Chapter 721: Seeking Alms

Da Mai's adjustment of her daily routine was very successful. Of course, this had nothing to do with Wang Yan; it was mainly because Da Mai herself could persist and had perseverance. She didn't waste her time during the day and was really invested when writing, instead of teasing the cat for a while and swiping her phone for a while. This allowed her to finish writing during the day and have a certain amount of time to think, which was very rare.

Because there are always people who neglect time and only realize it's too late when the time comes.

"Morning, Wang Laoshi." Da Mai greeted Wang Yan, who had returned from his morning exercise, full of energy.

"Morning." Wang Yan nodded, put the breakfast he brought back on the dining table, walked over, and took a look, "Eating noodles again?"

"No, today it's Master Kong's braised beef noodles; the previous few days were dried noodles, it's different." Da Mai corrected very seriously.

"Different?"

"Very different!"

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh: "Boil some more; let's eat together anyway."

"Okay! Should I transfer some meal money to you? I feel embarrassed eating the breakfast you buy every morning."

"It's fine. I eat your noodles every morning anyway, so there's no need to calculate so clearly. Oh, Ma Ye is up." While talking to Da Mai, he just saw Ma Qiushan walking out of the door with a cup, looking sleepy.

Ma Qiushan swayed and tapped his head: "Wang Laoshi, you can really drink."

Da Mai curled her lips and chimed in: "Ma Ye, Wang Laoshi didn't drink much; it was you who drank too much, and you couldn't be stopped—bottle after bottle after bottle."

"Is that so? I remember Wang Laoshi drinking with me?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "We drank together, but you just kept punishing yourself. Da Mai isn't lying; it really was bottle after bottle after bottle."

Ma Qiushan poured a cup of tap water, drank it down in one gulp, washed his face with the water, and asked: "Can the Eight Brocades you taught me relieve a hangover?"

"Of course, that's a skill for regulating energy and nourishing the body. Not to mention relieving a hangover, as long as you practice those moves until they are proficient and form muscle memory, they even have a certain combat ability. In a one-on-one fight against someone who isn't familiar with the routine, you can basically knock them down in two moves. If you can apply it to the point of perfection and learn to parry, you can beat others until they are crying for their mothers even if they are familiar with the routine. Of course, the premise is that the physical fitness of the two people is on the same level, and it must be hand-to-hand combat."

"Really?"

Da Mai was a bit distrustful. There was no way around it; after all, martial arts fighting isn't fresh, and the 'Lightning Five Whip' was beaten until his nose was bruised and his face was swollen, which became a joke on the internet for a while. The kung fu Wang Yan gave could not only strengthen the body but also fight? It was hard for people to believe.

"Why would I lie to you? It can indeed be achieved."

Ma Qiushan rubbed his temples and asked: "How long does it take to practice to the level you said?"

"It depends on talent—shortly two or three years, longly eleven or twelve years, it's not certain. Don't think of kung fu as too divine; it's just seeing who has a better body and who reacts faster, and only then is it a matter of moves. The body is defense, reaction is evasion, and coordinating with moves is offense. People who can succeed in two or three years, if nothing else, their reaction must be faster than ordinary people. With this fast reaction ability, and then exercising the body, whether it's boxing or Sanda, they can all practice well and form combat effectiveness."

"Alright, enough talk. Now, a slap is worth twenty thousand yuan; what's the use of knowing how to fight? Hurry up and practice; eat a meal after practicing and you'll be fine. Da Mai, you go practice too. I'll handle the instant noodles; hmm, how about stir-fried noodles? Let's change the way of eating."

Now it was still the stage of boiling water. Da Mai very decisively abdicated and let the virtuous take over: "Okay, then you do it, Wang Laoshi. I'll go practice kung fu and strive to become a generation of heroines one day."

Da Mai shouted and followed Ma Qiushan, who had a headache, into the courtyard, learning Ma Qiushan's movements in a four-unlike way.

Ma Qiushan had already learned almost everything these two days. He believed in Wang Yan and was relatively interested in these things. He estimated that he was practicing kung fu in his brain while meditating these two days. Da Mai, of course, also trusted Wang Yan more, but she had more of a playful mentality. People who write novels have active brains and are willing to accept some things. Anyway, she was very happy learning in a crooked way. Although her actual age was twenty-eight, because she hadn't experienced much in the world and her experience wasn't rich enough, her psychological age was still a bit behind—just a little girl...

After he prepared the ingredients and finished stir-frying the Master Kong braised beef noodles with the big ladle, Ma Qiushan and Da Mai finished their practice, and Nana also woke up in a daze.

"Da Mai, how was the practice?" Nana asked her good friend with a flushed face.

"It's okay. Anyway, I feel hot all over. The range of motion isn't that big, and the activity isn't intense, but look, I'm sweating. Look at Ma Ye; he's sweating even more. It definitely has an effect. When you have time, practice it too." Da Mai jumped over the threshold of the side room full of energy and asked, "Wang Laoshi, is sweating a normal phenomenon?"

Wang Yan nodded: "I said before that you would have a bad stomach for a while. It might be more serious in the first two days, but it won't affect your mental state, and it will get lighter and lighter later. It will be fine in about half a month. When you practice this kung fu and don't sweat, but just see redness on your face and your spirit is restrained, that means you have thoroughly succeeded."

Ma Qiushan calmed his breathing and asked: "Is my amount of sweating normal?"

"Normal, it's just weakness. As the saying goes, 'Middle-aged people have no choice but to soak goji berries in a thermos.' You'll be fine after practicing for three to five months."

"That's fine. Hey, what kind of look are those two girls giving? I'm already forty; how can I be like a young man? Annoying." Ma Qiushan had already accepted it and could say he couldn't do it. Moreover, he was at the lowest point of his life, so he didn't care about so much, so he looked at it relatively openly. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, hurry up and eat. Don't say, today's practice was more proficient; although my head is still a bit dizzy, it's much stronger than before, and now my appetite is wide open."

Amidst the laughter, the four sat at the dining table. Buns, fried dough sticks, porridge, tofu pudding, stir-fried instant noodles, and that big pile of specialties—this breakfast was still very rich.

Nana sighed: "If we eat like this every day, I'm afraid I'll be out of shape in another two months."

"Nana, from the perspective of this middle-aged old man, you aren't fat at all; you're so thin you're almost like a pole—it's not healthy." Ma Qiushan said casually and didn't say much more, turning to ask, "Wang Laoshi, where do you plan to play today?"

"Hongdou was tired from climbing the mountain yesterday, so we won't go out today; let's rest for a day."

"That's good. You've been here for several days and basically haven't stayed in our courtyard. I observe the sky today—it's cloudy, and it's likely to rain heavily. It's just right for you and me to drink tea by the window and listen to the rain. I wonder what Wang Laoshi thinks?"

"That is what I wish, I dare not ask." Wang Yan nodded with a smile.

Nana and Da Mai felt a chill; this feeling of modern people pretending to be ancient was not very friendly to bystanders, giving people a feeling of pretending to be cool...

After everyone finished eating, it started to drizzle in the sky. Nana went to work after washing up, and Wang Yan and the other two also washed up and stayed in the side room.

Wang Yan and Ma Qiushan sat opposite each other on the sofa. He was fiddling with his computer, Ma Qiushan was preparing to make tea with the tea set, and Da Mai was sitting on a high stool by the window, with her computer on a square table made by the window, supporting her chin and looking at the circles on the ground.

【Novel app that has been running stably for many years, the source-changing app that is used by all old versions, huanyuanapp.】

At this time, Xu Hongdou ran to the side room holding an umbrella. Before she could speak, Da Mai opened her mouth: "Hongdou, you're awake? Wang Laoshi specifically left breakfast for you; it's still hot on the table. Hurry up and eat."

Xu Hongdou met Wang Yan's deep eyes and returned a sweet smile. While sitting at the dining table and fiddling with her breakfast, she said: "I originally thought about sleeping in, and when I woke up, it would be sunny, but I was woken up by the sound of rain. But Wang Laoshi, it's really a coincidence today; otherwise, this kind of weather isn't suitable for going out."

"Right." Wang Yan nodded and smiled, "It's fate; even the heavens are giving you face. You're not going out, so it's cloudy and raining."

"Look at what you're saying, too unreliable." Although she said so, Xu Hongdou still smiled until her teeth showed, and she said, "What are we eating for lunch?"

"Look, Hongdou is really tired; she hasn't finished breakfast yet, and she's already thinking about lunch." Ma Qiushan laughed and poured a cup of tea for Wang Yan, "Come, Wang Laoshi, this is the special-grade golden needle Dianhong that Xie Zong gave me; the quality is very good, it has..."

"Diuretic, anti-inflammatory, detoxifying, refreshing, promoting fluid production and clearing heat, strengthening the stomach and regulating the intestines to aid digestion, delaying aging, lowering blood sugar, lowering blood pressure, lowering blood lipids, anti-cancer, anti-radiation effects."

Hearing Wang Yan say a long string, Ma Qiushan was stunned for a moment and gave a thumbs up: "Expert."

"Can't count as one, just know a little." Wang Yan laughed, picked up the small teacup, rolled it three times, circled it three times, sipped it with a slurping sound, nodded, said "not bad," and then looked at Xu Hongdou who was waiting for his answer, "What goes best with a rainy day?"

Da Mai chimed in: "Dove chocolate?"

"Da Mai, you have to examine the question. Can chocolate be eaten as a meal?" Looking at Da Mai's serious answer, Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh, "Of course, hot pot goes best with a rainy day. What do you guys think?"

"I think it's fine." Xu Hongdou nodded.

Ma Qiushan said "Hey": "I think it's fine too. You guys don't know, I haven't eaten it since I came here, mainly because there aren't so many people to be lively together."

Da Mai said weakly: "What if the rain stops at noon?"

Wang Yan waved his hand with a laugh: "No need to be so rigorous; even if it rains fire, we have to eat hot pot at noon today. Da Mai, you don't want to eat?"

"No, no, I was just saying that. I haven't eaten hot pot for a long time either; I want to eat mutton." To show she didn't not want to eat, Da Mai ordered the dishes first.

"No problem. After I finish drinking tea with Ma Ye, I'll drive to the city to buy vegetables, and buy dinner together too."

"Oh my, it's raining so hard, why run so far to buy vegetables?" Auntie Agui walked into the room nimbly, "Tell me what you want to eat, and I'll get it back for you. It's free; I'll give it to you to eat. Don't go out on a rainy day, and driving—how unsafe it is."

"Thanks, Auntie Agui, but we still have to go. We want to eat hot pot, right? Mutton slices, meatballs, etc. —it's not easy to get them in our village, right?" Wang Yan waved his hand and laughed, "It's raining so hard, why did Auntie Agui come over? It's very clean, no need to be busy."

"How can that be? A-Yao pays me 1,500 yuan a month, so I have to do a good job with hygiene. Don't say it's raining; even if it's raining knives, I have to come if I'm supposed to. A-Yao isn't easy; I have to support his work." Auntie Agui was quick-spoken, and her actions were even more decisive. While talking, she took a broom and started sweeping the floor, "You people from big cities are really interesting. When can't you eat hot pot? Why do you have to drive so far to buy things when it's raining so hard? Are you cold? There are some firewood here; should I burn some for you?"

Seeing that Auntie Agui was about to burn fire, Ma Qiushan hurriedly stopped her: "No need to be busy, we aren't cold; this is fine. Besides, if we burn fire, our rooms don't have it, and the rain outside isn't small. Alternating between cold and heat makes it easy to get sick. Auntie Agui, I see it's very clean here; why don't we drink tea and chat together?"

"That's fine, anyway, I have nothing to do." Auntie Agui stood in place, looked around, nodded with satisfaction, and sat down next to Wang Yan. She was quite curious about these city people messing with a computer and clattering away; she wanted to see what this was for.

"Wow, these photos are beautiful. Oh, right, right, I forgot, you're a photographer. A-Yao asked you to film a promotional video, right?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Auntie Agui, you're so well-informed?"

"The village is only so big. My old man works at A-Yao's horse farm, and A-Yao's company also works there. He's close, so he hears it when he comes out and goes in. Hey, you professional photographer, can you take one for me? I'll send it to Da Yang and Xiao Qing to take a look. They are my son and daughter, both working in Qingdao..."

There was no need for anyone else to ask; Auntie Agui kept chattering by herself, and her voice was loud.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Of course, wait a moment, I'll go get the camera."

Very quickly, he went and returned, took the camera, directed Auntie Agui to stand and pose, and took a bunch of pictures. One sheep is driving, a group of sheep is grazing; he also took a pile for Ma Qiushan and Da Mai, then sat back to process the post-production.

Auntie Agui looked at the photos on the computer: "Just send them to me; what are you doing?"

"Retouching—it's to make the photos look better." Wang Yan explained simply.

Wang Yan was working for her, so Auntie Agui didn't talk to Wang Yan anymore, but turned to chat with Xu Hongdou, Da Mai, and Ma Qiushan, talking about her simple life principles and warmly caring for them.

Ma Qiushan and Xu Hongdou were easy to talk to—two idlers. Wang Yan watched Da Mai struggling there, wanting to hold her computer and go back, but feeling embarrassed, sitting there listening to Auntie Agui's loud voice, politely masking her hopelessness.

After all, writing is, of course, the quieter the better. Being able to find quiet in the brain is also a precious ability, but she couldn't stand people chatting...

Fortunately, Da Mai's pain didn't last long. Wang Yan quickly finished the photos and sent them to Auntie Agui.

"Tsk tsk tsk, don't say, Wang Laoshi, you professionals are really different. If you have time another day, can you take a few for me and the children's father?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Of course."

"I'll remember that; you can't fool an old woman."

Xu Hongdou on the side couldn't laugh or cry: "Auntie Agui, don't worry, he will definitely take them for you."

Auntie Agui nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and said: "I can't let you take them for nothing. You guys wait; I'll get you some vegetables to eat. They're all from my own home, very fresh. It rained today; when the rain stops, there will definitely be many mushrooms on the mountain. I'll bring you some to eat then. Mushrooms aren't cheap; I take them to the city to sell, and every restaurant collects them."

Although Wang Yan and the others said no, no, no, Auntie Agui still turned a deaf ear, took her umbrella, and left the courtyard. She was a thorough chatterbox and a person of action.

Ma Qiushan shook his head: "This Auntie Agui..."

Xu Hongdou, who was still eating breakfast, laughed and replied: "Sincere!"

"Just too sincere!" Da Mai sat back by the window again, supporting her chin and conceiving the plot.

Wang Yan was smiling while drinking tea and retouching photos, chatting with Ma Qiushan off and on.

After a while, Ma Qiushan said: "Wang Laoshi, I don't know if you have any understanding of milk tea?"

"Don't like drinking it. Why, Ma Ye wants to make milk tea?"

Ideas aren't generated in a day. Wang Yan knew that Ma Qiushan was like in the original story, wanting to make tea drinks. Chatting about this with him now might be because he saw he was well-informed, or it might be because he saw he had money.

This old guy had been holding it in for two days and had been drunk twice, and finally couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Not milk tea, but tea drinks."

Wang Yan was very cooperative, frowning and saying: "Whether it's milk tea or tea drinks, it's already saturated, and it's long been a red ocean. Ma Ye, you must be cautious. If you're not careful, you'll be wiped out. I know you've done group buying before and engaged in knowledge payment, and finally failed in the sharing economy, losing everything. Now it seems Ma Ye hasn't given up yet."

"Hey, as the saying goes, 'Life is endless, struggle is endless.' As a boss, how can I be willing to work for others? Suffer that kind of grievance? I've been resting for almost a year, and it's time to come out again."

Seeing Xu Hongdou and Da Mai looking at him with suspicious eyes, Ma Qiushan waved his hand modestly, looking calm and natural. However, his state didn't last long before he suddenly raised his head and asked in confusion, "No, Wang Laoshi, I haven't told you this, right? How did you know? Did Xie Zong tell you?"

Wang Yan casually picked up the phone on the table and shook it in the air: "Ma Ye, we are now moving toward the intelligent era. As long as you have some achievements, there is information on the internet. We met for the first time, and I felt your speech was extraordinary and your temperament was outstanding. After knowing your name, I Baidu-ed it, and then I knew."

Ma Qiushan laughed, shook his head, and reached out to smooth his hair: "Oh, that's all in the past, all floating clouds."

While talking here, Da Mai had already swiped it out and was chanting: "Ma Qiushan, male, born in 1982... Wow, Ma Ye, you're really amazing."

Xu Hongdou also gave a thumbs up on the side, saying nice things: "I said so, I knew Ma Ye wasn't an ordinary person at a glance; I didn't expect you to be such a big boss."

"That's all in the past. No matter how big a boss, didn't I still go bankrupt?" Ma Qiushan waved his hands and said to Wang Yan with a laugh, "Of course I know that the tea drink market is a red ocean now. However, the tea drinks they promote aren't tea, but milk tea and fruit juice; there isn't a single one that makes proper tea drinks. Or there are, but they haven't developed. And tea drinks aren't just tea drinks; the store must be high-end, atmospheric, and classy, and it must provide people with a place for leisure and entertainment."

"Just like Starbucks?" Xu Hongdou, who had finished breakfast, walked over and sat down beside Wang Yan.

"Something like that. However, I plan to add a bookshelf, letting people drink tea, listen to melodious music, and read books quietly." Ma Qiushan closed his eyes in intoxication, his hands slowly spreading in the air, as if the scene he described had already been staged.

Da Mai said: "But you're a tea drink shop; in the end, you have to return to tea, right? Ma Ye, do you have a recipe?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile and continued: "And your kind of tea drink shop must be opened in the CBD to have a market. If the product isn't good, it becomes a place that provides leisure and entertainment for free. You can't drive people away, right? That rent isn't low."

Ma Qiushan poured tea calmly, picked it up, smelled it for a long time, took a sip after holding the posture, and then said, "Not talented, Ma is quite familiar with the tea ceremony, enough to study the recipe and get through the initial period. Later, when the situation improves, we can fully form an R&D team to develop various flavors of tea drinks. Or, if we can have a sum of capital to help, we can also invest in R&D in advance and do market research to strike accurately. In this way, a great cause can be achieved..."

Xu Hongdou gave a long "Oh," leaned her body to the left, and bumped into Wang Yan: "Wang Laoshi, I understand—Ma Ye is begging for investment from you."

"Indeed." Ma Qiushan nodded. Seeing Wang Yan counting with his fingers, he said with a laugh, "Wang Laoshi, you and I have known each other for more than four days. Some people make you believe them at a glance, and some people don't make you believe them even if you look at them for a lifetime. Wang Laoshi, Ma believes in you; I don't know if you believe in me?"

"Don't believe." Wang Yan shook his head.

Seeing Ma Qiushan's proud smile suddenly freeze, Wang Yan laughed and said: "Ma Ye, don't take it seriously; it's a joke. You believe in me, and naturally, I believe in you too. But in the final analysis, empty words are ultimately unproven. You open your mouth and touch the top and bottom, and come to me to seek alms—this isn't very realistic. You should study it again, come up with a concrete plan, and also bring out some recipes to let me see the possibility. When the time comes, we'll talk again. What do you think?"

"No problem, give me some time, I guarantee you'll see the results."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, raised his eyebrows at Xu Hongdou who obviously had something to say, and continued to drink tea.

As for Da Mai, she had been stunned on the side. What did I see? The legendary business negotiation? Two people who have only known each other for a few days are going to start asking for investment? And the other one didn't refuse, as if he really had the intention to invest? Where is the suspicion between people...

In fact, Wang Yan was very willing to invest money in Ma Qiushan, because he had already succeeded. He dared to invest money when he started, when he hadn't known Ma Qiushan for long. This might look like a fool in the eyes of others, but when Ma Qiushan succeeds, the feedback to him will be a series of good words, such as 'foresight,' 'unique vision,' 'knowing people,' etc. —a series of vocabulary that can be used to describe trusting others and having vision for the future, all of which can be used on him. That is properly pretending to be cool.

Ma Qiushan had nothing to say, sitting cross-legged on the sofa, frowning and thinking, already immersed in it. Da Mai was silently clattering away on the computer, and Wang Yan's phone chimed. Xu Hongdou, who wanted to speak but stopped, had been wanting to speak but stopped, and silently went to clear the dining table.

After drinking tea for a while, he finished retouching Ma Qiushan's and Da Mai's photos, sent them the high-definition original images, and received a series of praises. He stood up and stretched: "Let's go, let's go buy vegetables."

"I'll go with you." Xu Hongdou said.

Wang Yan shook his head: "No need. You just rest. It's raining outside; in case you catch a cold, it's really not worth it."

Da Mai raised her hand: "Wang Laoshi, why don't I go with you."

Under Xu Hongdou's meaningful gaze, Wang Yan waved his hand: "Even less need for you. You still have to work to earn money. I'll be fine by myself; I'll be back in a while, just wait to eat."

After saying that, he took his phone, held an umbrella, and walked into the wind and rain.

The remaining Xu Hongdou and Da Mai looked at each other, while Ma Qiushan was still obsessed with his own world, unable to extricate himself... ===== CHAPTER 722 =====