The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 762 - 761 Wild Tea Forest

Chapter 762: Chapter 761 Wild Tea Forest

Actually, there weren’t many caves suitable for living; most of them required a lot of effort to remodel before they could be inhabited.

For example, the cave they lived in only had a few small inner chambers initially; it was slowly hollowed out and transformed into a dwelling by his parents over their lifetime.

Most of the residents here have slowly transformed their dwellings in a similar manner.

Seeing Wang Yongzhu and the others come out, a few women surrounded them: "Da Shan’s family, what does this outsider want with your family?"

"Are these your relatives? This girl is really pretty! She looks young, has she been promised to someone yet? My Eldest Brother is looking for a wife right now—"

One woman hadn’t finished her sentence when she was interrupted.

"Look, Tiger’s mother, stop wishing for what you cannot have, and just look at the girl’s clothes. Just by looking at her, do you think she’s a match for your Tiger?"

"Why wouldn’t my Tiger be a match? My Tiger is both capable and filial; he makes several silver coins from one hunt!" The old woman was displeased.

"Don’t make me laugh! Would a good girl from outside ever marry into our Yingzi Gully? Don’t think that just because Da Shan got lucky, your Tiger would have the same fortune!"

"Right, Da Shan’s family?"

The other women chimed in all at once.

Yang Zaizhao’s face turned bright red. She had not been here often, only meeting her brother-in-law and her sister each time, rarely conversing with the other women in the cave.

Whenever she secretly asked her sister, she would say that she was doing quite well and told her not to worry.

But hearing those women talking, it didn’t seem like her sister had as good a life here as she had said.

In her heart, her third sister was the most important; they were separated by only two or three years, and she was practically raised by her third sister, being very close to her.

Now that her sister was being talked about, it felt even worse than being talked about herself.

Just as she was about to speak, Jinhoo couldn’t hold back any longer, "What nonsense are you all spouting? My auntie is already married, and my uncle is a Scholar Master! If my uncle hears what you’re saying, be careful or you might end up in jail!"

At these words, the faces of the women all changed. Although they did not know what a Scholar Master was, the mention of going to jail scared them all.

Muttering, "We were just speaking off the cuff—"

One by one, they found excuses, dragged their children away, and hid back in their homes!

Yang Zhaodi and Yang Zaizhao looked at Wang Yongzhu with an added sense of fear: "We have met the Scholar’s Lady!"

Wang Yongzhu gave a wry smile, glared at Jinhoo, and hurriedly said: "Elder Sister Yang, you are too kind!"

Although she had intended to continue looking around the cave, she now felt awkward.

Thinking for a moment, "Elder Sister Yang, could you take me to see those wild tea trees?"

Yang Zhaodi nodded eagerly: "Of course, Scholar’s Lady, please wait a moment while I get ready."

As she spoke, she went back into the cave, tampered with something for a while, and then came out carrying a bamboo basket on her back.

With her leading the way, Yang Zaizhao and Wang Yongzhu followed along, emerging from the cave and walking slowly up a narrow path behind it.

They took a downhill path for a while, then climbed upwards, and after scaling almost an entire hilltop, Yang Zhaodi finally stopped and pointed to a stretch of greenery ahead: "All of this area is covered with tea trees, but they’re a bit scattered and difficult to pick."

Wang Yongzhu took two steps forward and indeed discovered several tea bushes hidden within a thicket. The Qingming Festival had just passed, and as they were in the mountains where it was cooler, the tea bushes were only just sprouting tender tips.

Wang Yongzhu plucked two tender shoots from the top of the tea bush and put them in her mouth to chew. A light tea aroma mixed with a mild bitterness infused her palate.

Although Qingming had ended, the timing for the tea leaves was just right. The buds were tender and of excellent quality. It was truly great tea!

Wang Yongzhu was thrilled. She took a couple more steps inside and realized that the thicket was flourishing with brambles that could easily tear one’s clothes.

Nevertheless, this was a natural wild tea forest, its formation a mystery.

While there weren’t many wild tea trees, looking out over this large hillside, she guessed the yield would not be small.

Overtaken by excitement, Wang Yongzhu made up her mind on the spot, "Jinhoo, go back immediately, have your uncle take you and find Steward Guan without delay. Tell him to quickly find a tea roasting master and the tools needed for roasting tea, and send them to Yingzi Gully!"

Jinhoo was stunned, "What about you, Auntie?"

Wang Yongzhu’s eyes lingered on the expanse of wild tea forest with sheer delight, "I’ll stay in Yingzi Gully for today and wait for you to come! Meanwhile, I’ll wait for the men of Yingzi Gully to return and discuss this matter of the wild tea."

Jinhoo was still a bit uneasy and hesitated.

Yang Zhaodi might have been straightforward, but living under Yang’s Parents for so many years, reading situations had become instinctual. She quickly reassured, "Young man, don’t worry! Your aunt is the savior of my younger sister, and therefore my savior as well! I assure you that Scholar’s Lady will be taken care of!"

Yang Zaizhao also stammered out a promise, "Wang Family Eldest Brother... you, you can rest assured, I, I’ll also stay to keep... keep Scholar’s Lady company!"

Wang Yongzhu gave Jinhoo a look, "Are you worried about me?"

When Jinhoo remembered the formidable strength of his auntie, his worries instantly dissipated. If someone in Yingzi Gully tried to trouble Auntie, they would certainly be the unlucky ones.

Therefore, he turned around briskly and started back along the path they had come from.

Yang Zhaodi, feeling a growing fondness towards the delicate Scholar’s Lady who had trekked the mountain path without a word of fatigue.

Still, out of consideration, she said to her younger sister, "Xiao Si, go and see the young man off, don’t let him get lost on the way!"

Yang Zaizhao nodded and followed Jinhoo.

Wang Yongzhu wandered around some more, venturing a bit further before calling out to Xiao Tiantian.

"Xiao Tiantian, come out—"

Xiao Tiantian promptly rolled out, "Dear magnificent host, what can I assist you with?"

"Measure this wild tea forest," Wang Yongzhu didn’t mince words.

"Got it!"

It didn’t take long for Xiao Tiantian to come back with the data: the wild tea forest covered an area of about two square kilometers, with approximately five hundred natural wild tea trees, classified as Level C plants. If the roasting technique was accurate and leveraged the tools provided by the System’s marketplace, it could retain the nutrients and high-quality elements of the tea leaves to the greatest extent.

"Xiao Tiantian, are there tea roasting tools in the System’s marketplace too? Are they automatic or do they require manual operation?" Wang Yongzhu’s eyes lit up.

"Please look, Host; there are three options available: a standard tea roasting machine, a deluxe tea roasting machine, and the highest-grade roasting machine. It can preserve the shape of the tea leaves without alteration, lock in a multitude of the tea leaves’ nutrients, all for only three hundred Points! Host, wouldn’t you like to give it a try?"