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Seeing that it was someone known to Si Niang, and a young gentleman at that, Xing Ruyi couldn't help but take another look. The man had a handsome appearance, but there was an air of mischief about him. It wasn't that he was a bad person, but his intentions were not pure; he was certainly not someone Si Niang could associate with or trust.
"Do you know him?"
Xing Ruyi lowered her voice and quietly asked Li Siniang.
Si Niang also replied in a low voice, "It's not what you think! He is a neighbor of the Li An family. We met briefly last night; I believe we disturbed him when we arrived at our carriage late at night."
"That's good to hear!" Xing Ruyi sighed in relief. "Since there is a guest, I will take my leave now."
"Wait a moment, he is here to buy Medicinal Wine, and you are the expert on that," Si Niang said as she walked out. "I just heard from Bell that the gentleman is here to buy Medicinal Wine. May I ask what kind of Medicinal Wine you are looking for?"
Li Nan did not expect to encounter Li Siniang so soon. Seeing Si Niang smiling and speaking to him with her gentle and melodious voice made his heart race. He took a few deep breaths before speaking, "So you are the proprietress of this Tavern!"
"I am indeed the proprietress of the Li Family Tavern! You need not be polite; just call me Si Niang!" Li Siniang said, pointing to a row of wine jars against the wall. "Here I have Goji Berries Ginseng Wine, made from Ginseng, Goji Berries, Rehmannia, and other Chinese medicinal herbs mixed with white liquor. It can strengthen the spleen and nourish the heart, calming the mind and enhancing intelligence. I noticed your silhouette last night; you must have been studying. This Goji Berries Ginseng Wine would be perfect for you."
Upon hearing that Li Siniang had seen him last night, Li Nan felt an inexplicable flush rise to his cheeks and instinctively waved his hand. However, this gesture was misunderstood by Li Siniang.
"If this Goji Berries Ginseng Wine isn't suitable, I also have another Medicinal Wine here that strengthens the kidneys and waist. It is carefully blended from Xianmao, Xianlingpi, Yangqi Stone, honeycomb, and other seventeen herbal medicines. Just a small amount daily can achieve the goal of nourishing the kidneys and enhancing vitality." As soon as Li Siniang finished speaking, she noticed Li Nan's face turning red to his ears and smiled: "You are a scholar; naturally, you might find it difficult to hear such straightforward introductions from me. However, I assure you that this Medicinal Wine is legitimate business; it is recognized by many pharmacies in town, so you need not feel embarrassed."
Si Niang continued, pointing towards the backyard: "When you arrived earlier, you must have seen that my shop mainly sells Peach Blossom Wine. This Medicinal Wine is not sold individually; it is usually sold directly to pharmacies to save some trouble. However, since you came seeking medicine and are a close neighbor of my brother's, I thought it best to introduce it to you without reservation."
"I understand! I understand!" Li Nan said softly as he cupped his hands in greeting. "Actually, I came today to buy Medicinal Wine for my mother. She heard from others that Sister Si's Family has excellent Medicinal Wine and specifically asked me to get some since she knew I was coming into town for business. Although I am a scholar, I am not well-versed in wines or spirits; that's why I requested Bell's Maiden to ask you for recommendations."
"So it's for your mother!" Li Siniang smiled shyly. "To be honest, I only have three types of Medicinal Wine suitable for women here. The first is Ejiao Wine, which has excellent effects on nourishing blood and stopping bleeding while moisturizing dryness; it's a great health tonic for women looking to strengthen their bodies and enhance beauty but is generally more suitable for younger women. The second type is Rose Wine, made from fresh rose petals; it helps soothe the liver and stomach, promotes circulation and relieves pain—if your mother often experiences chest tightness or depression, like frequent sighing, she might want to try this Rose Wine. The last type is Four Substance Wine; its principle is similar to the Four Substance Soup used in traditional medicine and is made primarily from Angelica, Rehmannia, Chuanqiong, and White Peony. If a woman has a pale complexion lacking in color or often feels cold in her hands and feet during winter, she can drink this Four Substance Wine."
Li Nan listened in confusion and felt increasingly unsure about how to choose.
"My mother generally has good health but tends to get heaty easily and often suffers from back pain. Is there any Medicinal Wine here that addresses these symptoms?"
Just as Li Siniang was about to answer no, Xing Ruyi unexpectedly spoke up first: "Yes! Besides the three types of Medicinal Wine Si Niang just introduced to you, there is another one that is particularly suitable for elderly people."
"Who is this young lady?" Li Nan's attention, which had been focused on Li Siniang, was drawn to another girl who emerged from behind the curtain. Her beauty rivaled that of Li Siniang, perhaps even surpassing it by a few degrees. His gaze involuntarily fell upon Xing Ruyi's small face, tightly wrapped in a cloak.
In terms of facial features, Xing Ruyi was not as stunning as Si Niang, but the aura she exuded was something uncommon among ordinary women. For a man like Li Nan, who was accustomed to the women of the Golden Tang Dynasty, this made her particularly attractive.
"This is the Fox Demon, our Li Family Tavern's head Shopkeeper, and also one of the top Madam's at Ruyi Cosmetic Shop in Luoyang City," Li Siniang introduced, stepping behind the Fox Demon.
Xing Ruyi carried herself with an air of authority befitting her status as Madam. At that moment, she was hugging her arms to keep warm, standing straight, which only enhanced her commanding presence.
"Since Si Niang knows me, there's no need for formality. Just call me Fox Demon," she said.
"So it's Ruyi!" Li Nan had never paid much attention to Rouge and Face Powder and was completely unaware of Ruyi Cosmetic Shop. At that moment, he was merely showing respect due to Si Niang's presence and Xing Ruyi's attractive face. Xing Ruyi could naturally see through his thoughts; however, her focus was not on Li Nan but rather on the girl standing behind him with puffed cheeks.
From her features, the girl bore some resemblance to Li Nan. If there were no connection between them, Xing Ruyi would not believe it.
The girl noticed Xing Ruyi's gaze and looked up at her in confusion. Xing Ruyi smiled gently.
This smile was originally meant to convey goodwill to the girl, but in Li Nan's eyes, it took on a different meaning. He paused slightly, feeling conflicted about whether to continue pleasing Si Niang or shift his attention to Xing Ruyi. His thoughts drifted further away until they formed a perfect image in his mind: on his left sat Zhou Family Daughter, on his right was Xing Ruyi in an embrace, and in front of him stood Si Niang, smiling like a flower as she massaged his legs.
Due to using Ghost Technique, Xing Ruyi's perception was extremely sharp at that moment. Naturally, she caught glimpses of the images in Li Nan's mind. She frowned slightly and shot him a cold glance. Li Nan shivered unexpectedly and shrank his neck before continuing, "What kind of wine did Ruyi just mention?"
"This wine is called Safflower; it is made from safflower herbs and is particularly suitable for elderly people. However, the ingredients are rare and hard to find, making its production quite complicated and limited in quantity. Therefore, it is not sold publicly. It’s normal for Si Niang not to recall it immediately."
"Safflower...?" Upon hearing the word "Safflower," Li Nan became visibly uncomfortable.
"Yes, Safflower!" Xing Ruyi deliberately looked at the girl.
The girl appeared to be around three or four years old and wore a red outfit embroidered not with auspicious symbols like bats but with safflowers. The color of the flowers closely matched that of her red clothing; if not for Xing Ruyi’s Ghost Eye ability, one might hardly notice the difference.
"This Safflower has properties that promote blood circulation and relieve pain; it can prevent and alleviate common ailments among the elderly. If you think it's appropriate, I can have Si Niang fetch some."
"Is that... suitable?" Li Nan squeezed the cloth bag at his waist containing coins; only one corner remained stiff. "I just heard from Ruyi that this medicinal wine made from Safflower is not sold publicly. So if I were to purchase it, wouldn't that be inappropriate?"
As soon as Li Nan finished speaking, Xing Ruyi saw the girl extend her hand and point to Li Nan's waist, then said to her, "Li Nan only has a few coins left and can't afford to buy the wine from Maternal Family!"
Xing Ruyi smiled and shifted her gaze to Li Nan's face, saying, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether it's suitable or not. Since this Red Flower Wine has been made, it's meant for people to use. Coincidentally, there’s an extra jar of Red Flower Wine; it would be a pity to let it go to waste. As they say, distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors. Since you are Si Niang's Brother's neighbor, it wouldn't hurt to give it to you."
"Are you saying you want to give it to me?" Li Nan's face lit up with joy.
"Of course it's a gift. Are we going to sell it? That would be slapping Li Family Tavern in the face," Xing Ruyi replied, exchanging a glance with Li Siniang.
Si Niang, although unaware of Xing Ruyi's intentions, echoed her words: "Since our esteemed Shopkeeper has spoken, please take this Red Flower Wine. If it's good, help us promote our Tavern; if it's not good, please bear with us."
"Not at all! I appreciate it!" Li Nan felt a bit embarrassed but was secretly pleased at the thought of getting this Medicinal Wine without spending any money. He contemplated visiting the market later with the remaining coins to buy something nice for that girl named Bell, hoping to gather some useful information in the future.
Though Xing Ruyi couldn't know all of Li Nan's thoughts, she guessed some of them. Thus, she felt a bit disdainful towards this seemingly humble man who was actually selfish and dark-hearted. However, out of respect for the girl behind him, she refrained from expressing her feelings openly.
"This Red Flower Wine requires special storage conditions, so it isn't kept inside the Tavern. Please return home first; later, Fox Demon will send someone to deliver the wine to your house."
Li Nan had already asked Bell at the door and knew that only the two women were working in the Tavern. So when he heard that Xing Ruyi would send someone to deliver the wine to his home, he naturally assumed that it would be Li Siniang doing the delivery. He raised his hand politely and said, "In that case, I appreciate your trouble!"
Xing Ruyi didn't want to engage further with this man and turned to enter the house. However, as she went inside, she intentionally flicked her pinky finger lightly towards the girl.
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