Chapter 45.3

The car drove steadily, and as they entered the city, Ruan Mingfu noticed the increasing number of vehicles on the road. The last time she went to the registration office with Xie Yanzhao, there were hardly any cars on the road. Now, just in a few seconds, several cars had zoomed past.

The Shanghai International Trade was indeed extraordinary.

The closer they got, the more cars there were. Fortunately, traffic was being managed, or else Ruan Mingfu would have experienced the era’s traffic jams firsthand.

After getting out of the car, Gu Qingsong led Ruan Mingfu inside.

The place was crowded, and she could faintly see a few tall white foreigners. Gu Qingsong navigated through a maze of corridors and brought Ruan Mingfu to a small office.

Inside, Professor Hu saw Ruan Mingfu and looked as if he had just seen a savior.

“Comrade Ruan, you’ve finally arrived.”

Ruan Mingfu nodded. “Professor Hu, it’s been a while.”

She then noticed that there were several young men and women in the room, all looking unhappy, probably because they had just been reprimanded.

Ruan Mingfu’s eyes flickered, but she did not ask further.

“Professor Hu, is there anything I can do?”

“You’re here just in time to relieve my urgent need,” Professor Hu was in charge of translating and coordinating for the event, extremely anxious about potential problems, “Comrade Ruan, you will be responsible for explaining the tea. Get familiar with it first, and then we’ll make further arrangements.”

Ruan Mingfu thought about it and agreed.

The young men and women stared at Ruan Mingfu with wide eyes.

Did she know how many types of tea were on display?

Did she know the characteristics of each tea?

Could she fluently introduce each tea?

Tea had a history spanning thousands of years, with countless varieties. Every region had its representative famous teas, and tea was one of the most representative elements of national culture, making it a key focus.

Their teacher couldn’t handle it, and now they were letting a girl around their age take on the task?

Were they crazy, or was Professor Hu out of his mind…

Unfortunately, they were not in a position to speak. They had to keep their doubts to themselves.

Seeing that Ruan Mingfu agreed, Professor Hu felt relieved. He pointed to Gu Qing Song and said, “Take Comrade Ruan to the tea exhibition to familiarize her with the environment.”

“Comrade Ruan, follow me.”

…

Perhaps due to the inherent charm of tea, the tea exhibition was indeed more serene compared to other areas.

The organizers had also put a lot of thought into the setup.

They used bamboo for decoration, and upon entering, one could smell a faint bamboo fragrance. It blended perfectly with the aroma of tea.

Gu Qingsong briefly introduced Ruan Mingfu to the people there.

They looked skeptical, seeming to question Ruan Mingfu’s abilities.

After all, they had participated in many such events before but had never managed to buy much. If tea were not so crucial to the country, the exhibition would have been canceled long ago.

They also understood that this time’s outcome was likely to be the same as before.

A young girl just there to make an appearance.

The few of them didn’t pay much attention, greeting Ruan Mingfu with friendly attitudes.

Gu Qingsong adjusted his glasses. “Comrade Ruan, you can look around and get acquainted with the place. I have to go as there are still matters to attend to with the teacher.”

“Alright.”

Ruan Mingfu took in the aroma of tea in the air and began to explore the exhibition hall.

Various tea factories had prepared well, with some even trying new methods like on-site tea roasting. Ruan Mingfu arrived at one of the booths, looking at the tea leaves displayed, her eyes showing satisfaction.

Her father loved tea, and Ruan Mingfu had sampled many famous teas with him.

Drinking tea often had also taught her how to appreciate it.

A refined-looking middle-aged man, about the same age as her father, approached her.

“Comrade Ruan, do you also drink tea?”

As soon as he said this, he realized it sounded off.

Unless through special channels, tea isn’t easily available nowadays.

“Would you like to try a cup?”

Although he said this, he was already pouring a cup for Ruan Mingfu.

She took it, sniffed it.

“It has a refreshing and rich fragrance,” Ruan Mingfu took a sip and then looked at the tea in the cup. “This is the best Fenghuang Dancong oolong tea.”

The man’s eyes lit up with surprise.

“Comrade Ruan knows about tea?”

From Ruan Mingfu’s earlier comments, he realized she was quite the expert. Many people treat oolong tea as just another type of tea, not knowing it’s actually a category of craftsmanship.

Especially since she could identify the Fenghuang Dancong with just a sip.

She is an expert among experts.

In fact, the two most famous types of oolong tea are Tieguanyin and Dahongpao. Fenghuang Dancong is less well-known than the former two, and it is difficult for tea experts to distinguish them.

Ruan Mingfu smiled slightly.

“I’ve been drinking it with my family for a few years.”

“Comrade Ruan, please, sit down,” the man said enthusiastically. “My last name is Liu, and I’m the deputy director of this tea factory.”

Ruan Mingfu took a seat. “Then I’ll be informal and call you Uncle Liu.”

“Of course, of course.”

Uncle Liu was very excited.

Seeing Ruan Mingfu, he regained hope for this trade fair.

Oolong tea is a semi-fermented tea, and its sales are generally the lowest at tea exhibitions. If the factory can’t secure orders, there’s no money. Although there are regional buyers, they can’t just take the money without concern.

The trade fair was bustling, and they naturally wanted to contribute.

Uncle Liu brewed the tea he brought and offered it to Ruan Mingfu.

“Comrade Ruan, what do you think of these teas?”

“They’re certainly good.”

At this time, technology wasn’t as advanced as it would be in the following decades. Each tea leaf was manually processed. Ruan Mingfu tasted it and found it much better than the mass-produced tea of later years.

Uncle Liu rubbed his hands, a bit embarrassed.

“Well, I hope Comrade Ruan will introduce our tea well. I’ve heard that foreigners are all drinking coffee nowadays? How could that bitter stuff compare to our tea?”

Ruan Mingfu nodded. “Uncle Liu is right.”

Compared to coffee, she certainly preferred tea.

Tea not only refreshes the mind but also strengthens the body.

Hearing this, Uncle Liu’s eyes lit up even more.

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

Although he initially doubted Ruan Mingfu’s expertise, her ability to taste tea and articulate it well made him think she must be a tea lover herself.

Uncle Liu decided to trust her.

Ruan Mingfu set down her cup.

The crisp sound of porcelain clinking on the table rang out.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Liu.”

At the trade fair, translators also played a role in securing orders. Their main job was to work with the manufacturers to get orders.

Ruan Mingfu loved tea.

She naturally didn’t want such a good product to go unnoticed.

With some time left before the exhibition began, Ruan Mingfu planned to look around but was pulled over by an exhibitor.

“Comrade Ruan, please take a look at our…”

Seeing this, other vendors immediately came forward.

“Comrade Ruan, our tea is also very good…”

“Yes, and ours…”

…

The exhibitors from the tea fair nearly surrounded her.

Ruan Mingfu and Uncle Liu’s conversation wasn’t quiet, and everyone heard it. It made no sense to help just one vendor while ignoring the others.

Everyone was in the same boat.

“Don’t laugh at others when you’re in the same situation.”

Ruan Mingfu had never encountered such a scene before; it was quite thrilling.

She calmed everyone down one by one before managing to extricate herself.

Ruan Mingfu sighed in relief.

Those people looked so eager it was almost intimidating.

Time passed slowly, and at nine o’clock, the trade fair officially began.

The tea exhibition wasn’t exactly remote but was situated towards the back. Foreign merchants were drawn to the stalls outside, and no one had come to the tea section even after half an hour. Ruan Mingfu had some chairs moved to the front and continued brewing tea there.

She wasn’t anxious at all.

Uncle Liu was sweating with worry, his lips moving as if he wanted to ask something but didn’t dare to.

While everyone was anxious, a group of people walked over. They were fair-skinned with red hair, and it was hard to tell where they were from. They marveled at the tea exhibition, captivated by the decorations inside.

They chatted excitedly in their language, which Uncle Liu and the others couldn’t understand at all.

Ruan Mingfu, who understood they were from T country, poured three cups of tea and said in fluent T language:

“Guests from afar, would you like a cup of tea?”

Surprised that Ruan Mingfu spoke their language, the three people came over with curiosity, looking at the three cups of strange liquid on the table. They chatted excitedly with Ruan Mingfu.

Ruan Mingfu responded with a smile: “Yes, it’s the tea you’re thinking of.”

These three people seemed to have come alone, without a translator accompanying them.

Seeing their curiosity, Ruan Mingfu began to introduce the tea to them.

Uncle Liu and the other vendors watched as the two groups interacted, though they couldn’t make out the conversation. But their smiles grew larger, and it seemed someone was ready to lift Ruan Mingfu and spin her around on the spot.

In business, it’s not about being asked questions, but about being ignored.

The Shanghai International Studies University finally had a reliable person to handle things.

One of the people held out an empty cup towards Ruan Mingfu. Uncle Liu, watching this eagerly, couldn’t sit still and personally took the tea pot to serve the tea.

Others who couldn’t act as quickly as Uncle Liu could only curse inwardly.

Ruan Mingfu opened a packet of tea leaves and placed them in front of the guests.

“This is our famous Tieguanyin. It’s both the name of the tea and the variety of the tea tree. Look at its appearance…”

She spoke while picking up the tea leaves and placing them on a piece of white paper for a clearer view.

“… As the water evaporates, white frost will form on the tea leaves, which is also called ‘sand green frost’. Once brewed, it releases a unique fragrance and leaves a sweet aftertaste…”

As Ruan Mingfu explained, the three foreigners kept exclaiming in amazement.

Their expressions showed increasing wonder at the tea leaves.

Ruan Mingfu sat in her chair, smiling as she watched them.

“Guests, our tea is really quite excellent. Are you sure you don’t want to try some?”

The foreigners exchanged glances, then spoke in low voices, murmuring a lot to each other. Afterward, they stood up, said something to Ruan Mingfu, and walked away.

Uncle Liu was puzzled.

The conversation had seemed to be going well, so why did they suddenly leave?

“Comrade Ruan, what did they say just now?”

“They said they didn’t bring much money with them this time and will decide whether to buy after browsing around.”

The mood among the vendors turned gloomy. If they couldn’t secure any orders, the factory might have to shut down.

Uncle Liu and the others looked disheartened.

Ruan Mingfu, however, was not disappointed.

Business, after all, doesn’t always succeed on the first try.

Maybe they had used up their luck because, for the next hour or so, almost no one came by.

Uncle Liu, anxious, even set up a stool to guard the entrance.

He craned his neck, watching the entrance like a lookout.

Perhaps seeing Uncle Liu’s disappointed look, the heavens took pity, and soon a large group of people arrived, heading straight for the stall. Uncle Liu was overjoyed and ran back with excitement, carrying his stool.

“Quick, get ready! The guests are here!”

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Ayalee: Hey guys, do check out Ayalee’s other translation works here (❀‿‿❀)