PCJ – Chapter 350 The Little Girl

When they met up with the other provincial exhibition groups, there were no further complications. After all, everyone knew full well that not all the participants were directly involved in the exhibition. Among them, there would inevitably be people using the exhibition as an excuse for an overseas trip. Zhang Jiaohua was particularly conspicuous because he was the youngest member of the group. Although his own team already knew he was the creator of the bamboo tube black tea, in the eyes of the participants from other provinces, he couldn’t escape being seen as just a family member tagging along. However, unlike Ding Shuzhen, no one else would openly challenge him.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t care about others’ gazes. Now that he was in a city even bigger and more bustling than the provincial capital, his eyes couldn’t take in everything fast enough.

“What do you think? Pretty impressive city, right?” Zhao Jinyuan laughed as he saw Zhang Jiaohua constantly peering out of the car window.

“The city is so crowded!” Zhang Jiaohua pointed at the throngs of people on the sidewalk.

“They’re all rushing to work. Everyone heads out at this time, so of course it’s crowded,” Zhao Jinyuan nodded.

“Don’t get nervous when we board the plane later. The first time I flew, I was scared to death, felt like my life was no longer in my own hands,” Zhao Jinyuan shared his experience with Zhang Jiaohua.

“I got it, I won’t be afraid.” How could Zhang Jiaohua be afraid? As a rural kid, he had no qualms about jumping around on trees tens of meters high, so flying didn’t scare him at all. In fact, he was only eager to experience the free and easy feeling of soaring high in the sky.

While sitting in the departure lounge, Zhang Jiaohua felt a bit excited.

Just then, someone tugged at his clothes. When Zhang Jiaohua turned around, he saw a girl about his age. Her skin was extremely fair, almost like white porcelain. Her neatly styled pigtails, bright, expressive eyes, and a finely sculpted nose made her look like a delicate doll. Her slightly upturned lips gave her a lively, adorable appearance.

“Big brother, are you also going to London?” The girl’s bright eyes sparkled like gems.

“Yes, are you going to London too?” Zhang Jiaohua was surprised to meet someone around his age heading in the same direction.

“Yes! I’m going to see my mom and dad. They work in London,” the girl replied.

Zhang Jiaohua didn’t know what else to say, so after a brief exchange, he fell silent.

“My name is Ji Jiaxin, but you can call me Jiajia. I’m eight years old. Big brother, what’s your name?” the girl asked.

“My name is Zhang Jiaohua, but my nickname is Jiaohua. I’m nine,” Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head, feeling a little shy.

Ji Jiaxin was curious about Zhang Jiaohua. “Are your mom and dad working in London too?”

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head. “I’m going to attend an exhibition.”

“You’re going to an exhibition? Isn’t that something only adults do?” Ji Jiaxin asked in confusion.

“Our tea factory is entering a competition,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“Oh, I see. Did your mom and dad come with you?”

“No. I made the tea myself. My parents don’t know how to make it,” Zhang Jiaohua answered.

“Wow, Jiaohua, you’re amazing! You know how to make tea!” Ji Jiaxin exclaimed in admiration.

At that moment, a young, refined-looking woman who resembled Ji Jiaxin walked over. She must have been Ji Jiaxin’s mother.

“Jiajia, why did you run off by yourself? Didn’t I tell you to stay put?” the woman frowned as she asked.

“Mom, I was talking to this big brother. He’s also going to London. And guess what? He’s amazing! He makes tea and is going to an exhibition,” Ji Jiaxin said excitedly.

This woman was Shen Bing, Ji Jiaxin’s mother. She and her husband, Ji Jianming, worked at the Chinese embassy in the UK. The Chinese government placed great importance on the upcoming World Food Quality Assessment Conference and World Agricultural Products Expo in London, so the embassy had been instructed to coordinate with the domestic exhibition groups.

Shen Bing was curious about Zhang Jiaohua’s identity. Her first thought was that this child must have been smuggled into the exhibition group.

“Are you going to the exhibition as well?” Shen Bing asked Zhang Jiaohua with a hint of suspicion.

“Yes,” Zhang Jiaohua sensed the unusual tone in her voice.

“Are your parents with you?” Shen Bing’s eyes seemed to confirm her suspicions.

“No, they didn’t come,” Zhang Jiaohua replied.

At this point, Zhao Jinyuan, recognizing Shen Bing as one of the embassy staff, explained, “His parents didn’t come. Don’t be fooled by his age. The bamboo tube black tea our factory is entering in the competition was invented by him, and he’s the only one who knows how to make it. The provincial department head, Shi Guoshu, personally verified this. It’s hard to believe, but this tea, which won the National Agricultural Expo Gold Medal, was indeed made by a child. Due to the uniqueness of the bamboo tube black tea, we decided to let him attend the exhibition.”

“Is that so?” Shen Bing was still skeptical but didn’t press further since there was no way to verify it now. Such things weren’t uncommon to her, and they weren’t something she could change.

“Mom, can I sit with this big brother later?” Ji Jiaxin, delighted to find someone her age, asked eagerly.

Shen Bing hesitated but then nodded. “Alright.”

Ji Jiaxin jumped up in excitement, “Great! Great!”

She was so thrilled to have a new playmate that she took out all her snacks to share with him. Zhang Jiaohua, on the other hand, was feeling a bit shy, as this was his first time being so close to a girl.

Watching the two children play together, especially seeing Zhang Jiaohua looking so awkward, Zhao Jinyuan couldn’t help but laugh. This kid, who was like a prodigy back in Meizi’ao, had finally met his match.

Shen Bing, curious about Zhang Jiaohua, started chatting with Zhao Jinyuan. “Why didn’t his parents come along?”

“Our factory is a privately run tea factory. Jiaohua’s parents are just ordinary farmers. He’s the one who developed the tea. After we joined the factory, we took over management temporarily, while the chairman is currently busy with the county tea industry association. Jiaohua is our factory’s technician, and since bamboo tube black tea is handmade, he’s the only one who knows how to make it,” Zhao Jinyuan explained.

“How do you plan to develop the business if the tea production relies solely on a child?” Shen Bing asked, puzzled.

“Our plan is to market the bamboo tube black tea as a high-end product. We also produce green tea, which is mass-produced. In fact, we have a competitive edge in green tea production as well,” Zhao Jinyuan explained.

“But is it really true that the bamboo tube black tea was developed by this child alone?” Shen Bing was still skeptical.

“Yes, it’s true. Bamboo tube black tea only became known last year. If it had existed earlier, it wouldn’t have remained unknown for so long. It was purely by chance that it was entered in the provincial tea competition,” Zhao Jinyuan said.

“But how could a child make such high-quality tea?” This was what Shen Bing found hardest to believe.

“I wondered the same thing. But Jiaohua is no ordinary child. He’s well-known in his hometown. It’s hard to believe until you see it for yourself,” Zhao Jinyuan admitted.

“So, the success of your tea factory is entirely dependent on him, not his parents?” Shen Bing was astonished, feeling that Zhao Jinyuan wasn’t exaggerating.

“Yes, Jiaohua started working on tea while his parents were still working in Guangdong. They only returned home last year for the Spring Festival. Jiaohua is not only the inventor of bamboo tube black tea but also a technical consultant for most of the tea farms in Xintian County. Thanks to his guidance, the tea quality in Xintian is much higher than in surrounding areas,” Zhao Jinyuan said proudly.

Nearby, Lu Yingxiang had been eavesdropping and was surprised to learn this crucial information. However, knowing this didn’t help him; it only made it harder to get any tea from Xintian County.

Feeling a bit dejected, Lu Yingxiang realized that his underhanded tactics wouldn’t work in the long run.

Meanwhile, Ji Jiaxin handed a piece of chocolate to Zhang Jiaohua, saying, “This is foreign chocolate, it’s really delicious! Jiaohua, try it.”

Zhang Jiaohua looked at it and quickly shook his head. “This candy doesn’t taste good at all. It’s like eating mud.”

“That’s not true! You just don’t know how to appreciate it,” Ji Jiaxin pouted, a bit upset with him.

Zhang Jiaohua scratched his head, “It really doesn’t taste good. It has a weird flavor.”

“This is chocolate. Foreigners love it. My mom brought it back from abroad, and I don’t share it with just anyone! But here you are saying it tastes bad. I’m not playing with you anymore!” Ji Jiaxin stood up, storming off in a huff.

Shen Bing smiled apologetically at Zhao Jinyuan and quickly followed her daughter.

“Jiaohua, how did you make that little girl so mad?” Zhao Jinyuan asked.

“How should I know? I just said the chocolate didn’t taste good, and she got angry,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, feeling wronged.