Aspirations

Chapter 44
Cao Shujun applauded: "Good, good, good. I hope that the world will have a good time, and I will live up to my age and love. Even the little lady's skill in ordering tea is a must, and the skill is overwhelming in the capital, and no one can match it."

Zhang Hou also nodded again and again: "It's amazing."

Shen Bao stayed for a moment before sighing: "So young, so beautiful, so versatile, even the little lady is the best in the world, and I admire her greatly."

Shi'er also opened her eyes wide, exclaimed "Wow", her eyes lit up: "It's amazing, it's amazing, I also want to learn, I want to order tea too."

Several people were amazed, only Xia Xiang and Mantuo remained silent.Mantuo lowered his eyebrows and didn't care. He didn't care about Lian Ruohan ordering tea.

"Brother Xia..." Zhang Hou saw that Xia Xiang was silent, thinking that Xia Xiang didn't know how to order tea, and said with a smile, "I'm waiting to hear what Brother Xia has to say, and please ask Brother Xia to give me some pointers."

"It's easy to say, it's easy to say." Xia Xiang laughed, clasped his fists to greet the crowd, and looked like he was doing his part, "The quality of ordering tea can be judged from two aspects, one is the color of the soup, and the other is the flower of the soup. The color of tea should be pure white first, then blue-white, gray-white, yellow-white, etc. The color is pure white, which means the tea is fresh and tender, and the heat is just right when brewing. The color is blue, and the heat is insufficient when brewing. The color is gray, it is When brewing, the heat is too old. If the color turns yellow, it means that the tea leaves were not picked in time, and the tea leaves are too old or too tender. If the color turns red, it is because the tea leaves are roasted too hot. Even the little lady’s tea is pure in color. Bai, it's first class."

Zhang Hou's jaw barely dropped into the teacup. He originally thought that Xia Xiang was born in a common people's family and grew up in a remote Zhongshan Village.Although the books of sages have the way of life and the foundation of life, there is no record of tricks such as making tea. If you know how to make tea, you have to see it with your own eyes and hear it with your own ears to know a thing or two.

How could Xia Xiang know how to order tea?Zhang Hou believes that some people in Zhongshan Village can order tea, but the skills need not be said to be average, and there will be no good tea.So Xia Xiang has such an opinion, could it be from hearsay?

Zhang Hou's expression fell in Xia Xiang's eyes, Xia Xiang smiled silently, even Ruohan's tea-ordering skills are perfect, and Xiao Jia's tea-ordering skills are not too much, but this matter is not enough for outsiders, he continued: "The soup flower is the foam that rises from the soup noodles. The first is that the color of the soup flower is pure white. Because the color of the soup flower is the same as the soup color. The second is that after the soup flower rises, if you can bite a cup, it is for the best."

"What is biting?" Shi Er was puzzled and bit his lip with a smile, "Is it just biting your lip?"

Cao Shujun breathed out his nostrils and snorted disdainfully, "Xia insects cannot speak to ice, well frogs cannot speak to the sea, and Qu Shi cannot speak to Tao..."

"What do you mean by your words?" Shi'er looked innocently at Cao Shujun, "Cao Saburo, can you teach me?"

Zhang Hou's face sank, Cao Shujun was ignorant when he was mocking, he wanted to have a seizure, but was gently pulled by Shen Bao, Shen Bao said in a low voice, "Brother Zhang, don't worry, Cao Sanlang and Shi'er, one is frank and the other is honest. Innocent, even if they bicker, they have no grievances, so don't worry."

Cao Shujun cast a meaningful glance at Shen Bao, then raised his right hand towards Zhang Hou in a demonstration, and said: "Summer insects can't speak to ice, but they are obsessed with time; False; composers should not talk about the Tao, but only teach, which means..."

"It means that bugs in summer can't talk to them about ice because they don't know there's winter, they've never seen ice, and naturally they won't believe it. Frogs in a well can't talk to them about the sea because they never jump out of it. At the mouth of the well, I don't know that there are countless seas between heaven and earth that are bigger than the bottom of the well. The scholars in the countryside can't talk to them about the Great Way because they have less knowledge and less reading, and they don't know that there is a blue sky above their heads, and that there is a Great Way above the blue sky. Shi'er grinned slyly, "Cao Saburo, I don't know if my answer is right?"

Cao Shujuan was immediately stunned on the spot, and after a long period of stunned he smiled shyly: "Shi'er Bingxue is smart, so she's absolutely right."

"There is something wrong, Cao Saburo has to teach others tirelessly, remember to teach me, I am very humble and eager to learn." Shi'er blinked and smiled, "Then may I ask Cao Saburo, what is a bite?"

Cao Shujun said: "The so-called bite is the soup flower... Xia Langjun, come and teach me."

Xia Xiang laughed, she was cunning and clever at times, her knowledge was not much less than that of Cao Shujun, but she liked to deliberately tease people sometimes, he glanced at Lian Ruohan's indifferent eyes, and he thought about it, "The so-called so-called 'Bite the cup' does not mean that the soup flower bites the edge of the cup, but means that as long as there is a soup flower floating in the cup, no matter where the soup flower is, look through the soup flower, and there are rabbit hair patterns or oil on the bottom of the corresponding part of the cup. The drip pattern looks like it is bitten. If the soup flower flutters in the cup, the rabbit hair pattern or oil drop pattern on the bottom of the cup seems to be pulled, which is very lively and interesting. That is why people who love tea will order it. When making tea, you must use rabbit hair or oil drops to build a cup."

When Xia Xiang finished speaking, the words "good times are always here" in Jianzhan had not disappeared. Lian Ruohan picked up Jianzhan, flicked his wrist, and the soup flowers dissipated immediately. Bubble, she smiled lightly: "The little girl is not good at learning, she can only write and can't draw. If you are a skilled tea master, you can paint a picture that can change."

"How does it change?" Although Shen Bao had also heard that the technique of ordering tea had reached a certain level and could be unpredictable, he didn't believe it at first, but now he saw Lian Ruohan's technique with his own eyes and believed most of it.

"I once saw with my own eyes a tea master first drew two birds on the soup flower, and it lasted for half an hour. It turned into a fine horse." Lian Ruohan recalled the scene at that time, still longing for it in his heart.

"What's so difficult about this?" Mantuo, who had been absent all the time, suddenly stood up and came to Lian Ruohan's side, "Lady Lian, please let me go, I'll come."

Lian Ruohan was slightly startled, then smiled lightly, and got up to move away.Mantuo was not polite, and after sitting down, let Ling'er boil water for her again.Linger hesitated and was reluctant, Xia Xiang saw this, hehe smiled, and personally boiled water for Mantuo.

Xia Xiang heated the stove, put down the soup bottle, and after the water boiled three times, handed the soup bottle to Mantuo.Mantuo's technique of ordering tea is exactly the same as Lian Ruohan's, the difference is that her technique is gentler and faster. When stirring and beating the tea soup with a teapot, her wrist strength is stronger, and her wrist turns like a flying, almost invisible action.

Xiao Wu stood in the distance, wishing to get closer to see Qing Mantuo's technique, Xia Xiang did not speak, he did not dare to take a step forward.But he also knew that even if he stood in front of him, he couldn't see Mantuo's superb technique.

Soon, Mantuo's tea order was ready, and it was better than Lian Ruohan, whether it was soup color or soup flower.Lian Ruohan was convinced that Mantuo's technique, let alone her, could not be learned by even the most savvy tea master, because Mantuo applied martial arts to ordering tea, and the strength of his wrist and the skill of moving his fingers like flying were ordinary. There is absolutely no possibility for people to learn.

Mantuo took another bamboo stick and sketched it for a while, and two lifelike birds leaped onto the tea.Shi'er was stunned, she stood with her hands apart in front of her chest, and even forgot to applaud. She opened her almond eyes, and only a voice echoed in her mind: "I want to learn, I want to learn some tea."

Mantuo gently lifted the Jianzhan with both hands, and circled in front of everyone like a treasure. After everyone had finished admiring it, she suddenly flipped her wrist, and the Jianzhan in her hand suddenly buckled down.

"Ah!" Everyone exclaimed in unison, with one button, the tea poured out, wouldn't all previous efforts be wasted?Even Xia Xiang was taken aback, subconsciously took a step forward, and stretched out his right hand to grab Jianzhan in his hand.

Unexpectedly, he didn't pay attention to his feet, stepped on Lian Ruohan's feet without saying a word, and his right hand also moved Lian Ruohan's sleeves.Lian Ruohan was caught off guard, her body swayed, she wanted to take a step forward to adjust her balance, she didn't want her foot to be stepped on by Xia Xiang, unable to move, and fell both up and down at the same time.

Xia Xiang was shocked. If Lian Ruohan fell forward, it happened to fall on the soup bottle. There was still half a bottle of boiling water in the soup bottle.He didn't dare to neglect, and he didn't care much, he wrapped his arms around Lian Ruohan's waist, and pulled back with force, which stopped Lian Ruohan's fall.

At the same time, the Jianzhan in Mantuo's hand was also turned over. The tea in the cup did not leak, and the exclamations of everyone instantly turned into amazement. Above the soup flower, the two birds just now disappeared, replaced by A tall, swaggering horse!

"what!"

The people couldn't hold back their surprise and exclaimed in unison.

"Good! It's amazing!"

"The taste of fighting tea is light and savory, and the fragrance of fighting tea is like thin orchid. In the meantime, Hu can be deceived, ten eyes but ten fingers. If you win, if you become an immortal, you will be shameless. If you lose, you will be shameless. The merit is worthy of the first step. I can clear the turbidity of the crowd, and I can wake up after a thousand days of drunkenness. Qu Yuan tried and summoned his soul, but Liu Ling had to hear the thunder." Shen Bao was excited, knocking on the teacup, and singing " Tea Fighting Song", the voice is deep and majestic, "Lu Tong dares not to sing, and Lu Yu has to compose scriptures. In the midst of all phenomena, how can you know that there is no tea star. The husband of Shangshan, Xiu Ruzhi, Mr. Shouyang, Xiu Caiwei. The price of Chang'an wine is reduced. A million dollars, Chengdu's pharmaceutical market has no glory. It's better to sip Xianshan, and Ling Ran will want to fly in the wind. You don't envy the girl in the flower room who only fights grass and wins the battle of pearls."

Although ordering tea is popular everywhere in Daxia, the skill of ordering tea as superb as Mantuo is rare.Shen Bao is most clear, but there are countless tea masters in his hometown. There are countless people who can draw a bird. There are very few people who can draw two birds. It is only because the soup flower lasts on the soup water for a long time. limited.He has also heard from several tea masters about the magical skill of turning a bird into a steed horse, and even the tea master said that this skill has been lost.

I don't want to see the legendary stunt that has been lost, but it can be seen with my own eyes, and it is still performed by a young lady, how can it not be surprising?

When everyone was praising the wonderfulness of Mantuo ordering tea, Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan hugged each other, one was shocked and overwhelmed, the other panicked and didn't know what to say. .

Shier's eyes were sharp, and everyone was rushing to appreciate the highest skill of ordering tea from a bird into a horse, but she suddenly realized that something was wrong. It seemed that Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan's applause was missing from her voice, so she looked curiously in Xia Xiang's direction. Go - was stunned.

"Xia Langjun, why are you indecent to even the little lady? The sage has said, don't look at it, don't move it, don't say it, don't listen to it, you, you, you don't listen to the sage." Shi Er was angry and anxious, Tears welled in her eyes, "It's a waste of you to read the book of sages and be taught by Confucius and Mencius, how can you insult even the little lady in broad daylight? I really misread you, and I will ignore you in the future."

As soon as Shi'er's words came out, everyone's eyes turned to Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan.

Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan still hugged each other in an unattractive posture. It was true that their behavior was not very in line with the sage's teachings, but he was helpless. Lian Ruohan leaned forward, with the soup bottle in front and the window behind him, moving forward. Can't go back can't.On the left is Mantuo, and on the right is Shen Bao. He wanted to let Lian Ruohan take advantage of the unexpected and quietly understand this sudden romance, so as not to be misunderstood by others, but he shouted when he didn't want to.

Everyone's eyes were like arrows, Zhang Hou was shocked and jealous, Shen Bao was surprised and envious, Mantuo was surprised and disapproved, Shi'er was surprised and angry, Xia Xiang was on his back, and hurriedly explained: "It's not what you think, it's like this. …”

As soon as the words came out, Lian Ruohan gently gathered a strand of blue silk on his forehead and said generously, "It's not Xia Langjun's fault for this, it's my fault."

I just said it lightly, and I won't explain too much.At this moment, Ling'er helped Lian Ruohan, Lian Ruohan stood upright and took a step back.

Everyone looked at each other and couldn't help guessing what happened. Xia Xiang smiled awkwardly, took a step back, saluted Lian Ruohan, and sat back on his seat without saying anything.

Cao Shujun took the opportunity to get to Xia Xiang's side, quietly pulled Xia Xiang's sleeve, and said in a low voice, "Xia Langjun, this is a great opportunity, can the emblem be seen by even the little lady?"

Xia Xiang thought for a moment, shook his head, and responded in a low voice: "This is not a good opportunity here, I'll talk about it next time."

Although Cao Shujun really wanted to let Miss Lian see his masterpiece right away, he forcibly suppressed his eagerness to try, and returned to his seat unhappily, playing with the jade chain in his hand, thinking to himself. Being hugged by Xia Xiang, even the little lady is neither embarrassed nor embarrassed. Compared with her sister's ladylike demeanor, it is more sassy. Could it be that the little lady is the descendant of which family in the Central Plains?
But among the aristocratic families in the Central Plains, there is the Cui family, the Lu family, the Li family, the Zheng family, but not the Lian family... Cao Shujun couldn't understand.He grew up in Beijing and knew nothing about Lian Ruohan's background. When he saw Lian Ruohan so young and beautiful today, he became even more curious about her origin and background.

After Xia Xiang sat down, Lian Ruohan also sat back to his original position. Shi'er wanted to say something, but was stopped by Shen Bao. The atmosphere was a bit embarrassing for a while, and he fell into dullness.

"Xianyun makes a coincidence, Fei Xing spreads hatred, Yin Han is dark in the distance..." Just as everyone was searching their stomachs and didn't know how to open their mouths to resolve the current embarrassment, suddenly a loud voice came from the corner, "Sir, I Suddenly remembered a word, but forgot the next sentence, please teach me sir."

"Stupid goose." Shi'er took Xiao Wu's words first and continued, "Xianyun makes a coincidence, Fei Xing spreads hatred, Yin Han is dark and dark. When Jin Feng Yu Lu meets, he wins but there are countless people in the world... Jin As soon as Feng Yulu met, he won but there are countless people in the world? Xiao Wu, did you mean that Xia Langjun and Lian Xiaozi hugged just now? Oh, you are not a stupid goose, you are a magpie of Magpie Bridge."

Xiao Wu has been waiting in the corner not far from the beginning to the end, without saying a word, at this time, a sentence suddenly came out, which was the finishing touch, but he didn't know it, hehe smiled, scratched his head and said, "I am a stupid goose, not a magpie. , Shier, what is Magpie Bridge?"

Shi'er's mind was shallow, and her jealousy towards Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan vanished in an instant, "Pu Chi", "Aren't you pretending to be stupid? Yes - tenderness is like water, good times are like dreams, bear to look at Queqiao's way back. If the two loves last for a long time, how can they be in the morning and evening."

"Tenderness is like water, and the wedding is like a dream..." For some reason, Lian Ruohan's heart was suddenly agitated by it, causing great waves. Thinking back to Xia Xiang's embrace just now, he felt a strange sweet feeling in his heart.

How could this be so?Lian Ruohan could no longer sit peacefully beside Xia Xiang, and was about to leave when she got up.As soon as he stood up, before he could speak, he suddenly heard a horse neighing from outside the window, and a man's voice came from far and near: "Get out of the way, get out of the way! It's urgent business, don't worry about getting hurt!"

Standing at the window and looking out, I can see that a person is galloping at a horse from a distance, one person immediately, with a big face, big eyes, a beard, a burly physique, and a tall man, but his clothes are disheveled, his hair is disheveled, and blood seeps on his back. The clothes were covered with round blood stains, and those in the know could see at a glance that they were wounded by arrows.

Everyone was shocked. It has been a long time since the capital was settled, and it is rare to fly away in the city. Today, there are people who not only ride horses like flying, but also get seriously injured. It is really a strange thing.

Mantuo's face changed drastically after only one glance. She clasped her fists at Lian Ruohan and Xia Xiang and said, "Thank you for the grace of little lady Lian. Xia Langjun, leave it now."

As soon as he finished speaking, he flew out of the window and fell to the ground, and disappeared into the crowd in a blink of an eye.

Lian Ruohan didn't know the person on the horse, and he felt very disappointed.She shook her head slightly, said goodbye to everyone, and turned to leave.

When he walked to the door, he was stopped by Zhang Hou again.

Zhang Hou couldn't forget what happened just now, and asked, "Little lady, why did you say that Brother Xia is higher? I hope the little lady will give me some advice."

Lian Ruohan raised her eyebrows lightly, her eyes jumped a few times, and she suddenly smiled: "If you don't even understand this, Zhang Langjun, you are not even inferior to Xia Langjun, and you are inferior to Shen Langjun. Hold on."

Ling'er and Lian Ruohan went downstairs and went far. Ling'er quietly looked back at Zhang Hou, who was still standing at the entrance of the stairs, and smiled: "Miss, why is Zhang Langjun not as good as Xia Langjun?"

Lian Ruohan's face was as calm as water, but there was a hint of undetectable joy in his eyes: "Xia Langjun took one finger as the subject, Zhang Hou said that he was only one of them, it shows that he is extremely conceited and thinks too much of himself, he said that he is only one of them. He must be talking about himself. Shen Bao said that he missed one and won two, and his heart was a bit bigger than Zhang Hou. Only Xia Langjun said that he won all of them together, and his heart was stronger than that of Zhang Hou and Shen Bao. broad."

Ling'er tilted her head and thought for a while, and suddenly "puchi" made a happy: "Is the lady in love with Xia Langjun?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Lian Ruohan's face darkened, and the majesty of his body burst out like a rainbow, "Although Xia Xiang is talented and has a heart, he is still just a commoner. Unless he has obtained fame and background, Otherwise, no matter how talented you are, it will be difficult to make a difference. Even if you can catch my eyes, it will be difficult to catch the eyes of good times."

Ling'er shrank her neck in fright, her face turned yellow, and said in a low voice, "Yes, Ling'er will not dare any more. However, Xia Langjun is so talented, it should be no problem to get a Jinshi. If Xia Langjun is a Jinshi As an official, the lady treats him..."

Lian Ruohan had already walked outside the building at this time, the sun was shining brightly, the sky was clear, the midsummer was over, and the autumn day was coming, the sky was extraordinarily bright and clear.She concentrated for a moment, put her hand on her forehead, looked into the distance a few times, and said indifferently: "Although Xia Langjun is a talented person, he may not be a hero. The future road depends on how he goes."

(End of this chapter)