"You two are an old couple now, still playing these shameless games. Although foxes belong to the canine family, dog food isn't really my thing..."
Chen Baihan's showing off at the door didn't cause Old Deng any psychological damage. Instead, Old Deng frequently held Chen Peipei's hand, which made Chen Baihan feel quite disgusted.
Ansheng made a sarcastic remark, then jumped off the tea table onto the floor and walked inside, temporarily not disturbing the two of them reminiscing about their youthful past.
However.
Ansheng did gossip about one thing: Old Deng's homeroom teacher in junior high was apparently a female thug.
Her educational philosophy adhered to the principle of "the deeper the love, the harder the beating," treating delinquent students like footballs to kick around.
Old Deng was clearly someone who didn't study hard. He was caught smoking outside school by the homeroom teacher's thug and was beaten up twice, breaking several sticks.
Hmm... Old Deng attended a key high school, but when it came to university, it seemed there was no school found.
"Ah Bai, wake up, we've got a mission."
Ansheng patted the sleeping Ah Bai to wake it up, then took the Arctic Fox along to climb out the window and chase in the direction Chen Baihan had left.
Two foxes and a dog, three white fluffy creatures, strolled along the street, attracting a lot of attention from passersby.
The Arctic Fox's attention rate was 100%. Any person who saw it couldn't help but gasp in shock, then let out a chuckle.
"Ying ying...."
The Arctic Fox looked full of grievances at Master Fuli and complained about the onlookers pointing fingers.
"...Their mouths are on them, I can't control that, but once we find their hideout, you drink some water, and Ah Bai and I will pry their mouths open, and you can give them a good squirt of water."
Master Fuli looked seriously at the Arctic Fox, then quickly shifted his gaze back, fearing he wouldn't be able to hold back and let the Arctic Fox cry.
Autumn and winter, after all, is the molting season for foxes. Their fur becomes round and full to withstand the cold winter weather.
And the Arctic Fox had been shaved into a ridiculous shape; the more full its fur became, the more outrageous it looked...
Although there were some hiccups on the tracking path due to the Arctic Fox, it didn't prevent Master Fuli from using his sense of smell to track Chen Baihan. His previous sneeze, besides cursing, also acted as a locator.
Chen Baihan strolled around the street and finally entered a Mingxi Tea Industry tea stall.
Master Fuli led Ah Bai and the others to the window sill in the back street and eavesdropped on the conversation inside.
"No, the tea my old classmate served me was awful, clearly meant for absorbing formaldehyde in construction sites, never offered me proper tea."
Chen Baihan sat on the chair, full of disdain as he complained to the teahouse owner:
"Old Yang! With my old classmate, wouldn't I know his need for vanity? His tea plantation is probably something his wife's family helped him with, and those fragrant oolongs are likely custom-made by some masters."
"It won't hinder your prize-winning sales. I see he doesn't have much stock there either."
Even though Chen Baihan spoke casually, he demonstrated strong professionalism in estimating tea leaf quantities.
Just in casual conversation, when asked about the acres of tea plantation, he immediately estimated the yield of premium tea leaves.
"Pretty accurate estimate, indeed. This year, there's indeed only about 20 kilograms of autumn tea for sale..." Master Fuli muttered to himself.
The tea plantation at Old Deng's place is just over nine acres, and coupled with the fact that the previous owner's tea trees have passed their prime picking period, continuing to cultivate them will result in a significant drop in tea leaf quality within a few years.
Oolong tea is unlike Pu-erh; the older the tree, the richer the taste does not apply, as tea trees also have a shelf life.
When the tea trees are young, there's no such thing as increased production. If you dare to shear them bare, they'll lie down on the ground and die the next day.
Tea pickers are also a technical workforce; otherwise, production can't possibly offer six to seven hundred a day in wages.
"I have to be cautious, who knows where that guy found his Tea Master. They consistently create more exceptional batches from the same tea leaves each time."
"Initially selling for five to six hundred, the county-level competition immediately adjusted the process to bring out a rich, fresh, and smooth taste." Old Yang, the owner of the tea stall, spoke with a headache.
The tea from Yu Zhenghong's place is so fragrant, as if a bottle of essence was spilled, stirring up a faint orchid scent among various fresh aromas. But this version has very evident flaws; it isn't suitable for extended drinking and feels a bit thin.
In layman's terms, it's tingly, yet smooth.
And during the county-level competition, the same tender tea leaves still retained their aroma, but this time fresher, and as you drink, you experience a smooth sensation.
The scent lingers longer in the mouth, coupled with a slight tingly feel, inciting even more desire for another sip.
Old Yang invited Chen Baihan to test the waters at Yu Zhenghong's tea stall, aside from wanting to probe and find out more about the Tea Master.
Top-tier tea leaves + Master oversight = mountain-top villa.
Master oversight + lower-grade tea leaves + high yield = at home, you'd need an electric bike just to get to the bathroom.
Failing yourself is regretful, but seeing peers thrive only fuels one's jealousy.
Yu Zhenghong's prosperity wasn't due to his own greatness or skills; it was thanks to the Tea Master behind him, who continuously devised strategies and rapidly adjusted tea-making processes.
The tea market is vast with a scale of hundreds of billions. Adding one more tea farmer doesn't change much, but those receiving national subsidies as Tea Masters are few.
They have limited energy and focus on top-tier tea leaves. Just overseeing can double the price of the final product, if not personally crafting it.
Even if they visited the tea factory to press a button, the tea's price per pound would rise by hundreds!
Old Yang wanted to lure the Tea Master behind Yu Zhenghong. However, Yu Zhenghong also played dumb skillfully.
Asked, he knew nothing.
Asked further, the Tea Master was supposedly retired.
"I see..."
"You crave my body, trying to trick me!"
Listening to the regrets and conspiracies inside of trying to poach the fox expert, a look of sudden understanding spread across Master Fuli's face.
"Well, well, you guys! One wants to play the role of Cao and become my cheap father-in-law, while the other wants to trick me into working the assembly line in a factory."
"Ah Bai, you hide at the entrance. When you hear my call, jump up and pull down the rolling shutter. Arctic Fox, guard at the windowsill, and scratch anyone trying to open the window!"
After thoroughly assessing the opponent, Master Fuli immediately devised a battle plan: one to close the door, another to close the window, and he himself made a trip to the hardware store.
Master Fuli dashed into a hardware store, borrowing a bucket of paint, a brush, a razor, and two packs of 502 glue while the owner was enjoying a tea break.
"Buddy, borrowing some things. I'll come back in the evening and touch your head, letting you win all night at Mahjong."
Master Fuli jumped out the window, leaving a subtle hint inside the room, and quickly ran back to Mingxi Tea Industry.
"Ying—"
Master Fuli entered the tea stall, scanned the surroundings, and tossed the plastic bag from his mouth, straightening up and raising his hand:
"Ah Bai, close the shutter! Arctic Fox, close the window!" Master Fuli righteously spoke in human language.
"Awooo!"
Ah Bai leaped three meters high, clawed at the shutter, directly closing the teahouse door. Meanwhile, the Arctic Fox flipped onto the windowsill and locked the stall's window.
"Woah... crap!?"
The sudden change utterly caught Chen Baihan and Old Yang off guard. They were left in a daze, a myriad of words and emotions chaotically swirling inside them, but when speaking, it transformed into a plain and slow "Crap!?"
Chen Baihan and Old Yang widened their eyes.