I'm a Druid at a farmhouse.

Chapter 5's progress bar jumps up significantly.

The aroma of the wine was incredibly strong, emanating from the cracks in the earthenware jar, forcefully pushing aside all other scents in the air, and firmly occupying Deng Shen's entire sense of smell.

It is mellow and lingering, with a hint of fruity fragrance and earthy richness.

Deng Shen felt his blood rushing through his body, and a surge of heat shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

"Boss Song, this...this wine..." He stammered.

"My dad said it was brewed by himself using orange blossoms and sorghum rice, and it's been buried for almost ten years." Song You picked up a hammer, carefully knocked off the remaining sealant, and then unveiled the red cloth.

boom!

If what happened just now was merely a wisp of fragrant soul drifting out from the crack, then this is an instantaneous eruption.

Even the buzzing mosquitoes in the yard seemed to quiet down a bit.

"Good wine, absolutely good wine!" Deng Shen slapped his thigh, his eyes reddening.

He wished he could snatch it right now and drink it down from the jar.

Seeing the way he was craving it, Song You couldn't help but take a deep breath himself; the aroma of this wine truly lived up to its reputation. He brought two small bowls from the kitchen, preparing to pour some out.

"No, no, no!" Deng Shen quickly reached out to stop him. "Boss Song, you can't, you can't!"

Song You paused and looked at him.

Deng Shen's face was full of pain and struggle. He pointed in the direction of the courtyard gate: "I drove here. I have a party in the city tonight. If I drink here, I won't be able to leave tonight."

"I have guest rooms here." Song You pointed to a two-story building next to the courtyard. "It's very clean, just like a hotel, and you can check in anytime."

Upon hearing this, Deng Shen's expression showed even more intense struggle.

He glanced at the wine, then at Song You, his inner turmoil swaying wildly.

Staying means getting to drink this ten-year-old vintage, but having to cancel the dinner appointment for that evening would seem like a breach of trust.

I'm leaving. That means there's no chance of drinking tonight. Who knows if I'll have another chance next time I come?

The chat room was filled with laughter.

"The streamer completely lost control of her facial expressions!"

"What did I see? It was a multiple-choice question: on one side was a ten-year-old vintage wine, and on the other was a dinner party with brothers."

"Deng Shen: I want them all!"

Finally, Deng Shen gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and showed a tragic expression of a warrior cutting off his own arm: "Forget it! A gentleman doesn't take what others cherish. This wine was left by your uncle for your wedding, I can't drink it! Next time, next time I'll take the car here, I'll definitely try it!"

He spoke with righteous indignation, but his eyes were still glued to the wine jar, unable to look away.

"Alright." Song You didn't force him. He found some new red cloth and thin rope, and resealed the jar. Only then did the deadly aroma of the wine gradually subside.

After doing all this, he carried the wine jar back into the house.

Deng Shen watched the wine jar disappear behind the door, let out a long sigh, and felt like he had missed out on a fortune.

He refocused his attention on the dishes on the table.

The sauce on the braised fish pieces had thickened, and each piece of fish was coated with a glistening, dark brown sauce, giving it an enticing sheen.

Steamed fish fillets bring out their natural flavor even more; a layer of clear oil floats on the snow-white fish meat, and the flavors of shredded scallions and ginger blend perfectly into the dish.

Deng picked up a piece of braised fish and carefully put it into his mouth.

The fish skin is slightly chewy with a gelatinous texture; a gentle touch of the teeth and the juicy fish meat melts in your mouth. The savory sauce, the sweetness of the fish, and a subtle hint of wine explode on your tongue in layers.

Deng Shen's eyes widened instantly.

He couldn't say anything, but subconsciously sped up his chewing, and then impatiently reached out with his chopsticks to grab the second piece.

Next up is steamed fish fillets.

The fish meat is so tender and smooth that it hardly needs any chewing; it melts in your mouth with just a touch of your tongue.

That pure, exquisite umami flavor, carrying the crispness of the river water and the fragrance of plants, instantly swept over the entire taste buds.

"Mmm, delicious!" Deng Shen mumbled the two words, his mouth stuffed full.

He completely forgot about live streaming and forgot that he was a big streamer with millions of fans.

At this moment, he was just an ordinary diner completely captivated by the delicious food, with only one thought in his mind.

eat!

The viewers in the live stream watched as their God Deng, like a refugee who hadn't eaten for three days, moved his chopsticks back and forth between two plates, eating with sweat pouring down his face and a look of satisfaction and delight on his face.

Song You knew that the dishes processed through [Divine Arts] had their original freshness completely preserved, combined with the Druid's natural power.

These two bowls of fish are delicious, just by their taste alone.

In his mind, lines of new diary entries were beginning to appear.

[Druid's Diary: Diner Blackie Deng tasted your braised herring, and his taste buds were captivated by this gift of nature.]

[Druid's Diary: Diner Black Piao Deng tasted your steamed fish fillets, and his soul felt the purity of the food's essence.]

[Druid Log: You received genuine praise from a diner, Gourmet Druid beginner progress +5%! Current progress: 6%.]

A warm current flowed through Song You's body, and he felt that he had gained a new understanding of how to handle ingredients and control the heat.

The power of nature has also increased slightly.

"call--"

Only after most of the fish on the plate had been eaten did Deng Shen finally let out a long sigh of relief, lean back in his chair, pat his round belly, and look on with a look of lingering satisfaction.

"Boss Song, your cooking is absolutely amazing!" he exclaimed sincerely. "I've traveled all over the country and eaten at so many restaurants, but few can compare to your meal."

"I'm glad you like it." Song You handed him a cup of herbal tea to cleanse his palate.

Deng Shen took a sip of tea before remembering that he hadn't turned off his live stream.

He picked up his phone and saw that the comments section was full of jokes like "The streamer's eating habits are touching" and "It made my mouth water."

His face flushed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Family, it's not that I'm useless, it's just that this fish is too delicious!" He pointed the camera at the messy table, "You guys haven't tasted it, the flavor is simply amazing!"

He cleared his throat and suddenly became serious.

"Boss Song, I need to discuss something with you."

"Go ahead," Song You said, getting up to tidy up the kitchen.

"Don't move, sit down first." Deng Shen stopped him, straightened the phone stand so that both of them could be in the frame, "I'm really impressed today, from this fishpond to your skills, I'm impressed. I'll help you promote your agritainment business."

Song You raised an eyebrow; this was an unexpected delight.

"Listen up, everyone!" Deng Shen shouted into the camera, "Come and try our farm stay! It's located in Xiangcheng Township. I'll have the owner send me the exact location later. If you want to experience the kind of joy I felt today, being dominated by a giant, or if you want to taste this divine cooking, you're welcome to come and give it a try."

"But let me make this clear first," he changed the subject, "this place isn't cheap. Mr. Song, could you tell everyone about your prices? For example, how much was the labor cost for my meal today?"

Song You cooperated and said, "The ingredients were caught by the guests themselves. I only charge a processing fee, which is one hundred per person."

"One hundred?" Deng Shen clicked his tongue. "Worth it! Absolutely worth it!"

He then asked, "And what about fishing? Or is it 666 yuan per day?"

"Yes, it's 660 yuan for the whole day, or 21 jin per kilogram. You can choose between two options."

"What about these vegetables in the yard? Can we pick them ourselves?" Deng Shen pointed to the thriving vegetables.

"Sure, you can try picking vegetables. It's 30 yuan per person, and you can take away 5 kilograms of seasonal vegetables."

"What about accommodation? The guest rooms I was talking about earlier."

"A single room is 180 yuan a night, and a standard room is 260 yuan." Song You answered fluently; he had already calculated these prices.

The live stream chat exploded with comments.

"The price is indeed not cheap, but judging from Deng Shen's reaction, it feels like it's worth the money."

"Six hundred and sixty yuan for a day of fishing, plus a gourmet fish feast—it seems like a pretty good deal!"

"Hey bro! Anyone want to team up and mess with the boss?"

Deng Shen looked at the reactions in the live chat and felt smug, thinking he had discovered a treasure trove.

"Boss Song, look how much traffic I've brought you today. If my millions of fans come, you have to give me some perks, right?" Deng Shen winked and started haggling.

"Okay." Song You readily agreed. "Within this year, anyone who shows a screenshot of Deng Shen's fan badge (a sign indicating he's a black market fan) will receive a 10% discount on all services at my establishment."

"Generous!" Deng Shen slammed his hand on the table. "Family members, did you hear that?! The boss is giving us a 10% discount!"

The live stream chat was flooded with comments praising the boss's generosity and Deng's awesomeness.

Song You picked up his phone, opened Douyin, found Deng Shen's live stream, and without saying a word, sent a gift—a "supercar".

The dazzling special effects instantly filled Deng Shen's screen.

Deng Shen paused for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Boss Song is so generous! Everyone, don't just stand there! The boss has invited us to a farmhouse restaurant on Douyin, so go follow him and give Boss Song some face!"

In a short time, Song You's account, which had only a handful of followers, began to see its follower count skyrocket at a visible rate.

The meal was enjoyed by both host and guests.

Deng Shen packed up his fishing gear with satisfaction and stuffed it into the trunk.

"Boss Song, here's my phone number. I need to edit this video properly today, and I'll let you know when it's released."

"Okay." Song You gave his phone number.

After saving the number, Deng Shen glanced back at the small building, his eyes filled with longing for the unopened jar of aged wine.

"I'm leaving now, see you later!" He waved and got into the driver's seat.

The car started and slowly drove out of the yard, disappearing into the night along the country road.

As Deng drove, he was still savoring the delicious taste of the fish, and he was so happy that he even hummed a little tune.

He figured that once the video was released, his popularity would definitely increase again.

The car turned a corner, and the road ahead was illuminated by alternating red and blue lights.

Several traffic police officers wearing reflective vests were standing in the middle of the road, signaling passing vehicles to pull over.

They're checking for drunk driving.

Deng Shen's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly relaxed.

Thank goodness, thank goodness I managed to hold back. If I had actually drunk that bowl of wine, I would have been finished today.

He smoothly stopped the car, rolled down the window, and prepared to be inspected.