White tea legend

Chapter 271: Three hundred miles east of Yongjia County is the White Tea Mountain

In Baicao Garden, the hardworking fairy Wenxia is weeding.

After hundreds of years of dust, the Baicao Garden was overgrown with weeds and had been abandoned for a long time. The sunlight penetrated the sparse clouds and sprinkled on Wenxia's light figure, and her hands kept pulling out weeds.

As the weeds were cleared bit by bit, the Baicao Garden seemed to be gradually waking up.

Wenxia's actions not only awakened the sleeping flowers, but also touched upon the long-lost vitality in the garden.

Not far away, under the paulownia tree.

The black fairy was talking to a colorful parrot and an emerald green snake.

Wenxia occasionally stopped the work in her hands and looked at the three people under the sycamore tree, wondering what they were talking about.

"Xiaoqing, have you become an immortal too?" Fairy Baicha asked the green snake.

"You are still a demon. How can it be so easy to become an immortal?"

"Then why are you in heaven?"

"Mr. Lu asked me to go to heaven and rescue you."

"You are a snake demon, why do you risk your life for me? Aren't you uncomfortable staying with that monk in the mountain temple?"

"I'm glad you're okay. I should go back to the netherworld. If I'm discovered, it might harm the bird."

At the side, the cockatoo cried out, transformed into a human form, and told Bai Cha what happened that day:

That day, the ignorant green snake actually came to heaven and peeked outside the South Heaven Gate. Fortunately, the cockatoo went to deliver snacks to the gatekeeper Wu Gang on behalf of the fairy Chang'e, and then he discovered her, secretly stuffed her into his sleeve, and took her into heaven.

It turned out to be the case.

"Then take her out the same way you brought her in. If the gods in heaven find out, Green Snake's life will be in danger."

The cockatiel nodded. The reason why Xiaoqing was hiding in the Baicao Garden these days and not being discovered was because the Baicao Garden had been closed for too long and no gods would visit on weekdays. Now that Fairy Baicha has passed away and moved into the Baicao Garden, there will inevitably be gods visiting. If the green snake hides here, it will be discovered sooner or later.

"I can only quietly send you to the South Heaven Gate. I have already returned to heaven. The Heavenly Sovereign already knows that there is a bird like me in heaven, so I can't easily come down to earth. Besides, my sister has returned to heaven, so there is no need for me to come down to earth."

The Green Snake was about to leave the heaven, and Bai Cha wanted to give her some gifts, so she went to the Baicao Garden to pick some flowers and plants and asked her to take them to the lower world. The flowers and plants in the heaven always have magical uses.

"It will be beneficial to your practice."

"Thank you sister."

"When you get to the underworld, help me give Lu Yu a message, telling him that I have passed away and everything is fine, and ask him not to worry."

Green Snake, carrying Bai Cha's instructions, was escorted out of the South Heaven Gate by the black parrot on the day when Wu Gang was guarding the gate.

When the Green Snake arrived in the human world, it did not look for Jiaoran first, but went to Taimu Mountain to find Lu Yu and bring Baicha's message first.

When the green snake arrived at Mount Taimu, it saw the mountain shrouded in clouds and mist, as if it were a paradise.

The green snake swam lightly among the mountains and forests. Suddenly, her eyes were attracted by a strange stone. The shape of the stone resembled a golden beetle climbing the wall, which looked both magical and interesting.

The green snake transformed into a human form and approached the stone. She felt a faint spiritual energy.

At this time, the stone suddenly spoke, telling the green snake that it was once a golden turtle, but because of its evil intentions, it was kicked down from heaven by the Great Mother Goddess when she ascended to heaven, and turned into this stone. The voice of the golden turtle was full of helplessness and regret. It envied the green snake for being able to travel freely between heaven and earth, but it lost the opportunity to ascend to heaven and become an immortal because of its momentary greed.

Letting go of its desire to save others, the green snake passed the golden turtle and headed towards the "White Garden".

The sun shines on the open space in front of the "White Garden", warm and bright. Lu Yu is busy with his son Lu Yuming. Their figures appear particularly focused and harmonious under the sun.

Lu Yu held a handful of white tea in his hand and carefully spread it on the bamboo mat. His movements were light and skillful, and he told Lu Yuming that this was called "withering", which was a crucial step in the production process of white tea.

"'Withering' means spreading out the picked tea leaves and letting them wilt slowly in the natural wind and temperature."

Lu Yuming listened to his father's words attentively, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and desire. He also followed his father's example and spread out the tea leaves carefully, trying to make sure every leaf could be evenly exposed to sunlight and air.

"Withering is not just about making the tea leaves lose moisture, but more importantly, it is about making changes inside them, so that the unique aroma and taste of white tea can be formed." Lu Yu explained as he operated, his hands moving through the tea leaves like he was weaving a complex web.

Lu Yuming looked at his father's back with admiration in his heart. He knew that his father was not only teaching him the skills of making tea, but also teaching him how to feel life with his heart and appreciate the beauty of every detail.

As the sun moves, the angle of the sunlight also changes quietly. Lu Yu and Lu Yuming adjust the position of the bamboo mat from time to time to ensure that every tea leaf can receive the baptism of sunlight evenly.

"Mr. Lu!"

"Dad, someone is calling you. It's a beautiful aunt."

Lu Yu looked up and saw Xiaoqing, who looked exhausted.

He asked Lu Yuming to dry the tea leaves by himself, and he walked towards Xiaoqing, his body trembling slightly, and his voice trembling: "Did you see her?"

The green snake nodded: "Yes, my sister asked me to bring a message to you, brother-in-law, that she has returned to heaven and everything is fine, brother-in-law, don't worry."

Lu Yu looked up at the clear blue sky with tears in his eyes.

From now on, are the immortals and mortals separated forever in heaven and on earth?
Xiaoqing bid farewell to Lu Yu and flew towards the West Lake in Hangzhou.

Lu Yu raised his head and stared at the sky for a long time.

When Lu Yuming looked at Lu Yu, Lu Yu had already fallen to the ground suddenly.

From that day on, Lu Yu fell ill. His disciples were as anxious as ants on a hot pot. They ran around and invited famous doctors. But no matter which doctor they came to, they could not find the cause of Lu Yu's illness. Lu Yu's body became weaker and weaker, and his eyes became more and more haggard.

Lu Yuming felt heartbroken as he watched his father's increasingly thin figure. He and his senior brothers and sisters took turns to take care of Lu Yu. They fed Lu Yu medicine, wiped his body, and tried their best to make Lu Yu feel comfortable. However, the erosion of the disease made Lu Yu's mental state worse and worse.

The disciples sat around Lu Yu's bed, each of them with worry and anxiety on their faces. They held Lu Yu's hand, trying to pass on his strength with their warmth. But Lu Yu's life was gradually extinguished, his face was pale, and his breathing was weak.

……

……

"Want to tell her?" "Tell her."

Taimu Niangniang and Bixia Yuanjun discussed it and decided to tell Bai Cha the news that Lu Yu was critically ill.

"His life span should not be so short." Bai Cha wiped the tears from her face and said with a wry smile, "Is it because of me that his life span was shortened?"

“There are some effects.”

"There is a difference between immortals and mortals. The melon that was forced to grow has now become a spent force."

Fairy White Tea lowered her head, letting her tears flow: "But he has made contributions to the world, he can't just die like this."

The Great Mother and Bixia Yuanjun looked at each other and continued:

"The heaven has newly established some gods, one of which is in charge of white tea in the world, called the God of Tea. Lu Yu is a very suitable candidate."

"However, if you want to become a god in the future, you must make some choices and undergo some trials now."

Bai Cha nodded: "Love will restrict his path to becoming a god. He can't make a choice, so I will make the choice for him. Thank you, Taimu Niangniang and Bixia Yuanjun."

As Fairy Baicha spoke, she personally wrote a section of the secret of forgetting the word "forget", made it into a ray of magic light, and handed it to the Queen Mother Taimu.

……

……

"Bai Yuan", when Lu Yu was dying, Lu Yuming and his disciples knelt in front of the bed and cried.

Taimu Niangniang and Bixia Yuanjun stood in the air, watching everything.

Two lights came from the distance, one black and one white. They were the Black and White Impermanence coming to take Lu Yu's soul.

Two gods blocked their way. They knew that Lu Yu's soul could not be taken away easily, so they had to turn back.

The Great Mother sprinkled the white tea's forgetfulness formula, and the forgetfulness formula quickly entered the minds of everyone in Baiyuan. Those dots filled the entire Changxi County.

When Lu Yu woke up, he found himself on the ground.

The Thatched Cottage is located in a quiet environment with beautiful mountains and rivers, far away from the hustle and bustle. It is made of bamboo and wood, simple and natural, which complements the surrounding scenery. The furnishings in the hall are simple, but reveal an elegant atmosphere.

Lu Yu walked out of the thatched cottage, and saw green trees and a stream flowing by.

Lu Yu caught a passing fisherman and asked, "Where is this?"

The answer is: Tiaoxi River.

Along the Tiao River, willow catkins floated lightly, and Lu Yu strolled along the river bank, with complex emotions surging in his heart. His steps were slow, and every step seemed to be stepping on fragments of memory, and the past events hidden deep in his heart came flooding back like a tide.

He, Lu Yu, was an abandoned child, with no idea who his parents were. He was abandoned in his cradle on the shore of West Lake outside the west gate of Jingling. Fortunately, Master Zhiji of Longgai Temple happened to pass by, picked him up, and took him back to the temple to adopt him. His life journey slowly began amidst the yellow scrolls, green lamps, and the sound of bells and Buddhist chants.

He learned to read and write, recite Buddhist scriptures, and even learned to make tea. However, despite hearing the Buddhist sounds every day, he did not convert to Buddhism and become a monk. Perhaps, deep in his heart, he always yearned for a wider world.

At the age of twelve, he joined a theatre troupe and became an actor. He was humorous and witty, and was very successful in playing the role of a clown. During that time, he experienced the ups and downs of life and accumulated rich life experience. Later, he also compiled three volumes of joke books "Xuetan" to record those happy times.

One year, Li Qiwu, the governor of Jingling, saw his performance at a gathering of people in the state. The governor admired his talent and ambition very much, gave him poems and books, and wrote a letter to recommend him to study with Master Zou who lived in seclusion in Huomen Mountain. There, he delved deeply into Confucianism and discussed the philosophy of life with Master Zou, and gained a lot.

A few years later, he said goodbye to Master Zou and went down the mountain, where he met Cui Guofu, a doctor in the Ministry of Rites. Cui Guofu shared the same ideals with him, and they often went out together, tasting tea and water, and discussing poetry and essays. That time was another beautiful memory in his life.

Later, he traveled to the Bashan Gorge to investigate tea. Along the way, he stopped his horse to pick tea when he saw a mountain, and saddled to taste the water when he saw a spring. While he was full of treasures, his heart was also filled with a deep love for tea.

Later, he came to Shengzhou and lived in Qixia Temple, where he devoted himself to studying tea.

The following year, he traveled to Danyang and continued his tea learning journey.

He has no wife or children, no worries, and seems to be born for tea.

However, during this long journey of recollection, he discovered that there was a vague memory. In his memory, there seemed to be a woman wearing a white and green gradient dress. He seemed to have a deep connection with her, but the specific details seemed to be diluted by time and became out of reach.

Lu Yu stopped and looked at the reflection on the surface of Tiaoxi River, trying to find the answer from the sparkling water. But the face in his mind was like the reflection of the moon in the water, which disappeared as soon as he touched it.

Lu Yu sighed. The past was like the water of Tiaoxi River, which would never look back once it passed.

Now, he wore a gauze scarf and short brown clothes, and wore mushroom shoes, walking alone in the wild. He went deep into farmers' houses to pick tea and find springs, taste tea and water; or recited scriptures and poems, beat trees with a stick, and played with flowing water. When the sun went down and his interest was exhausted, he would return home crying. People at that time called him "Chu Kuang Jieyu", and he became more determined in his belief and pursuit of tea science.

He recalled his first encounter with tea when he was still a child. His curiosity about tea led him to study tea. He remembered how he visited many famous mountains and rivers just to find the most perfect cup of tea. He also remembered his exchanges with many tea farmers and tea lovers. Those discussions and sharing about tea gave him a deeper understanding of tea.

He didn't know why he had a special liking for tea.

Feeling unacceptable, going deeper.

In his secluded thatched cottage, he picked up a pen and wrote two words: The Classic of Tea.

This was his mission for the rest of his life.

It was late at night. Outside Lu Yu's window, a bright moon was hanging high in the sky, and its silver light was shining on his desk. He was immersed in writing The Classic of Tea, and he kept writing. The years had left a mark on his face, but they had not taken away the determination and wisdom in his eyes.

Too tired, he fell asleep at his desk and dreamed of a stone mountain. The mountain was steep and shrouded in clouds and mist, as if it led to another world. The stone path under his feet was rugged, but lotus flowers bloomed at every step, leading him deeper into the depths.

When we reached a certain place, Hongxue Cave came into view. Next to the cave entrance, there was a white tea tree with lush branches and leaves, and the fragrance of tea was everywhere. The white tea tree seemed to have absorbed the spiritual energy of the mountains, and each leaf emitted a faint fluorescence.

His eyes were attracted by a fairy girl wearing white and green gradient clothes. She stood beside the tea tree, playing with a tea leaf in her hand, her eyes were like water, and her temperament was extraordinary. Her clothes swayed gently in the breeze, like a fairy descending to the earth, without a trace of dust.

Lu Yu was so fascinated that he was about to see the fairy's face clearly, but he suddenly felt dizzy. When he tried to calm down and opened his eyes again, the fairy had disappeared without a trace, leaving only the white tea tree whispering in the wind.

After waking up from the dream, Lu Yu rubbed his sleepy eyes, but his heart was still restless. He wanted to recall the face of the fairy in his dream, but it was vague. He closed his eyes and tried to find the ethereal figure in the depths of his memory, but it seemed that all he could touch was a wisp of light smoke. His heart was filled with an inexplicable desire and regret, and the feeling of being so close yet so far away made him unable to calm down.

The fairy's face was like a flower in the moonlight, blooming with light, but also looking like it could be blown away by the wind at any time. He remembered her eyes, clear and deep, like a mountain spring, but with an unspeakable sadness. He wanted to grasp a clue in her eyes, but found that he was powerless.

The more he tried to recall it clearly, the more blurred the face in his dream became, until finally even the dream itself became blurred.

Lu Yu took up his pen again and wrote in The Classic of Tea: Three hundred miles east of Yongjia County there is a white tea mountain…