Glory

"Afterwards, they brought up the matter of going into business together. Official Lü came from humble origins with limited family resources, his official salary wasn't substantial, and he still had parents and siblings in his hometown to support. Given that he'd be partnering with figures like Young Master Lu and Qi Gongzi, he was quite willing and agreed to it."

"That's good," said Ye Yaming. "Fourth Uncle, you should return and rest early. We'll need to set off at dawn tomorrow."

...

The next day, everyone departed for Fuxi Town.

The origin of Huangshan Maofeng tea was in the Chongchuan and Tangkou areas. Ye Yaming had made extensive inquiries with the teahouse owners in Xin'an County and finally learned about two place names: Fuxi Town and Chongtouyuan. Chongtouyuan was the original name for Chongchuan, and Tangkou wasn't far from Fuxi either—it should be the same place she had visited in her previous life.

Thus, today they headed straight for Fuxi Town.

Fuxi Town lacked any decent inns. The day before, Lü Xuanlin had sent someone to arrange accommodations at the local courier station. Upon arrival, everyone settled there.

Lu Guanyi said to Ye Yaming, "Miss Ye, why don't you stay at the courier station tomorrow? We'll go ahead and scout the area first. The mountain paths aren't accessible by carriage and are quite rough. Once we've selected a spot, if you feel it's necessary to take a look, you can accompany us then."

How could Ye Yaming agree?

She replied, "I've traveled all this way specifically to personally select tea mountains. How could I possibly stop at the foot of the mountain?"

She added, "Don't worry, I can ride a horse, and my stamina is good. I'll only bring Guan Ting along—I won't hold you back."

To legitimize her riding skills, she had deliberately "learned" from Guan Ting before coming. The reason she traveled by carriage instead of horseback was due to the cold weather, which made riding unsuitable.

Seeing her determination, Lu Guanyi didn't press further and glanced at Ye Hongrong instead.

Ye Hongrong spread his hands helplessly, indicating that he couldn't persuade Ye Yaming either.

Lu Guanyi was aware of the situation in the Ye family. Not just Ye Hongrong, but even Ye Chongming had to listen to Ye Yaming.

He could only advise, "Bring a couple more Manor Guards and Guards. If you get too tired, come back early."

"Alright," Ye Yaming nodded.

Seeing her agree so obediently, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Lu Guanyi's lips.

But that obedience was merely an illusion.

The next day, when Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji were ready and stepped out of the courtyard, they found Ye Yaming and her uncle already prepared and waiting outside.

Ye Yaming was dressed in practical attire: knee-high boots, a skirt that ended above the knees, tight-fitting sleeves, and her hair secured with a single wooden hairpin, devoid of any other ornaments. Her earrings were just small studs.

Her outfit was exceptionally neat and efficient.

Guan Ting was similarly dressed.

Both wore slightly worn cloaks over their clothes.

In contrast, the men's attire remained largely unchanged—they still wore long robes, though they had donned leather boots due to the cold.

"Let's go. We'll take the carriage first and switch to horses when the road becomes impassable," Ye Yaming said, leading the way into the carriage.

Previously, out of consideration for propriety between men and women, Ye Yaming and Ye Hongrong, though uncle and niece, had traveled in separate carriages. But today, they set aside such concerns—the two of them shared one carriage, while Lu and Qi shared another. The Guards and Manor Guards rode on horseback as they headed for Chongtouyuan.

Upon their arrival the previous day, they had paid a substantial sum to have the courier station officials help them find a local guide.Ye Yaming had visited this place many times in her previous life and was familiar with the tea gardens here. Yesterday, she had already communicated with the man and specified the direction, so now they didn't need to wander around but headed straight for the agreed-upon location.

When the path ended, everyone switched to horses and continued forward.

They had initially been worried about Ye Yaming, but seeing her ride skillfully and leisurely, even taking in the scenery, they all felt reassured.

The guide, surnamed Huang and named Huang Hansheng, pointed ahead and said, "There's a tea garden over there, quite large, with several dozen estate holders. It belongs to Master Wu of Xinan City." Ye Hongrong laughed upon hearing this, "Master Wu even wanted to exchange this tea garden for our Osmanthus Tea formula."

"What happened?" Qi Ji asked in surprise.

Ye Hongrong then recounted the incident from the day before yesterday.

"Hah, he truly doesn't know his limits," Qi Ji sneered.

Master Wu's tea garden was located at the foot of the mountain and covered a considerable area. The guide had taken them on a detour. Now, as they circled around, they had to start climbing the mountain.

He said, "Ahead, we can't even ride horses anymore; we'll have to proceed on foot. The mountain path is rugged and steep, not easy to traverse."

Lu Guanyi glanced at Ye Yaming, thought for a moment, then urged his horse to her side and said, "I've remembered everything you said. It needs to be above a hundred zhang and below two hundred and forty zhang, with fertile land and a gentle slope. The mountain path isn't easy to walk. Why don't you stay behind?"

Ye Yaming smiled and replied, "It's fine. For this purpose, I walk several laps around the garden every day at home, and I've also climbed mountains when visiting the Baiteng County Tea Garden. I think I can manage."

Lu Guanyi nodded, "Alright, then let's give it a try. But don't push yourself if it becomes too difficult."

"Okay."

Over there, Ye Hongrong and Qi Ji noticed Lu Guanyi approaching Ye Yaming, chatting casually, and their attention was fully drawn to the pair.

To their surprise, Lu Guanyi and Ye Yaming exchanged only a few simple words before parting, both appearing completely normal. Ye Hongrong and Qi Ji couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed.

Ye Yaming, however, felt quite pleased.

Lu Guanyi's ordinary demeanor meant they could work together without complications. If he had harbored other emotions, she would have had to avoid contact with him in the future, which would have inconvenienced their cooperation.

Soon, everyone dismounted and began climbing the mountain on foot.

Fortunately, the mountain was frequently traversed by woodcutters and herb gatherers, leaving a small path. Everyone followed the guide along this path upward.

After walking for a while, they realized Ye Yaming hadn't been exaggerating. Though she was slightly breathless, her pace was steady, her movements agile, and she didn't slow the group down at all.

In comparison, Qi Ji and Ye Hongrong were in a similar state. Only Lu Guanyi, likely due to his martial arts training since childhood, climbed as if walking on flat ground, his breathing and complexion unchanged.

"This height should be about right," Lu Guanyi stopped and looked at Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming nodded, "It should work."

She scooped up a handful of soil from the ground and began testing its pH level.

Although this place shared the same name as the origin of Huangshan Maofeng in her previous life, whether it was the exact location and suitable for tea cultivation still needed to be confirmed through testing.The soil in the tea garden must be slightly acidic, with a pH value ideally between 4.5 and 5.5. As she walked along, she felt that the soil thickness, drainage, and surrounding environment here were all quite good. If the pH value met the standard, then this location could be confirmed for the tea garden.

She took out two small dishes, added a bit of soil to each, and then poured white vinegar into the left dish.

After adding it, she waited quietly and observed. When the soil did not produce a hissing sound, it indicated that it was not alkaline.