Chapter 241: Showing Off Before Others with Great-Aunt
Despite the long, exhausting journey, it did not affect Lord Sima’s demeanor in the slightest.
In the afternoon, they were on a pleasure boat, sailing on the lake.
The winter wind was a bit chilly, but the boat was warm.
Jiangzhou was prosperous and bordered a great river.
Unlike the slightly turbulent Jing River, the river in Jiangzhou was vast and boundless; to the ancients who had never seen the sea, they would think this was likely the sea itself.
Magistrate Jia was captivated by Commander Jiang’s demeanor the moment they met.
He courteously received them at the post station, an inn specifically for hosting passing officials.
Once settled, he immediately arranged an afternoon tea.
Magistrate Jia was a typical scion of a prominent family; his official position was not high, his salary was modest, but his family was very powerful.
He knew how to eat and play well, but his ability to get things done was average, so he had ended up in a reception role.
Anyway, it suited him quite well.
Of course, while his position wasn’t high, his rank was actually not low either.
It was just relative.
With family backing, the lowest rank would still be the fifth or sixth grade.
Ordinary people didn’t know how to select officials or get promoted, but in big families, there was already a familiar path; as long as one followed the steps, everything was taken care of.
The Jia family was also an old noble family.
Jia Sen didn’t have much real talent; he barely passed the exams and barely held office, but he loved the world of scholars and literati, and enjoyed associating with famous people.
Jiangzhou happened to be a place where famous scholars were everywhere.
If someone with more political acumen were in his place, they probably wouldn’t have approached Commander Jiang immediately, but would have waited until the situation became clearer.
But Magistrate Jia happened to lack that quality.
He was simply stunned by Commander Jiang the moment he saw him.
At this moment on the pleasure boat, Magistrate Jia was like a peacock spreading its tail, with powder and rouge smeared on his face.
Jiang Mianmian was dressed in the robes of a wealthy young master, just like her Father’s servant, sitting beside her Father.
Looking at this uncle opposite her, he had actually applied foundation on his face?
But because the base wasn’t done well and his pores were a bit coarse, he looked white from afar, but up close, it was truly triggering for someone with trypophobia.
Every large pore was clogged with white powder, but because he got excited, he would produce oil, making the edges of the pores moist, and the powder would be absorbed by the oil, forming a face that was both white and full of holes.
Sigh, this was what happened when you used too much cosmetics but didn’t clean properly or remove makeup well.
This also showed that their family’s sales ability was poor.
Just think, selling toiletries and cosmetics—such basic livelihood goods—her family should have been wealthy enough to rival a nation, but the result was just normal.
It seemed they were a bit richer than the average wealthy person, but didn’t feel exceptionally rich; it should be due to poor business acumen.
They hadn’t even sold these to Jiangzhou City.
The capital was a first-tier city, so Jiangzhou and Qingzhou, the hometown of Censor He, were quasi-first-tier, while Jingzhou used to belong to the fifth or sixth tier.
However, under Commander Jiang’s vigorous development, it should have reached the level of a second-tier city.
Jiang Mianmian didn’t stare at the other person’s face for too long; staring for too long was impolite.
She just took a glance and couldn’t help but complain internally.
Actually, Magistrate Jia was also very nervous at this moment.
Because Commander Jiang was already dashing and handsome, and Commander Jiang, having washed up for the appointment, wore a navy blue robe that further set off his fair skin and handsome features—indescribably perfect.
Seeing him wear such a navy blue robe, Magistrate Jia thought to himself that when he returned, he would also buy one; it was truly good-looking.
And the reason why Magistrate Jia sat so straight was not because of the dashing Lord Jiang, but because of the young boy beside Lord Jiang.
Or rather, not a young boy, but a young girl.
Commander Jiang had actually brought his youngest daughter.
“My daughter is mischievous and wanted to see the world, please don’t mind, Brother Jia.” Commander Jiang said dotingly.
Magistrate Jia felt a bit uneasy in his seat because the young boy before him was truly, truly, too exquisite.
There were many magnificent poems praising people’s appearances.
But facing the look of this young boy, he couldn’t even speak.
Commander Jiang’s heroic bearing was such that his daughter should naturally have a peerless appearance.
But a peerless appearance that still carried childishness, and was unaware of itself, with a languid and self-satisfied air, was something else entirely.
It was radiant and colorful, as if it weren’t real.
Mianmian also liked her own appearance very much; she had struck gold.
Father was as beautiful as a celestial being.
Then she was a Celestial Being Plus.
Although Mianmian didn’t usually look in the mirror.
Mainly because she hadn’t even invented a mirror yet—so~ embarrassing~.
She had made a half-baked mirror, but it wasn’t very easy to use; it was deathly heavy and deathly expensive.
Anyway, she didn’t look in the mirror much, but occasionally she could see herself in a reflective surface, and she would be slightly shocked and mesmerized.
It was with this face that she felt that even if she did bad things, she would easily be forgiven.
It was also with this face that every time Mother beat her, she actually couldn’t bear to use force.
If Mother had used force, there would basically be no survivors.
People’s values followed their aesthetics; looking at her own appearance a few more times, Mianmian worried that she would become arrogant.
And she was also worried that she would have appearance anxiety.
Ordinary people’s appearance anxiety was feeling that they weren’t good-looking and wanting to be better-looking.
Her appearance anxiety was that she was too good-looking, and what if she became ugly in the future?
It was said that a narcissist had died of such anxiety.
Mianmian didn’t have any appearance anxiety now, but she only thought she didn’t; the whole family actually thought she did, because she brushed her teeth morning and night, applied face cream, and had made a bunch of things to smear on her face.
Essence water? Serum? Face cream? Sunscreen? Face mask?
Anyway, Jiang Mianmian had made a bunch of normal skincare products she thought she needed.
She was still young and didn’t use them; her elder sister and Mother didn’t like using them much either, and her brother didn’t care about these things at all.
Father, on the other hand, would use them because there was a Mother who was keen on protecting her husband and would use them on Father.
Anyway, Mianmian took one look at Magistrate Jia opposite her, and Magistrate Jia became a bit restless.
It was as if he wanted to spread his tail even wider.
However, maintaining the state of spreading one’s tail was actually quite tiring.
Fortunately, there was a tool for showing off like Gongfu Tea.
Presumably, people from the bitter and cold land of Jingzhou hadn’t tried such an elegant activity.
Magistrate Jia was spreading his tail while making tea.
Sandalwood charcoal was burning, boiling water.
Expensive, high-quality spring water boiled, and then was poured onto the thin-as-cicada-wings porcelain cups, emitting white steam.
After wasting the first pour, he began to add tea, brew, pour into the fairness cup, and distribute the tea.
Worried that the other party would make a fool of themselves, Magistrate Jia even specifically said: “The first pour doesn’t need to be drunk; the first pour is for washing the tea.”
Of course, it was also for warming the cups.
Boiling water was used to rinse the cups, and then the first pour warmed the cups; the cups always maintained their temperature, which could maximize the tea aroma.
Magistrate Jia meticulously handed the slightly cool fairness cup to Mr. Jiang in front of him, hinting: “Brother Jiang, you can smell this tea aroma.”
Commander Jiang took the fairness cup and smelled it very casually.
He felt helpless; he had done this action too many times at home.
When the little one first started making tea, he had to be forced by her to smell several cups every day and describe the different scents.
After smelling it, he passed the fairness cup to his daughter.
Mianmian took a sniff; it smelled quite good, with a floral honey scent.
The only drawback was that it might have been stored slightly improperly, having a bit of an aged smell, but it was already very good tea.
Mianmian’s hometown was a place where everyone had tea plantations, which was later used as an excuse for telecommunications fraud.
She never dared to tell people that her grandfather grew tea, worried that others would call her a scammer, even though her family really did have them.
She took a sniff and passed it to Aunt Yin, the proprietress standing behind her.
Aunt Yin stood behind her master like a door panel.
As for the fairness cup sent over by her little master, she also took it and smelled it, then frowned slightly and returned it.
Magistrate Jia was slightly displeased by this series of actions.
Making tea was a very elegant matter.
Especially Gongfu Tea, which had spread from the imperial palace.
Although this Brother Sima’s youngest daughter had a peerless appearance, she was a bit disrespectful; she had actually let her nanny smell the fairness cup, and that old nanny had even frowned.
It was only at this moment that Magistrate Jia noticed this old nanny.
It was only upon noticing that he realized this nanny had an extraordinary air and didn’t look like an ordinary person.
She looked even more formidable than the nanny beside his own grandmother; he hadn’t even noticed this nanny at all just now.
“How is the tea aroma? Does it have the scent of floral honey? To be honest, Brother Jiang, an ounce of this tea is more expensive than an ounce of gold.
I only managed to snatch two ounces from my elder brother.
Usually, I can’t bear to brew it, and only take it out for distinguished guests.”
“Very good.” Jiang Changtian nodded.
“It seems there is also a plum scent.” Mianmian said.
Magistrate Jia’s long face suddenly beamed, the flesh on his cheeks trembling slightly; he was clearly very happy.
“Yes, yes, yes, that is the plum scent.
The production process of this tea uses green plums as firewood, slowly roasted.”
“If Magistrate Jia likes this kind of tea, you can also make tea with small green citrus.
Scoop out the meat inside, put the tea leaves in, and the tea produced will have both tea aroma and citrus aroma.
The taste is soft and lingering; it is not only delicious but also nourishing and replenishing.” Mianmian said.
Then she turned to Aunt Yin and said: “Great-Aunt, did you bring that tea? Please brew one for Magistrate Jia in a while.”
Aunt Yin nodded helplessly.
Commander Jiang smiled dotingly in cooperation.
They drank tea and chatted together.
Magistrate Jia thought to himself, this little girl’s appearance is extraordinary, and she speaks well, but her knowledge is limited.
This kind of tea is not something everyone can brew; it is very particular, let alone an old nanny.
However, for the sake of her beauty, he didn’t object.
You are good-looking, so whatever you say is fine.
Isn’t it just letting an old nanny make tea? Let her make it.
Aunt Yin gave a few instructions and then sat in front of the tea table, facing the great river.
The songstress playing the zither changed the tune.
The incense was lit again.
Magistrate Jia was still looking for topics to chat about.
Then he saw the old nanny in front of him extend her hand, which was actually more beautiful than that of a sixteen-year-old girl.
A pair of white, slender, and flexible hands held the pot, pouring water, brewing; every movement was full of a different beauty and sense of ritual.
It made him forget to speak.
Until a cup of tea was pushed in front of him.
He picked it up foolishly and took a sip.
It was neither hot nor cold; it was warm and smooth upon entering the mouth, comfortable as it went down the throat, and warm as it entered the stomach.
A sip of tea could actually go all the way through like this.
Magistrate Jia was a bit dumbfounded.
What kind of tea was this?
What kind of nanny was this?
An etiquette nanny?
How could she look so good when making tea?
It made him completely ignore the age of this old nanny; he just felt like he was seeing a true peerless beauty.
Smelling the fairness cup again, a rich fragrance rushed to his nose, completely different from the fairness cup of the tea he had just brewed, which required a hard sniff to smell anything.
No wonder Brother Jiang had just smelled it casually; he had thought Brother Jiang didn’t know how.
Magistrate Jia asked a bit embarrassedly: “May I ask who this lady who is making the tea is?”
Mianmian smiled and said: “Magistrate Jia, didn’t you just say you like making Gongfu Tea?
My Great-Aunt’s surname is Yin, and 《The Origin of Gongfu Tea was written by my Great-Aunt.
You should have read it.”
“This, this, this…” Magistrate Jia was full of surprise, then hurriedly stood up and bowed.
“I have embarrassed myself, I have embarrassed myself.”
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