Chapter 32- Necessary Words

“It’s an underappreciated part of tea service, and it’s why we call it skillful tea, not ‘tea in tiny pots that you have to keep refilling from the kettle and make everyone wait while you keep brewing more and more cups.’” Brother Fu explained.

“I remember the soldiers I met brewed their tea in big iron kettles. Just… lumped it all in there when the water boiled, let it steep far too long, then slopped it out into cups.” Tian didn’t sniff. He was concentrating on the pour.

“Try making tea for twenty people at a time and see if you don’t find short cuts. It’s a good way to make sure the water is safe to drink too. They don’t need fancy, they need fast and strong and safe. Aim for the back wall, yes, just like that. See how the leaves tumble?”

Tian had offered his sect siblings, and his father, his very best. He dug out Suneater’s Heavenly Realm tea leaves, the ancient clay teapot, the equally ancient copper kettle, set out the magic basalt tea tray, everything. His tea pets were carefully arranged, awaiting their share of the good stuff. Brother Fu had taken it as an opportunity to teach Tian something new in the art of tea making. Namely, where to aim the hot water when you were pouring it into a teapot or lidded cup. Certainly you could just douse the leaves, but there were options.

“It’s an aged white, and will need a longer first steep to open up. If you aim for the back wall, the leaves will tumble, gently helping the compressed leaves open up while ensuring they won’t scald.” Bother Fu smiled as he watched Tian serve. A long way from the somewhat ugly child he sat with in West Town Outer Court, who had to be told that you couldn’t use any old leaves for tea, and that boiling them wasn’t always best.

“Now?”

“You tell me.” Brother Fu raised an eyebrow.

“It’s now.” Tian nodded decisively, and poured the tea over the pets. He was almost ready to swear they were shivering in happiness. Thousand Layer Ice had been melted for the water. It wasn’t quite at the Heavenly Realm, but the difference was paper thin. The basalt blazed into color, as the hidden veins within it glowed from the tea qi. It made the tea pets look quite magical, a lotus floating on a magic pond, a five colored phoenix ready to take flight, a rotund pig radiating an air of righteousness and quiet authority as he suppressed all chaos on the tea tray.

Tian refilled the tea pot with water from the kettle. Brother Fu continued. “Skillful tea. Every part of the service is an opportunity to find refinement. There is no universally perfect way to serve tea, appropriate to every occasion and situation. One must consider every element- environment, tea, tools, guests, water, fire, atmosphere, time, relationships, yourself, and do what is best in context. I’d rather you threw out every part of the ‘right way’ to do things so long as you followed the core principle of a tea service. Which is?”

Tian had to think about it. A lot of words popped into mind, but it was hard to pick a single thought as the core principle.

“The comfort of the guest is the priority.”

“That is a good try. I prefer to think of it as ‘Harmony.’ The coming together of myriad elements and people, and finding a moment of comfort and satisfaction together. Happiness and satisfaction are welcome outcomes too, but they aren’t the core. The core is harmony. Welcoming the guest, making them feel wanted and respected, showing that you respect yourself. Coming together over the finest drink known to man or beast. Tea.”

Tian smiled and bowed his head in thanks for his father’s teachings. He poured, putting everything he had learned into the tea, filling the cups. He didn’t use a pitcher, and poured directly from the tea pot. He knew Brother Wang had lighter tastes, while Sister Hong liked her tea to steep a little longer. It was no hardship to give everyone what they preferred.

Everyone raised their cups in a silent salute, then drank. The cups went back on the table a little harder than most intended, though Brother Fu set his down gently enough. Everyone else was sighing, experiencing the tea as it rolled through their mouth and down their throat, the aroma filling their nose, the tea qi soothing and revitalizing them.

“Damn. Suneater was right. That was lousy tea I served him.”

“Heavens, it’s almost syrupy. Sweet, spicy, medicinal, and there is some darker flavor in there I can’t put words to, but the whole thing just coats the mouth and throat.” Lin murmured.

“Mmm. It really is very good tea leaves, and the water adds some interesting depth.” Brother Fu nodded. “How much ice did you bring out?”

“Just what’s in this kettle. Liren and I didn’t need more than that, and… there is a lot of value to completing the trials as designed.”

Brother Fu looked into his tea cup, admired the color and aroma, then took another sip. His eyes half closed, looking like an old man relaxing with some juniors, the same as could be found anywhere in the Broadsky Kingdom.

“You learned something new. Your fire is different. Still warm, but…” Brother Wang trailed off, groping for the right word.

“Bolder. And the water in you still flows, but now it races.” Su’s mouth twitched, approaching a smile. “And I found the metal. It was hidden, but I think it was there all along.”

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Lin nodded. “Yes. Tea served by someone with a sheathed blade, not a hidden one.”

“I have no idea how you get that from my tea. But I’m glad.” Tian nodded.

“Son? Is there something you want to tell me?” Brother Fu raised his eyelids and looked straight at Tian. The table went quiet.

Tian looked over at the crane, who nodded. Tian stood and bowed. “Brother, Sisters, I am sorry for the trouble, but could I ask you to go on ahead? The crane will take you back to the Monastery, if that’s all right?”

Brother Fu subtly nodded. The others finished their tea in a gulp, cupped their hands and made swift farewells. Liren caught his eye, but he silently motioned her to keep her seat. Once the crane had soared up out of sight, Tian sat again.

“Looks like I have good news?” Brother Fu asked with a slight smile.

“No, not really. Or not yet. We… need to have a conversation about that.”