The more impressive part is yet to come.
On the way to the old tea mountain, snakes would occasionally appear out of nowhere.
Before anyone could even notice, the eaglet would swoop down, catch a snake, and fly up into a tree with it.
“My goodness, that reaction is incredibly fast! I didn’t even see there was a snake hiding over there!”
Lin Dayou once again looked at the eaglet with fervent admiration.
“Niece-in-law, is your eaglet male or female? Could I raise one like it in the future?”
Song Wei: “I don’t know. I can’t tell.”
Birds don’t have as obvious distinguishing features as mammals, and Song Wei couldn’t tell either.
“Chirp!”
The eaglet called out to Song Wei, then lowered its head to start eating on its own.
Lin Dayou said enviously, “You know, all the animals you raise seem to need feeding when they’re young, but once they grow up, they basically hunt on their own in the mountains. They don’t require any effort and even bring back prey.”
Although Lin Zhen raised many wolves, everyone was still envious.
After all, those wolves were truly capable.
The younger ones were even guided by the older ones.
“You only see how impressive they are, but have you noticed how Lin Zhen and Song Wei take them into the mountains to practice hunting? How many people in our brigade dare to bring their dogs into these mountains? If they run into a black bear, tiger, or wild boar, wouldn’t that be deadly?”
Lin Dayou was chastised by his wife and could only smile awkwardly.
Song Wei smiled without interjecting.
After walking all morning, they finally arrived at the tea mountain.
The environment here seemed somewhat out of place compared to the forest, but it was truly beautiful.
Under the sunlight, the mist-shrouded mountain looked like a fairyland.
As the mist gradually dispersed, tall tea trees stood tall, with vibrant green tea buds and older leaves clearly distinguishable in color.
“The tea leaves are so beautiful and fragrant.”
The tea aroma was so rich that everyone took deep breaths, feeling their minds clear up.
The early spring had brought forth an abundance of tea buds, and it seemed they had arrived at just the right time. The trees were covered with new buds, and under the sunlight, one could clearly see the faint golden veins on the leaves.
Even Song Wei was surprised.
The batch of tea leaves they had picked last time didn’t have these faint golden veins.
“Why does it feel different from what we picked last time?”
Lin Dayou also scratched his head in confusion.
Song Wei: “Although I’m not sure what’s going on, it doesn’t seem like a bad thing.”
So the three of them began climbing the tea trees to start picking.
“Only pick the tender buds. Don’t damage the older leaves or break the branches.”
Lin Dayou’s wife reminded them, as her mother-in-law had repeatedly emphasized before they left.
These century-old tea trees were treasures, and even damaging a single branch would be heartbreaking.
“Got it.”
Picking tea leaves, especially only the tenderest tips, was a test of patience.
Moreover, the tea leaves were truly difficult to pick.
After all, the parts to be picked grew at the very top. Those climbing the trees not only had to be skilled at climbing but also had to maintain their balance while picking the leaves.
Hours passed, and the cloth bags hanging from their chests weren’t even full.
“We can’t reach the ones higher up.”
The top branches of the tea trees couldn’t support their weight.
“Let me try.”
Song Wei couldn’t pick all of them either, but she could reach more than the other two.
“Brother Dayou, Sister-in-law, you go pick from the other trees.”
“Alright.”
Almost the entire day was spent on this task.
The wolf pack went off to play or hunt in the forest on their own. The eaglet occasionally flew over to find Song Wei, and when bored, it would fly off to hunt.
At one point, it even caught a mouse and tried to feed it to Song Wei.
Song Wei firmly declined.
“It’s getting late. Let’s all head back.”
“After picking all day, we only got this little amount. These tea leaves are really hard to pick.”
Lin Dayou looked crestfallen.
“I probably haven’t even picked four pounds.”
Song Wei: “I estimate I’ve only picked about five or six pounds.”
“Same here.”
After a full day, the combined tea picked by the three of them amounted to only eleven or twelve pounds.
Song Wei: “This kind of tea probably costs several hundred per pound.”
Hearing this, Lin Dayou’s eyes widened.
“That expensive?!”
Song Wei nodded: “Grandma said this tea is just as good as those famous varieties. The expensive teas in the Friendship Store sell for two or three hundred for a small can, and those cans aren’t even as big as my palm.”
Hearing this, Lin Dayou stopped complaining and looked at the tea as if it were treasure.
“But our tea isn’t well-known yet. Grandma said this tea is a new variety.”
Once it gains recognition, tea from these century-old tea trees will be even more expensive.
When they returned home, Grandma was already waiting at Song Wei’s house.
“Quick, let me see.”
The elderly woman couldn’t wait. When she saw the faint golden veins on the tea leaves, her eyes lit up.
“This is excellent. The finished tea will surely be beautiful!”
Her hands itched to start processing the tea right away.
“Grandma, why is this batch different from the one we picked last time?”
Song Wei asked.
Lin Dayou and his wife were also very curious.
The old woman chuckled happily, looking at the tea leaves as if they were infinitely more precious than her own son.
“The wonders of nature are beyond our comprehension. Just like maple leaves, which are green in summer and turn a beautiful red in autumn, tea trees naturally have their own growth patterns.”
She busied herself, even refusing help as she spread the tea leaves on small bamboo trays.
Over the next few days, Song Wei and the couple went into the mountains whenever they had time to pick the remaining tea leaves.
Some were simply too high to reach, so they had to leave them.
Grandma adored these tea leaves. When the first batch was processed, everyone was amazed.
The curled tea leaves had turned a deep green, with dark golden patterns emerging on their surface.
Grandma laughed heartily: “Excellent, this tea is truly exceptional!”
Song Wei was eager: “Let’s brew some.”
Grandma hesitated: “Wouldn’t that be a waste? This tea should be carefully stored. The longer it’s kept, the better and more valuable it becomes. Premium tea can be more expensive than gold per gram.”
Song Wei: “We can store some, but isn’t the purpose of processing tea to brew it?”
She persuaded the old woman to sit down and started boiling water.
Given their current conditions, the process wasn’t overly elaborate.
But they had a clay pot, and Grandma insisted on using it to boil the water.
In the glass cup, the tea leaves unfurled under the hot water, gradually returning to their vibrant green color, while the dark golden patterns remained unchanged.
It was like a work of art—utterly beautiful.
The aroma of the tea was even more refreshing, evoking the vastness of mountain forests.
“It’s incredibly fragrant!”
Once the tea was brewed, the entire room was filled with its scent.
Even those who didn’t usually drink tea would undoubtedly love its aroma.
The tea left a lingering fragrance in the mouth with every sip.
In the end, they couldn’t bear to discard the used leaves.
“Feed them to the chickens or deer. Let’s see if they’ll eat them.”
As it turned out, not only did they eat them, but they also seemed to love the leaves.
The chicks pecked eagerly at the tea leaves, while the deer chased after the scent.
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