Chapter 151: A Cup of Clear Tea
In the afternoon.
Eunuch Duan took a short nap.
Then he got up to stroll around.
The rain had stopped.
The breeze was blowing; there was no heat, only comfort.
Seeing a person under a big tree bending down to lay out a mat and snacks for a little girl, Eunuch Duan subconsciously hurried over and called out, “Auntie.”
Upon reaching them, he realized this was Commander Jiang’s residence, not the imperial palace.
Damn it.
How could he have thought he was seeing a senior palace maid from the inner court just now?
She looked exactly like the type who served before the Empress Dowager.
A steady yet ruthless aunt who had a dozen lives on her hands.
He heard the little girl call her Great-Aunt.
She must be a distant relative of Lady Qin.
The woman turned around and revealed a gentle smile; she looked very kind—an illusion, definitely an illusion.
Eunuch Duan revealed a slightly arrogant smile.
Eunuchs like them always smiled like this when outside.
Their bodies were incomplete, yet they were close to the most noble person in the world.
Born with inferiority yet extremely proud.
Aunt Yin said warmly, “Eunuch Duan, you’re awake. Quickly, please sit and taste this wild country tea. My niece personally went deep into the mountains to the cloud-covered peaks to pick it. It is shrouded in mist all year round; this tea has a unique flavor. Do try it.”
Eunuch Duan found the title “Lord” quite comfortable.
He thought to himself that this country Great-Aunt really had a keen eye.
However, he dismissed her description of the mountain tea; what tea could be better than the tribute tea of the imperial palace? That was the only one of its kind in the world.
Though, he had heard that tea surrounded by clouds was quite special.
Jiang Mianmian sat on the mat, in charge of being cute.
She called out with a sweet voice, “Hello, Uncle Duan.”
Eunuch Duan didn’t dare to put on airs; this little girl was Grand Attendant Yan’s goddaughter, right? He repeatedly declined, “You flatter this old servant; just call me Little Duan.”
Aunt Yin glanced at the young eunuch with surprise. He had some sense; he seemed like someone who could survive.
Jiang Mianmian then sat together with Little Duan to drink tea.
Actually, she was a bit curious about palace life.
The person in front of her was an internal employee of the imperial palace; he must know a lot.
Others who transmigrated were directly involved in palace intrigues, either rising from palace maid to Empress, or from a minor concubine to Empress Dowager.
She had grown this big and was still strolling around the village.
Let alone the imperial palace in the capital, she hadn’t even been to the Prefecture City of Jingzhou.
Great-Aunt sat to the side brewing tea.
Watching the little one looking so content.
A small bag of tea leaves, requested by the little girl, which The Eldest Miss had painstakingly processed according to the little girl’s requirements.
The picked tea leaves were first dried.
After drying, they were put in a pot to be stir-fried.
After stir-frying, they were dried again.
After drying, they were stir-fried again.
The leaves became dry and beautiful, suitable for storage.
It wasn’t meant for boiling either.
A splash of boiling water and a clear fragrance drifted out.
Taking a sip made one’s mouth salivate; the aftertaste was endless.
What was even more wonderful was that the leaves would stand upright, one by one, like tadpoles striving to swim upstream.
If it were served in a crystal cup from the palace, it would surely be beautiful.
But drinking from a bamboo tube also had its own unique charm.
Aunt Yin, who considered herself knowledgeable and had seen the best things in the world, silently took an extra bag for herself after drinking this tea once.
Her appetite was quite modest, but she loved this clear fragrance and sweet aftertaste. It was slightly astringent at first, even a bit bitter, but the aftertaste was very, very sweet—a cup of tea that sweetened the heart.
Moreover, it could cut through grease and cleanse the stomach; drinking it felt very comfortable.
Aunt Yin brewed three cups of tea in a simple manner.
One for herself.
One for the little girl.
One for Eunuch Duan.
Eunuch Duan didn’t think too much about it; he had eaten a bit too much at noon, and he cared deeply about his appetite.
Having been poor and hungry, he was afraid.
He just wanted to eat more and eat well.
In the palace, there were things like poisoning—one pot, three cups of wine, where only one cup was poisoned—but that kind of pot required a mechanism, wasn’t something ordinary people could make, and wasn’t a common occurrence.
He watched Aunt Yin pouring the tea openly; her sleeves were short, so she couldn’t be poisoning it.
Of course, he didn’t actually think much about it; as a eunuch, he had no conflict of interest, he was just here to follow the pacification mission.
He held the bamboo tube and took a sniff.
Surprisingly fragrant.
The aroma was striking. He looked and saw green little leaves tossed in, but the scent had a faint floral fragrance, a hint of honey, and a slight medicinal aroma—soft, piercing through the nose and into the heart and lungs.
It felt like taking a sniff made him a bit more clear-headed.
He took a sip.
The taste was very light.
He hadn’t quite tasted it yet.
Usually, tea leaves were boiled, thick and bitter—essential for staying up late—and scholars and nobles loved this taste.
Ordinary people couldn’t appreciate it, and the truly wealthy would add various spices to the tea leaves to boil together.
A pot of tea was worth more than gold.
Taking a sip made one’s soul float away; it was too bitter and too complex.
Much like life, a mixture of all flavors.
But this cup of clear tea, aside from its fragrance, was slightly sweet. The astringency was negligible. The tea leaves floated up one by one. Even if he accidentally drank a large mouthful of leaves, chewing them wasn’t bad—just a little slightly bitter.
But immediately, an infinite, clear sweetness filled his throat. It was nothing but sweet. Even when he opened his mouth to exhale, he felt his mouth was fragrant and sweet, with no unpleasant odor.
A masterpiece.
This is a supreme treasure on earth.
Eunuch Duan first took a small sip, then a large gulp, and then continued to drink in small sips.
The tea leaves entered his mouth, and he didn’t spit them out; he conscientiously chewed them up and swallowed them.
Aunt Yin saw his cup was empty and added more water.
“This second infusion also has a unique flavor. The first infusion focuses on fragrance; the second infusion tastes even better and is more lingering.”
Eunuch Duan smiled and nodded. Holding the teacup, he saw the little girl just extend two fair, chubby fingers, slightly curved, and tap the table twice.
It was as if it were some kind of ritual.
Aunt Yin poured her tea, and she didn’t even say thank you; she just extended her fingers and tapped twice.
At first, Aunt Yin asked her what this meant.
Mianmian replied, “Thank you, Great-Aunt.”
Aunt Yin looked at her; she still had preserved fruit in her mouth and was very busy. The little girl was truly lazy to the extreme; she was too lazy to even speak her thanks, so she just extended two fingers to tap, indicating thanks.
She was surprisingly polite…
If it weren’t for her being so lazy, the household wouldn’t have had so many various conveniences for daily life.
Even the tea was probably something she fussed over because she was too lazy to boil or wait for it, so she made something that just needed a splash of boiling water.
A little girl who was lazy to the extreme, yet knew how to enjoy things to the extreme.
She sat upright, tapped twice, and swayed as she drank her tea.
Her teacup was tiny-sized, just one small sip.
Yet she just liked drinking in such small sips, so the person pouring the tea had to keep pouring, keep pouring.
She knew how to enjoy things to the extreme; what she drank was that specific hot mouthful.
Fortunately, Aunt Yin was used to serving people; ordinary people wouldn’t be able to serve this little girl.
The second infusion, as the old woman said, was indeed not just fragrant; the taste was even more lingering and pure. One sip and his heart warmed up.
The more Eunuch Duan drank, the brighter his eyes became.
If he could present this tea to the Emperor after this trip, it would surely be a great achievement.
“Great-Aunt, I wonder if there is any more of this tea?”
Aunt Yin saw the little eunuch’s tail stick up, and she knew exactly what he wanted to do.
She said, “This tea is extremely rare; the growing conditions are extremely harsh, and there are requirements for the picking time. It can only be picked for one or two days a year, and the stir-frying process is extremely complex. The flavor is different every time. If Eunuch Duan wants some, there is only a small amount in this batch.”
Aunt Yin had no choice; regarding this tea, the little girl said it only tasted good if picked before the Qingming Festival.
So there wasn’t much.
The ones after the festival didn’t taste as good as the ones before.
Heaven knows why there was a difference after a few days.
Her palate was picky to the extreme.
Anyway, Aunt Yin hadn’t tasted it at the beginning.
Eunuch Duan understood Great-Aunt’s meaning: there was some, but very little. Whether to present it or not was up to him.
If the Emperor liked it and wanted more, but he couldn’t produce it, then he would be finished.
Eunuch Duan pondered for a moment and asked, “This method of brewing, every infusion has a different flavor. Actually, one could add some tea-brewing procedures, so it lasts longer. Like the little girl’s small cup, serving it cup by cup, it would surely taste even better.”
Jiang Mianmian watched as Eunuch Duan and Great-Aunt discussed how to make the tea-brewing process more complex, more ritualistic, and more time-consuming, so that the small amount of tea would appear precious.
Aunt Yin found herself chatting more and more congenially with Little Duan, discovering that this Little Duan was a talent.
“The method you mentioned is quite time-consuming.”
Little Duan nodded, “Isn’t that so? Good tea requires effort.”
Great-Aunt said, “Why not call it Gongfu Tea.”
Jiang Mianmian:…
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