Rebirth of Bloody Romance

Song Xiangjun raised her eyebrows curiously, her eyes fixed on the sack in Zhong Yuemin's hand, her tone a little puzzled. "Haven't you roasted the tea yourself in the past two years? Why did you suddenly come to me today?" Her eyes were full of confusion, as if she wanted to see through Zhong Yuemin's mind.

Zhong Yuemin scratched his head, an embarrassed smile appeared on his face, like a child whose secret was revealed. "Teacher Song, you think too highly of me. My tea-frying skills are only half-baked at best. The tea leaves this time, hey, are different from the previous ones. If I do it myself, it would be a waste of God's gift!"

Song Xiangjun was curious about what he said, raised her eyebrows, and opened the sack. A fresh scent of tea filled her nose, making her feel refreshed.

Song Xiangjun carefully grabbed a handful of tea leaves and observed them carefully. The dark green leaves shone in the sun, as if they contained some mysterious power. Each leaf was stretched and complete, without any damage or flaws.

Then, Song Xiangjun brought the tea leaves close to her nose and took a deep breath. The refreshing tea fragrance instantly penetrated her heart, making her squint her eyes involuntarily.

"Zhong Yuemin, where did you pick this tea?" Song Xiangjun's voice was full of anxiety, and she was obviously deeply attracted by this unique tea.

Zhong Yuemin's eyes flashed with a sly look, his eyeballs rolled around, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a mysterious smile. "Oh, this... was picked in a primeval forest. What's wrong, Teacher Song? Is there something wrong with this tea?"

Song Xiangjun was surprised when she heard this. Primeval forest? That was a place rarely visited by people. How could Zhong Yuemin have the time to go there to pick tea leaves? What kind of story was hidden behind this?

Song Xiangjun raised her brows slightly. The tea leaves in her hand were emerald green, and there seemed to be an indescribable freshness between the leaves. This was a world of difference from the self-roasted tea that Zhong Yuemin had brought in the past.

"Primitive forest? The environment there is complex and changeable. It is not easy to grow such tea. You know, each type of tea has its own unique growing environment and picking time. The slightest mistake will affect the quality of the tea."

Song Xiangjun chuckled, her tone was both reproachful and doting. She knew that Zhong Yuemin had always been unruly, but this time he actually went to the primeval forest to pick tea, which was really beyond her expectation.

Zhong Yuemin chuckled, his eyes full of pride and mystery. He raised his eyebrows and said with a bit of boasting: "Teacher Song, don't underestimate this tea, it's not simple. I discovered that forest by accident, and the tea trees there are so old that they seem to be able to tell a thousand-year story. Moreover, the environment there is simply a natural tea garden, surrounded by clouds and mist, and moistened by morning dew. At that time, I was thinking, if I let my half-baked skills ruin such good tea, it would be such a pity. So I specially asked you to stir-fry it, so that the full charm of these teas can be brought out."

Hearing Zhong Yuemin's words, Teacher Song couldn't help but widen his eyes, his face full of surprise and curiosity. "Zhong Yuemin, is what you said true? How do you have time to pick tea leaves?"

Zhong Yuemin sighed inwardly. It really takes countless lies to cover up one lie! He calmed down and answered seriously, "Of course it's true. I don't have time. But Ning Wei does! I asked Ning Wei to go. Teacher Song, I was really lucky this time. I accidentally broke into a secret place that has not been discovered by the world. The tea trees there seem to be treasures carefully cared for by nature. Every leaf contains incredible power."

Song Xiangjun couldn't help but feel a little curious and yearning when she heard this. She stroked the tea leaves carefully, as if she could feel the call from the primeval forest, which was a kind of purity and tranquility away from the hustle and bustle and returning to nature.

"Well, since you said so, I'll give it a try."

"Teacher Song, what method are you going to use to fry the tea leaves?" Zhong Yuemin squatted beside the stove, adding firewood into the furnace, and looked up curiously at Song Xiangjun who was carefully picking tea leaves.

At this moment, the firelight reflected on Song Xiangjun's face, making her expression particularly vivid.

Song Xiangjun did not answer his question immediately, but focused on the movements in her hands. She carefully picked out the tea leaves with complete shapes and bright colors, as if she was selecting precious gems.

After a while, Song Xiangjun raised her head and said to Zhong Yuemin with a smile, "This is an ancient method, and it is most suitable for this top-grade tea." Her voice was calm and firm, revealing her deep knowledge and confidence in tea art.

After hearing this, Zhong Yuemin's eyes sparkled with excitement. He curiously asked, "Teacher Song, how many kilograms of tea can be made from so much tea leaves?"

There was a hint of anticipation in Zhong Yuemin's tone, and he was obviously curious about the final output.

Song Xiangjun didn't even raise her head, and continued to concentrate on selecting tea leaves, while answering, "We should be able to get three to five kilograms, but we can't guarantee more. But these tea leaves are very complete, so we should be able to fry more."

Song Xiangjun's voice was still calm, but it gave people an unquestionable feeling.

However, when Zhong Yuemin heard this answer, his face was immediately filled with disappointment. He frowned and said dissatisfiedly, "Ah? Teacher Song, why is it only this little?" He originally thought that there would be more gains, but he didn't expect the amount to be so limited.

Upon hearing this, Song Xiangjun rolled her eyes at him unhappily, but she did not stop her movements and continued to lecture him, "It's quite a lot. If the tea leaves had not been picked relatively intact, there wouldn't be any of this. For top-grade tea, quality is more important than quantity. Do you understand?"

Zhong Yuemin felt a little embarrassed by Song Xiangjun's glare. He touched his nose and muttered to himself, "It's just a sentence. Is there any need to be so fierce?"

However, Zhong Yuemin also knew that Song Xiangjun's words made sense, so he scratched his head, smiled, and continued to concentrate on lighting the fire. The flames in the stove jumped, as if cheering for the top-grade tea that was about to be born.

"Teacher Song, your ancient method of frying tea sounds amazing. Can you tell me some details?" While Zhong Yuemin continued to add firewood into the stove, he stared at the movements of Song Xiangjun's hands, afraid to miss even a single detail.

Song Xiangjun glanced at him, thinking that this boy was quite curious, so she smiled and said, "Well, I'll tell you about it. In fact, there is nothing particularly mysterious about the ancient method of frying tea. The key lies in mastering the heat and technique. First, spread the tea leaves evenly in the pot, and then stir-fry them gently with your hands to heat the tea leaves evenly. When the tea leaves begin to soften, gradually increase the heat and speed up the stir-frying, so that the moisture in the tea leaves can evaporate quickly and maintain the aroma of the tea leaves. Finally, when the tea leaves become dry and curled, they can be taken out of the pot."

Zhong Yuemin listened with great interest and couldn't help asking, "Teacher Song, how do you tell if the tea leaves are ready?"

Song Xiangjun smiled and replied, "This requires experience and feeling. Generally speaking, when the tea leaves make a rustling sound, turn dark green, and have a strong aroma, it means they are done. Of course, the frying time and temperature of different tea leaves are different, and you need to keep trying to master it."

Zhong Yuemin nodded to show that he understood.

Song Xiangjun is in a very good mood now, as if the divorce has not affected her anymore. Without stopping her movements, she continued to pick tea leaves and said to Zhong Yuemin, "In fact, this ancient method of tea frying requires the unity of mind and hands, and the precise control of heat and time. First, preheat the iron pan with a low heat, wait until the temperature is moderate, then sprinkle the tea leaves evenly, rub them gently with your hands, let the tea leaves be heated evenly, and slowly release the inner fragrance. The key is to be patient, don't be impatient."

"Also, three to five kilograms may sound like a small amount, but you have to know that every piece of this top-grade tea is the essence, and the value lies in the quality rather than the quantity. Moreover, the tea leaves picked this time are of high quality and complete, so being able to stir-fry this amount is already quite good."

Song Xiangjun explained patiently, with a hint of imperceptible pride in her eyes. She knew that all her efforts and hard work had been poured into these teas, so she was confident enough about their quality and yield.

Zhong Yuemin felt a little unwilling after hearing this, but he also understood that what Song Xiangjun said was true. He shook his head helplessly, indicating that he accepted the reality. "Okay, Mr. Song, I believe in your craftsmanship. I will wait for your good news, and then I will treat you to the best wine!"

Zhong Yuemin decided to let go of his obsession with quantity and instead expect Song Xiangjun to use her superb skills to roast this small amount of tea into an amazing flavor.

Song Xiangjun smiled when she heard this. She shook her head and declined. "Forget about the wine. I will be satisfied if I can taste the tea with you."

Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun worked until after 1:00 p.m. before they finally finished frying the tea leaves. Both of them looked exhausted, but their eyes were filled with satisfaction and anticipation. They didn't even have time to eat lunch during the busy lunch break, and their stomachs were already rumbling.

"Teacher Song, your tea-frying skills are amazing." Zhong Yuemin looked at the tea leaves that had been fried in front of him and couldn't help but praise them. The tea leaves were shining with golden light, completely different from their appearance before frying, as if they were given new life.

The tea leaves that were finally fried weighed more than 6 kilograms, which was beyond the expectations of Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun. According to Song Xiangjun's original statement, it would be very good to fry 3 to 5 kilograms, but they didn't expect that there would be so much more this time.

Moreover, the tea leaves turned golden after being fried, which was completely different from the previous appearance where only the veins were golden. The tea leaves now looked noble and mysterious, exuding an attractive luster. With a light sniff, one could feel a refreshing tea fragrance that seemed to instantly awaken one's consciousness.

"This tea is not ordinary, otherwise it wouldn't be fried into so much." Song Xiangjun looked at the tea in front of her, her eyes flickering with satisfaction. "It's past noon, I'll go make some food. Let's eat something first, then wait for the tea to dry for a while, and then make a pot of tea to taste how it tastes."

After saying that, Song Xiangjun turned around to cook. Zhong Yuemin stayed where he was, admiring the bright golden tea leaves, his eyes sparkling with surprise. He carefully picked up a handful and sniffed it gently. The fresh and slightly sweet aroma went straight into his heart, making him feel refreshed. "Teacher Song, this tea is simply a work of art! It's golden, I've never seen such beautiful tea leaves before."

Song Xiangjun poked her head out of the kitchen and responded with a smile. "Yes, this tea is indeed unusual. It seems that our hard work today has not been in vain. Wait, I will cook a few side dishes and we will celebrate properly."

Soon, the aroma of food and the fragrance of tea intertwined and filled the entire courtyard. The two sat around the table, and the simple but delicious meal satisfied their hungry stomachs.

After dinner, the sun was shining brightly, and Zhong Yuemin and Song Xiangjun spread the roasted tea leaves on a large bamboo mat to dry naturally in the warm sun.

The golden tea leaves sparkled in the sun, as if each leaf contained the power of life.

"Teacher Song, why did the tea leaves turn golden?" Zhong Yuemin asked curiously, standing beside the bamboo mat. He looked down at the tea leaves, his heart full of doubts.

Song Xiangjun smiled and explained, "This tea should be golden in color. If I'm right, the leaves were golden when they were growing on the tree. But later on, for various reasons, its color may have become dull. Through our stir-frying, we have brought out the essence and restored its original appearance."

After hearing this, Zhong Yuemin nodded with sudden realization.

At this time, Song Xiangjun had already brought out the tea set and began to brew tea skillfully. Her movements were smooth and graceful, as if every move contained a deep understanding and love of the tea ceremony. Soon, a fragrance came out from the teapot and filled the entire room.

Zhong Yuemin took a deep breath. The fragrance of the tea seemed to penetrate his soul, making him feel extremely comfortable and peaceful.

"Wow, Zhong Yuemin, this tea smells so good!" Song Xiangjun wrinkled her pretty nose slightly. The tea fragrance seemed to have a magical power that not only intoxicated her, but also made her feel indescribably comfortable. She felt that all her unhappiness and troubles seemed to have disappeared at this moment.

Zhong Yuemin picked up the teacup in front of him and shook it gently, looking at the golden tea soup, which was as tempting as amber. He took a deep breath, feeling the freshness of the tea fragrance, and his heart was full of anticipation.

"Teacher Song, let's try this tea and see how delicious it is." Zhong Yuemin's tone revealed a hint of excitement.

Song Xiangjun smiled and nodded, but then she looked like a spoiled child. "I haven't even tasted this tea yet, but I know it's absolutely top-notch. Zhong Yuemin, I don't care. You have to give me some tea this time, or I won't agree." There was a cunning gleam in her eyes that made it impossible to refuse.

Zhong Yuemin laughed and answered readily, "A few words floating in the sky is no big deal! Teacher Song, don't worry, you will definitely get a share of this tea." Zhong Yuemin's smile was full of concern and generosity for Song Xiangjun.