Chapter 114 – Good Tea
The next morning, Yan Xi Nian and Kong Zhi returned from clearing weeds and discussed Lu Shi Yi’s request over breakfast.
Yan Xi Nian sighed. “We have to go find that truck. The base only has around thirty trucks, and each one has been meticulously modified. We can’t afford to lose any of them.”
Xia Lu Nong paused, chopsticks in hand. “Why not just order them to retrieve it themselves?”
“They would’ve done that if they could. Coming to us like this is their way of trying to avoid more trouble,” Yan Xi Nian replied with a shake of his head.
He sighed lightly and said, “I’ll take a trip in the next couple of days to check things out. If those birds are too aggressive, I’ll just retreat.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “I’ll go with you.”
Xia Lu Nong quickly chimed in, “Kong Zhi and I will go too. We can look out for each other.”
Xia Huo Qu raised his eyelids and glanced at him. “Lu Shi Yi and his group barely escaped. You’ll probably just be a burden.”
“Not necessarily. Worst case, I’ll turn into my beast form, and Kong Zhi can carry me while flying. I’m light in that form.”
Xia Lu Nong looked up at Kong Zhi as he spoke.
Kong Zhi responded calmly, “I’ll take care of Xia Lu Nong.”
Xia Huo Qu was about to say more when Xia Lu Nong played his trump card. “Brother, you promised to take me out to catch crayfish last time, and we haven’t gone yet. Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away, so if we don’t go now, you’ll break your promise.”
Yan Xi Nian backed him up, “Let him come along. There won’t be any safety issues.”
With a vote of three to one, Xia Huo Qu relented. “If things go south, you and Kong Zhi run immediately.”
Xia Lu Nong grinned and gave a reassuring thumbs-up.
When Xia Lu Nong made this gesture, he looked sly, like a mischievous cat.
Xia Huo Qu, who had been stern, couldn’t help but soften at the sight and shook his head helplessly.
Yan Xi Nian added, “Changhe Swamp isn’t close. This trip will likely take two or three days. We should prepare today. The honeysuckle has been drying for two or three days, so it should be ready to collect and store properly.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “No problem. I’ll gather it this afternoon and store it in the cabinet.”
Xia Huo Qu added, “Also, you and Kong Zhi should harvest the tomatoes and peppers today. Afterward, check the rice and wheat fields to determine the harvest time. Don’t let this trip delay the autumn harvest.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded repeatedly. “We just checked yesterday. The wheat needs another seven or eight days, and the rice about ten, so we won’t miss it.”
Seeing that his brother had everything under control, Xia Huo Qu said, “Alright, we’ll set off early tomorrow.”
He then turned to Yan Xi Nian. “Should we take an extra truck?”
Yan Xi Nian agreed, “I’ll inform the logistics committee and we’ll bring some extra gasoline. Anything we harvest along the way will be ours.”
Xia Huo Qu nodded. “And don’t let Lü Shiyi pay in rice. Since the credit currency system is being pushed hard now, have him exchange it for credit currency with the logistics committee.”
With that settled, everyone went off to their tasks.
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi went to the fields to weed and fertilize. They gathered the pulled weeds into a basket, and on their way back, they stopped by eastern hill to check on the calves.
When they arrived, He Shu Hui, a teenager, was working with two younger kids to sort the stored hay, picking out any inedible or toxic weeds for the cows.
Kong Zhi approached, took off his straw hat, and fanned himself. “How’s it going, Shu Hui? Getting used to it?”
“It’s going well,” He Shu Hui stood up nervously. “Brother Xia, Brother Kong Zhi.”
The two younger kids quickly greeted them as well.
Xia Lu Nong patted their shoulders and handed each of them two large tomatoes from his own garden. “Glad there are no issues. Keep at it, and we’ll just take a look around.”
Xia Lu Nong went to the pen to check on the calves.
With so many calves gathered together, the smell wasn’t great.
From the entrance, Xia Lu Nong saw that the pen was relatively clean, with no visible cow dung. The calves, some standing and some lying down, seemed to be relaxing contentedly.
After a quick inspection, Xia Lu Nong noticed the calves were in good health and called out, “Shu Hui, you’ve done a great job!”
He Shu Hui smiled modestly. “Just doing my best.”
Kong Zhi instructed He Shu Hui, “We’ll be gone for a couple of days starting tomorrow. There should be enough feed, but if you run low, mix in some oil cake. If you run into any problems, ask Liao Cheng or Ba Niu for help.”
He Shu Hui nodded seriously. “Got it.”
After checking on the calves, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi visited Liao Cheng and Ba Niu, both of whom readily agreed to help watch over things.
In the afternoon, Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi collected the honeysuckle.
The honeysuckle had dried completely, turning grayish-white or grayish-green in the basket.
When they received the flowers, most of them had already bloomed, with both golden and white blossoms, and few buds. Normally, tea made from such flowers wouldn’t be of high quality. However, these flowers emitted a concentrated, lingering fragrance, indicating excellent quality.
Xia Lu Nong took a deep breath. “It would be great if the honeysuckle we’re growing in our backyard was this good.”
Kong Zhi suggested, “Let’s brew some tea and try it.”
The person who gave them the honeysuckle assured them it was non-toxic, and Dr. Ou had also checked it and confirmed it was good quality.
Xia Lu Nong trusted his instincts too. He took a small handful of the dried flowers, rinsed them with warm water, and then poured boiling water over them.
As soon as the hot water hit, the flowers dispersed. They floated up and down in the cup, releasing a fragrant steam, and the water quickly turned a pale yellow.
Xia Lu Nong inhaled deeply, feeling the tea’s scent seep into his lungs, making him feel refreshed.
“This tea smells amazing!” Xia Lu Nong held the cup up to Kong Zhi’s nose. “Take a sniff.”
Kong Zhi bent down and took a whiff. “It really does smell good.”
Xia Lu Nong pulled the cup back and blew on it. “Let me taste it.”
Kong Zhi took the cup from his hand. “I’ll taste it first.”
“No worries,” Xia Lu Nong said. “We’ve got sharp instincts, so it’s probably fine.”
Kong Zhi replied, “If it’s fine, I’ll try it first.”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t argue. After watching Kong Zhi blow on the tea and take a sip, he anxiously asked, “How is it?”
Kong Zhi held up the cup, his expression unusually strange. “It tastes really good.”
“Hmm?” Xia Lu Nong was puzzled. “Then why do you have that expression?”
As he spoke, Xia Lu Nong pulled down Kong Zhi’s hand and took a sip himself.
Kong Zhi held the cup steady, patiently waiting for Xia Lu Nong to taste the tea.
As soon as the honeysuckle tea entered his mouth, Xia Lu Nong felt as if something lively was bouncing around inside his mouth, full of energy.
He frowned and looked down at the cup.
The cup was clean, with nothing but honeysuckle and water inside—no strange creatures.
Xia Lu Nong filtered the liquid with his teeth, realizing that the sensation of something bouncing around was just an illusion. There was nothing in his mouth but the tea.
Amazing!
With a look of surprise in his eyes, he swallowed the tea, and a wave of indescribable freshness and comfort rose from his stomach, all the way to the back of his head. His mouth was left with a lingering sweetness.
His eyes lit up. “Great tea!”
He grabbed Kong Zhi’s hand. “Give me another sip.”
Kong Zhi said, “Blow on it first. This is the last sip. Let’s see how you feel before deciding whether to drink more.”
Xia Lu Nong didn’t hear a word Kong Zhi was saying—his entire focus was on savoring the tea in his mouth.
With his eyes half-closed and a look of pure enjoyment on his face, he stood there, quietly savoring the taste.
Xia Huo Qu and Yan Xi Nian came in one after the other. As soon as they saw the two standing so close together, almost touching, Xia Huo Qu frowned and called out, “What are you two doing?”
“Brother!” Xia Lu Nong opened his eyes, his eyes sparkling as he ran over with the tea in hand. “Brother, this honeysuckle tea is amazing! It tastes really unique. You have to try it!”
“Is it really that magical?” Xia Huo Qu skeptically reached out to take the cup.
As his hand touched the cup, Xia Lu Nong suddenly remembered something and snatched it back. “Wait, no, Kong Zhi drank from this cup too. I’ll make you a fresh one.”
Then, seeing Yan Xi Nian, Xia Lu Nong quickly added, “Brother Xi Nian, I’ll make one for you too. Hold on, I’ll brew the tea.”
Xia Lu Nong took a large gulp of the tea he had left and handed the half-empty cup back to Kong Zhi. He then rushed into the kitchen to make more tea.
Xia Huo Qu shook his head, amused. “So careless.”
There was hot water in the kettle, so Xia Lu Nong took out two cups, added some honeysuckle, and poured a little hot water to rinse them first. After discarding the first rinse, he filled the cups again with hot water to brew the tea.
Two minutes later, he brought out two cups of tea and handed one to his brother and one to Yan Xi Nian, lifting his hands eagerly. “Brother, try it quickly!”
Xia Huo Qu glanced at him, blew on the tea, and took a slow sip from the top layer of the tea.
Xia Lu Nong leaned forward, eagerly waiting for their reactions. “Well? Isn’t it great?”
Xia Huo Qu swallowed the tea and gave a small nod. “It’s indeed good.”
Yan Xi Nian, having finished his first sip, waited for the aftertaste to fade slightly before giving a thumbs up. “Xia Lu Nong, this honeysuckle is really good to you.”
Xia Lu Nong was thrilled. “Brother Xi Nian, you think there’s nothing wrong with this tea, right?”
Yan Xi Nian nodded solemnly. “It’s likely a treasure.”
Xia Lu Nong said, “I think this honeysuckle tea is even better than honey. I was going to store it in cloth bags, but now I think we should get a big ceramic jar and store it properly.”
Yan Xi Nian laughed. “That sounds like a good idea. I’ll go get one in a bit.”
Xia Lu Nong added, “That’s not enough. With this treasure in the house, maybe we should leave Xia Hua Jiao behind to guard the place when we head out tomorrow?”
Xia Huo Qu replied, “Whether or not we leave it home doesn’t matter, but if you want it to stay, you’ll have to convince it.”
Xia Huo Qu rubbed his hands together. “I’ll give it a try.”
He didn’t wait and ran out, shouting, “Xia Hua Jiao, I need to talk to you!”
