"Hold the bottom, and then cut here... Be sure not to cut it crooked, and then place the cut ones in this box... Do you understand?" Under the vines in the vineyard, Afra leaned against Jiang Hai, her face serious as she explained the steps to him. Unbeknownst to them, August had come and gone, and now it was September. Over 90% of the grapes in the manor were already ripe, and today marked the first day of the harvest.
Jiang Hai had been home for almost ten days since returning from Atlantic City.
He hadn't been idle during that time. First, he taught Jiujiu how to fly, then bought a dragon fish. A few days ago, after the fish tank was delivered, he set it up, spending an entire day adding water and letting it circulate. Although the water was pure groundwater, Jiang Hai followed his usual habits from China, letting it sit for five days before using his F650 to pick up the dragon fish.
In reality, letting the water sit for five days was somewhat unnecessary. In China, it's common practice to let water sit for at least four days, especially since most cities there use treated tap water, which contains substances like bleach. These chemicals not only cool the water but also kill most bacteria. Because of this, water is usually boiled before drinking, and fish tanks need to be prepared in a similar way to remove chlorine, which can harm certain fish.
However, Jiang Hai was unfamiliar with the water in Winthrop, but he knew his home was different. The water came directly from the Appalachian Mountains, and its quality was on par with premium bottled spring water in China. It could be consumed straight from the tap, though there was still some sediment, so each home had a fine water purification filter to ensure the water was clear and free of impurities.
For safety's sake, Jiang Hai still let the water sit for five days before bringing in the dragon fish.
The fish tank was connected to the second floor, where there was a lid through which Jiang Hai poured the fish. Before releasing them, he infused the fish with four pieces of spiritual energy. As for what the fish ate—small live fish—it was simple. There were plenty in the river, and if the river ran dry, the sea was always an option.
After a few days of careful attention, the dragon fish settled comfortably into their new home. Just as Jiang Hai thought he might finally relax, the grapes were ready for harvest. As the manor's owner, it was time for him and his companions, who were the least busy in the manor, to help pick the grapes.
"Uh..." Hearing Afra's instructions, Jiang Hai couldn't help but groan in embarrassment. To be honest, he hadn't really been paying attention to her earlier. She had been standing so close, and the soft scent of her body mixed with the gentle touch of her back against him, causing his mind to wander.
"What are you thinking about? If you want, I'll find you tonight," Afra said, noticing that Jiang Hai had paused too long. Then, feeling the warmth of his body, her face flushed.
If this were a normal situation, she might have been pleased by his attention, but now was not the time for such distractions. They were surrounded by their vineyard, and the grapes had to be harvested before they spoiled.
"Hey, you misunderstood," Jiang Hai said, quickly smiling awkwardly. "This is how you cut it, right? I know..." He picked up a bunch of grapes to cut, but before he could finish, Afra slapped his hand.
"You should cut here, at the roots, not the vines. Do you want it to grow grapes again next year? You can't cut it here!" she corrected, pointing out where he should cut.
Jiang Hai chuckled, scratching his head. "Got it," he said, then focused on cutting the grapes properly.
"Teacher, you must be tired. Take a break," called O'Connor Murphy from a distance, smiling as he placed a large box of grapes beside Dulles-Gerald, who was still working.
"It's fine," Dulles-Gerald waved his hand, though he was sweating heavily.
Despite his age and the minor ailments that usually plagued him, his health had improved since arriving at Jiang Hai's manor. The clean water and food infused with spiritual energy had worked wonders, alleviating his small health issues and gradually improving his physical condition.
"This harvest can't be finished in a single day," O'Connor said, his tone playful as he urged Dulles to take a rest. "You still need to prepare for the brewing process."
"Alright, alright," Dulles said with a smile, "I didn't expect we'd harvest so many grapes this year."
"Yeah, neither did I," O'Connor agreed, inspecting the vineyard with satisfaction.
When grapes are first planted, they typically focus on growing the vines during the first year. In the second and third years, a small amount of fruit appears, and then the peak production happens. However, they had planted four-year-old grape vines in March, so it was expected that this year's harvest wouldn't be too significant. But Jiang Hai's land proved to be special—grapes harvested in the first year already rivaled the amount expected after five or six years of growth.
"Not only is the quantity impressive, but the quality is fantastic. I'm confused—aren't we growing Cabernet Sauvignon? How is it so good?" O'Connor said, picking a grape and popping it into his mouth. The moment the grape hit his taste buds, a wave of sweetness and tartness burst forth, its flavor far superior to what he had anticipated.
Dulles nodded, though his expression showed concern. "I'm a little worried. It'll be tricky to remove the sugar."
Grapes for winemaking differ greatly from those meant for eating. Eating grapes are sweet and delicious, while winemaking grapes tend to be sour, with astringency that makes them unpleasant to eat. The process of winemaking requires removing the sugar from the grapes, which can alter the flavor profile.
"But that's the thing," Dulles continued with a smile. "As Jiang Hai said, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Once the wine is brewed, we'll know if it works."
O'Connor agreed, his smile returning. "Right, no point in worrying yet. We'll know more once we've brewed a batch."
The grapes could still be sold as they were. With the large harvest, Jiang Hai could make a good profit even without making wine. However, if they managed to brew wine, the profit would be even greater.
By the time the morning picking session ended, Jiang Hai and the others had filled more than 30 boxes with grapes. And that was just from one-tenth of the vineyard.
After lunch, the weather was still a bit hot, so they took a break before returning to the vineyard. Inside, they began the traditional winemaking process: removing the grapes from the vines and throwing them into large wooden barrels. According to Dulles, this was an ancient technique, though some found it... unpleasant.