The birth of an actor

Chapter 84 A Sip of Wine
He wasn't sure exactly how old Wang Shuo was, but... judging from his appearance, he must be over thirty.

Xu Jinglei's age... seems to be at most in her early twenties.

To put it bluntly, it's an older man marrying a younger woman...

Men's energy gradually declines after the age of thirty. Shouldn't people in middle age take measures to nourish their kidneys?

Could it be that Wang Shuo...

"Oh? You actually know that?"

Wang Shuo's tone held a hint of a smile as he casually asked:

"Is that thing particularly common in Northeast China?"

"Well, it's not that bad. I don't know about other places, but it's quite common in my area. My grandfather was a mountain herder, and I've been going to the mountains with him since I was little. We often see ginseng and deer antlers. We also see minks, but those have become increasingly rare in recent years, and even if we do see one, we usually don't actively hunt them. At most, we'll set a few traps..."

"...?"

Wang Shuo, who was scratching his chin, was startled and subconsciously looked in the rearview mirror.

Unfortunately, it was dark and the car lights weren't on, so he couldn't see clearly.

So, for the first time, he turned his head and looked An Xin up and down:

"Mountain herders? ...The kind of ginseng traders who call ginseng 'clubs' and live off the mountains?"

"Well, how should I put it... Teacher, you can think of it this way: after all, to laymen, everyone is just making a living off the land. But there are differences. Ginseng diggers only dig for ginseng; they have their own system, with some people responsible for digging and others responsible for finding customers to sell to. So they are very specialized. But mountain hunters dig for ginseng, collect herbs, harvest deer antlers... they do everything. If you really want to explain the difference in detail, just think of it this way: one only sells apples, while the other sells all kinds of fruits."

"Yo?"

Wang Shuo was genuinely surprised.

He turned his whole body around:

"Is your family professional mountain climbing enthusiasts?"

"Yep."

"Is it still being done?"

"Do it."

"..."

After receiving a reassuring response, he thought for a moment and asked:

"And what about harvesting deer antlers? Do you really just catch a deer and cut off its antlers?"

"Yes, before the antlers are fully ossified."

"So how exactly do you distinguish them?"

"The distinction... is actually based on the season. Generally, it's from June to August, when the antlers aren't yet hardened... that is, when they're just beginning to harden. At that time, the velvet antlers are just growing two branches, which is when they start to fork. The velvet antlers harvested at that time are the best."

"...Is it a wild deer? Or a farmed one? These kinds of animals are farmed, aren't they?"

"Yes, some people will lease an entire mountain and fence it off to raise deer. But my family doesn't raise them. We set traps ourselves in the mountains. There are deer trails in the mountains, the animal trails that deer usually walk on. We set traps on them and lie in wait. If we catch a female deer, we release her, and if we catch a male deer, we castrate him."

"Is it easy to catch?"

“They’re not easy to catch. You might only catch two or three every one or two months. After all, they’re wild, and there are too many uncertainties. So my grandfather usually just goes with the flow, and he doesn’t sell the ones he catches; he just eats them himself.”

"Ok?"

Wang Shuo was stunned:
"Eating at home?"

"correct."

Why not sell?

"It's not necessary."

A relieved shrug:

"There are many good things in the mountains. If you work hard, you can get a few clubs and some birch velvet in the summer and that will be enough to cover your expenses for the year. Wild deer velvet has no yield. You can only cut a hundred or so pieces at most in a year. It's hard work to go up the mountain, so it's best to keep it for your own health."

"...Have you ever eaten it?"

"I eat it every day."

"...????"

The reassuring answer left Wang Shuo, who had grown up in Beijing, completely dumbfounded:

"Eat it every day?"

"Correct."

"...Do you eat it every day now?"

"Uh, not now."

After saying the first part of the sentence, he felt relieved.

That's alright... Come to think of it, how could someone possibly eat such precious wild deer antler slices every day?

But just as I was pondering this, I heard a sentence:
"I live at school now, and it's not convenient there. So I can only make some soup on Fridays and Saturdays."

"..."

Wang Shuo was speechless again.

Given his status, what couldn't he get his hands on?

That's nonsense.

However, he didn't pay attention to these things before.

They don't care.

Young people, who would use this?
If my buddies see this, they'll probably laugh at me.

but……

As people get older, it's not just their mouths that soften.

"So what we consider precious is like cabbage to you?"

"Ha, pretty much. It depends on how you look at it... My grandfather was the type who would keep the good stuff for his own family first. But some people would just sell it for money after harvesting it."

"Haha, he's just a doting grandpa, isn't he?"

"Correct."

"Does that thing... really work?"

"Absolutely. Putting everything else aside, just take deer antler as an example. I only drink a pot of chicken soup with two pieces of deer antler at most per meal. Any more than that, and it'll make me feel too hot. When I was little, I didn't know any better and would grab seven or eight pieces of deer antler to soak in water and drink. After drinking it, my whole body would turn red, and I wouldn't feel cold even standing naked in the yard in the dead of winter. And deer antler isn't actually the most nourishing part. The most nourishing part is actually the blood from the deer's heart. That's the blood squeezed out of the heart after killing the deer. At most, you'd get a small cup of that from a single deer. That's the most nourishing part. It used to be specially supplied to the palace. It was one of the main ingredients in the elixir of longevity and prosperity that Emperor Kangxi took... It really can prolong life, and it's about the same price as old ginseng..."

Anxin picked out some interesting things to talk about, unaware that Wang Shuo was becoming more and more interested in listening.

They even stopped treating Anxin like a child and started communicating with her as an equal.

Intrigued, he thought for a moment and couldn't help but ask:
"So...do you have any at home right now?"

"Deer antler slices?"

"Yes." "There are."

After Anxin nodded in agreement, she didn't even wait for him to speak before asking directly:
"You want some? I'll get you some later?"

"...Wild?"

"Yes. Purely wild."

"Okay...get me some...of course, I won't take it for free, just name your price."

"no, I'm fine."

Anxin smiled and shook her head:
"It's just something from my own home, not worth much. Consider it... an apology for breaking those sunglasses. If you want some, I can get you some to try. It really works. You can also buy it from a pharmacy. Although farmed and wild ones do have slightly different effects, the latter is milder and suitable for long-term use."

"Hey, what are you talking about? How could I possibly take advantage of you..."

With a "bang," the car door was pulled open.

"Old Wang, Anxin, you're gone... but I'm right here. Anxin, come back with me, I'll return the book to you."

Xu Jinglei got on the bus and noticed An Xin sitting in the back, so she took the initiative to speak.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Shuo said:

"That's perfect, let's go eat first. I'm hungry too."

Xu Jinglei was taken aback.

I was a little surprised that my boyfriend was willing to have dinner with a child he had just met.

You know, even Feng Xiaogang and his buddies have to ask him out three days in advance if they want to have dinner with him.

Why did you change your temper today?
But she didn't think much of it and said with a smile:

"Alright, let's go together then. Anxin, how have you been lately?"

"fine……"

After she got on the bus, Wang Shuo didn't say much.

It was mostly her and Anxin who were talking.

They mostly talked about filming and the crew.

They didn't go far to find a place to eat; they arrived at a small, unassuming restaurant.

The two seemed to be frequent visitors to this place; as soon as they entered, the owner quickly ushered them into a private room.

After ordering a few dishes, Wang Shuo also ordered two bottles of beer.

Xu Jinglei didn't stop her, and took out a box of Marlboro cigarettes on her own... But just as she was about to light it, she seemed to remember something and subconsciously glanced at An Xin.

But it only took one look before it snatched it up.

Then came a round of casual conversation about everyday matters, except the topic changed from "Princess Pearl" to "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

During this time, the waiter brought over beer.

Wang Shuo didn't think much of it. After pouring himself a cup, he poured one for Xu Jinglei and then pushed the last cup to An Xin.

Seeing this, An Xin quickly said:
"Teacher Wong……"

"Don't call me 'teacher,' just call me 'brother.' Calling me 'brother' makes me feel old!"

"Uh... Brother Wang, I don't drink alcohol. I have a congenital alcohol allergy."

A normal person, upon hearing this, would definitely say, "Then you shouldn't drink it."

But Wang Shuo is not like that.

He seemed unconvinced, or perhaps he didn't believe An Jing was allergic to alcohol, or something else entirely. He waved his hand, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"That won't do. Don't worry, what man goes out without drinking? Don't believe those doctors, what alcohol allergy? That's nonsense. It's the effect of enzymes. You know? Everyone has it in their body, it's just a matter of more or less. You have to train, especially since you're an actor. In the future, if any director or investor asks you to drink, can you refuse?"

As he spoke, he pushed a glass of beer toward Anxin:
"Drink less, take it one little at a time, practice more, and you'll get it."

"..."

Anxin's lips twitched.

I thought to myself, how can you train to do this?
The problem is, after the wine glass was handed to him, he picked it up on the other side:

"Come on, take your time drinking, let's have a drink."

Xu Jinglei nodded in agreement:

"It's just beer, but you really can't live without drinking in this circle... Come on, let's celebrate how destined we are, hahaha..."

Since both of them had said so, An Xin had no choice but to bite the bullet and raise her glass.

He knew what state he was in after drinking alcohol.

You don't even need a cup; one sip is all it takes to see immediate results.

I thought to myself, "Then I'll show you."

Just don't get scared.

So, I took a small sip.

Wang Shuo and Xu Jinglei seemed to drink frequently; the two of them downed a glass in one gulp.

After putting down his cup, Wang Shuo said:

"The director of your Renmin University Law School is my buddy..."

"Uh-huh."

Feeling the bitterness in my mouth, I knew with relief...

it has started.

Sure enough, three minutes later...

"...Don't worry, are you alright?"

Seeing the redness spreading from her face to her scalp, neck, and temples, with veins bulging and her skin even turning purplish-red, Xu Jinglei was dumbfounded.

"It's... not bad."

Despite the discomfort throughout her body, An Xin, with red eyes, politely shook her head.

"Is it really okay?"

"fine."

"No, don't drink anymore. Quick, drink more water."

"Uh... ok."

Then, when the first dish was served, the two of them watched as the boy, whose color was turning from purple to black, frantically chugging tea, and a sense of fear suddenly crept into their hearts.

Could something really go wrong?

He only took a sip of wine, how did it... turn out like this?
(It's the beginning of the month, please vote with your monthly tickets. It should be available for purchase in the next couple of days, with updates ranging from 8 to 1 words. Please give it your support!)
(End of this chapter)