Elixir Supplier

Chapter 138

Wang Yao did not distract him and quietly sat in a corner observing.

Fry, knead, fry and knead again.

With each repetition, the strength and time taken for each action were different.

The process relied on one's experience to control and operate. This was done without an advanced appliance and without a temperature gauge and timer. It was this handmade process that was very attractive.

Some things could never be created using machines.

The frying of the harvested tea leaves from Nanshan hill was completed in the afternoon. During the process, Master Xu did not rest; in fact, he continued to be immersed in a special state. Wang Yao silently observed and recorded and did not distract him.

Whew! When the final drying process completed, Master Xu let out a long sigh of relief.

"It's okay now. We haven't let down these quality tea leaves." Looking at the finished product, Xu Maosheng used a towel and gently wiped away the perspiration that beaded on his forehead.

"You have worked hard!" Wang Yao remarked sincerely.

Frying tea was technical work. It was not the first time Wang Yao had seen Xu Maosheng's frying process. The process required control of the temperature, repeated frying, and kneading. Patience, physical strength and energy were required. It was extremely tiring to go through the whole process.

"It's alright; I am already used to it. Let's go over there to take a seat. This tea needs to cool for a bit and then get packaged." Xu Maosheng used his towel to wipe his forehead again.

"Okay."

In the house, Xu Maosheng's wife had already prepared water and fruits for them. She meticulously cooled a large glass of water for her husband. When Xu Maosheng sat down, he took up the cooled glass and gulped down the large glass of water. He didn't have a sip of water while he was frying the tea.

"Ah, I am getting old. If I were younger by five or six years old, this work would have been easy," Xu Maosheng sighed after drinking the glass of water.

"Your age is a healthful age," Wang Yao smiled and commented.

"Healthful age? Haha," Xu Maosheng laughed. "I really want to do this for a few more years. There is no one willing to learn this craft anymore."

"Yes, there are not many who are willing to learn this," Wang Yao said.

A handmade craft like this required meticulousness, patience, and intensive study. Young people these days tended to be flippant and always on the lookout to earn more money, and they lacked these traits.

"There are machines specially meant for processing tea leaves. There is no real requirement to hand process them. However, such tea leaves are not comparable to handmade ones. They seem to lack something."

"Yes, the shape and taste of the tea, they seem to lack something—an artistic conception."

The two of them rested a while and went back to the room for processing tea. The room's ventilation was very good, and the tea had cooled down already.

"These can now be packaged. The weight is around 600 grams. How many portions do you need?" Xu Maosheng weighed the completed tea leaves and asked Wang Yao.

"Six portions."

"Okay. I have some packaging. Choose one."

Xu Maosheng processed tea and also sold tea, so he had the packaging and the tools required to package them at his disposal.