HLnovel Chapter 279 Rotten Vegetable Leaves
Chapter 279 Rotten Vegetable Leaves
The bodyguard swallowed hard and asked Lu Zhiyuan if she could give them the bucket of tea water used to boil the eggs, saying that they had traveled a long way and their feet smelled terribly.
Before Lu Zhiyuan could agree, the bodyguard, observing her expression, clasped his hands in thanks. Afraid she might change her mind, he didn't even bother to eat, and told his men to carry water into the house. Liu Ying, peeling an egg, watched them: "What's the rush? Nobody's going to take it from you. Oh, and my lady also asked me to prepare some tea; everyone here today will have a serving."
Staying at an inn and getting tea as a gift? What's the difference between this and a windfall? They even use top-quality tea to boil an egg; wouldn't it be even more expensive to give as a gift? The镖师 (bodyguard/escort) stumbled, almost falling to the ground, water and all.
Although it was only a small paper packet, no bigger than the palm of a hand, it was stuffed full. Anyone who has bought good tea knows that it's sold by weight, not by tael. They had at least two taels in their hands. Two taels of tea, even the worst kind, would cost several taels of silver. Since it was from the lady, it would be worth at least several dozen taels.
Several dozen taels of silver, practically free money, how could I not be happy?
Afu's mother had stayed with the Guo family for a few years. Guo's father was a tea enthusiast and knew a bit about tea. Even the best tea Guo's father owned wasn't worth a tenth of the packet his wife had given him. Such fine tea was beyond the reach of ordinary people like them; even if they did drink it, it would be like drinking water—they wouldn't be able to discern its quality.
Guessing what they were thinking, Lu Zhiyuan said softly, "If you can't bear to part with it, you can sell it at a tea shop. This pack of tea, if sold at market price, would be enough for you to eat pork belly for a year."
They may not know how good tea is, but they can certainly do the math: one packet of tea is equivalent to a year's worth of pork belly.
"Taiping Houkui! This is actually Taiping Houkui!" The bodyguard stammered, holding his packet of tea. "This...this is tribute tea, isn't it?"
Taiping Houkui is a prized green tea, with a vibrant green liquor and a unique flavor. Due to its limited quantity, it is quite expensive. Ordinary people, let alone drink it, have never even seen it. In the capital, only royalty and noble families could afford to drink it, and were worthy of such a thing.
Who exactly is this lady?
Liu Ying: "Why are you looking at our lady like that? Do you doubt her? This tea is really expensive. Although it's not as expensive as tribute tea, it's genuine Taiping Houkui, costing 100,000 taels of silver per catty. Let me tell you, even if you have money, you might not be able to get it in the capital. Our lady only took one catty with her when she went out, and she gave it all to you. Don't waste it."
The bodyguards swallowed hard. "Is this boiled egg also made with Taiping Houkui tea?"
Firefly: "No way, Taiping Houkui tea is so expensive, it would be a waste to use it to make tea eggs."
The bodyguards patted their chests in relief. That's good; if the water had been boiled with Taiping Houkui tea, they wouldn't have dared to use it for a foot bath.
Liu Ying: "To make tea eggs, you need to use the best black tea or green tea. Madam doesn't like black tea, so she uses green tea, which is Tieguanyin that costs several hundred taels a catty."
Bodyguard: "Several...hundreds of taels? You spend hundreds of taels of silver to buy tea, and then use that tea to boil eggs? How much would those eggs cost?"
Liu Ying thought for a moment: "I've never sold them before, so they must be more expensive than regular eggs. One tael of silver each? Why are you asking that? You're not asking me to pay. Just tell me if these tea eggs are good or not?"
How could it not taste good if it was made with Tieguanyin tea that costs hundreds of taels per kilogram? I was already regretting it now, having wolfed it down earlier, regretting not savoring the taste of that tea egg properly.
“That’s an exaggeration. These tea leaves were picked from our own tea plantation. The tea is good, but it can’t be priced according to market value.” Lu Zhiyuan stood up: “Please, everyone, take care of my sister and Afu for the sake of these teas.”
The lady's gift of tea was actually for the sake of the mother and son! Afu's mother put down the tea and thanked her along with Afu.
The officials arrived and took away the scoundrel who was locked in the stable. They treated Lu Yun with great respect, and by extension, they treated Afu and her son with the same courtesy. Whether they were traveling merchants or镖师 (bodyguards/escorts), they were all shrewd and calculating. Seeing this, they became even more suspicious of Lu Zhiyuan's identity.
People are naturally inclined to flatter the powerful and scorn the weak. After this incident, the number of guests staying at the inn will inevitably increase, which means income, and Afu and her son will have a better life in the future. The official's polite treatment of Afu and her son will also make those who covet the inn and try to bully them more wary.
After breakfast, Lu Zhiyuan and Lu Yun went to the Guo family with Afu's mother.
Lu Zhiyuan wanted to check on Guo Kuan's illness and, incidentally, investigate whether the Guo family's existence was accidental.
After getting off the carriage, we walked three hundred meters, through a narrow alley, and stopped in front of an old house. Afu's mother explained that this was the back door of the house, as the front door was not very convenient.
The phrase "not very convenient" is quite interesting.
It wasn't convenient to disturb them, it wasn't convenient to come and go, or perhaps it wasn't convenient to bring her and Lu Yun in through the front door. Whatever the inconvenience, Afu's mother was unwilling to explain, and they didn't want to press her for an answer. Through the door, they could hear a dog barking, mixed with the squeaking of mice.
Afu's mother explained somewhat awkwardly, "Guo Kuan's venereal disease emits a strong, fishy stench, which attracts many flies and rats. Even though the old housekeeper seals the doors and windows, they still try to find ways to get into the house. The housekeeper is getting old and can't stay by his side every step of the way. There's no other way but to keep some cats and dogs in the yard."
Lu Zhiyuan had never encountered genital diseases before, but she had seen related educational videos. It seemed that no genital disease presented with Guo Kuan's symptoms. Genital diseases are mostly caused by viral infections, with varying manifestations and symptoms, but all invariably leading to a weakened immune system. Besides obvious physical symptoms, only some sufferers experience itching, pain, or an unusual odor. This is why genital diseases are so difficult to eradicate; many cases are not visible to the naked eye, and only after infection do people notice strange changes in their bodies.
Lu Yun remained calm, walked to the door, and knocked.
"Madam has arrived." An elderly man with graying hair, wrinkles, and simply dressed, even with rough patches, appeared behind the door. He wore an apron and held a spatula in one hand, seemingly busy cooking. He wasn't surprised to see the three people outside and instead smiled and invited them in.
He assumed that Lu Zhiyuan and Lu Yun were doctors invited by Afu's mother to treat Guo Kuan, or perhaps to help with the funeral arrangements.
The old man didn't ask any further questions, and Lu Zhiyuan and Lu Yun didn't intend to explain either. They followed the old man through the Moon Gate to a locked house. A thick layer of powder was scattered around the house. The powder wasn't very even, and it contained obvious bits of withered branches and leaves that hadn't been completely burned.
Afu's mother explained, "These were scattered by Steward Guo to ward off snakes, insects, and rodents. That small hut over there is where the steward lives, and the kitchen next to it is a makeshift structure."
A burnt smell wafted over, and the housekeeper, without even speaking to Lu Zhiyuan and the others, quickly grabbed a shovel and ran over.