Favorite of the Beast-world: I Got Rich Through Farming-Chapter 279 - 185: Brewing + You Don’t Trust Me
"I can stay with you this entire cold season. We can do so many things—whatever you want to do, I’ll do it with you." He was so happy his tail was practically swirling in circles.
But when he noticed An Jin didn’t seem quite so happy, his expression darkened. He stroked her face and asked in a sinister tone, "You’re not happy, are you?"
"That’s not it. I was just wondering... if you don’t hibernate, will you be okay?" ’After all, it’s an instinct carved into his very being. It can’t be that easy to ignore.’
"I want you to sleep with me. I can’t fall asleep by myself, Jin’er." He lowered his head, his thin lips brushing against her ear, trailing a tingling warmth.
His voice, rising slightly, was laced with deliberate temptation.
’Who could possibly resist this?’
A faint blush crept onto An Jin’s cheeks. She glanced at the brilliantly white landscape outside the window, then placed her slender, pale fingers on his lips and pushed him back slightly to put some distance between them. "...It’s not time yet."
Understanding her unspoken meaning, Gu Yin’s lips curved into a soft chuckle. He then placed a light kiss on her crimson lips, his voice deep and bewitching. "Then you’ll stay with me tonight."
"Just me. You’re not allowed to think about anyone else."
He added, his voice full of jealousy and laced with a chilling danger.
"Alright. But it’s not nighttime yet, and it’s a little boring just staying in the house. Let’s find something else to do."
Ling Hong was in his room, focused on his breakthrough. There was no telling how long it would take, and there hadn’t been a peep out of him. An Jin had no choice but to turn to Gu Yin. "Don’t we have that barley we found a while ago in the storeroom? I want to use it to brew some alcohol. A mouthful of strong spirits on a cold day is the best way to warm up."
"Spirits?"
He savored the unfamiliar word, his voice deep and enticing, yet tinged with confusion.
"Come on, let’s go to the storeroom and get the barley. You’ll understand once it’s made! I’m sure all you males will love it!"
The two of them retrieved the barley from the storeroom. Although Gu Yin had no idea what he was doing, he carefully followed her instructions.
She poured the barley malt from the Beast Skin Bag into a bucket, then added boiled water that had been left to cool slightly, beginning the soaking process.
Since this was her first time, An Jin decided to start with a small experimental batch to avoid wasting resources.
"It’s probably just past noon now. The soaking should be done around dusk." An Jin ticked off on her fingers. The grain needed to soak for about six hours. The Beast World had no real concept of time, so she could only estimate by feel.
When the light outside began to dim, she figured enough time had passed. She carefully lifted the lid and called Gu Yin over to help her drain the water.
Once drained, they rinsed the softened barley malt with fresh water.
HISS~ HISS~ Gu Yin flicked his forked tongue out frequently.
He frowned, his long, elegant brows furrowing. A faint, sour smell seemed to hang in the air.
’Can this stuff really be eaten? It smells like rotting food.’
But seeing An Jin bustling about, looking so happy as she worked, he could only go along with her project.
Steaming, simmering, more steaming, then spreading it out to cool and ferment... After half a month of hard work, they finally sealed up the legendary barley wine and stored it in the cellar.
"Alcohol can be stored for a very long time," An Jin explained with a beaming smile. "As long as it’s sealed properly, the longer it ages, the richer and smoother the flavor becomes... But I’d like to have a taste of our own brew this winter. Let’s bring it up from the cellar next month to see how it turned out. I hope it wasn’t a failure."
’I hope I sealed it properly during the process. If it got contaminated with any stray bacteria, I might be greeted by a pile of bluish-gray mold.’
With a heart full of apprehension, An Jin rummaged through the wooden chest beside her bed, pulling out a bundle of yarn and two needles. She then sat on the bed and began to knit.
A cold draft snuck through a crack in the poorly sealed window, brushing against her neck and instantly raising goosebumps on her skin.
’I should knit myself a warm scarf.’
A black-and-red python, over ten meters long, slithered onto her bed. The bedframe immediately groaned under the weight. An Jin suddenly realized that Gu Yin had gotten even bigger than before. This bed was barely holding him.
’We’ll have to get a bigger bed one of these days.’
HISS~ HISS~ The python slithered in front of her, its blood-red eyes staring curiously at her hands. It then coiled its long body up behind her, serving as a large, soft backrest.
