The next day, Lin Wan went to work full of energy and vigour.
Lu Zheng received a message from Xie Feng, then went to have a meal with him and Liu Zhenming. After the meal, he took out some February Fragrance tea and had the shop brew a pot right there.
“What fragrant tea!”
As soon as the tea was brewed, its aroma filled the air.
Liu Zhenming could not help taking a deep breath. “This scent is a bit like yellow tea. Is it Junshan Silver Needle?”
Xie Feng shook his head. “No, Junshan Silver Needle does not smell like this. Though similar, I think it should be Huoshan Yellow Bud.”
Yet Xie Feng spoke hesitantly, because this clear fragrance, while resembling the top-grade Huoshan Yellow Bud he had drunk before, was clearly superior.
Lu Zheng stroked his chin, thinking he ought to give February Fragrance a better name. The current one lacked a certain prestige.
“Try it!” Lu Zheng laughed.
This February Fragrance was one of the finest mortal teas he had ever tasted. Even the leaves carried a trace of spiritual qi. No wonder it yielded only a little over a hundred jin each year.
Xie Feng’s female secretary lifted the teapot, poured a cup for each of the three men, and finally poured one for herself.
The tea liquor, a blend of yellow and green, looked like crystalline spring water. Wisps of steam rose, carrying strands of tea fragrance.
“So fragrant!”
“So delicious!”
“Excellent tea!”
Liu Zhenming’s eyes lit up. He smacked his lips and asked Lu Zheng, “President Lu, this tea… you did not bring it back from abroad as well, did you?”
Since Lu Zheng could procure heaps of top-grade medicinal materials from abroad, naturally he could also bring back premium tea leaves, process them using domestic methods, and perhaps produce exceptional tea.
Lu Zheng blinked, nodded, and tacitly confirmed Liu Zhenming’s guess.
“This tea demands very specific growing conditions, and the annual yield is low. I do not have much on hand, and I do not know if I will be able to obtain more in future.”
Lu Zheng pointed to the backpack he had brought with him. “There are two jin of leaves in the bag. Take one pack each when you leave.”
“Thank you, President Lu!”
“President Lu is too kind!”
Xie Feng and Liu Zhenming thanked him repeatedly.
The price of the tea was secondary, because no matter how expensive, they could afford it. The issue was that many things were simply unavailable, even with money.
For example, the most famous were the mother-tree Dahongpao from Wuyi Mountain, the Golden Melon tribute tea, and the Longjing from the eight imperial bushes.
They were connoisseurs. The pot brewed today had rich aroma and lingering aftertaste. The quality was outstanding.
Hearing Lu Zheng’s description, they knew it was another of those priceless, marketless treasures, perfect for entertaining distinguished guests or gaining face themselves.
“No need for thanks,” Lu Zheng waved his hand.
In the early days after crossing over, Liu Zhenming had helped him a great deal, and cooperation with Xie Feng had always been pleasant. Naturally, Lu Zheng did not mind sharing some minor items that would not draw attention.
…
Returning to Tonglin County, Lu Zheng had nothing to do and also had time to return to the modern world.
Over the next few days, he either accompanied Liu Qingyan and Shen Ying on outings in the ancient world or played games in the modern one, keeping Lin Wan company while she played with her bangle. Life was quite leisurely.
Time soon reached the weekend.
On Saturday evening, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan arrived together at the Haicheng Grand Theatre, ready to watch the play with Li Ying.
“Legend of Sword and Fairy? They even made a stage play of this?” Lu Zheng asked, looking at the tickets. “Can a single performance cover the whole story?”
“Of course it can. This play has been touring for who knows how many times,” Lin Wan said.
“Fine, I have never seen it,” Lu Zheng shook his head. “I thought stage plays were all things like Teahouse or Rickshaw Boy.”
“That is ancient history,” Lin Wan laughed. “Modern plays include xianxia, historical dramas, urban stories. Is not Happy Twist all comedy?”
Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, I was shallow. Now I recall, some friends posted tickets for plays on Moments, but I never paid attention.”
“Look over there,” Lin Wan pointed to a nearby poster. “Old Master Chen Xiao’er will come soon too. Actually, the market for modern theatre is not small.”
Lu Zheng smiled. “In future, there will be places to pass the time.”
Lin Wan shook her head, then waved toward the distance. “Li Ying is here.”
Lu Zheng looked up and saw Li Ying approaching hand in hand with a tall, slender, fair-skinned young man.
“Sister Wan! Brother Lu!” Li Ying smiled and pulled the man forward. “This is my boyfriend, Wang Yuqi.”
Lin Wan nodded and greeted him.
She had met Wang Yuqi before. He had come to pick Li Ying up from the office building several times, so they were already acquainted. This introduction was for Lu Zheng.
“This is Sister Wan’s boyfriend, Lu Zheng, Brother Lu!”
Ever since witnessing Lin Wan’s skills and seeing Lu Zheng’s prowess in the full-armour fighting competition, Li Ying had started calling them sister and brother.
“Brother Lu, hello!” Wang Yuqi quickly extended his hand.
“Hello!” Lu Zheng smiled and shook it, then his gaze sharpened.
“Let’s buy some drinks first,” Li Ying suggested. “Milk tea or coffee?”
“Coffee,” Wang Yuqi smiled. “There is a Starbucks right over there.”
Li Ying looked at Lu Zheng and Lin Wan. Lin Wan did not mind. “Starbucks it is then.”
Since Starbucks had no small sizes, the four each bought an extra-large coffee, then returned to the Grand Theatre and entered after ticket check.
Finding their seats by number, they sat down. Only then did Lu Zheng realise their positions were excellent. Thinking back to the last time he watched La Traviata, it seemed those tickets had also been a gift from Li Ying, so he whispered to Lin Wan, “Your colleague has good connections.”
Lin Wan nodded, glanced at Li Ying who was whispering with Wang Yuqi, then replied, “Her family is very well-off. Her father is in the police system, her mother in the arts. The Haicheng Grand Theatre often gives them complimentary tickets.”
“Got it,” Lu Zheng nodded, then asked, “When did she start dating this boyfriend?”
“What’s wrong?” Lin Wan’s eyes flashed. She immediately sensed something off in Lu Zheng’s words. “Is there a problem with him?”
“Weak constitution, cold qi, slippery palms, dark circles under the eyes, bloodshot pupils,” Lu Zheng listed a few signs, then got to the point. “Just now I sent a strand of true qi into his body. His blood flow quickened, muscles relaxed, spirit energised, but attention unfocused.”
“So…” Lin Wan seemed to understand.
Lu Zheng nodded. “I cannot be sure which drug, but it is definitely prohibited, and he has probably been using it for quite a while.”
Lin Wan grimaced. “I first met him two months ago.”
“Call your colleagues in major crimes. When we leave after the play, take him straight to the station for testing,” Lu Zheng said calmly.
“Has Xiaoying been affected?” Lin Wan asked urgently.
Lu Zheng glanced at Li Ying and shook his head. “Lucky for her. Her boyfriend has not made a move on her yet.”
