Épousez un fonctionnaire de la dynastie Song du Nord

Chapitre 26

Cui Shiran took a small pinch of tea leaves from the small bottle and put them into the purple clay teapot. He then filled the large teapot with water from the copper kettle and set both aside. After a while, he tested the temperature of the teapot with his hand. Then he lifted the large teapot high and tilted it. A clear stream of water poured into the open purple clay teapot in a semi-parabolic shape, splashing out a large amount of water and a few tea leaves.

He put down the teapot, tested the temperature with his hand again, and after a few seconds, put the lid on the teapot, gently shook the body of the teapot, and carefully poured the tea into the small teacups in front of him.

He put down the purple clay teapot, lifted the bottom of the teacup with his left hand, and pushed it forward with his right hand, then said, "Please have some tea." The whole process was smooth and quiet, as if there was a sense of flowing clouds and water in it.

At that moment, everyone present forgot his age and his unusual appearance, and simply immersed themselves in this subtle atmosphere.

The man sitting opposite him was about forty years old. He also had loose hair and was barefoot. He wore a spotless white robe and had a long, thin, and handsome face. The clothes that looked awkward on Cui Shiran looked very natural and suitable on him. It felt like they were perfectly integrated with his temperament. It was as if those clothes were meant for him.

He was a very pleasant person, but for some reason, he had a small gourd hanging from his waist. This was quite strange, as gourds are usually worn by fishermen and woodcutters in the mountains to hold water or wine. What would someone as otherworldly as him use it for?

He Su pondered, could it be some reclusive, unrestrained sage living in the mountains? Isn't that how it's described in books—Ji Kang forging iron, Li Bai getting drunk and acting crazy, Meng Haoran fishing, Jiang Ziya also fishing, even leading a donkey to sell flour, Lin Bu with plum blossoms and cranes, and that Peking University scholar Huang relieving himself anywhere. True scholars are naturally unconventional, true scholars are often a bit eccentric, or, to use a jealous expression, a bit perverse.

Who lived during Emperor Huizong's reign? Tao Yuanming? Uh, that was during the Jin Dynasty. Wang Wei? No, that was during the Tang Dynasty.

He Suchen was diligently searching through the few historical figures in her mind when the middle-aged man propped himself up on one leg, rose from his kneeling position, and walked to the left. He then squatted slightly and picked up the small teacup that Cui Shiran had pushed in front of him with both hands.

First, he examined the color of the tea soup, then brought his nose close to it to gently smell the aroma. He took a small sip, closed his eyes, savored it carefully, and nodded before putting down the teacup.

"Light tea, without cardamom, fermented for six days."

Cui Shiran was startled for a moment, but quickly regained his composure. "Junior Brother Shan, how is this tea?"

"Light and buoyant, still quite good tea." Junior Brother Shan picked up the teacup, drank the tea in the small cup in one gulp, held it in his mouth for a moment before letting the tea slide down his throat.

Cui Shiran immediately leaned forward, "Then, that matter, how about it?"

“Senior brother, you’re still young, don’t do such a thing. Longhu Mountain doesn’t need this kind of money.” Junior Brother Shan frowned and put down his teacup, then returned to his seat and knelt down again.

Cui Shiran glanced at He Sushi beside him, then turned back to his junior brother, "If you don't agree, then I'll have to do it myself."

Junior Brother Shan relaxed his brows and repeated Cui Shiran's tea-making movements, his every action conveying a sense of ethereal beauty reminiscent of the mountains and forests.

He picked up the tea he had brewed, pushed it closer to Cui Shiran, and said, "Please have some tea."

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Thank you to Yao Zhi Mi Ying and Ye Yu Yue Ming for your comments. I really appreciate your time and feedback. Thank you!

Chapter 40, Tea House

The promoter function is now open! What are you waiting for? Join us now! Cui Shiran picked up his teacup, took a sip, savored it carefully, and then solemnly put the cup down. His expression was solemn, which was not suitable for his age.

He Su Chen watched from outside the door and suddenly understood why cultivators were called otherworldly beings. They all possessed a kind of carefree and detached air that transcended age, appearance, or personality. Although it was awkward and not quite right, it was impossible for people to ignore them.

He Sucheng had seen his grandmother brew tea when he was a child. She would specially buy firewood from a vendor, use a kettle passed down from the previous two generations, and brew mid-range tea leaves from a tea shop in an old wooden house. The wisps of smoke rising one by one seemed to mark an eternity with each brewing.

Back then, she longed for that feeling and begged to learn, but her grandmother refused. She said that tea tasting was a very profound thing, and if a child did it for too long, became serious, and got used to it, their mindset would age. The crying child couldn't understand then, but now, she seemed to understand. Looking at Cui Shiran, a serious young man sitting there, she felt a deep sadness.

This isn't the era she's living in. Is the average lifespan even fifty years? As the heir of a family, how much responsibility does she bear? She doesn't know, but looking at Cui Shiran, she can guess a thing or two. She'd heard He Su Shi mention that this ten-year-old boy stays up until dawn and gets up early in the morning.

This seemed to be a world she found hard to fit into. Since arriving here, she had deliberately ignored her loneliness and repression, because she knew it was useless, worrying was useless, longing was useless, and there was no point in doing anything meaningless—these were the views she had been instilled with since childhood.

Crying is useless, because your parents won't stay because of your crying; worrying is useless, because your grandmother won't get better because of your worry; and missing someone is useless, because no one will suffer because of your missing someone.

Yun Daiying said that life is meaningless and purely accidental. She wanted to ask, does her life have any meaning? Where does the meaning lie?

She was lost, for no reason whatsoever, or perhaps all of these were reasons. There were no career women here, no goals to strive for. Even if she tried, in which direction would she go? Could she at least have a little bit of control over her own life?

She stood quietly, lost in thought. When she looked up, she met Cui Shiran's calm eyes, which held concern. She smiled back, as if she hadn't been thinking about anything at all. The atmosphere in the room was quiet. Suddenly, Junior Brother Shan spoke again: "Guest, what brings you to the east?"

Cui Shiran smiled and said, "The guest goes east and goes to the mountain."

Junior Brother Shan slowly sat up, then bowed, tidied up the utensils on the table, arranged them neatly, and finally left expressionlessly. He saw He Suchen at the door, somewhat surprised, but remained silent, nodded, and walked away.

As soon as he left, He Su Shi hurriedly asked, "How did it go? What did he say?"

"It's done." Cui Shiran breathed a sigh of relief, then said, "Achen, what's wrong? You look pale."

"Hmm?" He Suchen stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say, so she asked, "And who is that gentleman?"

Cui Shiran said "Oh," and then said, "He is my cousin's disciple, named Li Ning."

“Li Ning?!” He Sushi exclaimed.

“Yes, his surname is Li, given name is Ning, courtesy name is Xiliu, and pen name is Qingsong Xiaodao. I call him Junior Brother Shan,” he raised his eyes in confusion, “Is there a problem?”

He Su and his sister ignored him, staring at each other in shock, and then said in unison—

"Anything is possible?!"

"A tea house? Why open a tea house? Haven't we already built a tea plantation?" He Suchen's eyes widened, feeling that this was somewhat unnecessary.

“A tea shop is a tea shop, and a tea pavilion is a tea pavilion. The same tea can sell for dozens of times more in a tea pavilion than in a tea shop, so of course we should open tea pavilions,” He Su explained, thinking that a cup of cola might only cost 2.5 yuan in a supermarket but could sell for 20 yuan in a hotel. The hidden value and the sense of class that the place of sale gives people are also gimmicks for making money.

"But will anyone actually buy it?" Su Chen was a little worried.

“If it’s just a teahouse, there won’t be anyone, but with Master Shan, there’s no need to worry,” He Su said with a smile. “Master Shan used to work with Zhi Ran to manage Master Zhang’s tea. What we’re selling now is the ancient charm and confidence of Taoism, so I don’t think there will be any problems.”

"Uh, this can be sold too?" He Suchen glanced at Cui Shiran's expression and found that he didn't seem to have any resistance to the so-called "selling Taoist ancient charm and confidence." Cui Shiran felt her scrutiny and explained with a half-smile, "Taoists also need to eat. Besides, I'm not a Taoist. I need to keep some money for myself."

He Suchen successfully spied on him but was discovered. Her face flushed, and she thought to herself, "What a perfectly legitimate reason!" She continued to ask, "Do you run a teahouse in Suzhou?"

"No, in the capital."

He Su smiled slightly, his eyes looking out the window at the unobstructed distance.

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