Chapter 19: General Principles of Tea Making
After a two-hour long conversation, Changle finally understood her husband's plan.
What she understood was that planting a tea plantation was not just a spur-of-the-moment idea of Qin Wenyuan.
First of all, the tea-making method that Qin Wenyuan mentioned is somewhat different from the tea-making method that people are familiar with at this stage.
The current tea-making method of the Tang Dynasty was to make tea cakes for storage.
The details are that the tea leaves are picked in spring, then steamed in a pot, and then pounded with a pestle and mortar.
Then pour it into the pot and press it into shape. After drying the shaped tea cakes, make a hole and string them together. Put them in the oven to bake and dry them, and then they can be stored.
This is also the well-known method of making tea cakes.
And her husband, Qin Wenyuan, is so awesome!
Picking, withering, fermentation, killing green, rolling, drying, (primary tea processing), refining, processing and packaging.
The tea he made was several steps more complicated than ordinary tea cakes.
Especially refinement, processing and packaging, he emphasized these three steps!
It is said that the reason why people in Chang'an don't like to drink tea and tea cannot become mainstream is because the packaging of tea is not good.
Moreover, the method of drinking tea is too complicated. After getting the tea cake, you have to boil water for several hours. By the time you drink the tea, people’s interest has long gone.
And he planned to start from this and completely turn tea into fast food!
That is to say, you can soak it as soon as you open the lid! !
At this moment, Changle was listening quietly.
During these two hours, she also understood for the first time what "fast food" meant.
I also learned that this plan... would be terrifying if it succeeded!
You know, tea is not mainstream nowadays, because the method of drinking tea is too complicated, so it is basically only popular among kings and nobles.
And if my husband's method is successful, then I can just open the lid and drink from a pot of hot water.
In this way, people who have worked hard all day can drink the same level of tea they just drank when they return home...
I'm afraid that by that time, drinking tea will become a kind of enjoyment?
Changle's lips curled up slightly, she found that her husband was really smart!
It's really amazing that someone could think of such a business method that not many people would think of.
"Madam, what do you think?" Qin Wenyuan asked with a smile.
Changle nodded. "There is nothing major to omit. However, if the market for Chang'an's original tea is destroyed, will we attract the attention of the noble families?"
"In my impression, Chang'an tea has always been firmly controlled by them. If we succeed in making tea, it would be like snatching meat from their mouths. Would it be... a little dangerous?"
As he finished speaking, Qin Wenyuan's eyelids twitched slightly.
He picked up the teacup, staring at it with his deep eyes, squinting his eyes, and said, "Madam, you are right. I have thought about this too."
"It is indeed a bit dangerous, but no matter what kind of business Chang'an is in, there are basically traces of aristocratic families. Even if we don't make tea, as long as we are doing business, we can always see them."
"From what I understand, the tea-making market has little influence and is only circulated among the royal family and nobles, so they don't put too much energy into it."
"This is our chance. As long as we don't become too big and stay behind the scenes, it will be difficult for them to find us."
As soon as he finished speaking, Changle was about to ask for more specific solutions.
Qin Wenyuan interrupted with a smile: "But all this is still too far away. We haven't even taken the first step yet. How can we take into account the danger of the family? Don't you think so, madam?"
"The most urgent thing is to make our own tea and create our own characteristics."
Hearing this.
Since her husband Qin Wenyuan said so, Changle couldn't continue to pour cold water on him.
Indeed, as Qin Wenyuan said, as long as you do business, you will always run into the shadow of aristocratic families, and besides aristocratic families, there are also many businessmen.
If they are so hesitant, will they still do it?
Those businessmen have made it to this point, aren’t they all still alive and well?
So, there is really no need to worry too much.
Changle's brows relaxed and she said with a smile, "Okay, then my husband, when do we start making tea?"
"Um……"
Qin Wenyuan was silent for a moment, then replied: "Let's make our own tea first. It must be unique to stand out!"
"The tea I just prepared will be our tea in the future after some modification. I believe our tea will definitely be better than any other in the past."
"Tomorrow morning, I will go to the tea fields to pick fresh tea leaves, bring them back to make the raw materials for making tea, add some of my own recipe, and then we will start making tea."
"After picking the tea leaves, the first thing to do is to dry them in the sun to remove the dew and moisture from the tea leaves. This step requires a careful person to do it, so I'll leave it to you, Madam."
"It just so happens that tomorrow, I will use this time to go to the Ministry of Industry to submit the formula for the Luban Lock in exchange for silver, and by the way, learn more about the Chang'an Tea Ceremony."
"The next step is to kill the green tea, which is the most critical step. That is to say, put the tea in the tool and rub it so that the fragrance can come out. Leave this step to me, I am good at it."
"Then the last step is drying. This step basically does not require you and I to do it. We can just leave it to fate."
Changle listened carefully, and knowing that her husband had a plan, she nodded without hesitation.
With such a reliable husband around, she felt that it was stupid of her to use her brain.
Just do it.
At this moment, Qin Wenyuan pays more attention to another aspect of tea.
That's the tea tray and teacup!
The taste of tea, he believed in his ability. Just now, his wife Changle, who came from a wealthy family, drank it with great satisfaction, which was the proof.
The tea tray and tea cups are the focus of his plan!
The way of drinking tea in the Tang Dynasty at this stage, which is common among the general public, is not using a tea tray or tea cup!
Even kings and nobles only drank tea from teacups and had never seen anything like a tea tray.
But in Qin Wenyuan's eyes, this lacks a sense of ceremony!
What is the most important thing when drinking tea in later generations?
Is it the taste of tea?
This is just one of them.
The most important thing, of course, is the process of making tea!
While drinking tea, you can brag with friends, discuss your future life, etc.
Therefore, the tea cups and tea trays of later generations are Qin Wenyuan's real focus.
Today, the pottery culture of the Tang Dynasty is well developed and the price of pottery making is relatively affordable. This is why Qin Wenyuan chose to start his first business in tea.
In addition, the reason why people don’t like to drink tea at this stage is related to the fact that it is just the beginning of the Zhenguan period and the Tang Dynasty is in the process of revival.
According to the trajectory of historical development, people in the later period loved drinking tea very much. Now, he has to race against time.
After these two hours of discussion with his wife, a complete tea-selling plan came into his mind, and it was being improved step by step.
