The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 763 - 762: Keep Your Word!

Chapter 763: Chapter 762: Keep Your Word!

"What are the functions of the ordinary tea frying machine and the high-end tea frying machine, and what effects can they achieve?" Wang Yongzhu asked, unmoved.

Xiao Tiantian had no choice but to answer honestly. The ordinary tea frying machine was equivalent to tea leaves fried by an average master in this time and space, retaining about sixty to seventy percent of the nutritional content of the tea leaves, ensuring an attractive shape and suitable taste.

As for the high-end tea frying machine, the tea leaves it fried were comparable to those fried by the top tea frying masters in this time and space, nearly retaining about ninety percent of the nutritional content of the tea leaves, with the best taste.

The prices of the two machines were also different. The ordinary tea frying machine cost fifty Points, while the high-end tea frying machine cost one hundred Points. Of course, the highest-grade top-end model was one hundred and fifty Points.

Wang Yongzhu pondered for a moment, "Buy two get one free? I’ll buy the high-end and the top-level one, and you give me the ordinary one for free!"

Xiao Tiantian quickly did the math and agreed to the deal on the spot.

The Points on the System panel were instantly deducted.

Host’s current status:

Clothing: Level 4, 0 Points

Food: Level 4, 0 Points

Housing: Level 4, 0 Points

Transport: Level 4, 0 Points

Available Points 5045 (freely distributed among the above options)

In the purchased items column, three machines were added. The ordinary one looked somewhat bulky, while the high-end and the top-end ones were almost small and exquisite, hardly resembling machines for frying tea.

Since they were right beside the tea forest, it was the perfect opportunity to try them out.

Wang Yongzhu thought about it and turned to Yang Zhaodi.

Yang Zhaodi had been attentively watching the delicate Scholar’s Lady, afraid something might happen, and seeing that Wang Yongzhu seemed not to want anyone following, she stayed at a distance but kept an eye out at all times.

When Wang Yongzhu looked over, she quickly stood up and walked a few steps closer, "Scholar’s Lady, do you have any instructions for me?"

Wang Yongzhu was straightforward, "I’d like to pick some young tips from these wild tea trees, look, just like the ones I have in my hand. I’d like to ask you, Elder Sister Yang, as well as a few other sisters and aunties from Yingzi Gully, to help me pick tea leaves!"

"Don’t worry, you won’t be working for nothing! For the freshly picked young tips, as long as they are in good condition and unbroken, I’ll give twenty Large Coins for a pound of fresh young tips."

Originally, Wang Yongzhu wanted to offer more, but then thought that nowadays, a strong man working odd jobs outside could only earn about twenty Large Coins in a day.

If she offered too much, it might not be a good idea!

When Yang Zhaodi heard this, she almost doubted her ears, "Scholar’s Lady, are you serious? What do you need these tender tips for? They’ll break as soon as they’re boiled! They lack flavor too! If you really want this wild tea, it’s better to wait a month, wait for the leaves to age and then pick—that’s the proper time!"

The people of Yingzi Gully never picked these tender tips, which would seep water with a pinch, might easily char when fried, and tasted bland. Usually, they would wait over a month until the leaves had grown large before bringing baskets to collect them for half a day.

She was concerned that the Scholar’s Lady might not understand and, after picking, would burn them upon trying to fry, and if she were blamed for it, wouldn’t that be a miscarriage of justice?

Wang Yongzhu nodded, "Please rest assured, Elder Sister Yang! I have my uses for these tender tips! Even if they go to waste, I definitely won’t blame any of you! And about the pay for your help, of course, my word is my bond!" Saying this, she took out a piece of Silver and shook it in front of Yang Zhaodi. "Is this enough?"

Yang Zhaodi’s eyes lit up. It was more than enough! Her man would toil in the mountains all day, and if luck wasn’t on his side, he’d return empty-handed, a day wasted. And even when lucky enough to catch something, upon selling it beyond the mountains, the price would be pressed down.

This piece of Silver was worth at least ten taels, how could it not be enough!

She was about to head back to the cave to call for help, having taken two steps when she remembered she couldn’t just leave Wang Yongzhu behind and hesitated again.

Wang Yongzhu noticed her predicament and waved her hand, "You go ahead, I’ll wait for you right here! Don’t worry, I won’t run off!"

Yang Zhaodi still wanted to earn money, after a moment’s struggle, she instructed, "Scholar’s Lady, just sit on this big rock and don’t wander off! I’ll be back in a moment!"

Wang Yongzhu nodded.

Yang Zhaodi gritted her teeth, stomped her foot and ran quickly toward the cave.

After Yang Zhaodi ran off, Wang Yongzhu patted her clothes, jumped down from the rock, and while chatting with Xiao Tiantian, picked the tender buds.

Now that she had the Physical Enhancement Technique, her speed was incredible. Her hands fluttered through the tea bushes like butterflies weaving through flowers. In roughly forty minutes, she had picked about half a pound of buds.

Picking tea leaves was not only a great test of one’s physical strength, but it was also easy to get one’s hands dirty. After merely picking half a pound, Wang Yongzhu’s fingers had turned black, but for the moment she didn’t care.

She divided the picked leaves into three equal portions and placed them into three different tea processing machines.

In just about five minutes, the tea leaves were all processed.

They were then packaged in parchment paper bags and placed in front of Wang Yongzhu.

Without water to taste them, it was hard to know the quality, but even to the naked eye, it was clear there were differences between the three batches of tea.

The tea produced by the ordinary processing machine was more or less whole in shape and slightly darker in color.

The tea processed by the high-grade machine was flat in shape with a green color, similar to the Longjing tea Wang Yongzhu had drunk before.

The tea from the top-grade machine looked like sparrow tongues, very plump and cute, similar in appearance to the Mengding Huangya that Wang Yongzhu had tasted before, and had a yellow-green color.

Just by the appearance, the tea processed by the top-grade machine seemed more appealing.

Wang Yongzhu was planning to study them some more when she faintly heard voices.

She quickly stowed the tea into the storage box and then climbed back onto the rock, pretending to wait obediently.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Yang Zhaodi came running up, out of breath, relieved to see Wang Yongzhu still in her original place.

She let out a huge sigh of relief, God knows how worried she had been; leaving a delicate young lady alone in the mountains, what if she had been carried off by a wild beast, or bitten by a venomous snake? What then?

All the way back to the cave, her heart was in her throat as she hurried to gather people, some of whom didn’t believe it, questioning how anything so good could be true and worrying it was a scam. What if after all that effort, they didn’t earn a single penny? Wouldn’t that be working for nothing?

Others thought, after all, it was the Scholar’s Lady, why would she deceive them?

Not to mention, although Yang Zhaodi had just married into Yingzi Gully the year before, after a few months, it was known she wasn’t a liar; moreover, twenty Large Coins for a pound of buds was a generous wage.

Thus, with mixed feelings of doubt and trust, they carried their bamboo baskets and followed Yang Zhaodi on a run to the top of the mountain.

When they saw Wang Yongzhu sitting on the rock and only after they arrived did she jump down.

"Scholar’s Lady, is it true what Da Shan’s family said? Twenty Large Money for picking a pound of young buds?" a bold woman asked.

"Of course, it’s true!" Wang Yongzhu took out a silver piece and placed it on the rock.