That's exactly the point! :) It's a kung fu movie cliché. The master gives overwhelming tasks to the youngster. To teach him patience and humility. To learn that he should react calmly in any situation. This is exactly the reason for the expensive wine, chasing chickens three days in a row, stamina training, etc. It's a lesson to learn.
Martial arts are learned slowly, you have to do things you don't understand and slow down. If you think about it more deeply, these everyday things that Ryo has to do delay his revenge. They will help him rethink things. I don't think the story was ever about revenge. I don't even think Ryo will ever beat Lan Di anymore. Although he is a quick learner and has talent, Lan Di is much more experienced.
In the Ryan Payton interview, he says he argued with Yu Suzuki about exactly how much the wine and the scroll should cost. He was sure that this will angry the most gamers, but he still lost the argument with Yu Suzuki. Even if he was proved right in the end, given the reaction of the people, I think in the long run Yu Suzuki will have the last laugh. The ideas in Shenmue 3 will be appreciated in the future.
Thus, the game gives a message to people far more strongly than other games do. I'm older (39) and it's easier for me to take these lessons in patience. I even caught 1000 fish the honest way! Тhis is nothing!
I don't know what I would think of these paywalls if I was 20 or 25....
In any case, Suzuki's idea of provoking the young people works. The point is that not every young man is ready to take on the challenge to strength his mind. Anyway, making money in Shenmue 3 is extremely easy. Instead strengthening their minds, people come up with mods like Shenmue Kiwami, where there is no stamina system and jobs give you triple money. Everyone wants the easy way!
There is nothing wrong with using cheats and Kiwami mods, but the first playthrough of the game should be genuine. It has a message.