"What?"
"Qing'an Master Hu, is... is the top master that Old Chen invited personally crafted this tea by hand using a metal pot?"
Chen Peipei received a call from Ah Qing, and after learning the whole story, she looked bewildered, tiptoeing over to her husband and whispering quietly.
Yu Zhenghong, hearing this, had a myriad of expressions as he looked at Chen Peipei incredulously and said:
"This.... this, I didn't know about either! Before, when our village submitted the tea for the competition, we all gave it to Old Chen, and he submitted it."
Upon hearing that it was crafted by a master, Yu Zhenghong suddenly understood what the so-called 'Qing'an Oolong' was all about.
This tea was personally crafted by a master, monitoring quality and taste control the entire way from the fresh leaves to the competition blend.
Simply put, the fresh tea leaves for this tea might be worth a few dozen per pound on the market, but the crafting costs of this tea could be worth tens of thousands. The purpose is not for daily sale but to win awards.
The original intention was to build a reputation for the tea field and the tea farmers.
If not for the fame, it would not be worthwhile to invite a master for some regular fresh tea leaves; otherwise, they might not even recover the labor costs.
The master here isn't self-proclaimed but is a certified tea artisan with state-issued certification.
For Old Chen to call someone a master, they must be at least a provincial or national level artisan.
"......"
Some nearby village committee members also overheard the conversation between Yu Zhenghong and his wife. The village committee elder glared with dead-fish eyes at Yu Zhenghong's bewildered face.
"This...."
Yu Zhenghong's breath caught, and he bent down deeply, apologizing to the village committee and fellow villagers:
"I'm sorry! It's all my ignorance and foolishness that blew things out of proportion. I'll take care of all the cleaning at the ancestral hall and the Mid-Autumn Banquet this year!"
The village society is about mutual aid: you help others, and others help you.
Then, you need to contribute to the community in some way.
Sometimes, the cleanliness of the village's ancestral hall has little to do with money. As long as the village people are organized and active, the ancestral hall can always be pristine.
Like the exposure of Chen Nian's issue, Changxi Village's old ancestral hall could practically rise from the ground and be equipped with central air-conditioning.
Otherwise, if you tarnish the village's reputation without making the necessary contributions, you better not plan on being buried back here.
...…
"Modern technology is really advanced, being able to get on my nerves even from two kilometers away, causing such a ruckus."
After arriving on site, Old Chen first gathered the village committee members to explain the situation clearly, then dispersed personnel to clarify the situation outside while he rushed to the competition committee to clear things up.
The competition committee would unseal the files to check the information of the first-place winner.
However, the related information wouldn't be published publicly. They needed to confirm whether the participant met the regulations.
If all was compliant, they would inform the villagers, and once the public review rankings were announced, everyone could see for themselves.
The two rounds of ranking announcements coincide with the award ceremony when the information won't need to be sealed.
If the regulations weren't met, they would handle it accordingly: issuing a fine or sending the case to the security bureau if necessary. No amount of face would help the situation.
Though the village-level tea competition was of county-level, it was spearheaded by the agricultural department along with others.
By the time things settled down, it was already afternoon.
Besides being awkwardly stared at by the whole village, Yu Zhenghong was further besieged by tea merchants from various places, cornering a sun-tanned farming man in the market.
Trembling, Yu Zhenghong couldn't utter a word to those tea merchants who brought money his way.
He hadn't tasted that Qing'an Oolong Tea, and because it was mastercrafted, he didn't know the price.
"Anyone wanting to taste Qing'an Tea, please head to the village committee, let's sit down and talk... All of you, clear the way..." After sorting out the mess, Old Chen found Yu Zhenghong, who was surrounded by tea merchants, speaking out to extricate him.
Being surrounded by tea merchants was quite normal for Yu Zhenghong.
Because the merchants thought Yu Zhenghong was bragging and lying to inflate the price.
Every year, for award-winning teas, the routine was the same.
Getting a supply was merely a matter of price and a somewhat firm negotiation tactic—cornering him to talk slowly or chopping prices down.
But this time, Yu Zhenghong was genuinely wronged.
He hadn't tasted the tea and couldn't boast.
He didn't know the price either, let alone dared to sell it.
What if he sold a pound and lost thousands? At that point, he'd end up completely penniless.
"Thanks, Old Chen... too terrifying, I almost thought I was in Bharata just now."
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Yu Zhenghong expressed his lingering sense of dread with a hint of reminiscence.
Being surrounded by tea merchants, in essence, meant they were there to give him money!
Such thoughts were beyond Yu Zhenghong; he usually was one of those waving cash to buy tea from farmers, never having this kind of experience.
"You'll get used to it in the future..."
Old Chen glanced at the simple man and couldn't help but internally shake his head.
Others may not be aware of what a master is, but didn't he clearly know the origin of the so-called master?
The quality of tea leaves from Ah Hong's family was so low this year, yet Master Fox managed to salvage them and beat out proper tea farmer competitors to win the category's first prize.
By next year when the tea trees are grown, Ah Hong's tea leaves will only get better.
The tea personally crafted by Master Fox could easily be sold as high-end.
And factory-produced tea made with similar techniques, divided by tea quality, could be sold as mid-to-low-end.
With Master Fox's mature tea-making techniques, Ah Hong's family wouldn't lack high, middle, or low-end tea.
His only task was to take Master Fox's tea to competitions and build his reputation.
Old Chen had seen Ansheng enter the village with his own eyes.
Sometimes, thinking back on Ah Hong's family, he couldn't help but lament at the blessings some simpletons have.
Ah Hong had no other skills, just honesty, offering help with any family's big or small matters, or participating in village collective activities diligently.
After getting the tea field, Old Chen thought that after surviving these few years, Ah Hong would have a perfect life.
Unexpectedly, Master Fox's arrival turned Ah Hong's perfect life into a starting point.
Tea fields, tea estates, live streaming, all thriving.
If things continue this way, Old Chen even worries about Ah Hong potentially losing himself, getting caught up outside and being beaten to death by Chen Peipei with her bare fists. Old Chen certainly doesn't underestimate Chen Peipei's strength.
"By the way, why is the village head looking for me? Surely it can't be to settle the score now?"
After a sigh of relief, Yu Zhenghong asked Old Chen nervously.
"Settle what score, you idiot? I clearly told you earlier, I submitted three types of tea for you, and once you sobered up you forgot everything! Come with me, pay your respects to the village elders and apologize honestly."
Old Chen chided him gruffly: "Talk about serious matters next time and leave that alcohol aside!"
"Almost invited the Grand Elder out, causing such a fuss..."
The Grand Elder in Changxi Town was an almost centenarian man, the most venerable elder of the village.
Wearing a pale green military uniform with medals across his chest that could serve as a bulletproof vest.
Any unjust situation in the village, when villagers brought the Grand Elder out, it was absolutely effective.
With the Grand Elder settled there, no matter what stature, everyone would have to come and pay their respects.
The tea competition issue was manageable with villagers and event organizers... But even bringing the Grand Elder into it made Old Chen shiver.