Gu Qingzhu burned dried tea branches in the pit of the shack, poured mountain spring water into the kettle, put the retort on it, built a steaming drawer made of bamboo strips, waited for the water to boil, put the bud tea on it and steamed, in order to prevent the tea leaves from being put too much, steaming through, discoloration and blackening, Gu Qingzhu only laid a shallow layer each time.

The kettle was steaming hot, and the green gas of the tea was permeating, Gu Qingzhu used the two steaming drawers to replace them, and quickly steamed all the bud teas.

The steamed bud tea is put in the stone mortar while it is hot, and it is pounded with a wooden pestle, because the lotus heart bud tea is the most tender, the astringency is light, Gu Qingzhu only pounds it a few times, and most of the buds still maintain their original appearance.

The next thing is to press the tea cake, Gu Qingzhu fills the mashed bud tea with a round rule, beats it vigorously with a round lid made of bamboo splicing, and adds bud tea from time to time until the tea cake is firm, leaving no gap, and finally presses it for half an hour to squeeze out the last astringency.

While waiting, Gu Qingzhu took the kettle drawer to the stream to wash and clean, and took out the roasted tea shed, which is a large four-legged shelf built with bamboo, with a total of two layers, and each layer is made of bamboo strips to weave a loose net.

Gu Qingzhu was so busy that he couldn't be idle for a while, and unconsciously, it was completely dark, because of the miscellaneous smell of candles and oil lamps, there were no lights in the shack, only the charcoal fire in the pit was faintly lit, in order to disperse the smoke, the doors on both sides of the shack were opened, forming a wind through the hall, revealing a slight coolness in the early spring night.

took out the first tea cake and put it on the scaffolding to dry, Gu Qingzhu buried her head in pressing the second tea cake, because she had to slap it hard, her face was blown cold by the wind, and she didn't feel cold on her body.

"Sister, you eat, I'll do it." Gu Qingsong brought her dinner, as well as a padded jacket and hats and gloves.

"You come here, Qingying, leave her alone at home at night, and wake up in the middle of the night to be afraid." Gu Qingzhu asked with some concern.

"Sister don't worry, Aunt Qin knows that you can't make tea, so I took Qingying away before it got dark, and I left Rhubarb in the courtyard to take care of the house." Gu Qingsong put down the clay pot containing the porridge and rolled up his sleeves.

"I'll be fine soon, I won't touch your hands, you can help me add some firewood, and then turn over the tea cakes." Gu Qingzhu, who slapped the tea cake hard, pointed towards the shelf.

"Okay." Gu Qingsong answered, and stepped over to take care of the charcoal fire.

The sparks in the pit flickered, Gu Qingzhu struck three times and twice, ate dinner briefly, and then made two tea cakes, Gu Qingsong helped to lay down, in the tea making and other tea, time flew by, and it was almost a day.

The tea garden is empty, the crescent moon is like a hook, and the middle of the night is getting colder and colder, Gu Qingsong leans on the charcoal fire and dozes off, Gu Qingzhu is waiting for the last tea cake, she covers her cotton jacket on her body, and adds some firewood to resist the invasion of the cold, and she puts on a hat and gloves to keep warm.

A quarter of an hour later, Gu Qingzhu added the charcoal saved in winter to the pit, and the faint flame jumped suddenly, making a slight beeping sound, she put the roasted tea shed on the charcoal pile, the surface of the tea cake made before had been air-dried and could be baked, she poked a hole in the tea cake with a bamboo skewer in advance, so that it was convenient to wear hemp rope in the future.

Roasted tea is the most time-consuming, but also the most tested, the charcoal fire in the pit to maintain the temperature, neither smoke, nor open flame, tea cakes must be turned from time to time, this is already the last process, the price of tea cakes depends on this time, never be sloppy.

"Sister!" Gu Qingsong rubbed his eyes, touched the padded jacket on his body, hazy his eyes, raised his head and called in a low voice.

"Is it cold or not?" Gu Qingzhu asked with concern.

"Sister, you haven't slept all night, why don't you ask me to change you?" Gu Qingsong looked up and saw nearly half of the tea cakes on the roasted tea shed, and scratched his head with some annoyance.

"It's not much, my sister can do it alone." Gu Qingzhu poured some water from the warm clay pot next to the charcoal fire for him to drink.

"Sister, seeing that the sky is almost dawn, let me take care of the tea cakes, you can sleep for a while." Gu Qingsong got up and draped the padded jacket on Gu Qingzhu's body.

"The tea cake is almost dry, don't add the charcoal fire, you remember to turn it often." Gu Qingzhu didn't close his eyes all night, and couldn't help but yawn a few times.

"I know, you can rest." Gu Qingsong pressed his sister on a stool and went to take care of the tea cakes by himself.

It's almost been busy for a day and a night, Gu Qingzhu is really tired, her heart is relaxed, and next to the warm charcoal fire, sleepiness comes up, and she falls asleep in a daze.

In a short time, the dawn broke and a glimmer of light poured through the cracks in the shack, and the charcoal fire in the pit had been extinguished, leaving only white ashes, curled up with the sleeping girl, her long eyelashes trembling, casting a row of shadows under her eyes.

"Green Pine!" Gu Qingzhu had a bad dream, and she woke up suddenly.

"Sister, look, how good the tea cakes you make!" At the door of the shack, Gu Qingsong held a piece of tea cake and squinted at the rising sun.

Gu Qingzhu stroked her hair, leaving the anxiety in her dream behind, she stepped forward to take the tea cake, and looked at it carefully, the tea cake she made was very regular and round, one was about two or two.

After layers of processes, yesterday was still the tip of the yellow and tender buds, today has become a clear line, with a deep purple tea cake, this purple in the sun reflects the warm and oily slight light, the tip of the nose is more lingering with a touch of fresh and elegant tea fragrance, this is the best lotus heart tea cake.

"Brother, go back, I'll tidy up here, it's time to pick tea." Gu Qingzhu washed by the stream and commanded.

Gu Qingsong wanted to persuade Sister A to rest, but tea didn't wait for anyone, all he could do was to take care of his sister and take care of the family, so that Sister Ah could concentrate on doing things.

Tea leaves stained with rain and dew can not be picked, not only will they heat up due to moisture, but the tea is made, and the tea taste is also light, Gu Qingzhu, who is refreshing and refreshing, is not in a hurry to pick tea, first cleaned up the shack, and then moved the roasted tea shed outside to dry, which can make the tea cakes drier.

The pit burned overnight, and the ash in it was full, Gu Qingzhu was reluctant to throw them, so he collected them and poured them into a pit in the tea garden, and then poured a little mountain spring water, and waited for the spring tea to be picked.

When she was done, the sun had already shone into the corners of the tea garden, and the dew on the tea leaves had dried up, Gu Qingzhu drank some warm water, put a small bamboo basket on her back and began to pick tea, as for breakfast, Qingsong would prepare it and send it to her.

After a night of wind and dew nourishment, yesterday was not able to pinch the tea buds and some emerged, in the morning sun pale golden light shrouded, a pair of slender hands rose and fell between the tea ridges, ten fingers flying, like a light white butterfly dancing freely.

The weather is getting warmer day by day, the wild peach blossoms in the mountains are blooming and grateful, the young leaves of the first sprout are covered with a little big peaches, the green plums and apricots are also poking their heads out, the mountains and fields in the early morning exude a sweet taste, and even the birds are cheerful.

The continuous mountain forest from the dull black gray, after a short period of colorful, finally into a vibrant green, and this green has hundreds of nuances, from tender yellow to green, from green to verdant, layered, full of dripping, each of which does not give way to each other, but echoes each other.

Gu Qingzhu picked tea for three days in a row on the tea mountain surrounded by green mountains, made fifteen tea cakes, and the tea trees of other people's families also began to sprout the first batch of tea.

The weather in the mountains is always unpredictable, yesterday was still a sunny day, this morning the sky was bright, Gu Qingzhu, who baked the last tea cake, found that there was a lot of fog outside, and the entire tea garden, and even the entire Gu Jiaao were like being soaked in cow's milk, covered in white veil.

In such weather, it is categorically impossible to pick tea, Gu Qingzhu packed up all the tea cakes and returned home, preparing to go to Nancang County, she wanted to leave immediately, Gu Qingsong stopped her and asked her to sleep a little longer, and then go after boiling the porridge and eating breakfast.

Gu Qingzhu didn't rest well for a few days, picking tea during the day, making tea at night, occasionally taking a nap, and half-asleep, he fell asleep next to the pillow at this time, Gu Qingsong cooled the bud porridge, and boiled eggs for her, so he came to call her.

The thick fog outside did not dissipate at all, and I don't know what time it was, Gu Qingzhu hurriedly drank porridge, and was about to go out with a basket on her back, Qingsong called Rhubarb to her and asked it to send her out of the mountain.

Rhubarb is a human hunting dog, it jumps around on the mountain path, runs not far, always stops and waits for Gu Qingzhu, if he doesn't see anyone for three or five breaths, he will bark a few times, until he hears a familiar answer, and then goes forward again.

A person and a dog quickly climbed the cockscomb mountain, it is really a mountain with four seasons, ten miles of different days, standing on the top of the open mountain, a round of red sun shining on the four fields, leading to the mountain road of Cuiping Town under the mountain, clear and clear, there is no shadow of the slightest fog at all.

"Rhubarb, go back!" Gu Qingzhu waved at the rhubarb.

"Wangwang" Rhubarb stood at Gu Qingzhu's feet and shouted twice, not moving for half a step.

It is not to clean up with a loyal dog, Gu Qingzhu had to let it follow, the road down the mountain is better, the rhubarb runs happily, for a while he runs into the forest to chase the hare, and for a while he bites a flower to give it to her, but no matter how crazy it is, it is always not far from her, and it can come galloping when it barks.

Seemed to be moved by its cheerfulness, Gu Qingzhu's mood was also very good, and he couldn't help but look around, unknown wildflowers bloomed on the roadside, white, pink, purple, fine and broken, spread out regardless of it, there were four or five white magnolias in the forest blooming just right, and the big snow-white flowers drooped down the branches.

Gu Qingzhu liked this kind of jade-like whiteness very much, she raised her hand and folded a branch and inserted it in the back basket, and the flowers trembled and hung on the outside of the bamboo basket, which was extremely cute.

When a person and a dog stepped on the land of Cuiping Town, Rhubarb didn't care about Qingzhu, barked at her a few times, turned around and rushed towards the mountains and forests.

The sunlight passed through the new branches of the willow trees along the way, sifting through the mottled shadows, and there were only fifteen tea cakes and a magnolia flower in the bamboo basket on his back.