Chapter 70 Blue Sky Jade Leaf
Before he ran to the front of Wuwei Tower, Ah Sheng saw a row of carriages parked on the wide road of the East Market, crowded together, like the scene of nobles having a banquet that he had seen from afar. Several alleys nearby were already full of carriages. Only when he got closer could he see men and women in wide robes and sleeves smiling and greeting each other under the doorways blocked by the carriages.
The front of Wuwei Tower was very different from before. Black and grey stones were placed randomly in front of the door, extending all the way into the door. Inside the door, cushions were placed randomly. Although he did not understand painting, he could see the simplicity and elegance in it. A faint and elegant fragrance wafted from the door. It was not strong, like tea or sandalwood, but it suppressed the strong fragrance on the clothes of the people gathered in front of the door, making people relax slowly and feel refreshed.
When Ah Sheng was working as a temporary worker in a shop, he once ran errands in a incense shop. At that time, the incense burning in the shop was this kind of incense. It didn't smell strange, but it was extremely valuable. One coin could be exchanged for a hundred gold coins. The essence of Wuweilou was fully revealed in it.
However, Ah Sheng's smell is not as pleasant as that of his own shop without burning incense. The hot and noisy smell is mixed, the spicy taste is pungent, the sour and sweet taste makes people salivate, and a little bit of umami tastes in it to entice people to walk away, and it makes people happy just by smelling it.
After making sure that the tea party had not started yet and everyone had not arrived, Ah Sheng ran back.
Si Li listened to Ah Sheng's description and smiled, "They treat me so kindly, if we don't go, we will be disrespectful. Wang Ting, Ah Sheng and Ah Xiang stay at home, wait for me to change Tao Tao's clothes, and then the others will follow me."
The winter shirt was made a few days ago, along with Wang Xiaochong's, and the cloth was cut to make a thin cotton shirt. The material is not the best, but it is practical. Before, Si Li felt that she had no place to show her fancy clothes when she was working in the kitchen, so she simply didn't buy any. Now that the tea party was coming out, she had to show off in front of people, and she absolutely couldn't do without a good set of clothes, but women's skirts were too expensive, so after thinking about it, she simply cut the cloth to make two robes and changed into men's clothes to go out.
What they discuss when tasting tea is elegance. It is hard to find fault with the unrestrained clothing of elegant scholars.
Of course, in a crowded place like this, Si Li still asked Meng Taotao to help her draw her eyebrows thicker and wear a veil to avoid the embarrassing situation of being caught on the spot.
As I was packing, someone knocked on the window outside the room.
"Shopkeeper, Shopkeeper Tang said his nephew got into trouble and needs someone to look after him, so he won't go after the milk tea was delivered to us." This is Ah Sheng.
It was such a coincidence that this happened at this time.
Si Li was stunned for a moment, "Then go and tell him. If you need anything, just let me know. I'll ask Wang Ting to help."
"He's scared." Meng Taotao said softly, holding her hair in a bun behind her.
"Don't be too demanding." Si Li shook her hand and smiled, "We are always on the same path."
The group packed up their luggage. Ah Sheng carried a wooden bucket filled with milk tea, and Xiao Que led the way. Si Li and Meng Tao Tao, wrapped in veils, walked out of the door. Passing diners were startled and did not dare to recognize them for a moment. "This is... Xiao Si, the shopkeeper? Where are we going?"
Outside the Wanglaiju, the scholars who had come to watch the excitement had already dispersed. Not everyone knew the connection between Wuweilou's tea tasting party and milk tea today, so it was normal to ask this question.
Si Li smiled and said, "The owner of Wuweilou held a tea party and invited tea lovers in Beijing. My milk tea is one of them, and I was invited to go today."
"Is there such a thing?" The customer asked in surprise, and then he began to wonder, "Can this milk tea... be tasted?"
"Of course." Si Li stretched out his hand and invited, "Why don't you come with me and see all this excitement?"
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Inside Wuweilou, there were also doubtful sounds from people tasting milk tea, but this doubt was different from the sincerity of passers-by. It was sarcastic and condescending.
"I think they don't dare to come. They want to taste tea? How can they taste milk tea?"
A haughty remark triggered a burst of stealthy laughter. The guests were sitting cross-legged on the futons near the center of the venue. The smoke of incense was curling up, which gave it a somewhat elegant atmosphere. Most of them had tea leaves or tea cakes they brought with them in front of them. Everyone came prepared.
Guests who did not bring their own tea or those who were not famous but just came to join in the fun sat further away from the center, with a distorted view. Even if they sat on the high-back chairs in Wuweilou, they could not get closer to the center. Fortunately, everyone who came here was well-mannered, and Wu You was an expert in management for many years, so there was no dispute due to different treatment.
Wuweilou's shopkeeper Wu, who was chatting with customers who brought their own tea, heard the voice, suppressed a smile, and said seriously, "Don't say that, everyone. My daughter just likes these sweet foods. Although milk tea is not as elegant as tea, it is also a good snack. I admire the young shopkeeper's wonderful ideas. In time, he will also be a big man. For my sake, please show some courtesy."
The open praise and covert criticism did earn him some praise.
After the incense was burned, people gradually arrived. Wu You stood up and bowed to everyone. He said something about the occasion before getting to the point. "Today, I, Wu, will present my family's heirloom Blue Sky Jade Leaf to lead the way. I hope you will enjoy this grand event together. It is wonderful."
As soon as the voice fell, his hands moved slowly, and the friendly air of a businessman on his body disappeared, leaving only a carefree and unworldly look. Holding a long bottle with a narrow mouth, he sprinkled light green leaves into the bottle with one hand, and the famous blue sky jade leaves of Wuweilou in Beijing were finally revealed to the public. Pieces that looked like real jade, thin and translucent, fell into the bottle and were washed by water, and the unique sound of jade breaking when the blue sky jade leaves were washed could be heard.
The tea drinkers sitting in the hall either closed their eyes to listen carefully or leaned forward to look, and their attention was all attracted by the porcelain bottle in Wu You's hand.
In front of him at this moment was a bamboo teapot carved with a phoenix in the center of the Wuwei Building lobby. The phoenix had its wings spread out, carrying a teapot on its back, with birds flying around. Below it were branches of clouds, staggered with purple clay teacups. It was already an exquisite work of art before it was used.
The long bottle was gently shaken three times, and the light tea-colored liquid splashed out from the bottle mouth, splashing down the phoenix head and around the tea sea. The water color spread, but it made the whole tea sea seem alive. Fragmentary sounds rang out one after another, from a small chirping to a clear cry, and from one sound to many echoes. After a bottle of hot water was poured out, the unique bird sound lingered for a long time, which further demonstrated the ingenuity of the tea sea.
"This is... this is the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix from the Fang family back then!"
At first, this tea sea was just exquisite in the eyes of the public, but once the phrase "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" came out, coupled with the special scene, it caused a lot of gossip. More than 20 years have passed since the death of Mr. Fang, who was famous in the poetry world and had great tea ceremony skills. The famous tea ceremony supplies of that time were scattered all over the place. Some people have seen the teapot and the Tea Classic, but only the most famous Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Tea Sea is nowhere to be found.
"It was originally left in Wuwei Tower. Unfortunately, the past events of Yibi Yicha can never be restored."
"Luckily I'm here, otherwise I would have missed the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, and I don't know how many more decades I would have to wait. Wuweilou's reputation as the best teahouse in the world is indeed well-deserved."
After washing the first cup of tea, the slightly soaked leaves were poured into the Fengbei teapot along with the hot water. At this time, the burning incense had dissipated, and the nine teacups poured with hot tea gradually emitted a clear fragrance, which was astringent but not turbid, fragrant but not sweet, just like a jade gentleman.
Wu You's tea ceremony skills have obviously reached perfection. When he brewed tea, the sound was crisp and smooth. Far from disturbing people with the sound of the blue sky jade leaves, it had a special charm. He distributed nine cups of tea to the people around him. The first few people who got the tea cups showed caution on their faces, savoring it carefully before speaking.
"This tea is a step further than the Blue Sky Jade Leaf I tasted many years ago. It clears up the turbid air in my heart..."
"As clear and smooth as jade..."
Comments arose one after another, mixed with some insights and teachings on life from time to time. Wu You listened with a smile and responded a few times. The melodious chirping sounds were always vaguely attached to the hall, making it impossible to ignore the precious tea of Bai Niao Chao Feng.
The other three tea seas placed near the cushion behind it are made of wood and porcelain, some are carved with pine and cypress, some are carved with mountains and rivers, and some are decorated with clusters of flowers. Although they are slightly inferior to the Hundred Birds Greeting to the Phoenix Tea Sea, each one has its own exquisiteness.
Corresponding to the teapots and teacups of different styles, Wuweilou brought out four kinds of precious teas and performed the tea ceremony with the four kinds of teapots and teacups. The movements were smooth and graceful, and the luxurious confidence of Wuweilou, as an old teahouse that has been established in the capital for many years, was fully reflected in it.
With the opening of the Blue Sky Jade Leaf, the guests who brought tea no longer guarded their private collections tightly, but relaxed a lot, chatting about tea in groups of three or four. Cup after cup of different teas were distributed from the center of the lobby to all parts of the hall. Those who were obsessed with tea or the tea ceremony had red cheeks, were so excited that they forgot everything else, and muttered something to themselves, which made the tea drinkers and scholars who were chatting show tolerant and sympathetic expressions.
At first, a few people in the central government talked about the ancient and modern tea classics and the changes in tea leaves in different places, but not long after, the topic turned to what is the right way and what is the evil way. Many years ago, people regarded tea frying as an evil skill, but now tea bricks and tea cakes are declining.
The person who brought up the topic has been obsessed with Wuweilou's Golden Gourd Pu'er for ten years. Because Wu You clearly used Golden Gourd Pu'er as an excuse to hold a tea party, but didn't start with it, he was angry. He raised his head and drank the clear, almost blue Blue Sky Jade Leaf tea, which had become less flavorful after the fifth brew but was still popular in the hall. He put the teacup down heavily and said angrily, "Is it right or wrong? Tuan tea, roasted tea and fried tea have been in a cycle for many years. Don't you know that today you are chasing fried tea as the orthodoxy, and tomorrow you will promote the declining Tuan tea to a high position!"
Although there was constant laughter and chatter in the lobby of Wuweilou, most of the conversations were in low voices, so there was no such angry shouting. As soon as the shouting came out, the room was silent, and only the laughter outside the door seemed to echo in this moment of surprise.
"That's right, this gentleman is very insightful and can see things clearly."
The girl was wearing a light veil over her face and a wide gown with wide sleeves. Even if she was dressed like a man, she was still very pretty. Although she was covered by the veil, everyone could tell from her exposed eyebrows that she had a good appearance. Her almond eyes sparkled, her eyebrows were long and her demeanor was elegant and charming. At this moment, she stood in front of the door and smiled softly, as if she had attracted a ray of sunlight from outside the door, which made people unable to stop looking at her.
"How dare you come here?!" The scholar who was sitting in the worst position not far from the door widened his eyes. He had been to the residence several times in the past two days and had a deep impression of the people behind the girl. The girl's identity was obvious. He couldn't hide his disdain and said, "You are a crooked person, and you dare to embarrass yourself?"
"Young Si, the storekeeper." Wu You stood up from the cross-legged cushion. The carefully maintained atmosphere was broken by Si Li, and his face turned cold. "What can I do for you?"
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The author has something to say:
There really is such a tea variety called Blue Sky Jade Leaf, but the jade-breaking sound and the color of the tea are all made up by Susu to highlight the preciousness of the tea in the article. Don’t believe it!
The Hundred Birds Chaofeng Tea Sea does not actually exist. Its prototype is taken from the porcelain and wooden carved pipes I have seen before. It makes bird sounds due to the temperature and flowing water, which is quite interesting.
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Thank you to the little angel "Eating Melon" for the 10 bottles of nutrient solution. Hug and kiss!
Thanks to all the cuties who are following the update now for collecting, commenting and subscribing. It is you who told Susu that someone is with me to finish reading this story. I will hug you all and give you kisses!