Neither Song Wei nor Lin Zhen could identify what this was, but they found the aroma delightful.
After searching the area, they found a total of twelve tea trees.
If the smell alone was so fragrant, the brewed tea would surely taste even better.
But… neither of them knew how to roast tea leaves.
If they picked the leaves now, wouldn’t it be a waste?
Lin Zhen said, “I remember my great-aunt knows how to roast tea leaves.”
From his childhood memories, he recalled that his great-aunt knew how to roast tea leaves. Although there were no tea trees here, she had used the tea-roasting method to roast bamboo leaves.
She wasn’t used to drinking plain water, and since tea was expensive, she used bamboo leaves as a substitute. The water brewed from them tasted quite good.
In that case, they decided to pick the tea leaves and take them back.
Both of them were skilled climbers, so they only picked the tender tips of the tea leaves.
In fact, from the condition of the tea leaves, it was clear that this wasn’t the best season to pick the tender tips.
Some of the young leaves had darkened significantly, indicating they were a bit late.
However, the slightly darker leaves could still be picked, though they weren’t as high-quality as the tender tips.
The tender tips were a vibrant green, curled into small rolls, with fine white fuzz on the underside of the leaves and a layer of dewy frost, making them look quite beautiful.
The key was their strong fragrance.
Especially the moment they were plucked, the rich, fresh aroma of the tea leaves lingered around their noses, and even their hands seemed to carry the scent.
Picking the tender tips of tea leaves was a time-consuming task, but they couldn’t bear to just rip off the leaves along with the branches, as that would harm the tea trees and be a waste of nature’s gift.
Fortunately, the sunlight here was ample but not too hot. The two of them ate snacks while perched in the trees and continued picking, chatting to pass the time without feeling bored.
They spent almost the entire day picking tea leaves. Though they were fast and skilled climbers, the tea trees were large, and by the end of the day, they had only managed to pick from five trees.
“These tender tea tips probably weigh around seven or eight pounds.”
After a day of picking, the amount looked substantial, but tea leaves were surprisingly light.
The lower-quality leaves weighed about twenty pounds, and they looked much more abundant than the tender tips.
“It’s time to head back. I wonder if Wolf One and Wolf Two have returned yet.”
Carrying the tea leaves and other items they had gathered in the mountains, they memorized the location and began their descent.
Wolf One and Wolf Two had already returned and were lying at the entrance with the fox.
The three furry heads were at the door, while Hei Dan was in the courtyard doing his homework.
As soon as the two of them returned, the place became lively.
Lin Zhen went to cook, while Song Wei found a bamboo tray to spread out the tea leaves in a cool, shaded area to prevent them from molding or losing their flavor by the next day.
After a hearty dinner, they processed the recently caught game and hung it up to dry. Song Wei then left to return to the educated youth quarters.
At the educated youth quarters, Zhao Yuyin was spouting nonsense.
“What’s so shameless about liking Lin Zhen? Song Wei just got here earlier. If I had come sooner, there’d be no place for her. In terms of looks, I’m no worse than her, and my talents are better too. Her articles aren’t even as good as mine. Nowadays, free love is encouraged. I’m just pursuing my freedom.”
Song Wei thought to herself, “This is no different from those who claim that the one who isn’t loved is the third wheel.”
“Free love doesn’t mean you can act shamelessly.”
She walked in calmly.
“Don’t hide behind the banner of free love. The purpose of free love is to ensure that young women are no longer forced into arranged marriages by their elders, allowing both men and women to choose their own partners. It’s not about destroying someone else’s relationship or shamelessly pursuing someone who already has a partner. Isn’t that just being shameless?”
“Well said!”
Several educated youths applauded.
Liu Linlin said, “I always felt there was something off about how you talked about free love. Now I see you were just trying to mislead us.”
Zhao Yuyin glared at Song Wei hatefully. “What do you know? The one who isn’t loved is the third wheel!”
Song Wei crossed her arms and smiled. “So you’re the third wheel, huh? Bah… do you even qualify?”
To be a third wheel, Lin Zhen would have to reciprocate her feelings. Her one-sided crush and underhanded tactics didn’t count for anything.
Moreover, it didn’t seem like Zhao Yuyin truly liked Lin Zhen. Song Wei had a suspicion that Lin Zhen must have some future status—either wealth or power—which was why Zhao Yuyin was so desperate.
But if Lin Zhen ever dared to respond to her, Song Wei would slap him a few times and then kick him to the curb.
Early the next morning, when Song Wei went to Lin Zhen’s house, she saw his great-aunt already in the courtyard.
The old woman was overjoyed at the sight of the tea leaves in the bamboo tray, her eyes sparkling with delight.
“Good, good, these tea leaves are excellent. Both their appearance and fragrance are among the best I’ve ever seen.”
“But I’ve never seen this type of tea before. It must be unique to our area. Who would have thought our mountains could produce such fine tea?”
Song Wei walked over. “Great-aunt, could you help us roast them?”
“Of course. Let them dry in the shade for now. I need to prepare some tools.”
Whether it was because she was so excited about the tea leaves or for some other reason, the great-aunt quickly left to gather the necessary items.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen had breakfast and then went to work.
They weeded, turned the sweet potato vines, loosened the soil, fertilized, and watered the fields. The rice paddies were a particular focus since they were growing a new variety of rice.
These were all mundane tasks, but they were essential for a good harvest.
By the afternoon, they returned to find the great-aunt starting to roast the tea leaves.
Roasting tea wasn’t a one-step process; it required many steps.
The great-aunt was clearly a patient and meticulous person. She personally controlled the heat and timing, especially for the tender tea tips.
She also taught Lin Zhen and Song Wei, holding nothing back.
“I thought this skill of mine would be buried with me. I never expected to see tea leaves again at this age, almost at death’s door. Now that you’re listening and learning, as long as you don’t waste the tea from the mountains, I’ll be content.”
When discussing tea-related knowledge, the great-aunt exuded a vibrant energy.
Song Wei sensed an air of scholarly refinement in her.
Her personality wasn’t as fiery as typical northerners but was instead gentle and kind.
It wasn’t hard to imagine that she had been a graceful beauty in her youth.
But she didn’t seem like a northerner.
Moreover, such refined tea-roasting skills were more commonly associated with southerners.
Tea trees thrive in moist, moderately sunny environments.
The climate and soil in the south were more suitable for large-scale tea cultivation.
The north also had tea trees, but as the saying goes, “The land shapes its people.” The tea-roasting techniques here were rougher and simpler, while those in the south were more delicate and complex.
The great-aunt’s tea-roasting technique was clearly on the more intricate side.
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