Chapter 010: Xiang Yuanyuan

It was only because Du Ruo was just beginning his training, practicing stance work and basic routines, without yet touching the core techniques, that he hadn't yet delved into the essential skills. Still, he understood well the importance of medicinal wine to those who train in martial arts.

There’s a saying—the poor write, the rich fight—because martial arts require tremendous energy, a huge consumption; you eat more and must eat well. You even need expensive supplements and medicinal wine. Without these, training either damages the body or must progress painfully slowly.

When Du Ruo returned home and tasted the golden cherry wine his mother brewed, an idea sparked within him. But the medicinal wine needed for martial arts isn’t something one can simply make; it requires knowledge of pharmacology. So he set it aside for the time being, never expecting to meet an expert today.

“Wait a moment, I’ll go have a word with her.”

Thinking the proprietress might have medicinal wine suited to his needs, Du Ruo abandoned any further interest in admiring her figure. He spoke a word to Yang Chenguang, then got up and walked toward the proprietress. Now, in Du Ruo’s heart, aside from family, martial arts was his utmost priority.

“Huh?”

Yang Chenguang was stunned by Du Ruo’s sudden move. He had only intended to bring Du Ruo here to relax and enjoy the view; he hadn’t actually expected Du Ruo to pursue her.

Of course, you admire a beauty together with your best friend, and might encourage him to chase her, but if he actually does, you start feeling sour. If your friend really succeeds, it hurts worse than losing everything. It’s the classic dilemma: you want your brother to avoid hardship, but you fear him driving a luxury car.

“Hello, Madam, may I have a few words with you?”

Du Ruo approached the small table and spoke softly. After he spoke, he wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the tavern seemed to quiet down a bit.

“Oh? Hello, please sit. Is there something wrong with our wine?”

The proprietress turned, surprised someone would strike up a conversation, but she quickly smiled and asked Du Ruo.

This was the first time Du Ruo saw her face clearly: almond-shaped, lightly made up, with a dignified grace reminiscent of a queen, the kind that exudes nobility. The flush from wine enhanced her already exquisite features with a hint of allure.

“Well... I noticed you have many medicinal wines, so I wanted to ask if you have any that invigorate the blood and strengthen the bones.”

Seeing the proprietress’s face and her voluptuous figure, Du Ruo felt his heart skip a beat. Fortunately, he had decent self-control and suppressed his random thoughts, focusing on his purpose.

“We do have wines to invigorate the blood. You can try safflower wine—it’s good for blood circulation and bruises. As for strengthening the bones, we have something, but it’s a bit expensive.”

The proprietress, Xiang Yuanyuan, glanced at Du Ruo with curiosity before answering.

She’d been here a long time; it wasn’t that no one had pursued her, but they’d all been scared off—not because she was cold or unfriendly; in fact, she treated people kindly.

“What about the wines for external application? Preferably something that both invigorates the blood and strengthens the bones.”

Du Ruo realized he’d found the right person and quickly explained his needs. In modern society, it’s rare to meet someone knowledgeable about this.

“For external use? Why don’t you just tell me what you need it for?”

Xiang Yuanyuan asked, then took a large sip from her glass and picked up a peanut with her chopsticks.

“I like practicing martial arts, and I need medicinal wine to aid my training.”

Du Ruo’s answer was straightforward. There’s nothing odd about it; nowadays, plenty of people practice martial arts as a hobby, and it’s normal to pair it with medicinal wine.

“In that case, aged tiger bone wine works well for external application and martial arts training. The issue is, it’s hard to obtain legally, and it’s expensive.”

Xiang Yuanyuan sized up Du Ruo again before speaking.

“Do you have it? What’s the price?”

Du Ruo instinctively drew in his stomach as Xiang Yuanyuan’s gaze swept over him. He’d only been training a short while; though his old beer belly had shrunk, it hadn’t disappeared.

“I don’t have it here, but I can get it. One bottle, two hundred thousand.”

As she spoke, Xiang Yuanyuan picked up a ceramic bottle, refilled her empty bowl, and raised two slender fingers, stained with a few drops of wine.

“Uh... I don’t need something that high-end right now. Do you have anything cheaper, with moderate effects?”

Du Ruo was startled by the two fingers, swallowed nervously, and asked again, his voice much quieter.

He’d heard of the famed tiger bone wine; if it’s genuine, the price is worth it. But he wasn’t sure yet if medicinal wine would work for him, and his wallet was thin. Two hundred thousand for a bottle, likely just a jin, was far beyond his means.

“Then snake wine. It’s not hard to get. Two jin bottles, five thousand each.”

“Do you have snake wine now? I’ll take one.”

This price was just within Du Ruo’s budget. He planned to try one bottle and see how it worked.

“Alright, enjoy your drink first. I’ll bring it over later. Here, let’s add each other on WeChat. I’m Xiang Yuanyuan. There are quite a few precautions for using snake wine; I’ll send them to you.”

Seeing Du Ruo ready to buy, Xiang Yuanyuan was pleased and smiled, taking out her phone to exchange contacts.

“So, what did you two talk about? I saw you exchanged contacts.”

When Du Ruo returned to his table, Yang Chenguang couldn’t help but ask.

“Nothing much. I just asked about medicinal wine and bought a bottle. This place is lively—so many people came in while I was chatting with her.”

Du Ruo didn’t elaborate, but as he spoke, he glanced around the tavern and noticed that three more tables had filled up during his short conversation with Xiang Yuanyuan.

“That’s normal. The proprietress is beautiful, and there’s a rumor online that a drink of medicinal wine here after hiking helps your legs recover faster. So the customers keep coming. The guesthouses around here owe their thriving business to this tavern.”

Yang Chenguang wasn’t surprised at all. As he spoke, he glanced at Xiang Yuanyuan’s figure, then warned Du Ruo, “Just take it easy. She’s gorgeous, no doubt, but do you know why she’s still single?”

Now, Yang Chenguang was no longer encouraging Du Ruo but was eager to share some truths, perhaps hoping Du Ruo would reconsider.

The human heart is complex. Half an hour ago, Yang Chenguang was egging Du Ruo on, but he hadn’t expected Du Ruo to be so bold, approaching her straight away and seemingly having a good conversation.

“Why?”

Du Ruo was curious too. It’s natural to be interested in a beauty; that’s human nature. Even as Du Ruo’s mind was focused on the effects of medicinal wine, his curiosity about the proprietress remained undiminished.