PCJ – Chapter 352 The Volunteer Interpreter

“We can’t worry about that right now. What we need to focus on is making sure the exhibition goes well. As for the rest, we’ll just have to leave it to fate,” Zhao Jinyuan said with a smile.

“That’s true. I’ve already submitted the samples for evaluation. Whatever the results are, we’ll find out at the awards ceremony. We don’t even know what criteria they’ll be testing for. Foreigners have different tastes than us. By the way, Comrade Ji mentioned that foreigners tend to prefer black tea, but our ‘Jade Immortal Brew’ is green tea. I’m afraid we might be at a disadvantage just based on the color alone. Jiaohua, could you make a ‘Red Immortal Brew’ next time?” Shen Jinmao shared the disheartening news.

“Huh? See, this is what happens when we lack information. We assumed foreigners would have similar tastes to ours, with a preference for green tea. Who would have thought they prefer black tea?” Zhao Jinyuan scratched his head. He hadn’t heard about this before since the Zijiang Tea Factory primarily catered to the domestic market, so he didn’t know about foreign consumer preferences.

“Uncle Zhao, didn’t Master Chen give you black tea for the New Year?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Huh? The tea you brought me is different from this ‘Jade Immortal Brew’?” Zhao Jinyuan was shocked. He had given all the tea away after receiving it. If he had known he would later be transferred out of the tea factory, he wouldn’t have given it to those ungrateful people.

“What? You didn’t even try it?” Zhang Jiaohua was surprised.

“Sigh, I didn’t get to keep any of that tea. I gave it all away as gifts. Tea is so popular, and I couldn’t please everyone. Some leaders wanted tea, but I had none to give. So, during the New Year, I gave all of that tea away as presents. If I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have given them a single leaf,” Zhao Jinyuan said regretfully.

“Jiaohua, does that mean you can make black tea?” Shen Jinmao asked excitedly.

“I can, but that black tea wasn’t made from the tea plants in the garden. It was made from wild mountain tea, which naturally turns red after processing. Unfortunately, there isn’t much wild tea available in the mountains, so we can’t make a large quantity each year,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“Good tea is valuable, even in small quantities. If wild tea is scarce, why don’t you cultivate it in Meizi’ao? That way, you could produce more,” Shen Jinmao suggested.

“It’s such a pity. I can’t believe I gave that tea away,” Zhao Jinyuan said, slapping his own face in frustration.

“What are you so anxious about? Just have Jiaohua make more,” Shen Jinmao said.

While Zhang Jiaohua, Zhao Jinyuan, and Shen Jinmao were waiting at the hotel for the results of the competition, Ji Jianming and his family came to visit.

“Jiajia insisted on seeing Jiaohua. We knew you were staying here, so after work, we brought her to visit. I hope we’re not disturbing you?” Ji Jianming explained.

“Comrade Ji, you’re too polite. None of us speak English, so we’re afraid to go out for fear of getting lost. We’re just waiting for the results of the competition. Tomorrow is the exhibition, and we’re feeling a bit uncertain, mainly because of the language barrier,” Zhao Jinyuan quickly invited them to sit down and opened a container of ‘Jade Immortal Brew’ to serve tea to the Ji family. “This is the tea we’re entering in the competition. Comrades Ji and Shen, please give us your thoughts. You’ve seen and tasted a lot, so we’d appreciate your opinion.”

“Sigh, you went through so much trouble to bring this tea from home, you should use it wisely.” Ji Jianming tried to stop him, but it was too late—Zhao Jinyuan had already brewed the tea.

As the tea slowly infused and turned the water into a bright jade color, Ji Jianming couldn’t help but praise it. “What an excellent tea! No wonder you’re confident about winning an award at the World Food Quality Competition. This tea is truly something special.”

Looking at the bottom of the cup, there were no tea dregs left behind. The tea leaves had completely dissolved into the water. The dark color wasn’t truly black, but a rich hue that only appeared that way due to its intensity. It was still a green tea.

“Uncle Zhao, are you performing magic?” Ji Jiaxin asked curiously.

“Exactly! Uncle Zhao is doing a magic trick just for you. How’s my performance?” Zhao Jinyuan laughed.

Jiaxin shook her head vigorously. “Not very impressive. I’ve seen better magic shows.”

Ji Jianming took a sip of the tea. “The taste is remarkable, far better than those so-called royal palace teas or the empress’s special selection. But it’s hard to say if the foreigners will appreciate green tea, as they usually prefer black tea.”

Shen Bing also tasted it and nodded in approval. “This is the best tea I’ve ever had. I’ve heard that the World Food Quality Competition is quite fair. With such good tea, you should win an award. If I were a judge, I’d give it a special prize.”

“Well, thank you both for the kind words,” Zhao Jinyuan said with a smile.

Jiaxin took a sip and exclaimed, “It’s really good!”

“Jiajia doesn’t usually drink tea, so if she says it’s good, you can trust her judgment,” Shen Bing said with a smile.

Ji Jianming looked at Zhang Jiaohua. “Jiaohua, how did you manage to make such tea? Even the adults couldn’t do it, but you did. That’s impressive.”

“I just processed it like traditional Chinese medicine. I didn’t expect it to taste so good,” Zhang Jiaohua said shyly, scratching the back of his head.

Zhao Jinyuan ruffled Zhang Jiaohua’s hair. “This kid, I’ve never seen you so shy. What’s gotten into you?”

“What will you do about the language barrier at the exhibition tomorrow?” Shen Bing asked.

“We don’t have any other choice. It’s too late to find an interpreter now,” Zhao Jinyuan said, feeling a bit worried.

“I can help!” Ji Jiaxin volunteered eagerly.

“Huh?” Everyone gasped in surprise.

Ji Jianming and Shen Bing weren’t shocked that Jiaxin offered to help with the translation—after all, she had grown up in London and spoke with a London accent. If not for their frequent use of Chinese at home, her English would be even more fluent than her Chinese. They were just surprised she volunteered.

Zhang Jiaohua, Zhao Jinyuan, and Shen Jinmao were astonished that such a young child could speak English.

“Why are you all so surprised? I grew up in London. How else would I play with the other kids if I didn’t speak English?” Jiaxin said proudly.

“Jiajia, don’t joke around. This is serious business. You’ll be dealing with a lot of adults, and the topic is tea. If you can’t translate accurately, you might cause problems for Uncle Zhao and the others,” Ji Jianming quickly cautioned her.

“Exactly. I can help you get in touch with some Chinese students studying in London. They might be interested in the translator position, and they’d be capable of handling the exhibition tasks. However, there will be a fee,” Shen Bing added.

“Dad, Mom, why don’t you trust me? I can do it. You know we have tasting lessons at school, right? I also watch cooking shows all the time,” Jiaxin protested.

“Comrades Ji and Shen, why don’t we let Jiaxin join us tomorrow for fun? If we can find someone to act as an interpreter, we’ll gladly pay the fee,” Zhao Jinyuan suggested.

Ji Jianming pulled Jiaxin aside. “Jiajia, this is serious. You have to promise me you’ll stay the whole time and not quit halfway through.”

Jiaxin nodded firmly. “Dad, don’t worry. I’ll stay until the exhibition ends.”

“Alright, from now on, Jiaxin is officially the special interpreter for the Meizi’ao Tea Factory,” Zhao Jinyuan announced with a laugh.

Shen Bing, knowing she couldn’t win against her daughter’s determination, gave her consent.

The next day, Zhang Jiaohua and his group arrived at the exhibition, with Jiaxin taking on the role of translator for the first time, visibly excited.

“Honey, look, they’ve roped in Shen’s daughter,” Ding Shuzhen commented, running into Zhang Jiaohua’s group once again.

“Keep it down. Mind your own business. Last time you nearly got me into trouble. Don’t stir up any more nonsense here. This isn’t like back home. Any mess you cause here will have serious consequences. Remember, you’re representing the country’s image now,” Lu Yingxiang scolded Ding Shuzhen for her mocking attitude.

Ding Shuzhen, startled by the rebuke, quickly composed herself. “I’m not planning to do anything. I’m just saying, they didn’t even bring anyone who speaks English. What good can they do here? I don’t believe they can promote their tea with hand gestures alone.”

“True. They’re just a small factory; they can’t afford a translator,” Lu Yingxiang added with a chuckle.

Zhang Jiaohua’s group found their booth and neatly arranged their tea products on display. Although the ‘Jade Immortal Brew’ was packaged in simple bamboo tubes, the intricate carvings on each tube turned them into collectible art pieces.

Though the bamboo tubes were roughly the same size, no two carvings were identical, and the detailed designs were captivating. Once they set up their booth, it quickly caught the attention of exhibition visitors.

“Look, what’s that? Why are there artworks here? Isn’t this supposed to be a food quality exhibition? Why are they displaying so many carved items?” one visitor commented.

“Yeah. Are they selling bamboo carvings? But I have to admit, the designs are beautiful. What’s inside? It’s all dark—are these tea leaves?”

Hearing the foreign visitors speak in a language they didn’t understand, Zhang Jiaohua, Zhao Jinyuan, and Shen Jinmao were completely lost. They had no idea what was being said!