Chapter 787 Eighteen Trees in Front of the Emperor
“Shiqiu,” He Zhiming said, regaining his amiable demeanor, “I just happened to get some of the Imperial Eighteen trees a few days ago, but unfortunately, they only have one leaf and one bud, not the bud tips.
It's just that the quantity is small, only half a tael. I know you like green tea, so I saved some for you. "
I was secretly a little shocked when I heard this. Although I don’t drink tea, my father likes it. Not only does he like to drink it, he also likes to show off his knowledge about tea.
My mother was not interested in these things, so he was very keen to tell me about them, especially the teas that he could not afford to buy or drink, and the Imperial Eighteen Trees was one of them.
As the name suggests, the Eighteen Tea Trees in Front of the Emperor really are eighteen tea trees. It was named by Emperor Qianlong. I don’t know how delicious they are, but there are only eighteen tea trees, so the output is really small.
It's expensive for one thing, but more importantly, it's out of reach because there are too few of them. One leaf and one bud are already quite rare, and the annual output is less than one kilogram.
He Zhiming also said that it was a pity that they were not buds. This is simply Versailles. If they were all buds, the total yield of 18 tea trees would probably not reach more than 2 taels.
Therefore, even a top wealthy family in City A like He Zhiming is proud to have purchased the Imperial Eighteen Trees.
I know that Xiao Shiqiu likes green tea, and I even teased him about it, asking if he would like me more if I had the tea flavor in my tea.
When he heard about the eighteen trees in front of the emperor, he was indeed slightly moved, but his smile remained unchanged. He said modestly, "Uncle He is really thoughtful. I am very satisfied to be able to taste a cup of such a rare tea."
After a while, a woman in simple clothes came over with a tray. In the middle was a glass teapot and three small teacups were placed on the sides. The fresh and elegant tea set was placed on the gorgeous European-style palace coffee table, which was somewhat incongruous.
I looked at the He family's nanny. She looked quite young and pretty. She didn't look like the nanny I knew. She looked more like a beautiful girl from a scholarly family. Her every move exuded elegance and grace.
Especially her hands, which are well maintained, with long, slender, white and tender fingers. There is no trace of doing housework at all. She is qualified to be a hand model.
Just as I was reflecting on my stereotype of nannies, He Zhiming, perhaps sensing my confusion, smiled and explained, "Xiuyun is only responsible for things in my study. She usually just makes tea and doesn't do other rough work."
Oh, I understand. This is not a nanny at all. She is probably just someone who takes care of the pretty girls. He Zhiming is old, but he still likes to do such "elegant" things.
No wonder his eyes look a little dark, he must be quite "tired" usually.
He Zhiming didn't tell Xiao Shiqiu what he was going to do today, so he didn't rush. He picked up the cup and sniffed it first, praising it: "The aroma is so delicate, and there is indeed a hint of orchid in the aroma of beans."
He took another sip and continued to praise, "The tea has a rich aroma and a long aftertaste. It is indeed a good tea."
I picked it up and sniffed it too. It smelled just like green tea, didn't it? How did his nose pick up the scent of orchids?
I took a small sip uncertainly, and yes, it tasted like green tea. It was quite fragrant, but not as heaven-and-earth-worthy as the legend said.
But I can understand that Mr. He spent a lot of money to buy the tea. Even though we can't tell whether it is good or bad, we have to give it enough emotional value!
Thinking of this, I also smiled and praised dryly: "Good tea!"
He Zhiming gave me a meaningful look and said, "Shiqiu, your fiancée is really a down-to-earth person."
It seemed like a compliment to me, but I didn't think it was a compliment.
But Xiao Shiqiu seemed completely oblivious to his hidden meaning. Instead, he looked at me cooperatively and agreed, "Yes, Mengmeng is very simple-minded. She doesn't have any ulterior motives and won't lie. She's really very honest."
He Zhiming choked at these words, as every word hit him hard. The Xiao family had been deceived by He Qingrong for eighteen years, wasn't it because He Qingrong and her mother were scheming and good at deceiving people?
Seeing that the peaceful atmosphere could no longer be maintained, He Zhiming coughed twice in embarrassment and began to get to the point.
"Shiqiu," He Zhiming personally refilled his tea, "I invited you here today mainly to discuss Tiantian's matter."
Xiao Shiqiu remained calm: "Uncle He, please speak."
"After all, Tiantian has called you uncle for eighteen years..." He Zhiming chose his words carefully, "Even though there is no blood relationship between you, the family relationship of eighteen years cannot be severed just like that.
You truly loved her when she was a child.
I really didn't expect the current situation. Rongrong did do something wrong back then. It's my fault for not educating my daughter well. I'm very ashamed.
But you also know the situation of my family. When I brought them back, I had already made a notarized document, and all the property was inherited by her two brothers.
I am a father. Even if Rongrong did something wrong, she is still my daughter. I cannot help but think about her future..."
Seeing that he had been talking about pity for a long time, Xiao Shiqiu became a little impatient and interrupted him, saying, "Uncle He, just say what you want to say directly. There's no need to beat around the bush."
He Zhiming was a little embarrassed, but he quickly covered it up. "What I mean is, can you see if she and her mother can keep some of their shares? Just consider it as a way to fulfill the 18 years of father-daughter relationship between you and Tiantian, and give it to the child as a dowry."
Xiao Shiqiu didn't even raise his eyelids, and said firmly: "Impossible. The Xiao family's shares cannot be handed over to two outsiders. He Qingrong has gone too far."
Xiao Shiqiu put down his teacup, leaned back, crossed his arms, and said in a somewhat cold tone, "You know how I treated them over the past eighteen years. The expenses I paid to them were something He Qingrong couldn't even afford in the He family. I know I didn't care enough about them, so to compensate for that, I was generous with money.
You also know that your daughter is very competitive. In the entire circle of wealthy ladies in City A, He Qingrong wants nothing less than what other women have. Not only does she behave like this, but her daughter has also developed an arrogant and domineering personality. Because of my cousin, I have always been more tolerant of them.
Now you say that they have nothing to do with our Xiao family, so why should I tolerate them? "
He Zhiming's face suddenly turned ugly. He Qingrong's voice came from the corridor on the second floor: "Xiao Shiqiu! Are you so cruel? Tiantian grew up under your nose!
Just because we are not related by blood, are you going to force my mother and me into a desperate situation?"
Oh my god! Is this some kind of moral blackmail? I was the first one who couldn't stand it. I had been playing the quiet role until now, but I couldn't help but yell at her, "Xiao Tiantian, no, doesn't Yuan Tiantian have a biological father? Her biological father happily recognized you and even released a video statement. Why is he desperate?"
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