AVRL 45

“I came mainly to take away what’s mine, so no one can snatch it midway.”

After saying this sentence, Meng Chi pulled the bottle of mineral water back from Yu Tingzhi’s hand.

Yu Tingzhi’s brows lifted slightly as he repeated: “What’s yours.”

“Hmm?” Meng Chi asked in return. “Isn’t it mine?”

Yu Tingzhi lowered his eyes and glanced at the remaining half-bottle of mineral water in his hand. The corners of his mouth curved upward slightly as he nodded: “It is yours. How do you plan to take it away?”

Meng Chi arched a brow and laughed once. After successfully making Yu Tingzhi’s heart itch, he no longer continued playing riddles with him. Instead he took the several bottles of water dispensed by the vending machine and turned to leave.

Yu Tingzhi watched his retreating figure and shook his head with a low laugh.

This little wild cat really was hard to coax.

The main purpose of the Tea History Hall was to present the several-thousand-year development history of tea culture before modern people through the vehicles of literature, utensils, calligraphy and painting, poetry, and so on from various eras.

One only needed to stroll once around the Tea History Hall to, in a very short time, take in the entire several-thousand-year developmental process of tea culture as a whole, to observe, accept, understand, and reflect upon it.

After Meng Chi’s sudden appearance, Yu Tingzhi’s attention had indeed all been on him; he had little interest in these things. But after Meng Chi stated his intention for coming, Yu Tingzhi finally managed to divide half of his attention to these exhibits.

The group walked and looked as they went, from the Tea History Hall to the Tea Essence Hall. Here, according to the differences in tea manufacturing methods and varieties, more than three hundred kinds of tea samples from different tea-producing regions across the country had been processed through special techniques into vacuum specimens. They were divided into the six major tea categories of green tea, black tea, oolong tea (qingcha), yellow tea, white tea, and dark tea, as well as reprocessed teas, and the tea specimens were displayed one by one.

Meng Chi’s understanding of tea far exceeded that of the others. In addition to the official explanations, he would add a few words. When he spoke, his language was straightforward and easy to understand; occasionally he also told some interesting anecdotes from his tea-learning experiences. Along the way he attracted quite a few tourists who followed behind to listen.

It was not until they entered the Tea Customs Hall that things quieted down around them. Because Meng Chi knew the person in charge here, he greeted them and used the back door to let the group enter the viewing area that was not usually open.

This place still belonged to the Tea Customs Hall, but it was only open at specific times. There was a stage and a large screen that would play films related to tea customs; occasionally stage plays adapted from tea customs would also be performed.

Today was not an open day, so there was no stage-play performance, but corresponding tea-customs films could be selected for viewing on the screen.

As a viewing area, the lighting here was dimmer than outside. Fortunately it still allowed people to see objects roughly. Even so, Yu Tingzhi’s footsteps slowed.

Song Chen knew that when the light was too dim, Yu Tingzhi’s vision would decline to some extent, so upon entering he walked to Yu Tingzhi’s side: “Can you see?”

Yu Tingzhi nodded and did not let Song Chen support him.

“I can’t see. Brother Song, can you pull me along?” Chen Yan glanced at Meng Chi walking at the very front, then as he spoke grabbed Song Chen’s sleeve.

Chen Yan slowed his steps, pretended to be blind with his eyes open, one hand pulling Song Chen and the other pulling Song Min, single-handedly fixing these two third wheels right in front of himself.

“Didn’t your students say they wanted to see the tea-offering ceremony? You can see it right here,” Yu Tingzhi walked up beside Meng Chi and heard Meng Chi say this to him.

“But today isn’t an open day, so too many people can’t go in,” Meng Chi asked again. “If you want to watch, you can watch first.”

Yu Tingzhi smiled: “Is this a privilege you’re giving me?”

Meng Chi neither confirmed nor denied. He skillfully selected the content of the tea-offering ceremony from the small on-demand screen.

This segment about the tea-offering ceremony recorded the entire process of the tea-offering ceremony in documentary form, and also included the origin of the tea-offering ceremony as well as its development in recent years. If one was not interested in this, it was actually a bit boring to watch—after all, the recorded film was far less real in feeling than personal participation.

When they came out, Song Min directly complained, “Watching it like this is a bit boring.”

Chen Yan laughed: “This kind of activity is only interesting if you participate in person. The day after tomorrow is Tea-Offering Day, right? Let’s go take a look.”

Song Min: “Ge, are you going?”

Song Chen nodded: “Since we’ve run into it, let’s go take a look. Isn’t Tingzhi still taking the students? We can go together.”

Yu Tingzhi turned his eyes toward Meng Chi: “Are you going?”

With this question of his, everyone present directed their gazes toward Meng Chi. Song Chen’s gaze dimmed for an instant, then he averted his eyes and continued walking forward as if nothing had happened.

“Let’s go take a look,” Meng Chi said.

“Then this time you’d better be careful. Don’t get snatched away by those people again,” Chen Yan reminded with a tone of disdain.

Mentioning the past embarrassing incident made Meng Chi helplessly press a hand to his forehead.

Yu Tingzhi asked: “What do you mean—snatched away by whom?”

Chen Yan glanced at Yu Tingzhi, then laughed: “Teacher Yu, you don’t know, do you? Besides the tea-offering ceremony, there’s another tea custom here called ‘eating tea.’ To put it simply, it’s using tea to pledge affection. During the tea-offering activities, if you take a fancy to someone, you brew a cup of tea and give it to them. If the other party drinks it, it means they also have interest in you, and then you can snatch the person away and get married.”

===Chapter 41===

“What nonsense are you talking?!” Chen Yan’s crude explanation made Meng Chi’s brows furrow continuously. Meeting Yu Tingzhi’s puzzled gaze, Meng Chi explained it to him in detail.

In Ming dynasty author Lang Ying’s Qixiu Leigao, there is this explanation: “When planting tea, the seeds cannot be transplanted; if transplanted they will not grow again. Therefore when a girl accepts a betrothal gift, it is called ‘eating tea.’”

In an old Han Chinese marriage custom, “eating tea” meant accepting a marriage proposal, and like the use of tea as a betrothal gift in engagements, it carried the meaning of “remaining faithful to one.”

Even now in a few places, the ancient custom of “bride-snatching” still remains. The families of the man and woman first agree on a wedding date. When the time comes, the girl is still sent out to work. The man’s side sends people to approach the girl secretly, then suddenly “snatches” the girl away, running while shouting, “So-and-so’s family invites you to come eat tea!” The girl’s relatives, upon hearing this, quickly give chase to “snatch her back,” and only then formally hold the wedding ceremony at home.

In ancient times Xichi had this kind of custom, but with the development of the era it had already changed. Now it has become that during the activities on Tea-Offering Day, young men and women personally brew a cup of tea and give it to the object of their affection. If the other party accepts and drinks the tea, it is regarded as mutual interest, and the side that presented the tea will call friends and companions to snatch the person away.

Of course, this is now a civilized society. This kind of activity is mostly just for the lively atmosphere and will not truly create a situation that cannot be resolved without marriage.

When Meng Chi first participated in the tea-offering ceremony he did not understand the rules and mistakenly drank the tea someone had sent him. Just like that he was snatched away and only managed to escape after being covered all over with a young girl’s perfume.

Chen Yan knew about this incident from chatting with Yang Zile, so his understanding of this bride-snatching custom was only half-baked.

After Meng Chi explained it this way, Yu Tingzhi understood what it was all about.

“Will a lot of people give you tea?” Yu Tingzhi asked Meng Chi.

“Yeah. Our wild bottom—ah no,” Chen Yan urgently corrected himself, “Meng Chi is so good-looking, he appeals to both men and women, okay? Teacher Yu, you’d better keep a close eye on him when the time comes!”

Meng Chi: “…”

Under Meng Chi’s glare, Chen Yan finished speaking and quickly ran off.

Yu Tingzhi examined Meng Chi’s face with a smile in his eyes: “How about Teacher Meng just doesn’t go?”

Meng Chi: “Teacher Yu, looking the way you do, you should watch yourself carefully.”

Yu Tingzhi laughed softly, looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly asked: “If someone snatches me away, would you snatch me back?”

Looking into Yu Tingzhi’s smiling eyes, Meng Chi almost instantly understood his implied meaning. He arched a brow and calmly asked in return: “Would you be snatched away?”

Yu Tingzhi’s brows lifted slightly; a flash of astonishment passed through his eyes. He suddenly laughed lowly, and only after a moment did he say two words, carrying a few degrees of solemnity.

“No.”

This answer pleased Meng Chi. He smiled and said nothing more. When he turned and walked out of the Tea Customs Hall, he saw Song Chen standing not far away. The moment their eyes met, he averted his gaze.

After leaving the Tea Customs Hall, they went on to stroll through the Tea Affinity Hall.

The most special place in the Tea Affinity Hall was probably a partitioned room set up to commemorate the local tea-studies expert of Xichi, Old Master Zhang.

Old Master Zhang had been born a hundred years ago and was one of the top ten tea-studies experts in the country. Not only was his research into tea studies deep and broad, he also made outstanding contributions to the development of tea education, scientific research, and production. He also designed and created a hand-pushed tea-rolling machine, changing the traditional tea workers’ method of rolling tea.

In this exhibition room stood the tea-rolling machines designed and invented by Old Master Zhang, from the first generation to the subsequent fourth generation, arranged in sequence in the center of the hall. In addition, there remained the tea utensils he had once used and countless precious documents and calligraphy treasures, including hand-drawn design drafts of the tea-rolling machine, handwritten notes on tea-studies research and development, and so on.

“I didn’t expect Old Master Zhang was also a calligrapher,” Chen Yan casually remarked as he looked at the several pieces of calligraphy hanging on the wall.

Meng Chi nodded: “You could say that. Besides tea, Old Master Zhang also passionately loved calligraphy.”

Song Chen glanced at him, then directed his gaze toward those pieces of calligraphy hanging on the wall. His brows furrowed very lightly. After looking for a moment, he turned his head toward Yu Tingzhi: “Tingzhi, what do you think?”

Yu Tingzhi examined those calligraphy treasures. After a moment he opened his mouth: “Average.”

Meng Chi’s brows lifted slightly as he looked at Yu Tingzhi with a smile. He had no research into calligraphy and could not see any particular technique, but he rather appreciated Yu Tingzhi’s confident bluntness.

After all, after entering the tea industry, he had never heard anyone say a single bad word about this “grandmaster of the tea world.”

Song Chen smiled faintly and nodded: “Indeed, they can’t be considered excellent works.”

“What do you young people understand? Recklessly discussing an old artist like this.” An elderly man leaning on a cane nearby gave a cold snort and swept a disdainful glance over Song Chen and Yu Tingzhi. “Average?! Hmph! What do you understand?”

Hearing this, Meng Chi glanced sideways at Yu Tingzhi and couldn’t help laughing once. Like fanning the flames, he said softly to Yu Tingzhi: “Teacher Yu, why don’t you explain in what way they’re average and see if you can convince him?”

Yu Tingzhi glanced at him: “You want to watch me argue with someone?”

Meng Chi arched a brow: “Do artists also argue?”