With potato chips and spicy strips in hand, Lin Feng sat in the warm wooden house, eating crispy potato chips and chewy spicy strips, but he still felt that something was missing.

What's missing?

He frowned, deep in thought. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind like lightning!

It's a beverage! It's "happy water"!

In my past life, what could be more satisfying and joyful than enjoying strong-flavored snacks like potato chips and spicy strips with a sip of ice-cold Coca-Cola?

The feeling of that bubbly, sweet, and cool liquid sliding down your throat is simply the ultimate pleasure!

"Coca Cola……"

Lin Feng muttered to himself, a strange light flashing in his eyes.

Once this thought arises, it grows like wild grass, impossible to suppress.

He missed that taste so much.

But then he gave a wry smile. Making Coca-Cola? That was simply a pipe dream!

He knew that Coca-Cola's formula was a trade secret and involved many complex flavorings and extracts, such as coca leaf extract, kola nut extract, and so on. Where was he supposed to find these things?

Not to mention that carbon dioxide is needed to achieve that bubbly texture.

"Sigh, it seems like I was just daydreaming." He sighed, preparing to dismiss this unrealistic idea.

However, just as he was about to give up, a strange feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

His brain was struck by an invisible force, and then a flood of complex information rushed into his mind!

The information was incredibly clear and detailed, and it was all about... about the production process, formula principles, flavor combinations, and even the possibility of some alternative materials for Coca-Cola and similar carbonated beverages!

The feeling came so suddenly and so intensely that Lin Feng was stunned for a moment, and the spicy strip in his hand fell to the ground.

He felt as if his brain had become a high-speed database, with countless fragments of knowledge about chemistry, botany, and food engineering rapidly combining, arranging, and analyzing.

He saw the shape of coca leaves, smelled the unique aroma of kola nuts, learned how caramel coloring was made, and even "saw" the primitive method of using certain natural yeasts and sugars to ferment and produce carbon dioxide!

This "emergence of knowledge" lasted for about ten minutes. When the strange feeling gradually subsided, Lin Feng found himself drenched in cold sweat, but his eyes became unusually bright, filled with unbelievable ecstasy and excitement!

He didn't have time to delve into the reasons, nor did he care whether it made sense.

At this moment, the crystal-clear blueprint for making "Cola" in his mind was already making his blood boil!

Although he knew it was impossible to completely replicate the taste of Coca-Cola from his previous life, the knowledge that came to his mind pointed him toward a path to create a "wilderness version of happy water" with a similar flavor and taste by utilizing existing resources!

"Great! This is fantastic!" Lin Feng paced back and forth in the wooden house excitedly, his face beaming with an uncontrollable smile. He felt like an explorer who had obtained a mysterious treasure map, eager to uncover the treasure.

The next morning, Lin Feng couldn't wait to get started.

Based on the knowledge that came to him, he compiled a long "list of ingredients," most of which were plants or minerals that he had never heard of or seen before.

He knew this would be an arduous and challenging journey to find the materials.

First, there's the core flavoring agent. He naturally had no idea about the mysterious flavoring agent of Coca-Cola in his previous life.

But the knowledge in his mind provided some natural plant combinations that could mimic similar complex aromas.

This includes several leaves and peels with citrus aromas, a bark with a blend of cinnamon and clove scents, a vanilla-scented pod-like fruit, and a rootstock that provides a slightly bitter and unique herbal flavor.

Secondly, there are sweeteners. This is relatively easy; there is plenty of honey, and syrups can also be extracted from certain sweet plants.

Then there's the pigment. He needs a safe, natural pigment that can be formulated to produce a dark brown color similar to that of cola.

The knowledge in his mind pointed to several plant fruits or tree bark that could be boiled to produce caramel-colored or dark brown liquids.

The most crucial element is the carbon dioxide that produces the bubbles.

He couldn't use industrial methods, but he could try fermenting certain wild yeasts and sugars to produce carbon dioxide in a sealed container and dissolve it in a liquid. This required precise control of temperature and fermentation time, making it extremely difficult.

There are also acidity regulators.

Citric acid is commonly used, but he needs to find some wild fruits with higher acidity to replace it.

Lin Feng, carrying a bow and arrow, an iron knife, and various gathering tools, rode on the White Moonlight, with Wangcai leading the way and White Jade responsible for carrying any "raw materials" they might gather. They set off in a grand procession.

This quest for materials proved to be more difficult than he had imagined.

His first destination was a warm valley he had passed through before, filled with all sorts of exotic flowers and plants.

According to the instructions in his mind, there might be several kinds of plants with special fragrances that he needed growing there.

He spent several days traversing the valley, carefully identifying the shape and smell of each plant. When hungry, he ate dry rations; when thirsty, he drank mountain spring water.

At night, they rest in a makeshift shelter under the protection of the white moonlight and white jade.

He found a shrub with glossy leaves that, when crushed, released a rich blend of lemon and sweet orange aromas, which met his need for citrus spices.

He also discovered a tall tree with dark red bark. Scraping off a small piece revealed a strong aroma of cinnamon and cloves, which was exactly the "cinnamon clove wood" he was looking for.

The hardest to find is a vanilla-flavored "vanilla bean substitute".

According to the voice prompt in my mind, it grows on damp, dark cliffs. It is a climbing vine with slender fruits that emit a charming sweet fragrance when ripe.

Lin Feng spent two whole days, risking falling off a cliff, to find a few of these precious vines on a rock wall next to a waterfall that was rarely visited by people, and luckily collected more than a dozen mature dark brown "vanilla pods".

As for the root that provides a bitter and herbal flavor, he dug up a plant root that was ugly in appearance but had a unique aroma, buried deep in the mud on the edge of a swamp.

The process of finding the pigment was also quite arduous. He tried various dark-colored fruits and barks, some of which produced the wrong color when boiled, while others had an unpleasant odor.

Finally, on the edge of a burned-out forest, he discovered a special kind of hardwood that had been charred but not completely burned by fire.

When this wood is boiled in water for a long time, it produces a nearly black liquid with a faint smoky caramel flavor, which barely meets the requirements in terms of color and taste.

The acidulant was found in a woodland full of various red and purple berries.

He tasted dozens of berries and finally found a small red fruit with extremely high acidity and a refreshing fruity aroma, which he named "Sour Prickly Fruit".

Finding wild yeast was like finding a needle in a haystack. He collected the white powder from the surface of various plants, as well as some naturally fermented fruits, and took them back for cultivation and selection.

This search for materials lasted for nearly half a month.

When he returned to the cabin, covered in all sorts of strange "raw materials," he had lost a lot of weight, but his eyes were unusually bright, filled with the joy of his harvest and the anticipation of the "great experiment" that was about to begin.

Back in the cabin, Lin Feng immediately transformed himself into a mad "alchemist" or "chemist".

He transformed a small storage room next to the wooden house into a temporary "laboratory," which was filled with various pottery jars, stone mortars, wooden barrels, and various "raw materials" he had collected.

He began by processing the spices. He dried and ground the citrus leaves and bark of cinnamon clove into powder, and carefully split open the vanilla pods to scrape out the fragrant black seeds inside.

The roots and stems that provide the bitter taste are sliced ​​and dried by him.

He mixed these different spices together according to a certain proportion that came to mind, trying to create a harmonious and unique complex aroma.

This process was full of repeated trials and adjustments. He kept smelling and even taking small sips to experience the subtle chemical reactions between different spices.

The preparation of sweeteners is relatively simple. He uses pure honey and also tries to boil syrups from some high-sugar plant roots and stems.

Extracting the pigment was also quite laborious. He split the charred hardwood into small pieces, boiled it in spring water for a long time, filtered out the impurities, and obtained a pot of dark brown concentrated liquid with a smoky caramel flavor.

The most difficult challenge is undoubtedly the production and integration of carbon dioxide.

He mixed the various samples he collected, which were suspected to contain yeast, with sugar water and placed them in a warm place to cultivate.

A few days later, some samples began to bubble, emitting an alcoholic and fermented sour smell.

He carefully selected the yeast with the strongest fermentation ability and the least odor, and named it "Happy Yeast".

Then, he began to try secondary fermentation in a sealed container.

He found some large earthenware jars that had been fired previously, which were hard and had good sealing properties. He mixed the prepared "cola concentrate" (a liquid mixed with flavorings, sweeteners, colorings, and acidulants) with the cultured "happy yeast" and an appropriate amount of sugar, then poured the mixture into the earthenware jars and sealed the mouths tightly with animal hides and melted beeswax.

The next few days were a long and agonizing wait.

He placed the sealed earthenware jars deep in a cellar where the temperature was relatively constant, checking on them daily, fearing something might go wrong. He both looked forward to success and feared failure.

At the same time, he faced a new problem—the container for the "happy water".

While the earthenware jar was usable, it wasn't transparent enough to observe the air bubbles inside, and the taste wasn't good either. His ideal container, naturally, was the crystal-clear glass bottle he'd lived in before!

This is not difficult for Lin Feng, who is skilled in glassmaking.

After several days of hard work, the first barely acceptable "glass bottle" was finally born!

Although it is somewhat crooked in shape, has uneven walls, and some bubbles and impurities on the surface, it is indeed a transparent glass container that can hold things!

When sunlight shone through the rough glass bottle, casting dappled shadows on the ground, Lin Feng was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes.

This is not just a bottle; it represents creation from nothing, a mastery of the laws of nature, and a glimmer of civilization!

With the experience of the first success, the subsequent production went more smoothly.

He gradually mastered some skills, and the quality of the glass bottles he made improved. Although they still couldn't compare with modern industrial products, they were sufficient for his use.

He also tried making some bottle necks with spiral patterns and used the same method to make simple glass bottle caps.

Just as he was immersed in the joy of making glass bottles, it was time to open the fermenting "happy water" in the cellar.

He carefully took out a sealed earthenware jar and nervously pried open the seal.

"Pop!"

With a soft sound, a wisp of white gas escaped from the mouth of the can, followed by a unique aroma that blended complex fragrances with a faint scent of alcoholic fermentation.

Lin Feng couldn't wait to pour some liquid into a newly made glass.

The liquid was a beautiful deep brown, shimmering in the sunlight. To his even greater surprise, when he swirled the glass, he could see tiny, fine bubbles slowly rising from the bottom!

He took a deep breath, and with immense excitement, brought the cup to his lips and carefully took a sip.

The cool liquid glided across the tip of my tongue, and an indescribable, complex flavor exploded in my mouth!

First comes the perfect sweetness, followed by a unique blend of various spices—the freshness of citrus, the warmth of cinnamon, the allure of vanilla, and a subtle hint of bitterness and herbal freshness.

What surprised him most was that when the liquid slid down his throat, the tiny bubbles jumped and burst on his tongue and throat wall, bringing a tingling and pleasant sensation!

Although the taste of this "wild version of happy water" is still somewhat different from the Coca-Cola he remembers.

It has less of the purity and domineering nature of industrialization, and more of the natural ruggedness and layering. Moreover, because it is naturally fermented, it also has a faint fermented flavor similar to fruit wine.

But that sweet taste, that stimulating effervescence, that complex aroma was enough to bring back seven or eight tenths of the feeling of "happy water"!

"I did it! I really did it!"

Lin Feng excitedly downed the "happy water" in his cup, then couldn't help but roar to the sky, venting his ecstasy and excitement.

He immediately and carefully filled these initially successful "happy waters" into his newly made glass bottles, sealing them with glass caps and melted beeswax.

Since it's early winter and the weather is cold, there's no need for refrigeration; these bottled "happy waters" are naturally cool.

He picked up a bottle, held it up to the sunlight to admire the dark brown liquid and the tiny bubbles slowly rising inside, and a childlike, pure, and satisfied smile appeared on his face.