PCJ – Chapter 226 Tea Evaluation Meeting

Fortunately, Luo Changjun, who was very attentive to Zhang Jiaohua, quickly brought good news. There was a market for the tea. After Zhang Jiaohua brought the sample to Luo Changjun’s classmate in the provincial capital, the classmate quickly had the tea tasted by experts. The experts were very interested in Zhang Jiaohua’s tea.

However, they were not interested in the Maojian tea fried by Zhong Jinxiang. Although Zhong Jinxiang’s tea was excellent this time and could be rated as top grade, such tea had no particular advantage in the whole province. They were interested in the tea processed by Zhang Jiaohua. This was a new method of processing tea, and the resulting tea was extraordinary. They even specially invited Zhang Jiaohua to participate in the provincial tea evaluation conference.

Normally, an individual like Zhang Jiaohua would not be invited to the provincial tea evaluation conference. However, his tea might be the most distinctive in this year’s tea evaluation conference and the most likely to represent the province in the national tea evaluation conference. Moreover, it had the highest chance of winning the top prize.

Luo Changjun brought a red gilded invitation to Meizi’ao Village and handed it to Zhang Jiaohua.

“Jiaohua, you’re incredible! If you win an award at this evaluation conference, you’ll never have to worry about selling your tea again. You wanted to sell your tea in the county’s department store, right? If you win an award, your tea could be sold not only in the county’s department store but also in city, provincial, and even Beijing department stores. Unfortunately, you only have just over two hundred acres of tea, not much in terms of production. Otherwise, your tea could be sold internationally,” Luo Changjun patted Zhang Jiaohua on the shoulder.

Holding the red gilded invitation, Zhang Jiaohua looked at it repeatedly, feeling like he was in a dream. He couldn’t believe he was being invited to participate in the provincial evaluation. He had no idea what the evaluation result would mean for him.

“I just want to sell the tea quickly, otherwise, I’m going to be broke. The wild boars in the pigpen are like a bottomless pit, eating so much every day,” Zhang Jiaohua said with some difficulty.

“You’re raising wild boars again?” Luo Changjun’s eyes widened. “You need to focus on your studies. You’re making tea, planting fruit trees, and now raising wild boars. And you also planted over an acre of rice. How do you have time to study?”

Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head. “I saw that the fruit trees and tea trees need fertilizing. Raising pigs provides manure for the fruit and tea trees. Besides, I caught these wild boars in the mountains, so they didn’t cost any money. But I didn’t expect them to eat so much every day. I just want to sell the tea so I can buy grain to feed the wild boars.”

Luo Changjun pulled Zhang Jiaohua into the car, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and said, “Don’t sell the tea now. Keep it at my house and tell people it’s been ordered and you’ve been paid a deposit. This way, you can get some money to buy grain for the wild boars. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Your parents aren’t home. Studying is the most important thing for you. Do you really want to stay in Meizi’ao Village for the rest of your life?”

“Meizi’ao Village is nice,” Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head. He was being honest; he didn’t understand why his parents had to go to Guangdong for work.

“I’m not saying Meizi’ao Village is bad. I’m saying you should study hard, go to college, and then move to a big city. It will be better,” Luo Changjun said, a bit confused by his own words.

“If Meizi’ao Village is good, why should I move to a big city? I have enough food and clothes here. It’s fine. What can I do in a big city?” Zhang Jiaohua asked, puzzled.

“Of course, a big city is better. If you go to college, you’ll get a government job with a salary and a pension. Working isn’t hard, but farming is,” Luo Changjun found a convincing reason.

However, Luo Changjun didn’t realize that his reason didn’t suit Zhang Jiaohua. Because when Zhang Jiaohua farmed, he didn’t get his feet wet. When he cultivated, his shoes didn’t get muddy. If the tea from the garden could be sold, the income would be stable every harvest.

“Farming isn’t hard,” Zhang Jiaohua said after a moment.

Luo Changjun got anxious, “Anyway, you need to study more at your age.”

“Okay,” Zhang Jiaohua saw that Luo Changjun was getting anxious and didn’t argue. His master, the old Taoist, also said to study more; otherwise, he wouldn’t even be able to draw talismans.

This time, Zhang Jiaohua used the excuse that his tea was ordered by a provincial unit and got a “deposit,” buying a truckload of corn and a grinder. He also paid off the wages he owed from the last time, causing a stir in the village.

Zhang Jiwang, sitting under the huge persimmon trees in their yard, tapped his pipe, grabbed a pinch of tobacco from his pouch, and lit it with a match. “I always said Jiaohua is a once-in-a-century talent in Meizi’ao Village. People used to say Chen Dianzi was capable, but compared to Jiaohua, what is Chen Dianzi?”

“That’s not quite right,” Zhang Xingwang stretched his pipe towards Zhang Jiwang, asking for some tobacco. Zhang Jiwang reluctantly grabbed a pinch from his pouch and carefully put back the excess.

Zhang Xingwang took a puff and continued, “Back when Chen Dianzi wasn’t crazy, he was indeed capable. Compared to Jiaohua, he wasn’t necessarily worse. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. Who could have thought such a capable person would become insane? What a pity.”

“But you can’t compare him to Jiaohua. Jiaohua is so young. Who knows what he’ll be capable of when he grows up?” Zhang Jiwang insisted.

“Uncle Jiwang is right. Jiaohua made tea, raised wild boars—things we in Meizi’ao Village never dared to imagine. But he made them happen. The tea isn’t even sold yet, and people have already paid. He’s going to the provincial tea evaluation conference. If he wins a gold prize, he’ll go to the national evaluation. I’ve tasted the tea he made. It’s like nectar. If it goes to the province, there’s no doubt it will win the gold prize,” Zhang Qigao said.

Zhang Manyin was both happy and worried. Happy because Jiaohua finally overcame his difficulties. Worried because Jiaohua had to go to the provincial capital. Zhang Manyin had never traveled far, the farthest being Gezhu Ping Town. He had never even been to the county seat. Now, he had to accompany his grandson to the provincial capital. That night, unable to sleep, he got up, walked to the eaves, sat on a bench, and clumsily took out a cigarette from the box. The cigarette was a gift from Luo Changjun, and Zhang Manyin had been saving it. He occasionally took one out to savor slowly.