Siheyuan: A master brewer starts with a jar of bone-strengthening wine!

When Liu Donggang heard Huang Rujiao mention "ships fueled by spirit stones," his mind immediately started racing:

What should we do about this? What's the most reliable method?

He was an ordinary person before he transmigrated, but he hadn't forgotten what he needed to remember. The ingenious ideas of his ancestors and the thinking of modern people were still fresh in his mind.

But when I actually stood inside the engine room, I was stunned:

Wow! This thing doesn't look flashy, but the gears mesh tightly, the runes are engraved steadily, and the spiritual veins are channeled smoothly. It's even more sophisticated than the tractor repairs we used to do in the village!

The key point is that this is the wilderness! There's not much of anything, just hard rocks, strong winds and sandstorms, and it's hard to find even a decent piece of wood.

They actually managed to create a living creature that can run, stay stable, and save on materials?

Seeing his eyes light up, Huang Rujiao was so happy he slapped his thigh:

"The immortal's praise is too much! Even we ourselves feel it's not enough!"

"I was just thinking of switching to the 'second-generation chip'. Once the new version comes out, the speed will increase significantly, and the gem consumption will be cut in half!"

Ding Lai exclaimed "Hey!" and her eyes widened: "Still upgrading? You're really doing it?"

"We have to do it!"

Huang Rujiao rubbed his hands together. "This generation is too expensive in terms of stones. It's like burning money every time we make a trip here."

After hearing this, Wei Duo quietly tugged at Liu Dong's sleeve: "Brother Liu, this money was... well worth it!"

Liu Dong nodded: "It's worth it! With this ship, we can confidently enter and exit the turbulent waters of the East China Sea."

Before he could finish speaking, he immediately made the decision: charter all three ships!

Stepping out of the cabin and back onto the deck, a sea breeze blew, and Huang Rujiao immediately greeted him with a smile:

"Immortal, do you think... we could settle for half the spirit stones first?"

Liu Dong asked, "Three thousand, is that alright?"

"Okay, okay, okay!" Huang Rujiao almost jumped up. Half of the six thousand grains was worth ten trips of their oil, salt, rice and flour!

What's even better is that once the money arrives, the fleet doesn't need to advance a single penny; grain, salt, talismans, spare spirit stones...

Everything can be bought and installed on the spot. Pay the final payment when you return home, and you'll make pure profit!

Without saying a word, Liu Dong took out a plain silver ring: "The stones are all inside, just filled."

Huang Rujiao glanced at it and quickly waved his hand: "Oh my, a ring too? No way, no way!"

"Take it! It'll make loading supplies much easier, the ship will be lighter and faster, and it'll save on stones, allowing for a longer voyage."

Huang Rujiao was taken aback for a moment, then immediately changed his mind: "Alright! I thank the Immortal on behalf of everyone!"

"Rest assured, this trip guarantees you'll eat well, sleep soundly, and arrive unscathed!"

Liu Dong waved his hand: "Keep the ring on your ship, consider it a 'running errand bonus' for the crew."

Huang Rujiao bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you, Immortal! Thank you, Immortal! Please feel free to browse, everyone. I'll have the goods prepared right away, and we'll set sail at dusk!"

As soon as Huang Rujiao left, the dragonfly swarmed over, its wings fluttering twice:

"Brother Liu, you just gave away that ring like that? It's such a valuable thing!"

"How about... we bring a few more? I can help lighten the load for you?"

Liu Dong smiled and said, "How many do you want? I'll fill your pockets right now."

Dragonfly stammered, "...I meant I wanted it myself, not to buy it wholesale!"

Ding Lai chimed in, "Storage rings are rare, but to him they're like candy. Besides..."

She pointed to the hull of the boat:

"See that? That warehouse is piled up like a small mountain, which means they don't need the rings at all! They just rely on sacks and wooden crates to carry them, making the ships heavy, slow, and wasting a lot of stones."

"His delivery not only helped them reduce their burden and speed up their journey, but also reduced the risks on our own road trip."

Vido glanced around: "It'll be a while before we can prepare everything. Waiting around is so boring!"

"How about we take a walk?"

Liu Dong nodded: "Go ahead, just don't go too far."

This village appears remote, but it actually hides a secret.

The paths lead in all directions: to the east, the waterway winds and connects three docks;

The dirt road to the west was compacted, and the horse-drawn carriage tracks were still fresh.

There is even a stone slab walkway in the woods to the south, leading directly to the quarry in the mountain valley.

Liu Dong nudged Ding Lai's arm: "See? Captain Huang's business acumen is written all over the road."

"Every road is a living test; whoever passes by, whoever sees it, might become a repeat customer."

"With a good boat, smooth roads, and a good reputation, spirit stones will naturally flow in."

Ding Laigang nodded, but Liu Dong's tone changed abruptly:

"So... I finally understand why they're stuck in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, not moving for ten years."

Ding Lai was taken aback: "Why?"

"Spirit stones come too easily," Liu Dong lowered his voice. "Just a trip across the sea, and you can earn several thousand. Tell me, who would still want to sit in a thatched hut meditating, staying up all night to cultivate their qi, and starving themselves to break through barriers?"

"They talk about hardship, but they hold spirit stones in their hands. They close their eyes and take drugs, and when they open their eyes, their cultivation level increases... It's like drinking cold water. It's comfortable, but their foundation is like building a house on sand."

Ding Lai sighed, "What a pity."

Liu Dong looked towards the surging sea in the distance:

"It's a real pity, but he lives a down-to-earth life and has a stable livelihood, which is better than many 'masters' who only have high levels of skill."

"Let's go, it's getting dark. Let's go back to Wankou and see if those men are already busy."

The two turned and walked towards the bay.

In the sea breeze, the sounds of hammers striking nails, shouts of moving boxes, and the creaking of cables scraping the mast blended into a lively morning symphony.

"Captain Huang, are all our supplies ready?"

Liu Dong asked casually.

Huang Rujiao turned his head and saw Liu Xiangyang and Ding Lai. He immediately jogged over to greet them.

He bowed to Liu Dong and said, "Immortal Master, this time we're heading towards the sea further east than the East Sea, it's very far!"

"I was worried about running out of supplies on the way, so I decided to stock up more. But the village's resources are really not enough. I sent people to buy up goods in the neighboring towns a long time ago."

"I estimate the boat will be able to set sail around noon tomorrow."

As soon as he finished speaking, he scratched the back of his head, his face feeling a little hot.

Upon hearing this, Ding Lai waved her hand and said, "Alright, then we'll stay here for the night."

"Going out to sea without proper preparation? That's playing with fire."

Liu Dong nodded, without uttering a single word of reproach.

Huang Rujiao became even more embarrassed and quickly replied, "How about this, if you all don't mind, why don't you come and squeeze into my house?"

"My house is spacious and bright, with enough empty rooms; there's more than enough room for everyone to live in!"

"Alright! Captain Huang, lead the way."

At this moment, Wei Duo, Ting Er, Wang Zhonggui, Lei, Qiao Yuanmu, and Zhang Yuxian had just finished work and returned.

Hearing that there would be no fishing tonight, everyone was quite calm, eating and resting as usual, without any panic.

He turned around and followed Huang Rujiao into the village.

His house was on the very edge of the village, but his courtyard was exceptionally spacious.

Even the combined three courtyards of an ordinary family are not as wide as his courtyard.

Just by looking at this house, you can tell that Huang Rujiao, this cultivator, is doing a very solid job.

With the addition of that seagoing vessel powered by spirit stones, their lives were quite fulfilling.

He had an elderly mother, wife, and two children at home. When he saw so many extraordinary people arrive, he didn't know what to do with his hands.

It wasn't until Huang Rujiao patted his chest and introduced, "This is a distinguished guest who hired a ship to go out to sea!"

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and slowly grinned.