Both Lin Zhen and Song Wei carefully took note of everything, planning to try their hand at roasting tea with lower-quality leaves in the future.
The tea leaves were fully processed by the next day.
The small, tender leaves had turned a deep green, slightly curled, with most of their fragrance locked inside.
But when brewed, the leaves unfurled in the clear water, returning to a beautiful, vibrant green, and the aroma burst forth, refreshing and invigorating.
The tea turned out to be unexpectedly good. The great-aunt told them that the quality of this tea was comparable to the finest teas she had tasted in the past.
The seven or eight pounds of fresh tea leaves yielded only one and a third pounds after roasting. While this amount might not sound like much, tea leaves are incredibly light, so the quantity was actually quite substantial.
For Song Wei and Lin Zhen, this amount of tea could last them several months.
They gifted the great-aunt the extra three ounces of tea.
The great-aunt quickly waved her hands in refusal. “You can give me the lower-quality tea. That one is also quite good.”
“Great-aunt, please take it. There are still a few tea trees in the mountains. We plan to go pick more tomorrow morning and should be able to gather another ten pounds or so.”
Hearing this, the great-aunt’s face lit up with joy, her wrinkles bunching together as she smiled. “Good, good! Based on your description, I’d guess those tea trees are over a hundred years old. Such high quality is rare. You must protect those trees well.”
“But it’s a pity there are so few. If the environment there is suitable for tea trees, you could take cuttings from the old trees and propagate them. While the new trees won’t be as good as the old ones, the quantity will increase significantly.”
Song Wei nodded. “Great-aunt, why don’t you come with us? It’s a bit far and deep in the mountains, but if you trust us, we can ensure your safety.”
She could tell the great-aunt was eager to see the tea trees.
The great-aunt rubbed her hands together. “I don’t want to trouble you. I’ll have my eldest son come along.”
“It’s no trouble.”
Still, they needed to prepare a few things.
There were many snakes and insects in that area, so they decided to ask Old Man Ji if he had any repellents.
The great-aunt went back to prepare, while Lin Zhen stayed home to cook. Song Wei went to ask Old Man Ji herself.
“Where’s Old Man Ji?”
He wasn’t at the small clinic, only Xie Tian was there, organizing herbs.
Xie Tian was a schoolteacher, but his schedule was more flexible. When he didn’t have classes, he would come to Old Man Ji’s clinic to help and learn.
Xie Tian said, “He went to see a patient. He should be back soon.”
“What do you need?”
Xie Tian was a man of few words. For some reason, Song Wei always felt he was somewhat insecure, even avoiding showing his face.
“I wanted to ask Old Man Ji if he could make some snake and insect repellent.”
“We have some. I can prepare it.”
With that, Xie Tian busied himself.
Old Man Ji didn’t charge money or tickets for his medical services. In return, the villagers occasionally brought him food or went into the mountains to gather herbs for him.
However, most people didn’t know how to identify herbs, so Old Man Ji had taught them a few common and easily recognizable ones.
The rarer herbs were either obtained from Song Wei or purchased by the brigade captain from other places.
This was actually Xie Tian’s first time preparing medicine for someone. He had memorized many prescriptions, but he was still nervous.
“These… these should be the right ones.”
He was so nervous that he stuttered.
“But… maybe we should wait for Old Man Ji to confirm.”
As he spoke, he quietly took out a pendant he wore around his neck and held it in his palm.
It was a fish-shaped piece of jade, not of the highest quality, but quite charming.
His mother had given it to him, and whenever he felt scared or nervous, he would hold it in his hand.
Just then, Old Man Ji returned.
After learning what Song Wei needed and carefully examining the medicine Xie Tian had prepared, he nodded.
“Not bad. It seems you’ve memorized those prescriptions well.”
At his age, with no children of his own, Old Man Ji was delighted to have found such a promising successor. He had been teaching Xie Tian everything he knew without holding back.
Xie Tian smiled faintly at the praise.
“Take these herbs and grind them into powder.”
“Okay.”
Xie Tian set down the pendant and was about to step forward when Old Man Ji’s eyes caught sight of it. He froze, then suddenly stood up and grabbed Xie Tian’s shoulders, his voice trembling with excitement.
“Where… where did you get this?”
Both Song Wei and Xie Tian were stunned.
Song Wei thought to herself, “There’s drama here!”
She immediately perked up, her eyes fixed on Old Man Ji and Xie Tian.
Xie Tian, nervous, lowered his head, his ears turning red.
Realizing he had startled him, Old Man Ji quickly softened his voice, though his hands and voice still shook.
“Good child, tell me, where did you get this pendant?”
Xie Tian whispered, “My mother gave it to me.”
Though his voice was soft, Old Man Ji heard him clearly.
“Your mother… what’s her name?”
“She… she’s called Ji Guiyu.”
As he said this, he himself paused, realizing that her surname was the same as Old Man Ji’s.
“Then… do you know your maternal grandmother’s name?”
Xie Tian nodded, gripping the pendant tightly, his voice trembling. “Grandma… her name was Yan Huan.”
Hearing that familiar name, Old Man Ji burst into tears, laughing and crying at the same time.
“After all these years, I’ve finally found you. Finally found you.”
Song Wei muttered softly beside them, “I knew it.”
This was definitely a family reunion!
Judging by Old Man Ji’s age, he had lived through the era of war and chaos.
In those times, it was all too easy for families to be separated.
Clearly, Old Man Ji was one of those cases.
Song Wei made herself as inconspicuous as possible and listened to a heartbreaking love story.
Old Man Ji and his wife had been well-matched, childhood sweethearts with a deep bond.
But less than two years after their marriage, war broke out in their city.
As members of a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, the men in their family who knew medicine were forcibly taken by the local warlords.
By the time he returned, his home was gone, reduced to a ruined courtyard, and his wife was nowhere to be found.
Before he could even begin to search for her, the war flared up again, and he, along with the remaining members of the Ji family, fled the city by boat. From then on, he never found any trace of his wife.
Now, Old Man Ji cried like a child.
“I went back to look, but everything had changed. All my friends and relatives were scattered, and when I returned, there wasn’t a single familiar face left. The Ji family estate was long gone.”
He had even prepared for the worst—that his wife and many family members had perished in the war.
For all those years, he had never remarried.
“Your grandmother… how is she now?”
Ji Guiyu, Ji Guiyu…
This must be their child.
So, she had been pregnant back then. But fate had been unkind, keeping them apart for so long.
Xie Tian said, “Grandma… she… she has already…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. Old Man Ji could guess the rest.
Though he had mentally prepared himself for this possibility, he still felt his vision darken and his breath grow labored. He staggered, nearly fainting.
Song Wei quickly helped him up, while Xie Tian frantically pressed on his人中 (the philtrum, a pressure point believed to revive someone).
Old Man Ji cried again, his spirit utterly broken.
It was truly pitiful to see.
After waiting and searching for so many years, finally receiving news in his old age, only to learn that she had already passed away.
This was a devastating blow for anyone.
Song Wei couldn’t help but console him: “Old Man Ji, you need to stay strong. Your grandson is right here.”
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