novelSusiti Chapter 73 Tasting New Tea
Chapter 73 Tasting New Tea
Today, Master Li was dressed in a dark blue casual suit with only a plain leather belt around his waist. He appeared very peaceful at first glance, yet he subtly exuded an air of authority.
Before stepping into the courtyard, he looked up at the bare horizontal plaque above the gate, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then stepped into the courtyard.
"Master Li, Madam Li." Wang Zhihuan stood up to greet them, cupped his hands in greeting, and glanced at the family before finally settling on the two unfamiliar children at the back.
"Young Master Wang, let me introduce you. This is my son, Zhizi, and my second daughter, Chengyang."
After Li Shimin finished speaking, he added politely, "I usually stay at home studying, but I brought him out today to get some fresh air and meet you, such an extraordinary person, so I can learn something from you."
Wang Zhi also looked at the two children. They were indeed not from ordinary families; their demeanor and manners were extraordinary.
But he didn't pay too much attention to it, just nodded to the two children and didn't exchange any more pleasantries.
He led everyone to sit down at the stone table and poured the tea from the fairness cup into several rough porcelain teacups one by one.
The amber-colored tea soup swayed gently in the rough porcelain cup, the steam carrying a delicate fragrance of orchids, mixed with the aroma of jujube leaves and the earthy scent of soil.
Empress Zhangsun picked up a cup, smelled it first, looked at the color of the soup, and then took a small sip.
She savored the tea for a long time, and when she put down the teacup, her expression relaxed, instantly easing the worry in her heart.
"Young Master Wang, this tea is quite novel. At home, we always grind the tea leaves into powder, add ginger and cinnamon, and the brew tastes like spices. Your tea smells fragrant, tastes sweet and smooth, and becomes even sweeter when it cools down."
"I'm glad Madam Li likes it." Wang Zhihuan picked up the fairness cup and poured a small cup for each of the children. "Actually, it's nothing too complicated. It's just a slight change in the tea-making method."
For a tea lover like Wang Zhihuan, seeing that his tea is appreciated by others makes him very happy, and it adds to his interest in conversation.
He opened the tea canister, took out a few dry tea leaves and spread them in his palm: "Ordinary tea is steamed, crushed and pressed into cakes. When drinking it, it is ground into powder, mixed with spices and boiled together. The tea flavor is mostly covered up, and the drinking is more about the lively atmosphere."
My tea is made only from tender buds, which are then dried after being pan-fired. It is brewed with only water, without any other ingredients.
Wang Zhihuan was very proud of his masterpiece, which he had only theoretical knowledge of but no practical experience in. He succeeded on his first attempt.
He poured the dry tea back into the jar, put the wooden lid on, and said casually, as if he were chatting with someone: "I drink this tea to appreciate its original flavor."
I think some things are best enjoyed in their natural state; adding too many seasonings only masks their true essence.
Li Shimin picked up his teacup and took another sip. This time he drank slowly, holding the tea in his mouth for a while before swallowing.
"Young Master Wang, what you said makes some sense."
He placed the teacup back on the stone table, tapped his fingers lightly twice on his knee, and said, "In my memory, you, Wang Langjun, have some unique insights into the investigation of things and the attainment of knowledge."
"Now that I'm tasting your tea today, I'd like to hear—in your opinion, what are the key points regarding the timing and method of brewing tea?"
Wang Zhihuan was washing teaware when he heard this, so he put the plain porcelain teapot aside.
He thought for a moment, then pointed to the teacups on the stone table and said, "Master Li, you flatter me too much. My tea ceremony today can be summed up in four words: water and fire in harmony."
If the water is too hot, the tea will be scalded and turn bitter; if the water is too cold, the tea will not steep properly and will taste bland.
"Lift the teapot when the water just begins to 'crab eyes' (shower the first signs of boiling), when the water is almost boiling but not yet fully cooked. Only then can the true flavor of the tea be brought out."
Master Li picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then looked at Wang Zhihuan. "Young Master Wang's words are not simple; is there some deeper meaning?"
Wang Zhihuan picked up the fairness cup and, while refilling tea for the group, slowly said, "Master Li is indeed a remarkable person; he even notices the subtle details in this tea."
He put down his cup, looked at the other person with a warm gaze, and said with a hint of understanding in his tone: "What I really want to say is that everything follows the same principle—everything always finds a proper balance between hot and cold, between slow and fast."
"Take this tea for example. If it's undercooked, the aroma will be weak; if it's overcooked, the taste will be bitter."
His voice was steady, yet it seemed to hold a deeper meaning: "It's like life's circumstances; sometimes your heart is burning with rage, and sometimes it's as cold as frost."
Sometimes you're as impatient as a shooting star, eager to achieve success overnight; other times you're as leisurely as still clouds, stuck in the past and unable to move on... Finding the right balance is the most agonizing thing.
"Farming depends on soil moisture; too early and the crops won't grow, too late and they'll dry out. Treating illness with medicine is like this: too strong and it will harm the body, too mild and it won't cure the root cause."
He paused briefly, his words revealing sincerity, "In my opinion, the same principle applies to the things in people's hearts."
Worrying too much can easily damage one's mind; being too anxious can lead to chaos.
One must find a steady, measured pace to ensure things proceed smoothly and to bring peace of mind.
Finally, he nodded slightly, his tone returning to calm: "Of course, this is just my personal opinion, and I spoke casually."
Whether it's right or wrong, Mr. Li and everyone else can just listen and move on, treat it as a casual chat over tea.
Wang Zhihuan's words were not mere empty talk about tea principles.
Observing Master Li's face, he could already tell that something was unusual about him - there was always a deep worry between his brows, and when he talked and laughed, he seemed to be hiding something in his heart when he was in a hurry, and when he was calm, he was also faintly heavy-hearted.
This appearance is just like a pot of tea that has been repeatedly roasted by the fire of the heart; it still smells fragrant, but at its core, it has become bitter.
Knowing that their relationship was not deep enough, he did not want to ask questions directly. So, he used the tea in front of him and common sense to slowly convey the principle of "slow and steady wins the race" and "too much of a good thing" between the steam and his words.
The words were spoken to everyone at the table, but the true feelings were directed only at that one person.
The principles of tea are inherent; whether one can listen to them or comprehend them depends entirely on one's own fate and destiny.
Li Shimin held his teacup but didn't reply.
In the first few years after he ascended the throne, he wished he could clean up all the accumulated problems in the country within a month. As a result, Wei Zheng submitted "Ten Thoughts for Emperor Taizong," criticizing him for being "too eager to govern."
At that time, he was unconvinced, but later he gradually realized that governing a country is not like fighting a war, and you can't win just by rushing in fast.
The boy just said, "If the water is too hot, it will burn," which is exactly the point.
Recently, the passing of my father has made me even more anxious.
He put down his teacup and his gaze fell on Wang Zhihuan.
The young man spoke casually, as if chatting about everyday things, saying whatever came to mind. Yet, every word he uttered was profound and insightful.
Li Shimin suddenly asked again, "Young Master Wang, you just said that everything has its limits."
So what do you think of His Majesty's new policies in recent years? How well have they been handled?
Of course, we're just having a casual chat; we won't delve into high-level politics or take things too seriously.
Although that's what he said, the atmosphere in the courtyard subtly changed as soon as he said it.