Super System in the Early Tang Dynasty

In April, all the flowers have fallen.

Under Li Xingzhi's guidance, a group of people tied a large yellow paper bag to each of the flower branches that had only withered petals left.

By the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the originally shriveled paper bag gradually swelled up. When opened, it revealed large bunches of plump, round grapes. The grapes were still green, with a slightly astringent taste; one bite could make your teeth ache from the sourness.

Late June. The weather is becoming increasingly hot and humid.

Li Shun, leading a group of burly men, ate and slept well every day and became too lazy to move. His belly, which had been emaciated from years of travel, gradually swelled up, and his already bulging muscles expanded as if filled with water. His whole body shone with oil, clearly showing that he was living a very comfortable life.

Although I was so happy I didn't want to leave, I was ultimately destined to be a laborer. After a few months, although I felt comfortable, my bones felt brittle and my whole body felt like it was rusty.

"Li Dalang, aren't you coming to Chang'an with us?"

"Yes, I have other things to do."

"Your grandfather must be missing you terribly! But a good man should be bold and unrestrained, so I won't try to persuade you any further." As Li Shun spoke, he carried the large load he had robbed from Li Xingzhi, and led a group of burly men, who were also carrying loads full of goods as if they were returning from a robbery, out of the mansion.

The creaking sound of the carrying pole, rhythmic and audible, gradually faded into the distance.

After walking for a while, Li Shun felt a slight ache in his waist and shoulders. He thought to himself: That kid's house is indeed a paradise on earth. If I hadn't been so resolute, I probably wouldn't have been able to get out. I might have even ruined my reputation in my later years.

He joked that he was not destined to enjoy a life of luxury.

Li Shun and the other burly men traveling with him stopped to rub their shoulders. Then, the creaking sound of the carrying pole swaying started again, growing fainter and fainter until it disappeared completely...

The group hadn't gone far from the city gate when they reached the river mouth. Nearby, the blue waves surged and the white waves rushed by.

In the height of summer, the Xiang River overflows its banks, and thousands of sails race across the water!

People come and go at the dock.

Li Xingzhi had already arranged a boat. A boat approached. It was neither too big nor too small, just enough to carry passengers and a few loads of wine and other goods, so there was no need to ferry anyone else.

A group of burly men settled on the boat, suddenly feeling hungry and thirsty again. After all, the distance from the Li residence to the ferry crossing north of the city seemed short, but it had taken them an hour to walk there. Having been pampered lately, they were still somewhat unaccustomed to being out in the open.

Li Shun also found the sun too intense to bear, and seeing the jars of fine wine beside him, he felt a longing in his heart.

The reins had been released, but the pole remained firmly planted to the side; it seemed the boatman would set sail shortly.

Just then, a one-armed giant carrying two full baskets of something unknown came running through the dust!

The burly man was almost upon them. The long run and the scorching sun seemed to have no effect on him; he wasn't sweating, and his breathing remained steady. The two baskets of goods were carried by the man at breakneck speed, as if they were mere decorations, and the man dared not offer the slightest resistance.

He walked onto the boat, which, though not small, suddenly sank, then quickly stabilized.

Li Shun also saw the burly man rushing towards him. He noticed two huge baskets beside him and had no doubt that they were already full.

"Zhao Laowu, why are you in such a hurry? Are you planning to come with us?" Li Shun asked with a smile.

He had long known of Zhao Laowu's capabilities, and had even once been tempted to poach his nephew's girlfriend. The outcome was obvious.

"Where can I go if Ah Lang is here?" Zhao Laowu wasn't as wooden-faced as Wu Laoliu. Knowing that Li Shun was joking, he smiled and said, "The grapes are ripe. Ah Lang thought you might not have left yet, so he asked me to pick some over."

"Oh? It's already ripe? I saw it the other day, it was still bluish!" Li Shun said with a hint of disbelief.

After working for several months, taking care of the grapevines like they were old men, these burly men had planned to taste the grapes before leaving. However, they recently saw that the grapes were about to ripen and that it would take some more time. If they waited any longer, they feared they wouldn't be able to reach Chang'an before winter. So, they had no choice but to leave ahead of schedule.

"Try it and you'll see!" Zhao Laowu said, seeing his surprised look. He had been somewhat skeptical at first, but with the actual product in front of him, he had no choice but to believe it.

Little did they know, there was such a thing as artificial ripening. However, Li Xingzhi's method of ripening wasn't using any artificial chemicals; it was simply using some spatial water. Yet, this water not only ripened the grapes but also made them taste even better!

Li Shun lifted the kraft paper covering it, and immediately a strong, enticing sweet aroma, along with a natural freshness, wafted over, as if he were in an orchard—how wonderful!

He looked down and saw large grapes everywhere, some glossy purple, others translucent green. Each grape was covered with a layer of white frost, like a half-hidden maiden, which only enhanced their alluring aroma!

Although they hadn't tasted them yet, Li Shun and the burly men beside him no longer had any doubts. Their eyes were shining as they looked at the two baskets of grapes! The men, who were already starving and thirsty, picked up a bunch of glistening grapes and stuffed them into their mouths without even washing them, ignoring the river water beside them.

"Ugh, ugh, sob sob..."

They grunted contentedly, like fat pigs eating their fill. They seemed about to say something, but the sweet aroma choked them up. They reveled in this satisfaction.

No one knows who it was, but a grape was just about to fall into the water when suddenly, a nearly meter-long bluefish leaped out, its spray shimmering in the sunlight. Its mouth was wide open, seemingly about to swallow the already split, juicy grape, when, unexpectedly, a large, juice-covered hand reached out first, extending two fingers to pinch the grape already inside the bluefish's mouth.

The bluefish was furious. Its eyes were bloodshot, and blood seeped from its shimmering scales. Its large tail swung wildly, as if it were seeing its father's killer! Its two outstretched fingers were equally unyielding, refusing to let up no matter how the fish tail slapped them.

And so, the man and the fish began to carry each other on their backs.

"Crazy Old Ma, why are you arguing with a fish? Are you planning to change your name to Crazy Old Fish?" A burly man next to him couldn't help but tease, slowing down his chewing.

"Hmph! A dead fish dares to try and eat more of me? It thinks it's that strange horse!"

As the mad old man with the dark face spoke, he increased the force in his hands. The bluefish, which was in the water and had immense strength by using the water's momentum, had nowhere to gain strength in the air. Its breathing gradually dissipated, and soon, the fish tail that was shaking so vigorously also slowed down. Only the bluefish's mouth was still sucking and sucking, as if it knew that it could not win against the creature in front of it directly, so it would suck the juice out of the fruit.

Old Ma gave another soft snort, and with a flick of his two fingers, finally pried the grape out of the fish's mouth. Although the grape was rotten, he washed it in the river water and put it back in his mouth, enjoying it immensely—even more delicious than before!

Meanwhile, the burly men around, while watching the spectacle, were also busy eating several bunches of grapes. Although the two baskets contained a lot of grapes, they were barely enough to fill the stomachs of the hungry group. By the time Crazy Old Ma came to his senses, only a few spoiled grapes remained at the bottom of the bamboo basket…

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