Osmanthus Travels

Shen Zhiyi, once renowned throughout the land as the "Immortal of Wine," burned down her distillery and "died in the flames" to the sorrow of the whole city.

With a horse at her side and a wicker trunk in hand, she left the world behind with the man who had once sent a chill through fourteen provinces with a single sword, concealing their identities and wandering the jianghu.

Gu Qingshang, who traveled by her side, was the most feared swordsman in the jianghu.

Now retired from the sword, he let only peach blossoms and dew touch his scabbard. He rarely spoke, but always understood her. When she wanted to brew wine, he picked flowers and fetched water for her. When she wanted to hear a story, he kept watch over the warmth of everyday life for her.

They passed through Peach Blossom Town in the northwest, where they met a storyteller who used bitter wine to drown out years of longing.

They crossed old homes in Jiangnan, where they encountered avengers whose souls had been hollowed out by revenge.

They stayed in a small city ravaged by plague and witnessed the purest kindness in the face of despair.

They saw the power struggles at court, and the most resilient lives deep in the desert.

Shen Zhiyi said that no wine in this world is bitter by nature.

Behind every bitter cup is someone who refuses to let go, and a past kept hidden from the world.

Peach blossom wine holds an unfulfilled marriage pact; bitter bamboo wine contains a hatred that cannot be set aside; finger citron wine is brewed with a loyalty torn between two impossible choices; green plum wine is raised in honor of an innocence that will never fade...

Every jar holds a tale of ordinary life, and every story captures the joys and sorrows of human relationships.

After savoring every flavor the world had to offer, they returned to the little courtyard planted with osmanthus trees.

Amid a rain of osmanthus blossoms, Gu Qingshang poured her one last cup of wine.

It turned out the finest scenery was never far away. It was the person by your side, the wine in your cup, and the years spent together.

#RetiredFromTheJianghu #HealingAndRedemption #BrewerHeroine #TaciturnHero #EpisodicStory #EnsembleCast

Theme: Using wine to witness the many faces of human life. This book tells the story of a retired brewer and a swordsman wandering the jianghu, making special wines for people with troubles in their hearts. Through stories of obsession and letting go, regret and reconciliation, sacrifice and steadfastness, it conveys compassion and respect for ordinary lives. May everyone making their way through the world find peace with themselves amid life's many flavors, and understand that the best place to belong is not somewhere far away, but beside the people who stay with you year after year, amid the warmth of everyday life.