Twenty-three, vinegar意

"Sis, how do I brew this tea?" Luo Shan asked awkwardly. She had heard of tea but had never seen it, let alone drunk it. Naturally, she didn't know how to prepare it.

She had rushed to pour the tea because she was worried about her sister's hand and wasn't quite handy, as for the tea itself, she genuinely didn't know they had any at home.

"Go get a bottle of hot water and four cups from the kitchen," Luo Shu said, thinking of Luo Shan's previous environment and not finding it strange that she didn't know how to brew tea.

"Okay!" Luo Shan nodded and hurried to the kitchen.

"Luo Shu, how do you know how to process tea leaves?" Mo Shaoze asked curiously. These two sisters were quite something, one didn't even know how to brew tea, while the other knew how to pan-fry it.

"My grandpa taught me; he was an herbalist who often went up the mountain to gather herbs. There are many wild tea plants on the mountain, and grandpa said drinking tea is good for health, so I had grandpa teach me the method of tea processing," Luo Shu explained with a smile.

"Do you often go up the mountain with your grandpa to gather herbs?" Lu Hanmo asked in a light tone.

Luo Shu nodded, "The ginseng I sold was found in the mountain."

"So that ginseng was yours?" Mo Shaoze said, suddenly realizing. Of course, he also knew about Lu Hanmo acquiring the hundred-year-old ginseng.

"Could you take me to the place where you found the ginseng?" Lu Hanmo paused, then continued, "I will pay you for it." Since he and Luo Shu were not very familiar, he naturally couldn't have her go on a trip with him for nothing.

"Payment isn't necessary, Brother Lu, but can you tell me, what do you need the ginseng for?" She wouldn't find any on Ginseng Mountain.

"My grandpa was sick, but after taking that ginseng, his health has improved a lot. So I want to check and see if I can find any more ginseng," Lu Hanmo explained. He knew ginseng was hard to find, let alone hundred-year-old ginseng. But for his grandfather's health, he had to take a look.

"I see, why don't you wait a few days, and I'll help you look," Luo Shu suggested, remembering a few things about Lu Hanmo's grandfather upon hearing his words.

At the time, she had developed a liking for Lu Hanmo, so she wanted to know more about him and had asked her own grandfather. That was also when she learned about Lu Hanmo's grandfather.

Lu Hanmo's grandfather was Lu Nianhua, who had been through countless battles during the war-torn era. Despite his illustrious military achievements, he had also suffered many ailments as a result.

The Luo Family had been a family of doctors for generations, a reclusive clan that didn't interact much with the outside world. However, when her grandfather learned of Old Master Lu's condition, he traveled the long distance to Jinchen to treat him, hence establishing a bond with the Lu family.

"The mountain is too dangerous; I'll go with you," Lu Hanmo said with an indisputable tone. How could he possibly let her, a young girl, go adventuring alone in the mountains?

"I'll go too," Mo Shaoze chimed in, not wanting to be left out. After all, he didn't want to go back to matchmaking, so this provided a perfect excuse.

Luo Shan stepped into the room, placing the hot water bottle and four glass cups on the table, "Sis, you said I should put in the tea leaves." In the village, they drank water from big bowls or enamel cups. But after her sister bought a whole set of glass cups at the sales point that day, they switched to drinking out of glass cups, which really felt refreshing.

Luo Shu opened the tea canister, took a small pinch of tea leaves, and placed them in one of the glass cups, "That amount should do, just pour boiling water over it, and it's ready to drink."

"Got it," Luo Shan said happily, nodding and taking the tea canister. She scooped out three small pinches of tea leaves into the cups, then poured boiling water into each one.

As the boiling water was poured in, a fragrance of tea wafted out.

Mo Shaoze took a cup of tea, smelled it under his nose, "This tea smells great! What kind of tea is this?" He lifted the cup, observing the slowly sinking tea leaves. The color was vibrant green, the leaves tightly curled, the buds tender. After brewing, the tea was a clear silvery green with a refreshing aroma.

"I don't know; I picked this up in the mountain," Luo Shu said. This tea was originally Biluochun from the great lakes, but after being nourished by the spiritual energy in the space, it was no longer comparable to regular Biluochun.

"Luo Shu, do you have more of this tea?" Mo Shaoze put down the cup, looked at Luo Shu with a cheeky glint in his flirtatious eyes, and asked hopefully.

"This is all that's left," Luo Shu replied with a smile. She knew what Mo Shaoze meant by his question.

"Then may I buy this tea from you?" Mo Shaoze looked at Luo Shu with hopeful eyes. His family's old master loved to drink tea the most, and if he could buy the tea and give it to the old master, his mood would surely improve, maybe to the point of no longer pressuring him into matchmaking.

"If you want it, I'll just give it to you," Luo Shu generously offered. Since Mo Shaoze was a friend of Lu Hanmo's, she naturally wouldn't take his money.

"Luo Shu, you're the best. Then I won't stand on ceremony. If you ever need anything, just ask me, and I'll help," Mo Shaoze patted his chest, laughing heartily as he picked up the tea can on the table and hugged it.

"Sure!" Luo Shu didn't make a fuss and nodded with a smile.

Watching the interaction between Luo Shu and Mo Shaoze, Lu Hanmo suddenly felt an uncomfortable surge in his heart, and he snatched the tea can from Mo Shaoze's hands.

"What are you doing? That's the tea Luo Shu gave me," Mo Shaoze quickly reached out to grab it back.

"Not giving it, I want it," Lu Hanmo said, aware his behavior was somewhat childish, but he didn't want to give it back.

"Lu Hanmo, if you want it, you can ask Luo Shu for it yourself, why take my stuff? Give it back," Mo Shaoze said, grumpily fighting for it.

"I just like to snatch," Lu Hanmo said expressionlessly, his hands nimbly evading, making it impossible for Mo Shaoze to reclaim the can.

"Are you just jealous? Otherwise, why be so eager?" The more Mo Shaoze thought about it, the more he believed it to be true, chuckling mischievously.

Lu Hanmo paused, and in that moment, the tea can was snatched back by Mo Shaoze.

Seeing Lu Hanmo's expression, Luo Shu felt a mix of anticipation and nervousness in her heart. Was he really jealous? If true, did that mean he liked her too?

However, she quickly dismissed the thought, knowing Lu Hanmo wasn't someone to fall for people easily. This was only their second meeting; how could he possibly fall for her so quickly?