"What did the official buy?"

When Ning Fu returned home, Liu Qingxin saw what he was carrying.

"Tea cake."

Ning Fu replied with a smile.

"That's such a coincidence, I was thinking about drinking tea today!"

Liu Qingxin stepped forward happily, took the tea cake, opened it, and smelled it gently.

"This is last year's spring tea. Cloves and cinnamon are added to make it more fragrant. It shouldn't be cheap, right?"

"What? There are spices added to the tea cakes?"

Ning Fu looked confused.

"Of course you have to add spices. The top-grade Longfeng Tuan tea even has to add borneol, musk and other precious spices!"

Liu Qingxin answered matter-of-factly.

"Then how should I drink this thing?"

Ning Fu humbly asked for advice and drank tea for more than ten years. In the Song Dynasty, he suddenly stopped drinking tea.

"Bring me my tea set!"

Liu Qingxin ordered outside.

Maid Si Qin agreed, and soon she and Shi Hua carried a large box into the study.

Liu Qingxin opened the box and took out every tea set inside. There were more than a dozen of them, filling the large table.

Ning Fu's eyes widened when he saw them. Except for the tea bowl, kettle and stove, he couldn't name most of the rest.

Si Qin lit the charcoal and put it into the stove.

Liu Qingxin took the tea cake and baked it on the fire for a while, and a hint of tea fragrance filled the air.

Liu Qingxin then used a wooden hammer to knock off a piece of tea cake, first mashed it, then ground it into powder with a small stone, and then sieved it with a sieve.

Although the beauty doing this was very pleasing to the eye, Ning Fu still felt drowsy.

After finally getting some very fine tea powder, the water also boiled.

Liu Qingxin put the tea powder into a tea bowl, then poured in a little boiling water to mix the tea powder into a paste.

"People in the Tang Dynasty liked to make tea and add onions, ginger, salt and other seasonings to the tea. The taste was mixed and impure, and the true flavor of the tea was lost. But I like to order tea in the Chao Dynasty without adding other seasonings..."

Liu Qingxin kept holding her hand while introducing the history of tea development to Ning Fu.

However, Ning Fu secretly complained that you Song people did not add seasonings when making tea, but you did add spices when making tea.

Finally, Liu Qingxin poured boiling water into the tea paste, and then stirred it quickly with a tea spoon to make a layer of foam appear on the tea surface.

"My lord, look quickly, does this foam look like a star or a moon?"

Liu Qingxin pulled Ning Fu excitedly, pointing at the foam on the tea surface and asked.

"It looks like! It really looks like!"

Ning Fu opened his eyes and nodded heavily, but when he looked left and right, all he saw was just a layer of foam.

"Officials please come first!"

Liu Qingxin divided the tea, brought the tea cup to Ning Fu and said.

Ning Fu was not polite, took the tea bowl and took a sip.

"Hmm? The tea tastes a bit weak."

Ning Fu was a little confused, it was like the feeling in later generations that after brewing tea leaves three or four times, the tea taste is too weak to be drunk.

In addition to the tea smell, there is also an indescribable spice smell, which is stronger than the tea smell.

"Let me try it!"

Liu Qingxin picked up her teacup and took a sip.

"It's not bland, but the fragrance of the tea is overwhelming. This is already the best tea!"

Ning Fu didn't believe it and took another sip. He still felt that the tea taste was very weak.

In fact, Ning Fu didn't know that when making tea cakes, the juice of the tea leaves needs to be squeezed out.

This is done to remove the bitterness in the tea, but it also loses most of the tea aroma.

"Why did the officer suddenly think of drinking tea?"

Liu Qingxin saw that Ning Fu seemed to be drinking tea for the first time, so she also asked curiously.

"Nothing, I just want to taste what the legendary tea cake tastes like."

"How does the official feel?"

"Room for improvement!"

Ning Fu tells the truth.

"Since the official became a great scholar, his tone has become louder and louder!"

Liu Qingxin joked.

"It's not that I'm arrogant, you will know in two days!"

Ning Fu said thoughtfully.

In the next few days, Ning Fu went out early and came back late, but rarely went to restaurants.

Many customers who finally got in line came excitedly, only to find that the restaurant was closed, which also caused dissatisfaction among many customers.

That afternoon, the restaurant finally opened for business as normal, and the first customer who came was Maid Cui.

"Brother Cui, wait a minute, I have something good for you!"

Ning Fu was also very excited when he saw Maid Cui. After speaking, he turned around and took out a tray from the kitchen and placed it on the table in front of him.

On the tray are a teacup, a kettle with boiling water, and a small box.

"Brother Ning, you don't want to invite me to drink water, do you?"

Maid Cui and Ning Fu were also familiar with each other, and they joked at this time.

"When the spring breeze comes in February or March, the rocks will be knocked on the fire to test the new tea."

Ning Fu opened the box as he spoke, and there were tea leaves inside.

"Is this tea?"

Cui Maid was stunned. In his impression, tea was always in the shape of cakes or balls. There had never been such loose tea.

"Of course tea!"

As he spoke, Ning Fu poured the tea leaves into the tea bowl, then lifted the kettle and poured boiling water into it.

The tea leaves, originally curled up into sticks, were tumbling in the boiling water.

Soon the tea leaves unfolded and the tea water turned green in color, exuding a light tea aroma.

"Brother Ning, isn't your tea too simple?"

Cui Mai looked at the tea in front of her and felt like she couldn't laugh or cry.

This was the first time he saw someone serving such a humble tea to guests.

"As the saying goes, simplicity leads to greatness. People in the Tang Dynasty added various seasonings when making tea, losing the original taste of tea. However, when making tea cakes in our dynasty, they also added various spices. The aroma was strong and overshadowed the flavor of tea, so I asked someone to make it.

This kind of fried tea tastes bitter but has a sweet aftertaste, you will know it after you taste it!"

I would rather learn now and sell now. Having a knowledgeable wife is convenient!

Cui servant was very surprised when she heard Ning Fu tell such a great truth.

So under Ning Fu's expectant gaze, Cui Maid picked up the tea bowl and took a sip.

When the green tea entered her mouth, Cui Mai could only feel a bitter tea flavor filling her mouth.

But when you taste it carefully, the bitterness in your mouth slowly disappears, and instead you can detect a hint of sweetness.

"Huh? This tea is really bitter first and then sweet!"

Cui Mai's eyes lit up and she immediately shouted in surprise.

"Yes, bitterness itself is one of the original flavors of tea, and this tea can cleanse the stomach and intestines and is more conducive to digestion. Especially if you eat too much meat, drinking this tea will relieve your tiredness!"

Ning Fu laughed and explained the efficacy of tea.

"Brother Ning, you are so knowledgeable. Not only are you proficient in poetry and food, but you also know so much about tea!"

Cui Mai said with admiration.

"Brother Cui, don't rush to praise me. Do you know what's the best thing?"

Ning Fu suddenly smiled mysteriously.
To be continued...