After a day of training by Wen Yiheng, Su Jiudong returned to the General's Mansion and continued to practice tea-making techniques.

Su Jiudong practiced his skills hard in front of a round table full of tea fighting utensils, while Su Tingan played on the side.

Su Fenglan, who came back from the barracks, the first thing he did after returning home every day was to come to Su Jiudong's bedroom to pick up Su Tingan and go to the study to read "The Art of War". Su Fenglan survived from the battlefield, and he was determined to train Su Tingan to become a hot-blooded man who joined the army.

Su Fenglan asked as soon as he entered the door: "Jiu Dong'er, have you gone to the kitchen today to find your Aunt Yuemei to learn how to beat eggs?" ”

"I'm not beating eggs, I'm beating tea." Su Jiudong stared intently at the tea cup in his hand: "After Qingming, it will be the day of tea fighting, and there are still more than ten days to go, and I will continue to practice at home." ”

"Playing tea can also play an egg-beating posture, it seems that you really need to practice diligently." Su Fenglan recalled: "I remember that your aunt also ordered tea for me at the beginning, and the way you make tea is very different from you. ”

Su Jiudong was scolded by Su Fenglan's words, and fell into a state of self-doubt. Before Su Jiudong could recover from it, Su Fenglan suddenly said excitedly: "I still remember her technique, I'll show you how to demonstrate, you take a closer look." ”

Su Fenglan picked up the tea set on the table as he spoke, and began to make tea skillfully, the stirring speed was moderate, and the tea powder was also very delicate, but Su Fenglan didn't last long, then put down the tea cup and complained: "This tea is really tiring." ”

Su Ting'an crashed into Su Fenglan's arms and said coquettishly: "Grandfather wants to stay and practice with An'er with A-Niang, so that A-Niang can win~ An'er wants A-Niang to win!" Because A-Niang is the best A-Niang, it deserves to win! ”

Su Jiudong and Su Fenglan's hearts were softened by Su Ting'an's coquettishness. Su Fenglan hugged Yuxue's lovely Su Ting'an and sat down on the side, and said happily: "It's nothing if you don't watch "Sun Tzu's Art of War" for a day, after all, Jiu Dong'er who accompanies me is more important than Sun Wuzi. ”

However, Su Fenglan's patience didn't last long, and after a while, he was deeply bored by the cumbersome procedures of tea fighting: "It seems that I am still more suitable to read Sun Wuzi's books." ”

After speaking, Su Fenglan hugged Su Ting'an and walked away.

New first in April, after Qingming. The spring is cold, and the smoke and rain are falling. The ancestral path is full of people.

After Su Jiudong and Su Fenglan sent someone to send Liu Yunniang back to Qishan County to worship their ancestors and sweep the tomb, they agreed with Feng Yingying that the day of going to Jingshan Temple to fight tea came in a blink of an eye.

The time was set for Shen Shizheng in the afternoon, and Su Jiudong was close to three o'clock before he met Wen Yiheng and drove from the General's Mansion.

Su Jiudong invited Yao Danyun and Lin Chuyi to watch the battle as promised.

But as soon as the carriage arrived at Jingshan Temple, after Su Jiudong got off, he could see through the hat that there were already dozens of carriages parked at the foot of the mountain.

Su Jiudong was wearing a hat, not afraid of being seen or recognized, so he generously asked Wen Yiheng: "What's going on?" Qingming has passed, and today is not a day of rest and tomb sweeping, how can so many people come to worship incense? ”

"The main purpose of these people today is not to offer incense and worship, but to watch the battle." Wen Yiheng and Su Jiudong walked side by side on the mountain road, saying as they walked: "Since the last flower-viewing banquet, many official ladies and ladies in the capital have known you. ”

"They heard that you and Feng Yingying had a battle tea, and the location was set in Jingshan Temple, of course, they should take advantage of the opportunity to worship on incense after Qingming to watch the battle."

Su Jiudong was puzzled: "Didn't you say that the wind of tea fighting in Beijing is extremely prosperous? There must be many people fighting for tea, and the two of us are so worth watching? ”

"Miss Shanye, the first lady in the capital who returned from the battle against the general's mansion, is naturally a pastime not to be missed. I'm not afraid to be honest with you, many people are looking forward to your defeat and making a fool of yourself, and watching you laugh. Saying the words "Miss Shanye", Wen Yiheng smiled very brightly.

Wen Yiheng smiled dotingly at Su Jiudong: "But I'm different from them, I'm betting on you to win with all my might." ”

"Bet on me to win?"

Su Jiudong was stunned for a moment, then came back to his senses and said in surprise: "This matter can still be bet on by someone to open a bank?" You bet on me to win with all your might, and you are not afraid of losing money in the end. ”

Wen Yiheng nodded heavily: "Yes, several big gambling houses in the capital have opened villages, and we will discuss which of the two of you will win at the highest level." Now you know how many people in Beijing are concerned about this appointment war, right? However, of course, there are more people who suppress Feng Yingying. ”

On the one hand, Su Jiudong lamented that the gambling house in the capital could be opened openly and honestly, and he could also bet on the facts, and on the other hand, he also lamented Feng Yingying's influence in the circle of ladies in the capital.

Su Jiudong and Wen Yiheng walked up the mountain together, and the little servants followed behind the two of them with the tea cakes needed for tea fighting.

The further up the hill you go, the more pedestrians there are. Located at the gate of Jingshan Temple on the mountainside, there are many official ladies who stop by, as if waiting for someone.

Wen Yiheng took Su Jiudong and the little maid to the rear, entered the Jingshan Temple through the little-known back door, and found the abbot Duyou in the side wing. At that time, the abbot of Duyou was instructing the little novice to go to the main hall to inspect the tea set of today's tea fight for the last time. 51 beautiful

"Abbot Duyou!" Wen Yiheng took Su Jiudong and saluted respectfully.

Su Jiudong saw that there was an unfinished ink treasure on the desk, on the Xuanzhu paper, the pen was a dragon and snake, and the ink was not dry. There are two or three tea cups next to it, and the tea cakes are fragrant. Su Jiudong can judge from these details alone that this abbot of Duyou should be an expert in fighting tea.

Abbot Duyou slowly replied: "It turned out that the first son of Zichu had arrived... Miss Jiudong, the hour is almost up, Miss Yingying is already waiting in the main hall, please go to the main hall with the old man. ”

On the way to the main hall, Su Jiudong subconsciously held the wrist of his right hand and kneaded it gently.

These ten days of hard tea practice made Su Jiudong's wrist very sore.

Before going out in the morning, Wen Yiheng specially smeared Su Jiudong with the soothing and invigorating cream given to him by Emperor Tianduo to relieve the pain, which was indeed effective. But the closer he got to the tea fighting venue, Su Jiudong's wrist began to ache faintly, and I don't know if it was due to the influence of psychological effects.

Outside the door of the main hall, a group of guards stood up to protect and watch.

Su Jiudong and Wen Yiheng walked into the main hall with Abbot Duyou, and the left and right sides of the main hall were really full of people, probably fifty or sixty people. On the left are the neatly and handsome children of the family, and on the right are the well-dressed eunuchs and ladies.

In the middle of the main hall, there was a tea fighting seat for the two of them, and Feng Yingying had already sat down and waited, and now she was closing her eyes and recuperating, trying to calm down to block all interference from the outside world.

As soon as Su Jiudong entered the arena, he took off his hat and immediately attracted everyone's attention.

The low sound of inhalation in the crowd, the sound of surprise, one after another. Although the people in the main hall deliberately lowered their voices, the whispers of so many people were intertwined, like a group of peaks humming.

Wen Yiheng, who is the focus of the crowd wherever he goes, smiled at this, and after helping Su Jiudong to take a seat, he retreated to the men's seat on the left and sat down.

As Su Jiudong took his seat, the whispers in the main hall all stopped spontaneously.

Feng Yingying likes to strike first, so before Su Jiudong could move his wrist, he smiled and said, "Miss Jiudong is late today, isn't she afraid that she wants to retreat?" ”

Su Jiudong stopped kneading and said slowly: "I'm really scared..."

Everyone exclaimed in a low voice, among which Yao Danyun's emotions were the most excited: "How can you admit that you are afraid before you start?" Is she going to go off the rails? This is not impossible, my little loose money is all bet on her, and I can't lose all my money! ”

Su Jiudong heard Yao Danyun's low call, glanced around with his spare eyes, and smiled at Feng Yingying, his smile was as bright as spring: "... I'm afraid that if I win you too much, you will cry and run home when you win or lose, and cry to your father and mother, saying that I am too much of a bully in the general's mansion. ”

"Only a fool likes to speak quickly, and we smart people have always been accustomed to speaking with facts." Feng Yingying was slightly annoyed, but still responded calmly: "Su Jiudong, I'm sure that the person who will cry and run home later will definitely be you and not me." ”

At the end of the "ruthless words to each other", Abbot Duyou walked to the middle and announced the rules of the tea fight, as well as the criteria for judging the outcome of the decision:

"Today's tea fight, each person needs to order three bowls of tea soup according to the characteristics of the tea provided. Only numbers are made under the tea bowl, and names are not remembered. After the decision is made, according to the number number, find out the tea maker to which the tea soup belongs, and finally announce the result. ”

Abbot Duyou looked around, and finally said loudly: "Today's tea fight has officially begun." ”

As soon as the words fell, everyone waited with bated breath, Su Jiudong and Feng Yingying carefully cleaned their hands and began their respective operations.

The little novice placed three different tea cakes in the order of one, two, and three on the tea table of the two of them.

Su Jiudong is not in a hurry to check the attributes of the tea leaves for the time being, because the first bowl of tea soup uses the tea leaves prepared by himself. The properties of tea have long been known, so she follows the gentle steps, first crushing the tea cakes, setting them aside, and then simmering the tea cup over a slight fire.

Su Jiudong's movements were seen by Feng Yingying, and it happened that her steps were the opposite of Su Jiudong's from the beginning. She warmed the tea cup first, placed it close to the tea stove to preheat, and then slowly and carefully crushed the tea cake.

Yao Danyun, who was not tall enough, tugged at Lin Chuyi's sleeve beside him and asked, "Sister Chuyi, do you see what kind of tea they use?" ”

Lin Chuyi patiently explained: "The tea leaves used in the first bowl are the silver needle Baihao brought by Su Jiudong, which belongs to the white tea category; The second bowl uses the Junshan silver needle brought by Feng Yingying, which belongs to the yellow tea category; The third bowl of tea is provided by Jingshan Temple in Huangshan Maofeng, which belongs to the green tea category. ”

Yao Danyun is still half-understood: "I'm not very familiar with tea. Isn't the difference between these three kinds of tea leaves just different in color? ”

Feng Shenghan next to him pointed out the difference: "These three types of tea are different, and the fermentation and cold and heat properties are also different, so how to order tea accurately has also become one of the difficulties, which is the highlight of today's tea fight." ”

"So it's so complicated? I thought it would be enough to bubble and stir together, but I didn't expect to have to order bowl by bowl...... It takes so much trouble to drink a cup of tea. Yao Danyun complained in a low voice, staring intently at the operation of Su Jiudong and Feng Yingying.