Tea should not be strong

The woman preparing the tea wears a plain green dress, her long hair tied low with a green ribbon, flowing loosely over her shoulders. The faint smile and subtle melancholy between her brows resemble a cloudy day, mist, the curling smoke from the tea cup, the earthy breeze blowing through the window, or the moss creeping onto the steps outside.

Tea should not be chaotic

An old tea worker once said that the best tea leaves must be picked on a misty, overcast day by innocent girls who go barefoot up the tea mountain. They must not use their hands but their mouths to pluck the tender buds, not with teeth but with lips.

Tea should not be bothersome

Tea naturally contains alkali, which can cleanse and purify. Drinking such tea in such a small room, one understands what it means to find joy in simplicity and forget worries. One realizes there is a solvent that can dissolve emotions and digest life.

"Sitting alone on a cold night is the first task of a recluse." Since ancient times, drinking tea alone has been a fundamental practice for a good scholar. A cup of pale green tea and a volume of yellowed history books can reveal the steadfastness of righteous men and the arrogance of treacherous villains, allowing one to savor the spirit of Qin and Han, the elegance of Wei and Jin. Without needing to stand by a river like Confucius, watching the still water in the cup, one can perceive the passage of time and sigh, "How time flies!"