two three-legged wine goblets and a matching round tray with a diameter of about one foot. It looked like purple jade?

"Yaoguang, is this some kind of spiritual artifact?" Zhao Zhao asked, touching the intricate carvings on the goblet.

Yaoguang was stunned by her lack of knowledge. "…After all this time, you still can't tell if it's a spiritual artifact? Can't you sense it?" It felt like it might die of frustration from its ignorant master!

Zhao Zhao said, "I can tell there's no spiritual energy, but I wanted to double-check. It's like a pie falling from the sky—who would believe it immediately?"

Yaoguang scornfully replied, "This is just an ordinary set of wine vessels, a trinket the former owner casually bought in the mortal world."

Zhao Zhao said, "Yaoguang, can we sell it to buy a boat? This isn't an ordinary trinket; it's a priceless antique jade wine set in the current world!"

"Of course you can. Everything here belongs to you now. You modern people are so uncultured," Yaoguang sneered.

Zhao Zhao didn't mind. She examined the patterns on the three-legged jug but couldn't understand them.

"Yaoguang, what are these carvings? I need to understand first. This big one looks like a monster with a human head and wings! And there are beasts standing in front of it? Birds and fish mixed together—what does this mean? Oh, I get this part. Is it waves?"

Yaoguang explained, "As they say, ignorance is scary. The large figure is Yu Jiang, the Sea God, with a human head and bird body, the god of the Northern Sea. The beasts in front are worshipping it. The main images on the goblets are a bird and a fish, Yu Jiang's two forms. The base pattern depicts the shore of the Northern Sea."

A complete set—valuable!

"Yaoguang, we have a boat now! Even if we can't determine the exact age, the purple jade itself is a treasure! I thought it would take time to save up for a down payment." Zhao Zhao hugged Yaoguang and ruffled its feathers.

Yaoguang's eyes darted around, and it struggled out of her grasp, tempting, "There are more inside. If you can get in, you can take them all out and buy that fast yacht."

Zhao Zhao remained calm, "No, selling one is enough. We can't sell everything we have."

Using her water control technique, she carefully cleaned them. "I've never used such expensive wine cups before. Let's enjoy them." She said happily.

"Such ambition!" Yaoguang rolled its eyes.

Maybe it was the good mood or something else, but the clear ruby-colored wine from the barrel tasted better and better, rich in flavor with low acidity. They drank half the barrel before sleepily going to bed. The next day, Zhao Zhao slept until noon, only waking when Da Linzi pounded on the door.

No one responded to Da Linzi's knocking, and there was no sound inside, not even from the dog. The kid was scared, thinking something had happened. Just as he was about to pick the lock, he finally heard a sound.

When Zhao Zhao opened the door, she saw her brother's usually dark face looking a bit pale. "What's wrong with your face?"

"I knocked for ages with no response. How did you sleep until noon? I was scared to death, just give me a moment." The kid was a bit shaken.

Zhao Zhao understood. It was Da Linzi who had found their father collapsed at home, broke in, and sent him to the hospital. Despite holding on for a few days, their father hadn't made it...

"I had some wine with Yaoguang last night. It's supposed to be good for beauty and health, but who knew it would be so strong? We overdid it..." Feeling slightly guilty, she changed the subject, "You're eating here tonight. I may not cook as well as your mom, but I make a mean steak. We have some tomahawk steaks at home. You should also try the red wine, it's amazing!"

"What's a tomahawk steak?" The simple-minded Da Linzi was successfully distracted. "It's the beef from the rib section. You're free this afternoon, but don't forget to come for dinner."

"Are we not going fishing this afternoon?"

"No, I'm booking a ticket to go to the Shanghai tomorrow."

"Shanghai?" Da Linzi looked a bit disappointed. "You just got back, and you're leaving again?"

"I might be gone for three days, or maybe longer. If everything goes well, I'll visit the shipyard afterward."

"Are you buying a boat?" Da Linzi was excited. For a fisherman, buying a boat was the most thrilling thing, even if he was a small fisherman.

For the island's fishing families, buying a decent boat was more impressive than a house or a luxury car.

Zhao Zhao held back the excited Da Linzi. "Eventually, yes. Small boats aren't safe; we know that better than anyone. I want to take you to the open sea. A small steel boat can't even make it off the continental shelf. But keep this a secret for now, don't tell anyone else."

Da Linzi nodded eagerly, then remembered the main issue, "Zhao Zhao, do you have the money? A big boat costs more than tens of thousands. No one on the island has saved up enough for a proper boat that can go to the open sea."

"A down payment is enough. We'll get a loan. You just need to look after Gun Gun while I'm away. Enjoy your free afternoon." After sending Da Linzi off, she contacted Gu Nan in the Shanghai.

Gu Nan was one of her two friends from university, the other being Zhao Jingbian who stayed in the capital.

When the call connected, she heard Gu Nan's loud voice, "Who's this dead girl calling now? Ah? Finally remembered me? Oh, it's my heartless former classmate!" Lively and reminiscent of their childhood days. People change, but their essence doesn't. Birds of a feather flock together.

They chatted for a while about nothing important, trading playful insults, before finally getting serious.

"Zhao Zhao, you seem much happier since you returned home. What's up? Did you miss me? If so, I can visit you," Gu Nan sensed Zhao Zhao had something on her mind.

Zhao Zhao replied, "I can visit you tomorrow, but don't get too excited—it's just a coincidence."

Gu Nan responded, "…You cheeky girl! Even if it's just a coincidence, it's been over half a year since we last met. I've become much prettier, you know."

Zhao Zhao laughed, "That sounds familiar. I hope I can see the difference this time."

Before Gu Nan could explode, Zhao Zhao quickly got to the point, "Nan, I have something I want to auction. I looked it up, and there are two major auction houses headquartered in Shanghai. Which one do you think is more reliable?"

Gu Nan, a third-generation wealthy individual, was the young master of 'Whale Hall,' a chain of over a dozen restaurants in Shanghai.

"Spring and Autumn Auctions and Gallerie Auctions—both are reputable and have top experts. Have you struck it rich? What are you auctioning?" Gu Nan asked curiously.

"A set of purple jade wine vessels."

"What?! A whole set?" Gu Nan's voice nearly cracked.

"Yes, a whole set. Why are you talking like someone from the Northeast when you're from the South?"

"That's not important. Is it modern or ancient?"

"Over three thousand years old, I think. But that's for the experts to confirm."

Gu Nan said seriously, "Listen to me. If you get rich, don't forget me! When's your flight? I'll rush to the airport to be your leg pendant."