Chapter 337 - 319: Take Away the Tea Leaves in the Cup

Chapter 337: Chapter 319: Take Away the Tea Leaves in the Cup

He walked over to the table where Wei Yang was sitting, set down the teacup, and said, "Director Wei, please."

The moment Wei Yang laid eyes on the tea leaves in the cup, he was overcome with unprecedented surprise and excitement.

This was top-grade West Lake Longjing Tea!

It was even more exceptional than the finest West Lake Longjing Tea he had ever seen.

West Lake Longjing Tea of this quality was a rare find, nearly impossible to buy no matter how much money one had.

’So, West Lake Longjing Tea can actually reach this level of excellence.’

’This tea is incredibly valuable!’

’And the boss is using tea like this to make Longjing Shrimp?’

’What a terrible waste of a precious thing!’

For a moment, Wei Yang felt a sharp pang of regret.

Although he was also a great lover of fine food and believed that true gourmet cuisine deserved the finest ingredients.

’Ingredients, no matter how high-end, are meant for cooking.’

’But tea isn’t just an ingredient! Its primary purpose isn’t for cooking.’

To make exceptionally delicious Longjing Shrimp, using good quality West Lake Longjing Tea was understandable, even expected.

But one shouldn’t use West Lake Longjing Tea of such an extraordinary grade!

West Lake Longjing Tea of this quality was too precious. Using it for cooking was truly a waste.

Wei Yang said, pained, "Boss, West Lake Longjing Tea this exceptional is incredibly valuable. Isn’t it a bit of a waste to use it for cooking?"

Li You smiled faintly and said, "It’s fine. To me, whether it’s used for cooking or brewing tea, it’s all the same."

"This..."

In the end, Wei Yang could only nod. Li You had a point. Using the tea for cooking consumed it. Wasn’t brewing it for drinking also consuming it?

Since it was going to be consumed either way, why must it be reserved for brewing?

’All I can say is that the boss is incredibly generous. To be willing to use this tea in the Longjing Shrimp he sells to customers...’

’If it were me, I definitely wouldn’t be able to part with it. Using ordinary West Lake Longjing would be considered quite good; how could I possibly use something like this?’

Wei Yang felt a great deal of admiration for Li You.

Then, he grew excited once more.

Because right now, a cup of this very tea was sitting in front of him, ready for him to drink.

’What would West Lake Longjing Tea of such an exceptional grade taste like?’

He was filled with unprecedented anticipation. Carefully, he lifted the teacup.

He blew on it gently and took a small sip.

In an instant, he felt that being able to drink this cup of tea made him luckier than he had ever been.

This luck was in no way inferior to being able to drink the wine and eat the food here.

This incomparable taste was something he had never experienced before.

He was quite moved and said, "Boss, this tea is smooth and delicate, its fragrance fresh and full-bodied, and the aftertaste is endless. I’ve never had such a delicious tea. This is the absolute finest of the finest West Lake Longjing."

Hearing Wei Yang say this, Li You was also very happy. He smiled and said, "Then please take your time, Director Wei. I have to get back to work."

He had only been free for a moment; now, another customer had placed an order.

Wei Yang quickly said, "Of course, of course. You go get busy, Boss. Thank you again. Being able to drink a cup of tea like this makes me the luckiest director in the entire entertainment industry."

Li You laughed heartily and added, "You’re too kind, Director Wei."

After that, Li You excused himself and went back into the kitchen to continue his work.

Wei Yang picked up the teacup again and took another small sip.

He was going to savor this cup of tea, slowly and carefully.

At that moment, the group of actors walked in.

They were, of course, also very curious about the quality of the tea Li You was using.

"Director Wei, how is it? How’s the tea?" the actors all asked.

Wei Yang didn’t answer right away. Instead, he set the cup down, gesturing for the actors to see for themselves.

The actors hadn’t studied tea much. If they hadn’t been told beforehand, they wouldn’t have even recognized it as West Lake Longjing Tea.

So, when he let them judge the quality for themselves, they couldn’t tell.

However, it looked quite beautiful, and it had a unique, delicate fragrance.

It was a delicate scent they didn’t think they had ever smelled from any other tea.

Therefore, they could be sure it was a good tea, but that was stating the obvious.

Seeing their expressions, Wei Yang knew that none of them had studied tea very much. He smiled faintly and said, "This is the finest of the finest West Lake Longjing Tea. Even with all the money in the world, you might not be able to buy it."

The actors were all stunned to hear this.

Although they hadn’t studied tea much, they knew that truly top-grade tea leaves were priceless. They weren’t something you could buy just by having money.

’Is this tea really that kind of top-grade tea?’

’That can’t be possible, can it?’

’How could the boss possibly use tea like that for cooking? And more importantly, it’s for a dish he sells to customers.’

And he only sells it for 88 yuan a plate, which is about the same price as Longjing Shrimp in an ordinary restaurant.

’No matter how you look at it, it’s impossible!’

Wei Yang then said, "You’re all shocked, aren’t you? But it’s the truth. The boss is just that bold and generous."

All the actors thought, ’Is that just bold and generous? That’s super bold and generous!’

’Wait, if the boss has such top-grade tea, why doesn’t he just sell the tea leaves directly?’

’Forget about a lot, just the amount of tea used in one serving of Longjing Shrimp. If he sold the leaves directly, he could get at least several dozen times that 88 yuan, right?’

An actor voiced this question.

Wei Yang pointed to the Guyi painting hanging on the wall and said, "I’ve already told you the story about this painting by Master Guyi. Master Guyi gave this painting to the boss as a gift. In other words, this painting now belongs completely to the boss. The boss has every right to do what he wants with it, including selling it. If the boss sent this painting to an auction house, it would sell for a hundred million, and that’s a conservative estimate. But the boss didn’t send it to an auction house, did he?"

"This..."

The actors all became thoughtful, as if they had understood something.

’But wait, that’s not right either.’

’The situation with the tea is completely different from the situation with Master Guyi’s painting.’

’This painting hangs here as the restaurant’s prized treasure. It has enormous value and significance.’

’It’s not incomprehensible that he wouldn’t sell it.’

’But the tea is different!’

’Once the tea is used to make Longjing Shrimp, it’s gone. If it’s sold, it’s also gone.’

’Since it’s gone either way, why not choose the more profitable option?’

’Besides, with the boss’s culinary skills, even if he used ordinary West Lake Longjing Tea to make Longjing Shrimp, it would still be incredibly delicious, right?’

Wei Yang said, "One can only say that the boss isn’t running this restaurant purely for money anymore. In the beginning, making money might have been his only goal. But now, that’s probably not the case. No, not probably—it’s definitely not. Of course, making money is still one of his goals, but it’s absolutely not the only one anymore."

After hearing Wei Yang’s explanation, the actors once again grew thoughtful.

This time, they truly began to understand.

Thinking about the Hundred Fruit Garden, the vegetable garden, the wild fruit garden, and the Tea Garden outside; and then thinking about the arcade machine and the "King of Fighters ’97" tournament held just the day before yesterday and yesterday, they started to get the picture.

The boss, perhaps, has fallen in love with the feeling of running this restaurant. He enjoys welcoming all sorts of customers from different walks of life. He enjoys watching them marvel at the food and wine, and he also enjoys seeing their various forms of joy and happiness here.

Moreover, amidst his busy work, the boss enjoys the leisure and comfort of his free time. He can admire the beautiful scenery, listen to the birds sing, and smell the fragrant flowers. He is far from the clamor of the city, yet not a recluse in the mountains. He is both a great hermit hidden in the city and a lesser hermit hidden in the wild.

The actors understood.

Then, for some reason, they found themselves incredibly envious of Li You’s life.

But envy was just envy. If they really had to trade places with Li You, most of them would be unwilling.

Because they loved being actors; they dreamed of becoming big stars. They also enjoyed the dazzling lights and vibrant nightlife of the city.

They still preferred their own lives.

This didn’t contradict their envy of Li You’s life.

After a moment of reflection, the actors all looked at the tea in the cup again. They, too, were desperate to know what this tea tasted like.

It must have an unparalleled taste, something they had never experienced before.

But unfortunately, they could only imagine.

If this tea weren’t so precious, if it were just an ordinary good tea, they could have brazenly gone to Li You and asked him to brew a cup for them too.

But this tea was far too precious. They were simply too embarrassed to ask Li You for some.

That would be too presumptuous and impolite.

Wei Yang also knew the actors wanted to taste the tea, but there was nothing to be done. He only had this one cup; they couldn’t all share it, could they?

’If these guys want to taste this tea, they’ll just have to see if they get a chance in the future.’

So he said, "We’ll see about the future. Maybe you’ll have a chance to drink this tea someday."

The actors all nodded. That was their only hope. They hoped that one day they would all have the opportunity, just like Wei Yang now, to receive such a cup of the boss’s exquisite tea.

After that, the actors excused themselves and walked out of the restaurant.

They decided not to watch Wei Yang drink his tea. It was better to go back to watching the other customers play the arcade game.

Watching others play games is much more interesting when there’s a lively crowd.

Wei Yang continued to drink his tea.

He planned to pour the tea leaves from the cup into his own teacup when he left later.

He had a teacup in his car.

That way, he could get a few more infusions on the road.

Although, as a famous director, he felt a bit embarrassed about taking home used tea leaves, he didn’t care that much for the sake of a few more cups of this tea.

For a great director, this tea was also a once-in-a-lifetime find.

A short while later, Li You finished his work again and came out of the kitchen.

He came to Wei Yang’s table and chatted with him for a bit.

By this time, it was already three in the afternoon.

Wei Yang decided it was time to leave. They had to return to the film set.

So he said to Li You, "Boss, we’ll be heading out for today. We have to get back to the set."

Li You nodded. "Take care, Director Wei."

Wei Yang added, "If you don’t mind, Boss, I’d like to take the tea leaves from this cup. I have a teacup in my car, and I’d like to get a few more infusions on the road."

Li You was a bit taken aback. He hadn’t expected Wei Yang to say that.

’It seems this Wei Yang is a true tea lover!’

After his surprise, Li You smiled. "In that case, Director Wei, just take the whole cup."

The teacup was just an ordinary one you could buy anywhere; it wasn’t worth much.

Wei Yang laughed and said, "Then I won’t be polite!"

Then he stood up and said his goodbyes again.

Li You asked Wei Yang to wait a moment, then walked into the kitchen.

He then took out about one liang of West Lake Longjing Tea from the Storage Pavilion and put it in a small bag.

This was a gift for Wei Yang.

He hadn’t originally planned on giving him any. However, seeing how much Wei Yang loved the tea—so much that he even wanted to take the used leaves—he decided he might as well give him some.

Not too much, just one liang.

However, this wasn’t a small amount at all.

You have to understand, if this tea ever actually appeared on the market, it would definitely be sold by the gram.

...