Spring Wine Town

Early April, in the season of budding spring, the peach blossom forest of Spring Wine Town was awash with clusters of delicate pink buds, each cradling a tender yellow heart, blooming in captivating beauty. As the peach trees burst into bloom, their buds became the prized ingredient for brewing the town’s celebrated spring peach blossom wine. The villagers, whose livelihood depended on winemaking, would always climb the hills at this time of year to gather the freshest petals.

Ye Rui carried a bamboo basket slung across her body, its bottom lined with two layers of soft cloth. With gentle precision, she plucked the petals from the peach branches, placing each one carefully into her basket. The subtle and refreshing fragrance of flowers filled the air, and as she gazed at the freshly gathered, rosy petals, she wiped the fine sheen of sweat from her pale brow. Judging that enough time had passed, she turned to make her way down the mountain.

But as she stepped onto the soft grass and had barely left the forest behind, she caught sight of a familiar figure up ahead—Chun Xing.

Her closest friend since childhood.

Amid the riot of peach blossoms, Lin Chunxing spotted Ye Rui at once, her face lighting up as she hurried over, patting her chest in relief. “Ruirui, thank goodness I found you! Are you still using your wooden picker? Lend it to me for a bit, will you?”

Ye Rui noticed that her friend carried only a bamboo basket, her hands empty. She handed the wooden fork over with the ease of long habit, asking, “Where’s yours? Did it break again, or did you forget it?”

Chunxing accepted the tool with a grin. “I forgot it. It’s rare for me to get a day off and stay home, and I hadn’t planned on coming up the mountain for peach blossoms this afternoon. But my mother insisted, scolding me for being lazier than a pig!”

She continued, “I couldn’t bear her nagging, so I thought I’d rather climb the mountain and find you. But I left in such a hurry, all I brought was my basket. I remembered the fork only when I reached the foot of the mountain.”

Both young women worked at the town’s distillery. Ye Rui had requested leave in advance to prepare for her upcoming engagement, and today was her first day off. Chunxing happened to be off as well, and Ye Rui had asked if she’d like to join her in gathering peach blossoms that afternoon. Chunxing, ever the shirker, had tried to avoid it, but fate had other plans.

Listening to Chunxing’s cheerful complaints, Ye Rui was amused, her lips curving into a gentle smile. Her delicate face lit up, and a faint dimple appeared in her pale cheek, as sweet as wine itself.

Chunxing, in the midst of protesting her mother’s nagging, was momentarily caught off guard by her friend’s dimpled smile, drawing in a breath as she stared. The girl before her had a petite, oval face, porcelain skin, and soft, beautiful features. Even in her simple attire, the sight of her smiling amid the flaming peach blossoms made the entire forest pale in comparison.

For a moment, Chunxing was transfixed. But then, recalling that her lovely friend would soon be formally engaged, she huffed softly, muttering to herself that Zhou Qingyuan was truly a lucky man.

To marry Ye Rui, her dearest friend—he must have accumulated lifetimes of good fortune.

Ye Rui, noticing Chunxing’s shifting expressions, chuckled. “What’s going on in that little head of yours?”

Chunxing blurted out, “I was just thinking how lucky Zhou Qingyuan is to marry you. If he ever treats you badly, I’ll be the first to object!”

At the mention of Zhou Qingyuan, her soon-to-be fiancé, Ye Rui’s lips curved upward, her eyes crinkling as she replied softly, “All right. If he ever wrongs me, you’ll stand up for me.”

Chunxing waved the wooden fork with gusto. “You bet! I’ll knock some sense into him with this!”

Ye Rui burst into laughter, her eyes shining like crescent moons.

Amid the exuberant peach trees, the two young women exchanged playful words, then turned their attention back to gathering petals.

Ye Rui had meant to descend the mountain, but upon meeting Chunxing, she stayed to help. Chunxing, true to her brash nature, gathered petals in a haphazard rush. Satisfied with her haul, she patted her basket and took Ye Rui’s arm, ready to head down.

Following the winding path through the peach forest, they could see, halfway down, a massive stone marker at the town’s entrance, etched with the name “Spring Wine Town” in bold, commanding strokes.

The main road into town was wide, paved, and impeccably clean, flanked by tall, lush locust trees. In the heat of summer, the thick shade was the perfect refuge for townsfolk. When their chores were done, the local women loved to gather at the entrance to chat and cool off.

When the locust trees bloomed, women and children would pick the flowers to take home and steam into fragrant rice.

As evening approached, a few women sat under the locust trees at the town’s entrance, waiting for their children to return from school, their hands never idle. Each had a shoebox on her lap, filled with various beaded hair ornaments, which they strung together with deft fingers.

As Ye Rui and Chunxing entered the town, the women’s eyes fell on them, and, remembering Ye Rui’s impending engagement, they exchanged admiring words while their nimble hands continued their work.

“Once the Zhou and Ye families finalize the engagement, there’ll be a grand celebration. Spring Wine Town will be bustling with joy, and we’ll all share in the happiness.”

“Indeed! And honestly, you couldn’t find a more perfect match for miles around than the Zhou boy and the Ye girl.”

“Rui is famous for her beauty and skill at the distillery. Qingyuan, learning traditional medicine from his father, will inherit the family clinic. He’s gentle and refined. Once these two are married, their life together is sure to be harmonious and blessed!”