Chapter 9: Dazzling (Part 1) (This chapter is free)

Fortunately, they are all there and no one has touched them.

Putting these things back to their original place, Zhao Xing clapped his hands and turned around to walk to the gate of the yard, looking up at the sky.

Well, it was noon. Usually, at this time, Zhao Xing's courtyard was the most lively. The young wives from various families kept shuttled and took over Zhao Xing's three meals a day. One was to thank Zhao Xing for helping them take care of their children; the other was because Zhao Xingxing came, and often taught the young wives how to cook... But now, there is no one in the yard.

This is a phenomenon that has never been seen before.

Zhao Xing listened to the movements in the village. In the yard in the village, the house was next to the house, and the sound of cooking and the smell of rice had already been heard in the house next to it, but his yard was quiet. After a while, he turned his doubtful eyes on Cheng Azhu in the yard.

Cheng Azhu was still sweeping the floor, sweeping the dust that did not exist. She swept it very slowly, as if the broom weighed a thousand pounds.

Zhao Xing's stomach was croaking. He couldn't wait, so he stood up in anger, walked towards the stove, and decided to do it himself. Seeing his movements, Cheng Azhu immediately came back to her soul, threw down her broom and ran to the stove.

The fire rose, Cheng Azhu had a weird posture. She seemed to dare not look at Zhao Xing. She tilted her head and tried to turn her face to the side. She was busy by the stove in a very awkward posture and started cooking...

Very strange, very weird.

Zhao Xing withdrew his gaze from Cheng Azhu, turned his face and looked at the yard and the room.

I was not in the house for two days, but the fire in the house should have been extinguished and covered with dust, but it was rare to see it. Even his legs on the table were polished shiny, and the water in the water tank was also clear and overflowing.

In theory, after doing so many tasks, if all of these tasks were done by Cheng Azhu in her new wedding dress, the new wedding dress should be covered in dust... But the result was not. The wedding dress was very neat, and even the ring pendant hanging on her body was very clean. It made a jingle sound as Cheng Azhu's body moved, as if reminding people of their existence - is this a clothes for doing housework?

What's going on?

Although Cheng Azhu's movements are not slow, when lunch is ready, it is close to the time for going home from get off work in modern society - if it is late, it is supper time.

The porcelain plates are filled with exquisite side dishes, and these porcelain plates are neatly placed in a lacquer box. The lacquer box is covered with birds and beasts, which is simple and exquisite. Cheng Azhu is wearing a full set of wedding dresses, kneeling at Zhao Xing's feet, respectfully lifting the lacquer box between her eyebrows, and then with the help of her body leaning forward, she presented the lacquer box to Zhao Xing's mouth like a flowing water. Then, she lowered her eyebrows and said, "Teacher, please use it."

Are you holding the same face?

At this time, Zhao Xing had guessed the truth, but he couldn't believe it.

Cheng Azhu's etiquette is worthy of being specially taught by people in the city. For example, the action presented by the tray is to keep your hands steady and not shake your shoulders. It is purely using the strength of your waist and the forward posture of your body to present the tray. The best-performing movement is the song genius (prostitute) in the city. They can hold up ten tea cups in one tray, and no matter how their bodies shake, the water in the cup will not fluctuate at all.

Zhao Xing was a little hesitant, but when he saw a 14-year-old girl kneeling in front of him with a heavy lacquer box, saying "teacher". Even if the girl is not tired, he feels tired, so he dare not ponder for too long.

In the modern people's personality, there is a kind of unrestrained and natural casualness. Zhao Xing decided to take the tray calmly and try to make his movements as relaxed as possible, as if it were natural, and then he pretended to be calm and began to chew.

The meal was spent silently - Zhao Xing sat alone on the table and ate alone, Cheng Azhu knelt on the door and sat on the ground, putting the same lacquer box on her knees, and eating there quietly.

During this period, Zhao Xing looked up several times and found that although Cheng Azhu had not raised her eyelids, she was very sensitive to his gaze. Whenever he looked over, the girl always unconsciously picked up the porridge and drank the porridge in panic. She felt that the other person's expression was a little shy, a little happiness, and a little pride.

Not long after this meal, the dinner time came again. Zhao Xing's courtyard returned to its vitality as expected.

This time, a bunch of brides to come. They were all wearing brand new wedding dresses and shinyly shuttled through Zhao Xing's yard, and those who had nothing to do found were finding some work for themselves.

Zhao Xing's doubts became even more serious. He touched his chin and wondered: Is it a clothes drying festival today?

Is it the day when Song people show their wedding dresses? Why are all girls wearing more beautiful clothes than spring flowers? They are busier than butterflies; their singing and laughing are crisper than birds...

It's so messy!

The chaos did not end until Cheng Tong came in. When Cheng Tong walked into the yard, all the girls were busy. Zhao Xing sat by the fire pit without saying a word and flirted with books. Cheng Azhu knelt at his feet, skillfully showing the complete set of Song Dynasty tea art.

It is said that tea art in the Song Dynasty was the peak of Chinese tea art. In order to compare the level of tea art, the "tea fighting" competition was even popular among the people. Zhao Xing knew nothing about tea art. Although he was holding a book, his eyes were not on the book, but he was curious to appreciate Cheng Azhu's movements comparable to dance.

Cheng Azhu started with the "carrying tools". The so-called "carrying tools" is to place tea sets. With the dance-like movements, a row of white porcelain tea sets were placed on the shore of the table.

There were many tea sets in the Song Dynasty, including not only tea cups and tea bottles. Since Zhao Xing "picked" tea cups, Cheng Jiaao's choice of tea sets has also risen to the level. Although the tea sets used by Cheng Azhu this time are not top-notch, he can find such a good white porcelain cup in the valley, which made Zhao Xing nodded slightly with satisfaction.

In fact, Zhao Xing didn’t know that “the color of cups is expensive” in the Song Dynasty, and white porcelain is a cheap product.

When the drinker was satisfied with the tea set, the tea ceremony continued. Then Cheng Azhu skillfully roasted tea, grinded tea, and ripped tea. At this time, boiled the water in the soup bottle as small as a teapot until the second boil. Cheng Azhu picked up the soup bottle and washed the tea cup with boiling water - this is called a "cup", which means preheating the tea cup with boiling water.

Then start to place the tea - place the tea leaves in a cup, rinse a little boiling water and mix it into a paste - this is called mixing the paste. Then start to rinse, which means using the tea to rinse the soup with the boiling water.

The tea foam is grinded very finely. With a little water, the tea soup becomes a kind of coffee-like viscous substance. When the tea simmers are stirred, the thick tea soup coats the tea cup with a layer of colorful film, as if it is an ink painting - this is the "soup flower". The soup flower that is hit is also called "foam", which requires "white color, beauty, and not dissipation for a long time".

Finally, the tea cup was delivered to the guest and began to let the guests smell the fragrance and taste the smell...

Su Shi has a poem to describe this process, saying: "The crab's eyes have passed and the fish's eyes are born, and the whistle is about to roar like a pine wind. The ears are covered with grinding and the fine beads fall, and the snow is light." In the writing of the great poet, the process of enjoying tea art is beautiful, which makes people breathe.

Cheng Laoqi didn't know the goods, and the etiquette teacher he invited might be just a kabuki. This tea art taught to Cheng Azhu was not the etiquette of a housewife, but the labor skills that maids should know - Zhao Xing only learned about this later, but at that time, he was so shocked by Cheng Azhu's skills that he couldn't speak.

Not only that, the young wife in the yard also appreciated this "noble" etiquette for the first time. Although they pretended to do work in their hands and had a disdainful smile on their lips, their eyes kept glancing here, and their eyes were full of envy and jealousy.
Chapter completed!