Rekindle 2003

Chapter 1075: Hundred-year-old Pu'er Tea from the Thousand-year-old Ancient Tea Tree

Guo Wei passionately called on everyone on the stage to embrace the new era, but at the same time, Qing Yun appeared in a single room in Yenching Union Hospital.

Outside the ward, two plainclothes guards stood like sculptures, their expressions serious and their vigilant eyes scanning every possible corner.

In the ward, Zhi Liu sat on the single sofa. His posture was still upright, but his eyes revealed a hint of fatigue.

Qing Yun sat on the long sofa opposite, fiddling with the quick cup on the coffee table with his deft fingers, as if performing a silent ritual.

If Zhi Liu hadn't been wearing a blue and white hospital gown, this place would have looked more like a high-end negotiation room.

Qingyun is already quite proficient in the art of making tea, and his movements are graceful and natural.

But Zhi Liu sighed, stood up and took a large teacup from the bedside table in front of the bed, curled his lips, and said with a hint of self-mockery,
"Sorry, I'm too old to play the Southern way."

Seeing this, Qing Yun also smiled. He put down the cup of Kuai Ke in his hand and asked Sister Xiao Ya to bring his thermos cup to make tea. There was a hint of frankness in his tone.
"Coincidentally, I don't like this either. I always think it's pure sophistry.

To be honest, what I hate most right now is people playing this kind of tricks in front of me.

Also, they ask you right away if you feel any physical sensations, if you feel the sweet aftertaste, if you smell any fragrance?
What about potato fragrance, fruit fragrance, floral fragrance, honey fragrance...

Of course these aromas exist, but they have to be accompanied by various complicated names and labeled with what kind of aroma, which requires me to think carefully and then associate with the stories behind them... It makes me feel that drinking tea is really tiring!
The best thing about tea is its taste.

But sometimes... like now, I have to play like this in front of you."

Zhi Liu burst into laughter, his laughter was filled with a hint of open-mindedness and self-mockery.

"This is a bad habit of private bosses in the south, because they can't show off by drinking alcohol, they can only show off by drinking tea."

He paused, then added, "Of course, that's a common saying."

Zhi Liu stretched out his right hand and shook it inwards, and continued to speak carefully,

“To put it more elegantly, it is very difficult to find the other party’s bottom line in the business world, and negotiations are bound to reach an impasse.

In order to avoid an embarrassing situation, the northern boss used alcohol to adjust the atmosphere and gain control of the situation.

The bosses in the south like to control the situation by drinking tea. When the atmosphere becomes awkward, they immediately turn to the battlefield of tea culture, which can make up for the awkward situation. "

Qing Yun smiled when he heard this, "I prefer a more vulgar way of saying it."

Then he pointed at Zhi Liu's clothes and said, "But, old man, you see, you can't drink in this ward.

We have to follow the rules and the bottom line, right, old man?"

Zhi Liu took a sip of tea, chuckled, and then spoke in a calm and indifferent voice,

"Boss Xiaoqing, are you scolding me or praising yourself?"

Qing Yun shrugged his shoulders and said nonchalantly, "I just prefer to show off."

Zhi Liu laughed out loud, with a hint of open-mindedness and appreciation in his laughter, "This is what you, Xiao Qing, should be like."

Qing Yun raised his teacup and clinked it with his, with a hint of amusement in his eyes, "What you mean is that I am a wild boar and don't want to play with fine bran, right?"

At this point, he paused, spread his hands, pointed at the complete set of quick cups in front of him and said,

"I think... with your ability to know what's going on in the world without leaving your house, you should have heard about the embarrassing things I did at the southern tea table some time ago."

Zhi Liu nodded, and then smiled playfully, "I have heard a lot, but now no one dares to say that you are embarrassed, they just say that you are not good at the tea ceremony."

At this point, he paused, sat down, picked up the set of quick cups on the coffee table, and looked at Qingyun deeply.
"It's embarrassing."

He picked up the electric kettle next to him and poured water on the covered bowl.
"This is called warming the cup. Before you start making tea, you must warm the cup first. Don't worry about why you are warming it. Just keep warming it. With your status, no one dares to ask you.

After warming the cup, pour the water into the teapot, then start adding tea, shaking it left, right, up, down, and keep shaking it. When the aroma is fragrant, let the other person smell it. "

Qing Yun was so fascinated by it that he asked, "What's the use of this?"

Zhi Liu shrugged his shoulders. "Don't worry about that. Just let him smell it and then say to him, 'Not bad, right? Someone gave it to me.'"

Emperor Yun gave a thumbs-up with a constipated look on his face, "Great! It's really great!"

Zhi Liu chuckled and continued to talk while playing with the tea set.

"We will skip the actions of scraping the foam, rubbing the tea leaves, and shaking the incense. Just do it. The faster and more casual the movements, the better. It's best if you look a little impatient.

There must be someone in this world who can make you brew tea with the mindset of the tea ceremony.

But in general, even if you encounter this situation, others will not despise your craftsmanship.

As for the others, they don't deserve it.

The key point is Zhan Ming, you have to remember this point, pick up the cup lid and put it in front of your nose and smell it.

At this time, close your eyes, pretend to be intoxicated, shake your head and say, "This is the smell!" Then give it to him to smell. "

Emperor Yun slapped his knee when he heard this. "Don't say that. It's amazing! Those southern bosses use this process."

It can’t be said to be exactly the same, but it can be said to be a perfect replica.

Zhi Liu sneered at the words, "Those nouveau riche know nothing. Tea ceremony is something that only the palace can do.

Watch carefully, when you serve the tea, you must shake it up and down twice."

Qing Yun asked curiously, "Hey, I really don't understand, why are you so reluctant?"

“Not only do you need to shake it, but you also need to remember that your facial expressions and movements should be casual, which is called being generous.

There are old people in the old Yanjing family who have seen the princes and ministers, and they are all like this, not that kind of person at all.

They were the first group of southern nouveau riche who started their business. They were greatly influenced by the Japanese during the reform and opening up, and turned the daily necessities of life into a so-called art.

And you still say this is the rule?"

Zhi Liu's smile was full of meaning, "Finally, when you drink tea, you have to sip it! Sip it in your mouth, and then close your eyes and make as loud a sound as you can!
Then frown, for example, if you are using an electric kettle today, you would say, what a pity, it is indeed not as good as charcoal fire, and it lacks some of the human touch.

If you use tap water or mineral water, you would say that it is stagnant water after all and lacks some vitality.

You say that the Kuake cups we use now are not as good as Dehua white porcelain in terms of restraining the aroma of tea."

Emperor Yun exclaimed, "I've learned it! I've learned it!"
Zhi Liu continued, “There are tea languages ​​for drinking tea, and if you don’t speak them well, others will look down on you and call you a bumpkin.

However, it is easy to do, as there is a formula for this.

When someone offers you tea, if the tea goes directly into your throat without you having to consciously swallow it, you can say, 'It melts in your mouth, great tea'!
If your throat feels dry and you have difficulty swallowing after it goes down your throat, you can say "it kind of locks your throat, the quality is average."

But if there is a sweet taste after drinking it, you can add, "The sweetness comes back quickly and strongly, I was wrong."

If you feel saliva is constantly produced in your mouth, you can say, "It's been producing saliva for quite a long time, not bad!"

If you can smell a grassy smell in the drink, then the taste is too strong and drinking too much will damage your stomach.

If the tea aroma is still in the cup after drinking, then you say, 'Mm, the aroma is strong, good tea! '"

Qing Yun was stunned when he heard this. He didn't expect that Zhi Liu had so many tricks in the art of pretending.

Seeing this, Zhi Liu smiled playfully and said with a hint of meaning,

“Although I don’t like these so-called rules, it doesn’t mean I don’t understand them, nor does it mean I can’t find my freedom within these rules.”

Qing Yun nodded in agreement, "Old man, your mentality is consistent with the Taoist concept of 'following one's heart'."

There was a hint of admiration in his eyes as he danced gracefully on the red line. This state was not something that ordinary people could achieve.

Zhi Liu smiled complacently, shared the tea with Qing Yun, and then took a sip himself.
"This tea is not as fragrant as the jasmine tea I brew. It has a bit more of an artisanal flavor."

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yun's eyes flickered, "Is this another kind of 'tea language'?"

Zhi Liu burst into laughter, "Xiao Qing is indeed very insightful! It's so worry-free to talk to you!"

Qingyun shrugged and took out a box from his bag.

"Grandpa, I have prepared some fine tea for you today. I am ready to taste tea with you."

Zhi Liu wanted to refuse, saying that he was not very interested in the tea ceremony.

But when Qing Yun took out an antique wooden box with smooth lines and warm color from her bag, his attention was immediately attracted.

The texture and workmanship of this box are obviously of great value. It is used to store tea, so the quality of the tea inside must be top-notch.

Zhi Liu's lips unconsciously curled up into an appreciative smile. It seemed that Qing Yun's respect for him was genuine.

Qingyun smiled gently, and her fingers deftly began to warm the cup according to the method Zhiliu had taught her before.

Although his movements were not as smooth as those of a tea artist, he still looked quite competent. "This is old Pu'er, recommended by Mr. Hu Gang himself. He said it was a genuine century-old Pu'er."

After hearing the words 'hundred-year-old Pu'er' and 'Hu Gang', Zhi Liu became more interested.

Hu Gang of Star Computer is his old rival. In the era of "North Fantasy and South Star", Hu Gang and he dominated the north and south.

However, in just a few years, Star was defeated by him and was eventually acquired by Qingyun.

Although he lost to him in the business war, everyone knows that Hu Gang is quite accomplished in the elegant art of tea tasting.

Zhi Liu stroked his chin, with a hint of amusement in his tone, "Although Hu Gang is not very good at business, he is really good at tasting tea."

Qingyun put the tea leaves into the cup, and then shook it up and down and left and right according to Zhiliu's instructions to fully release the aroma of the tea leaves. He handed the cup to Zhiliu and invited Zhiliu to smell the aroma of the tea leaves.

Zhi Liu took a deep breath, and an indescribable smell immediately filled his nostrils.

His brows furrowed slightly, and he hissed before closing his eyes in thought, as if savoring the fragrance.

He didn't know how to evaluate the taste, and after a while he squeezed out a sentence,
“Very complex aroma!”

After all, Qingyun had said before that this was a century-old Pu'er.

Frankly speaking, he couldn't smell the scent, but that didn't stop him from using 'tea language' to respond.

The price of a cake of century-old Pu'er tea ranges from tens of thousands to millions. He had indeed never tasted such precious tea in his life.

Emperor Yun laughed when he heard this, "Right, this smell, I made a fool of myself in front of Hu Gang at that time, I didn't even smell it."

Zhi Liu curled his lips and said, "This kind of simple and deep tea fragrance is indeed rare."

Qing Yun's smile at this moment was filled with a hint of pride, as if he was showing off a precious treasure, and his voice was somewhat boastful.

"Grandpa, Hu Gang told me that this tea cake has a great origin.

He said that the tea from that mountain was extremely rare back then. He got a cake of it, but he couldn't bear to drink it himself, so he only gave me two taels.

This is a rare thing, I normally wouldn't be willing to soak it."

After hearing this, Zhi Liu's brows relaxed and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He hurriedly took the teacup from Qingyun, with a hint of urgency in his tone, "Then let me do it, don't ruin this treasure!"

Seeing this, Qing Yun naturally would not fight for it. He respectfully gave the stage to Zhi Liu with a bit of expectation in his eyes.

"Watch out, kid. I'll teach you how to brew this old Pu'er tea."

Zhi Liu spoke as he operated, with a hint of confidence and pride in his tone.

"Hey! I say, your tea leaves are a bit big."

Facing Zhi Liu's doubts, Qing Yun laughed and said, "Hu Gang said that the leaves of Pu'er tea grown from thousand-year-old trees are larger..."

As he spoke, a distressed expression appeared on his face, "Grandpa, no, you put in too much! It's very expensive."

Zhi Liu looked at him with disdain, "Look at how petty you are! There's nothing much to it, don't talk nonsense, this kind of old Pu'er should be brewed like this!"

As he spoke, he skillfully completed the first step of brewing, "The first brew of this old Pu'er tea needs to be quick, and after one brew, we need to quickly transition to the second brew."

Following Zhi Liu's technique, the first brew of tea was quickly poured into the teapot, and the teacup was warmed up again.

Then, he quickly made the second cup of tea with his deft hands, and there was a hint of deep satisfaction in his voice.

"Now, this tea is drinkable."

Qingyun politely made a gesture of invitation, "Grandpa, please come first."

Zhi Liu was not polite either. After swallowing his saliva involuntarily, he almost couldn't wait to pick up the cup and took a deep sip of the tea.

He closed his eyes and savored the unique flavor of the century-old Pu'er tea that came from the thousand-year-old tree.

Forgive his poor eyesight, but he couldn't taste any familiar flavor.

It's another complex and difficult to understand taste.

With a frown he said, "This tea is indeed different. This taste! Hey!"

Then he took a cautious sip, letting the tea swirl around his tongue.

Qing Yun imitated Zhi Liu and took a sip, but then his expression became a little complicated.
"Why do you feel a little sour?"

Zhi Liu swallowed the tea and pursed his lips, as if savoring the aftertaste of the tea. His expression was full of enjoyment.

“It’s normal to be a little sour, this is old Pu’er tea that has been precipitated over the years.

Mr. Xiaoqing, you know, after a long period of time, coupled with the fermentation method, because it is ripe tea, it will ferment. "

Qingyun frowned slightly and looked at Zhiliu with a hint of confusion.

"Grandpa, I remember that the tea soup of cooked Pu'er tea should be red and black, but why is this tea soup yellow? Could it be raw Pu'er tea?"

Zhi Liu looked down at the yellow tea in the cup, and after a flash of embarrassment, a look of confusion appeared on his face.
"What is the origin of this tea? Didn't Hu Gang tell you in detail?"

Qing Yun seemed a little confused. He shook his head helplessly, "I really don't understand these things. He mentioned them before, but I forgot."

Zhi Liu looked at Qing Yun's puzzled expression and couldn't help feeling angry and amused.

He shook his head repeatedly, "Such a good thing is really wasted by you!"

He then took a big sip of tea, but felt a little uncomfortable.

Although I love drinking tea, I have always worked in a state-owned enterprise and rarely have the opportunity to taste such high-end tea.

And a young rich man like Qing Yun can easily enjoy this kind of luxury, which makes him feel a little emotional.

It’s still better to be privately owned!

However, to be honest, Zhi Liu did not think that this century-old Pu'er tea was very delicious.

Even among all the teas he had drunk, the taste of this tea was definitely not top-notch, and it definitely ranked at the bottom.

But in this situation, he was embarrassed to say that he didn't appreciate the benefits of this tea.

After all, this is a century-old Pu'er from a thousand-year-old tea tree.

Perhaps you need to savor it several times before you can appreciate its beauty.

However, the tea soup became even richer after being brewed three or four times, which puzzled him.

After drinking two cups in a row, Qingyun asked Zhiliu to give an evaluation of the tea.

Zhi Liu pondered for a while, weighing his words.
“The color and taste of this tea really leave a deep impression.

It seems to contain the ups and downs of life. Every bite is like savour the life, making people feel as if they have gained some enlightenment.

What a great cup of tea! It’s worthy of being a century-old Pu’er tea!”

His words were full of praise for tea, although he did not fully appreciate the benefits of tea.

At this moment, Qing Yun seemed to have suddenly thought of something. He covered his head and asked as if he was asking Zhi Liu for advice.

"Grandpa, I heard that drinking too much good tea can make you drunk. Is this true? Does the physical sensation of tea really exist?"

Just when Zhi Liu was about to explain the puzzlement to the little bastard in front of him, suddenly, his stomach churned.

A feeling of nausea came over me.

He couldn't help but let out an "eh", his face turned a little ugly, and there was a hint of uneasiness in his voice.
"Why do I feel a little nauseous? This tea..."

Could this kid have poisoned someone?

Qing Yun looked at Zhi Liu's uncertain expression, his face full of innocence and confusion.
"Are you not used to this kind of tea? When I drank it at Hu Gang's place, it felt pretty good."

Zhi Liu felt nauseous in his stomach at this moment, but now he seemed to be fine.

At this moment, he also felt strange.

Could it be that my stomach really can't adapt to this expensive century-old Pu'er tea?

Could it be that my wild boars can’t eat fine bran?
……

(End of this chapter)