Published: March 8, 2025
CHAPTER SEVEN, PART THIRTY-SEVEN: THE WAY OF AFFECTION
The old man spoke softly, gazing fondly with warm eyes. At this moment, he seemed to have a hint of a spirited feeling. It felt as if those long-lost brothers were gathering here once more, chatting and laughing, calling each other 'big brother' and 'big sister', sharing a joyous reunion.
The way he looked at Chu Yang was as if he were looking at someone else altogether.
Chu Yang understood that what he was seeing was not himself, but his second brother.
He listened quietly, a sudden pang of sorrow rising in his heart.
If one day, Mo Qingwu left, and Gu Duxing and Ji Mo also departed one after another, leaving him all alone in the world, would he also become like this old man?
As time passed, would he spend it alone, feeling lonely and desolate, with only the long stretch of time and the etched memories accompanying him?
If so, how would he bear such feelings?
"Your great-grandmother spent the last ten years of her life personally tending the tea garden, handpicking and producing three thousand pounds of tea for me! She knew that I couldn't get used to tea picked by others," the old man chuckled, "so she made it herself for me."
With a smile, he added, "Her last request in life was... if I was to die, I must finish all this tea first. Only a penny a day. If I couldn’t finish it and died, she wouldn’t acknowledge me, even in the afterlife."
He pointed at the tea cup in Chu Yang's hand: "I’ve already had a pot today. You came, and I brewed another pot, which is already too much. So tomorrow, I won't drink anymore. Drinking too much isn’t right; she would get angry."
With a smile, he gestured towards the wall behind him: "She’s watching."
Chu Yang swallowed hard, quietly gazing into the tea before him, suddenly feeling that the tea represented love, making it hard to drink.
He didn't know the old ancestor's purpose in calling him here.
At that moment, he just wanted to be a qualified listener.
To witness and absorb this timeless love, a bond that had lasted for thousands of years.
Both of them fell into silence as time quietly slipped away.
"Why aren’t you drinking?" the old man finally asked after a long while.
"Tea... like love, is hard to drink," Chu Yang lifted his head and said softly.
"Tea, like love, must be drunk!" The old man looked at him sternly: "Not drinking now isn’t tenderness; it’s cruelty! It’s sacrilege!"
"Yes!" Chu Yang trembled, waking up to realization!
"Tea is like life," the old man said quietly. "When it’s time to drink, you must drink! Don’t wait until the tea cools; drinking it then loses its flavor. At that point... there’s only regret."
He gazed deeply into Chu Yang's eyes and asked, "Do you understand?"
Chu Yang pondered for a long time, and after a while, a glimmer of understanding appeared in his eyes: "I understand!" He suddenly realized that the old man was using this cup of tea to impart life’s truths, insights into heaven's way, and levels of martial arts!
To truly integrate into this realm, one had to enter this story, to empathize. Then, at the last moment, in a completely unexpected manner, receive enlightenment!
It was as if he became a Buddha in an instant!
Respect and admiration surged within Chu Yang. The old man hadn’t used any profound cultivation; everything flowed naturally, leading him to enlightenment without effort!
This realm and method were truly extraordinary.
Seeing that Chu Yang understood, a hint of satisfaction appeared in the old man's eyes.
Chu Yang lifted the tea cup and slowly took a sip. The tea was still warm and tasted wonderful. He felt a stream of clarity and fragrance flowing down his throat and into his stomach, soothing him completely.
He sincerely praised, "Good tea! Your great-grandmother truly deserves the title of tea saint!"
The old man instantly beamed with pride, saying, "Your great-grandmother is indeed known as the tea saint!" His tone radiated ambition; it seemed that anyone praising his wife’s tea was his greatest achievement in life! He was immensely proud!