My Apocalypse System Arrives 10 Years Early

Chapter 375: Chapter 256: Winter’s Bounty, Searching for Domestic Dragon Veins

Butchering cattle and deer is a skilled craft, so Li Jinyu, Li Yucheng, Jiang Jianguo, and the others naturally came over to help and offer guidance.

When Li Xiang captured these wagyu cattle and sika deer, he had tossed them, still alive, directly into his system storage, where they died instantly. Now that he was taking them out, they were in much the same state as the moment of their death. This saved him the step of having to slaughter them, and their blood was still warm, so it wasn’t too late to drain it.

Furthermore, Li Xiang’s "kill" had been so swift that the animals perished before they could even react. It could be said they experienced very little fear before death, so the quality of the meat was exceptionally well-preserved.

A large body of scientific data shows that subcutaneous bruising, bite wounds from fighting, limb injuries, and sudden death during transport are extremely common with livestock. The transportation and pre-slaughter process is a major source of stress for the animals. This stress triggers adverse physiological reactions that, after slaughter, result in pale, soft muscle and dark, dry meat. In commercial grading, meat with these qualities is considered inferior.

However, the wagyu and venison Li Xiang produced had no such issues.

The wagyu, of course, was a top-tier ingredient in Japanese cuisine. Li Xiang had picked them from renowned origins, such as Kobe, Matsusaka, and Omi. This wagyu was typically A5 grade, with delicate, soft, and uniform meat, and exquisite marbling.

The sika deer, on the other hand, was a treasure from head to tail: its venison, blood, antlers, gelatin (brewed from the bones and hide), penis, tail, and tendons... Many of its parts were known for their virility-boosting and kidney-nourishing properties.

Although everyone was curious about where Li Xiang had gotten these cattle and deer, no one pried. No one was a fool; they all vaguely guessed that there was something magical about Li Xiang.

Putting other things aside, just look at the barren mountains behind the village. Suddenly, many new paths and stone steps had appeared. There were even a few new, beautifully crafted stone arch bridges spanning the mountain streams.

How Li Xiang had earned his two military honors and the rank of Major were also complete mysteries.

In any case, Li Xiang was being generous with the new year’s goods, and everyone was happy to enjoy it together. Why look a gift horse in the mouth? If you complained, you might not get any more.

This activity lasted for the better part of a month. In total, they butchered thirty-two wagyu cattle, fifty-seven sika deer, and eight small wild boars. They were practically working overtime butchering the cattle and deer. Sometimes, they would light bonfires at night and work with fiery enthusiasm.

Then, Li Xiang found a few large cauldrons—the same cookware used for the previous banquet. He had the young men of the village help him stew the meat and various offal. He even added high-quality Korean Ginseng. Every day, they would cook three large cauldrons full and call the villagers to come and fill their bowls.

For those who had trouble getting around, he had Lei Jiaming and the others deliver the food directly to their homes.

Lei Jiaming was originally from Lei Family Gully, but since he worked in Li Family Village every day, he was now more familiar with it than his own hometown. He knew every family’s name, how many people were in each household, and how to address everyone—he knew it all like the back of his hand.

He told them to bring bowls, but some people, like Li Jintang, would show up with a basin.

But for Li Jinyu’s sake, Li Xiang didn’t make a fuss. In the end, every household got their fill. The hearty stew and the lively atmosphere of the butchering made the villagers who were working in other cities green with envy.

The poor souls were stuck in sweatshops in other cities, eating cheap boxed lunches that cost a little over ten yuan. Though the meals came with free soup, it was usually just water with a few specks of green onion, not a shred of egg or meat to be found. It was nothing like back in the village, where everyone ate so well every day.

It had to be said, eating Korean Ginseng stew in the dead of winter, surrounded by ice and snow, was especially good for replenishing one’s qi and blood. A few of the older women in the village had always had sallow complexions, but after eating the stew for seven or eight days, their faces became rosy and their complexions excellent. They didn’t feel the cold as much, either.

The leftover cowhides and deerskins were valuable as well. They could be used to make drumheads, clothing, boots, or gloves.

He distributed some of the beef, venison, and wild boar meat to the villagers—fifty jin per family, with some bones thrown in as a bonus.

With so many fine goods distributed, every household in Li Family Village was overjoyed. Many villagers working in other cities made special calls to thank Li Xiang after hearing the news.

Jiang Jianguo’s family had a special relationship with him, so they received far more than the other villagers.

Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, Lei Xiaohui, and the other company employees naturally received a share as well.

His few confidants also received a larger share. This was especially true for Yao Yao, who was in a critical period of "physical development." Li Xiang gave her three entire wagyu cattle and six sika deer, all of it prime cuts that had been expertly butchered into large, easy-to-transport pieces, with no scraps.

Of course, she also asked for some good bones—spine, marrow bones, and ribs—because a meat broth wouldn’t be fragrant enough without them.

When Yao Yao hauled all that beef, venison, and bone home in her pickup truck, her family was, of course, overjoyed. It took her two trips to bring it all back.

Needless to say, Yao Yao’s status at home had skyrocketed; she had become the family’s pillar. Her parents had once planned to marry her off for a bride price of just 180,000 yuan.

After all, Yaojialing wasn’t a wealthy area. Receiving a bride price of 180,000 yuan was already considered quite good, and that was only because her parents thought their daughter was pretty enough to be worth that much.

But now, the money Yao Yao earned in less than a year far exceeded 180,000 yuan. The amount she’d brought home to her parents alone was over 300,000. Now, they were the ones who were reluctant to see her get married.

If she married into another family, she wouldn’t be able to help support them anymore. After all, Yao Yao had a younger brother in his first year of junior high; she wasn’t an only child.

What’s more, Yao Yao had recently earned two military honors in a row and received a military rank. She now had a fixed, generous salary deposited into her account even if she didn’t work, guaranteeing she would be provided for for life.

Her younger brother and cousins now idolized her. ’I should bring my brother and cousins to meet Li Xiang sometime,’ Yao Yao mused.

’After all, Lei Xiaohui has her own brother, Lei Jiaming, her cousin, Lei Xiaonan, and a whole crew from Lei Family Gully. Her "faction" is huge. If I don’t cultivate my own group, I’ll be at a disadvantage.’

Since Yao Yao and the girls spent their days at the scenic area and had lunch there too, Li Xiang also stocked the freezers in the scenic area’s shop with plenty of beef and venison, ensuring they could eat well at noon.

In truth, most people brought their own lunch to heat up in the shop’s microwave. Only Yao Yao and the other girls occasionally cooked for themselves, and even then, it was usually something simple like noodles or dumplings.

The snow fell heavily and the north wind howled. As the weather turned harsh again, the scenic area was empty of tourists, so the regular employees didn’t have to come in to work.

Lei Jiaming continued to lead his men out to hunt wild boars and protect the village, but Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui came to keep Li Xiang company, as steadfast as ever.

As they put it, they would come over as long as Brother Xiang was there, even if it were raining knives.

Li Xiang was quite touched. He joined them in the scenic area’s teahouse, where they gathered around the stove to brew tea, discuss their cultivation, and share insights.

The heat from the floor heating and the grill made the teahouse as warm as spring. The three women had taken off their outer layers, leaving them in thin, light clothing that revealed their graceful curves.

They sliced up thin pieces of beef and venison and began to grill them. The meat sizzled as it cooked, and a fragrant aroma filled the air.

"Brother Xiang, let me feed you." After grilling a piece of meat, Yao Yao picked it up with her chopsticks, dipped it in a secret sauce, and then carefully wrapped it in a freshly picked and washed lettuce leaf from the greenhouse. With slender fingers, she gently held the lettuce wrap to Li Xiang’s lips.

"Thank you," Li Xiang said, accepting graciously.

Seeing this, Zhao Xueqing and Lei Xiaohui were not to be outdone and quickly started preparing lettuce wraps for him as well.

Li Xiang said, "Slow down, slow down! I can’t keep up. You all should eat too."

Over the past few days, Li Xiang had meticulously crafted sets of Obsidian Battle Armor for Yao Yao, Zhao Xueqing, and Lei Xiaohui. He based them on their individual designs and tailored the weight of each set to their respective strengths, ensuring the armor wasn’t too cumbersome to fight in.

He had to admit, the Battle Armor the women designed for themselves looked absolutely stunning on them. Li Xiang couldn’t tear his eyes away.

They had worn the Battle Armor and wielded their weapons in a few videos, which had garnered a lot of views and likes. Their fans thought they were just cosplaying, but in reality, it wasn’t a costume—it was all fully-functional Extraordinary Equipment.

Li Xiang’s Crystal Vein Armament Skills were also becoming more and more refined. When using the special obsidian, his success rate had climbed from about thirty percent at the start to seventy or eighty percent.

The Battle Armor or Spiritual Soldiers he forged now went from having one or even no Extraordinary Attributes to almost always having two. Only a few would end up with just one.

This bonus from the Extraordinary Attributes greatly increased the power of the Battle Armor and Spiritual Soldiers.

With such a high success rate, mass production was essentially possible. Of course, he was still limited by the raw materials and his own cultivation level. The best item he had managed to create so far was a Tier Eight Spirit Armor with two Extraordinary Attributes.

Most of the other items were Tier Five or Six, with some even being Tier Three or Four. They were a far cry from the two sets of Battle Armor he had given to Jiang Cai’Er and Luo Feifei.

Luo Feifei’s set, in particular, was an extremely high-level Saint Tier Battle Armor.

Li Xiang had been training diligently these days and had already consolidated his Tier Eight cultivation. He started to wonder, ’Since Japan has a special Earth Vein, maybe there are some in this country, too?’

’For example, the legendary "Dragon Veins" or other special Earth Veins.’

’It’s just... these Earth Veins protect the peace of their regions. They might even represent the fortune of the nation and its provinces. I don’t plan on tampering with them, but there’s no harm in investigating.’

’If I can find them, it might be more suitable to build an Underground City above or near these special Earth Veins.’