After the spring rain, the sky is as clean as a play, and the young leaves are verdant.

A few days ago, tea was also picked, but it was only picked on a small scale by tea farmers.

In the past few days, the rain has increased and new shoots have grown in large numbers, so it is necessary to dispatch all the villagers in the vicinity.

Hundreds of men and women were scattered everywhere, carrying bamboo baskets around their waists, pinching out new sprouts with their fingernails and throwing them in. In order to make more money, most people are concentrating, and a small number of tea pickers are talking, laughing and singing.

There is also a tea collection point, where farmers weigh a basket of tea leaves and count them as wages.

Before weighing, it is necessary to check first, if there are too many unqualified teas, it is possible to be deducted wages.

"Big brother, San Lang-kun is here."

"Where?"

"Over there."

The five Bai Fu brothers are also picking tea, and all the tea mountains in the vicinity belong to Lao Baiyuan. Those small tea growers have too poor anti-risk ability, and they have long been forced to go bankrupt by the government.

A few acres of barren mountainous land, the old white staff can take the initiative to send it out.

If it is replaced by dozens of acres of tea mountains, the old white staff will have to take advantage of it!

The five White Ford brothers made their fortunes very late, and relied on their sister-in-law to make an outer room for the nobles. has bullied the neighbors of the village for several years, and the sister-in-law sent money back, and now they only get more than 100 acres of land, and counting their parents' small families, it is less than 10 acres of land per person.

With only a few acres per capita, and including mountainous land, it is not rich to be honest.

Being a small landlord is not qualified, and the status of yeoman farmer is more suitable for them, and they even have to pick tea and work every year.

"Give me the tea you picked!"

Bai Fude gathered the tea leaves of several brothers, filled a bamboo basket, and pretended to run to weigh them, but he actually wanted to be close to Bai Chongyan.

This guy walked excitedly, and he didn't go far, and his smile suddenly disappeared, because he saw the Zhu family's father and son.

Two outsiders settled down, why did they walk with San Langjun?

After thinking about it, Bai Fu decided to postpone the plan and couldn't directly deal with the Zhu family's father and son. He is a man with brains, otherwise he would have been doomed a long time ago, after all, he has been doing things under the nose of the old white man.

"San Lang Jun is well!" Bradford nodded in greeting.

Bai Chongyan's expression was kind, and he smiled: "Okay." ”

Bai Fude complimented: "San Langjun is really filial, go home many days in advance to celebrate the old lady's birthday." ”

"It's just the duty of children and grandchildren." Bai Chongyan said.

The two sides didn't have any common language, and the more Bai Fu talked, the more embarrassed he became, and seeing that Bai Saburo was quite impatient, he took the initiative to leave after saying a few words.

A breeze blows, and the tea trees shake gently.

Listening to the sound of tea picking songs from time to time, Li Hanzhang couldn't help but be very poetic, and wrote a poem on the spot: "When the gongs and drums are not clear on the day, go up the mountain to pick tea and see sincerity." In the spring breeze of the song, the leaves are steaming and the jade strips are new. ”

Jade strip is spring tea.

"Good poetry!"

Bai Chongyan clapped his hands and praised, although he was a little unworkable, it was not easy to blurt out.

Li Hanzhang felt quite satisfied with himself, and felt that this poem could continue to be revised. He thought carefully for a moment, and didn't know how to change it for the time being, so he turned to Zhu Ming: "I heard that Zhu Dalang is full of talent, why don't you improvise a poem with the scene of picking tea in front of you?" ”

Zhu Ming politely refused: "I don't know the way of poetry." ”

"If it's not fine, it's rough, and it's okay to make limericks." Li Hanzhang smiled.

He didn't want Zhu Ming to make a fool of himself, but to test Zhu Ming's talent and see if the word "public and private" happened to be a coincidence.

Bai Chongyan stood beside him, also smiling and silent, similar to Li Hanzhang's thoughts.

Zhu Ming turned his head to look at his father, and Zhu Guoxiang turned to look at the scenery. Comrade Lao Zhu can memorize a lot of Tang and Song poems, but he can't write a single poem related to tea.

Should you continue to "hide", or should you show your hand?

Zhu Ming quickly searched the inventory in his mind, although he had crossed the golden finger, he really didn't read many tea-picking poems. Not far away, a woman was busy picking, there was a sleeping baby on her back, and she was not afraid that the mountain road would be too slippery and falling after the rain, and it was estimated that there was no one at home to take the child.

Thinking about Mrs. Yan's sideburns and flower arrangement, Zhu Ming had a flash of inspiration, clapped his hands and said, "There is!" ”

"Listen to the masterpiece." Bai Chongyan was looking forward to it.

Zhu Ming chanted: "The white-headed old lady has a hairpin and a red flower, and the black-headed girl has a three-hairhead." Sleep on your back and go up the mountain, and the mulberry picking has been idle to pick tea. ”

Li Hanzhang smiled and exclaimed: "Good poetry, good writing!" ”

Bai Chongyan commented: "But the poetry of Brother Zhen is full of current conditions. Zhu Dalang's poems are dedicated to writing about people and things. The combination of the two poems makes it more interesting. ”

The poem copied by Zhu Ming is not excellent, but it is just right to put it here - it not only shows his talent, but also does not make Li Hanzhang too faceless.

If you really want to chant a famous sentence for the ages, how can this son of a state judge come to power?

A tea-picking poem was thrown out, and Li Hanzhang had already recognized Zhu Ming and determined that Zhu Ming belonged to his own people.

They are all scholars, not ignorant people.

A few people here laughed loudly, and Bai Fude vaguely heard the movement, and instantly felt a pain in his head, and told his brother: "Don't mess around, these two outsiders are not easy to mess with." ”

"That's what Big Brother said." The brothers agreed.

How did they know that the old white man had already sentenced his brothers to death with a single sentence!

Bai Chongyan took everyone to continue his tour of the mountain, and met Mrs. Yan and Shen Yourong who were picking tea halfway.

After saying hello to each other, they left.

Bai Chongyan said to Li Hanzhang: "That is the widow of Brother Shi Yu, since Brother Shi Yu died of illness, he has been carefully raising his young son. ”

"It's very rare." Li Hanzhang said with emotion.

The two of them, as well as Shen Yourong's deceased husband, both studied under a teacher in Guanzhong.

At that time, the relationship was average, and it was only a nodding friend, and it was not until Li Hanzhang came to Yangzhou with his father that he and Bai Chongyan quickly became good friends.

After wandering around the tea mountain for a while, Zhu Guoxiang proposed to go to see the land and finalize the land sale and purchase as early as possible.

Bai Chongyan was not in a hurry, and invited: "There is a hidden valley ahead, and I found a sweet spring in it, named 'Lingquan'." Build a pavilion by the spring again, and call it 'Biyun Pavilion'. Today is leisurely, the spring breeze is pleasant, why not go to the pavilion to taste the new tea first. ”

The new tea, of course, was not picked today, but the Lichun tea more than half a month ago.

The host invites the guest, and the guest is inconvenient to refuse.

The four of them took Bai Qi to enjoy the scenery all the way and walked towards the valley in the mountains.

The stream falls down to form a waterfall that falls in a valley pool. A few hundred meters away from the waterhole, is where the Lingquan and Biyun Pavilion are located.

The stone tables and chairs in the pavilion have been cleaned in advance.

A few slaves were busy carrying charcoal, cooking utensils, tea cups and other things, as well as a full set of tea ordering equipment.

Bai Chongyan sat down and immediately shouted: "New tea!" ”

Of course, the new tea was not picked today, but a month ago.

A few servants quickly stepped forward with tea leaves, and there were two kinds of tea, the last tea and the waxed tea.

Bai Chongyan smiled and said, "There are four new teas, please choose at will." ”

"Haha, Brother Juncai, this is going to fight tea?" Li Hanzhang laughed heartily.

Bai Chongyan said: "It's all my family's tea, it's not interesting to fight, just ask Brother Kezhen to show some tea skills." ”

The wealthy people of the Song Dynasty, especially the elegant ones, often got together to fight tea and have fun.

And, often bring your own tea.

Li Hanzhang did not directly select the tea leaves, but scooped a small half bowl of spring water. He carefully tasted the taste of the spring water, and then went to choose a suitable new tea, looked at its color, smelled its taste, and finally picked a ball of cured tea.

Bai Chongyan suddenly smiled and said, "Brother Zhen has good eyesight!" ”

Lap tea is the most valuable, and the tea selection is strict, and it must be the bud of early spring - the wax of the wax moon.

The small dragon and phoenix group tea respected by the royal family of the Song Dynasty is the best in the wax tea. Tea buds are the best of the best, fingers must not be touched when picking, long nails must be left to pinch off, picking can not be put into the bamboo basket, must be immediately thrown into the spring water carried.

The production process is even more complicated, first steaming, then squeezing, and grinding into powder, during which there are procedures such as drying and baking. There is also a part of the tea leaves, which are ground and boiled to make tea paste, and many spices are added. Finally, the tea paste is mixed with the tea powder, and there are several processes, and finally the tea ball is pressed into tea balls for preservation and transportation.

"Please order tea from Brother Kezhen." Bai Chongyan raised his hand and said.

The tea ball was very small, Li Hanzhang took the utensils and slowly ground the tea ball into the end.

Then use the tea dagger to take the end and put it into the cup, the spring water is already boiling, gently pour some, and start to mix the tea soup.

He pulled his right sleeve with his left hand and held a tea whisk in his right hand, and his demeanor was elegant and calm. The tea whisk is lit into the tea soup, gently brushing back and forth, and a wonderful scene is coming. With the movement of the tea whisk, the wisps of silver float on the surface of the tea soup, and then form a thousand patterns, like a picture of snow floating on the river.

Before I drank it, a smell of tea came to my nose.

Li Hanzhang praised: "Good tea! The tea soup is pure white, the buds are fat and tender, the craftsmanship is excellent, and Brother Juncai has a good tea worker at home. ”

As the man spoke, he struck the tea whisk, and the pattern on the surface of the tea soup continued to change.

Bai Chongyan said proudly: "This tea is made of imitation dragon and phoenix group tea, and the tea buds are picked before the beginning of spring. Although it is not as exquisite as the dragon and phoenix group tea, it is also rare, and I am known as 'Thrilling Snow Walking'. ”

"Stepping on the snow, it's really a good name!" Li Hanzhang was sincerely admired.

When the water temperature was not so hot, Li Hanzhang picked up the teacup, poured the tea into the cup, and even poured a cup for Bai Qi, a little kid: "Please taste tea." ”

Zhu Ming raised his glass curiously to taste, there was no strange taste, it was not bitter at all, and it was particularly fragrant, although it contained tea paste, it would not make people feel tired.

Even, there is a faint hint of sweetness.

With this taste, it can throw the loose tea drunk by civilians out of eighteen streets.

"It's delicious, it's beautiful, and it smells so good!" Bai Qi admired it sincerely, and then drank the tea in one gulp.

The children's praise is the most real, Bai Chongyan and Li Hanzhang both laughed.

……

Hanshui Riverside.

A passenger boat docked, and the servant reminded: "Erlang, Shangbai Village has arrived." ”

A little fat man stretched and yawned, rubbing his sleepy eyes and walked out of the cabin.

This guy is about twenty-five or sixteen years old, dressed as a scholar, with a fat head and a fat brain, and his height is less than 1.6 meters.

Due to the slippery road after the rain, he fell as soon as he got off the boat, got up and cursed and continued walking.

Halfway through, he sent a servant to inquire about the mansion of the old white man, and then went to hand over his prayer post.

The little fat man was dressed in silk, and the old man in the porter didn't dare to slack off, so he hurriedly went in to report it, and soon led the guests to the hall.

The old white man received him in person and asked, "Your Excellency is Lang Jun from the official family of Zheng Daguan in Yangzhou?" ”

"I am at home for the second time, and I am called Zheng Er, this time I am here to find Li Erlang (Li Hanzhang)." The little fat man said.

"The distinguished guests are coming, and they are not welcomed," said the old white officer, "I have gone up the mountain with Li Erlang, and the distinguished guests can wait at home, and they will be back before the evening." ”

The little fat man waved his hand and said, "I won't wait, I'll go up the mountain to find them." ”

The old white man immediately called the servants and led the little fat man up the mountain.

This powerful old man from all over the country dragged his sick leg on crutches, let the servants support him left and right, and personally sent the little fat man out of the main gate.