Coming out of the ink shop, Xu Jiang sneezed several times. Her body was covered in pine soot, and her hands were black. Seeing a teahouse not far ahead, she went over and asked for a bowl of water to wash her hands.
Just after washing, I suddenly smelled a fragrance. Looking for the scent, I found that the owner of the tea shop was steaming mulberry buds.
"Are you making mulberry tea?"
"That's right." The shopkeeper was a plump and amiable man. He stood in front of the steamer, and the steam from the tea made him look like a god.
Don't be fooled by his sturdy figure, his hands are nimble and unafraid of the heat, turning the tender mulberry leaves in the steamer one by one. Finally, with a flick of his hand like a palm-leaf fan, he fanned away most of the steam and neatly closed the steamer lid.
He turned to Xu Jiang and said, "We just harvested it. Steam it quickly while it's fresh. If you delay for a moment, it will become stale and the tea won't be fragrant."
Xu Jiang swallowed and asked, "Is there anything prepared?"
"We have old tea. The new tea is still in the steamer and can be eaten in two days." The shopkeeper said with a smile, "If you want to drink it, please come back in a few days."
New tea is fragrant, while old tea is bland, so we should drink new tea.
Xu Jiang felt guilty and stared at the steaming steamer, but she could do nothing.
Seeing this, the shopkeeper smiled and said, "Although we can't have mulberry tea right now, we have some newly arrived Ziyang tea. Would you like to try it, madam?"
"One please."
"Okay."
Ziyang tea originated from Buddhist temples. Monks emphasized meditation and abstinence from alcohol, so they cultivated tea gardens and used tea to clear their minds and spirits. Later, it was introduced to the people of Ziyang County, giving rise to the Ziyang tea we know today.
The spring sun is warm and people are talking. The fat immortal brings refreshing tea to wash away the dust in your stomach and make you feel relaxed both physically and mentally.
"Good tea." Xu Jiang drank one cup and then refilled it. After she was satisfied, she asked him to weigh out two taels of tea leaves and take them back to the shop to drink.
The shopkeeper praised the tea as good and handed it to her, saying, "There are people selling fresh mulberry buds on South Street. Take them home and steam and dry them yourself. If the weather is good, they will become tea in two or three days."
"Thank you." Xu Jiang counted out the money and paid the bill. "I'm going over there soon. If you see it, I'll buy some."
The shopkeeper asked again, "Do you know how to make it?"
"I know." Xu Jiang nodded. "Select the buds, wash the leaves, steam them, rub them, and finally dry them in the shade to make tea, right?"
"You're an expert," the shopkeeper jokingly said, "ma'am, are you here to get to the bottom of things?"
"Shopkeeper, you're joking. I'm only half-baked. My family used to grow mulberry trees, so I know a bit, but I can't compare to your mastery."
"Thank you, thank you." The shopkeeper was very happy.
Seeing Xu Jiang about to leave, the shopkeeper warmly said goodbye, "Madam, please come again next time."
"must."
Xu Jiang took the tea and went to South Street to find Kui Wazi to see if he had any good stuff. When he reached the intersection, he saw a familiar figure.
"Auntie!" It was the old woman selling mushroom oil, and her husband was with her.
When the old woman saw her, her eyes narrowed with smiles and she waved at her, "Are you coming to the market too?"
"That's right." Xu Jiang walked forward and saw two baskets filled with wild vegetables in front of them. She asked with a smile, "Are there so many wild vegetables in the mountains?"
"It's been bottled up all winter, and now it's sprouting like crazy after seeing the sun for a few days. It's a pity I'm too old to pick them, otherwise there would be more than just these two baskets."
"Don't overwork yourself, or you might fall."
"Okay." The old woman smiled and handed her a handful of tender white impatiens roots. "Try it. Wash it clean. It's sweet."
Xu Jiang picked up one and chewed it. It was really sweet.
She looked into the basket again and saw quite a few kinds of wild vegetables, including magpie-not-stepping herbs, toon, wild onion, reed sprouts, mugwort... She could buy some to make some snacks, which she could eat herself or give to others.
"They all look plump and tender. I don't know what to eat. Why don't you give them all to me so I can try them one by one later." Wild vegetables are most delicious during these few days. After that, they will become old and bitter and no longer valuable.
"Can you eat it all by yourself?"
"I can eat it. I can eat it."
"I'm afraid you're taking pity on us and won't be able to finish what you've bought."
"I have a bunch of greedy people, so there's no way they can't eat them all. The mushroom oil you sent me before the New Year is all gone now." Just these two days, Lou Jing asked Lou Yunchun to come and ask if there was any left.
Hearing this, the old woman and her husband both laughed. The old woman said, "That mushroom oil is indeed delicious. It was only thanks to it during those days when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow that we got some flavor. The mushrooms haven't come out yet, but we'll be able to make it in two months."
"Then you have to think about me first."
"If you're not thinking of you, who are you thinking of?" The old woman took her hand and kneaded it, wishing it was her own daughter.
Xu Jiang paid the money, and seeing that the two baskets of wild vegetables were difficult to carry, she said to the old woman, "I'm going to Aguige's to buy some fresh produce. I'd like to ask my aunt and uncle to help me deliver the vegetables. I'd like them to send someone to the stable later. Is that okay?"
"What's wrong with that? It's only a few steps away. We were just about to go see him."
The three of them then went to Kuiwazi's alley.
When they arrived at Kui Wazi's stall, Kui Wazi was selecting goods for customers. When he saw them coming, he asked them to wait for a moment. After sending the customers away, he came over to greet them with a smile.
"Mrs. Xu, are you here to do some shopping?" He then said to the old woman and her husband, "You didn't even come to see me before you came down the mountain."
The old woman laughed and said, "I thought I would sell out before coming back, but I ran into my wife and came here together."
"Have you sold them all? If not, leave them here for sale. There are too many people on the street and it's not good if they bump into each other."
"They're all sold out. My wife bought them all."
Kui Wazi was a little surprised, but he didn't say anything in front of his uncle and grandfather. He just asked Xu Jiang, "Madam, what do you want to buy this time?"
"What fresh produce do you have?"
"In addition to the usual carp, silver carp, crucian carp, and grass carp, there are also a few yellow scorpionfish and half a basket of green snails, as well as a few grass ducks and reed grouse."
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