Chapter 77: Sincerity in Cooperation

Later, when Master Zhineng learned that she had made the osmanthus tea, he began to take her seriously. However, he still regarded her as a junior member of the Ye family. Initially, she was just a nobody, but then she became a young girl from the Ye family.

But now, from Master Zhineng’s respectful address and gaze, she could see that he regarded her as a person worthy of respect, someone who could sit face-to-face with him as an equal.

She had earned a name for herself in front of Master Zhineng. She was no longer “a young girl” or “a young girl from the Ye family,” but “Miss Ye,” Ye Yaming!

In her previous life, when she first took over the company, the shareholders and old employees referred to her as “the young girl from the Ye family.” Later, she became “President Ye,” “Boss,” with respect and admiration.

And just now, in that brief moment, simply because of a pot of tea, Master Zhineng, Lu Guanyi, Qi Ji, and Jingchen had all changed their attitude toward her.

Therefore, she couldn’t afford to falter or be overly modest. She was willing to showcase her abilities, letting them know she genuinely understood tea!

She said, “Young Master Jingchen is absolutely right. Tea is not just a beverage; it is a form of Zen, a way of life. It sprouts from the branches in spring, is picked by people, and goes through drying, steaming, roasting, and sunning to become dried tea. The tea maker gives it a new form of life. It ends its life in the steaming and roasting process, but it is reborn when it meets boiling water, releasing its essence into the water.”

“It awaits a fateful encounter. When someone brews it with care, savors it attentively, understands its flavor, and cherishes it, it fulfills its life’s mission.”

Master Zhineng, upon hearing her words, seemed to have an epiphany. He clasped his hands together and chanted, “Amitabha,” then slowly closed his eyes.

No one in the room dared to make a sound.

After an unknown amount of time, Master Zhineng opened his eyes, stood up, walked to the desk, ground the ink himself, and wrote four large characters: “Zen and Tea as One.”

He signed and stamped it. Once the ink dried, he rolled it up, placed it in a paper tube, and solemnly handed it to Ye Yaming, saying, “A gift for my young friend.”

His address for her changed for the fourth time from “Miss Ye” to “young friend.”

Ye Chongming was so excited that he couldn’t speak.

Many people longed for a piece of Master Zhineng’s calligraphy but couldn’t obtain it. Unexpectedly, Ye Yaming’s words earned her a piece of his calligraphy, and he even called her “young friend,” treating her as a peer, which was far more significant than his relationship with Master Zhineng.

With Master Zhineng’s acknowledgment of “young friend,” no one in Lin’an City would dare to offend Ye Yaming lightly.

This was a protective charm, a sign of Master Zhineng’s high regard for Ye Yaming.

In contrast, Ye Yaming remained calm. She bowed and thanked him, “Thank you, Master,” and accepted the paper tube.

At this moment, Master Zhineng transformed into a very kind old man, stroking his beard and smiling, “You are a child with great wisdom and fortune.”

“Thank you for your kind words, Master,” Ye Chongming was overjoyed, even more so than receiving praise himself.

The group returned to their seats.

Jingchen looked at Master Zhineng, eager to try.

Master Zhineng waved his hand, “Go ahead, give it a try.”

So Jingchen began to brew tea. After brewing, he asked Ye Yaming for guidance, brewed another pot after understanding, and received Ye Yaming’s approval. Only then did the tea-making demonstration and lesson end.

As soon as Ye Yaming sat down, Lu Guanyi asked, “Miss Ye, can our first business venture be these tea utensils?”

Ye Yaming smiled at him but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze to Master Zhineng and said, “This set of tea utensils is a gift for Master Zhineng.”

Master Zhineng’s eyes showed a faint smile, but his expression remained unchanged. However, Jingchen’s face lit up with joy upon hearing this.

Master Zhineng said, “Then I thank you, young friend.”

After a polite exchange, she seriously asked, “Master Zhineng, will you let Jingchen use these tea utensils to brew tea for your friends and acquaintances in the future?”

Master Zhineng was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Ye Yaming’s intention. He laughed heartily, stroking his beard, and nodded, “Of course, no problem.”

Hearing this, Ye Yaming finally turned to Lu Guanyi and said, “When guests frequently ask Jingchen about the origin of these tea utensils, you can then have the porcelain craftsmen produce them.”

She looked at Ye Chongming, “Afterward, use them first in the Jixiang Lou in the capital and Lin’an, and then sell them.”

Lu Guanyi’s eyes sparkled, “Miss Ye is indeed wise and insightful. Our next steps will follow your plan.”

There are many smart people in the world, and Ye Yaming, being from a tea family and the daughter of Ye Hongsheng, was exceptionally intelligent. Her creation of tea utensils and osmanthus tea didn’t surprise Lu Guanyi. But her words demonstrated a deep understanding of business, and her grasp of the market impressed Lu Guanyi.

This made Lu Guanyi even more confident in their cooperation with the Ye family.

Master Zhineng observed all this and nodded secretly.

Once Jingchen mastered the tea-making technique, Ye Chongming led his grandson and granddaughter to take their leave.

Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji stayed a while longer, drinking another cup of tea brewed by Jingchen before leaving.

After leaving, Lu Guanyi asked Qi Ji, “Has your father received any news from the capital about Meng Chengwei?”

Both Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji knew about Meng Chengwei’s actions against the Ye family.

Qi Ji met his gaze and understood, “I’ll go back and ask about it.”

Since they were going to cooperate with the Ye family, the issue with Meng Chengwei needed to be resolved, preferably thoroughly.

Whether Meng Chengwei would hold a grudge against the Ye family and continue to hinder their cooperation was one thing. But Lu Guanyi, representing the Crown Prince’s faction in the tea trade, couldn’t let a minor imperial merchant like Meng Chengwei go unpunished. It would undermine his authority and capability, making him appear weak. Who would take him seriously then?

Therefore, their first step in cooperating with the Ye family was severely punishing Meng Chengwei, crushing him into the mud, and letting the nobles in the capital know. This was not the previous kind of punishment weighed by the Prefect.

When Qi Ji returned home, he informed his father, Qi Zhipei, about the matter.

Qi Zhipei, being from a noble family and having been in the officialdom for many years, understood the situation even more deeply. He didn’t need Qi Ji to say much to know how to deal with Meng Chengwei.