Since I quit my original job and came to Dali at the end of last year, I have lost the time and energy to go home often. I remember that New Year's Day hurried back once after that, and he has been there for nearly half a year. It was a snowy stay for several days, and the decision to go home was not included in the plan. Originally, when I returned to Dali from the provincial capital, I heard that the section of Jiuding Mountain had closed the highway because of snow. I was afraid to be sleepy for a long time, so I turned back to my hometown on a whim. My grandfather, who was over eighty years old and had poor legs and feet, was delighted to see me come back from the snow. Bring a cup of ginger tea from the fire pond and ask me to warm up.
Being forced to make a living for many years, neglecting to take care of the family is really unfilial. Recently, I had to flip through a few pages of "Zeng Guofan's Family letter" and was suddenly infected. The parents at home are vivid in their minds and have vivid memories of their childhood.
Speaking of tea, I am a layman. I seldom drink tea, and naturally I don't do much research on it. Recently, when I spoke on the phone with my grandfather, the old man had a cheerful voice, just because it was hot, because he was old, and his head was a little stuffy, and the doctor said it was all right. "it's nothing! Have some tea, and you'll feel refreshed! " On the other end of the phone, my grandfather's voice was particularly clear. Grandfather likes to drink tea. When he was a child, he would bake a pinch of tea in the stove every morning, make a pot of tea, and drive the sheep out. Sometimes I would follow my grandfather to herd the sheep. When my grandfather was thirsty, he would give me his tea, which would be bitter and astringent after a small sip. My grandfather frowned and said earnestly, "bitterness is bitter, but it quenches thirst." Indeed, I didn't feel thirsty for the rest of the day, and my grandfather's small pot of tea was enough for him to chase the sheep all day.
When I went back last time, I asked a classmate in Fujian to send back a box of Tieguanyin, but my grandfather said that it was not as easy as "Yunwu Tea" (a kind of green tea in bags or bulk, about 20 yuan per jin). Said to pass over the teacup, asked me to taste, indeed less of that bitter and long aftertaste of sweet. Recently, the hot and dry weather, coupled with the work pressure, may be a little angry, always feel stuffy. I remember that my grandfather said, "it would be refreshing to have some tea." I also made a cup and began to drink tea, feeling pretty good! I feel a lot more refreshed.
Spare time quietly staring at the teacup contemplation, watching the tea inside quietly swimming in the cup, not busy, restless thoughts gradually calm down. I remember that when I was a child, my grandfather used to stare at the tea leaves floating back and forth in the cup and predict what was going to happen by observing the tea leaves in the cup. At first I thought it was very mysterious, but when I grew up, I laughed at my grandfather for being too superstitious. Oddly enough, however, what my grandfather expected was probably right.
Sitting around the fire pond in winter, I smelled the fragrance of my grandfather baking and making tea by the fire pond. I really wanted a sip. However, my father forbade me to drink! My grandfather would secretly feed me a drink while my father was off guard. The father would blame: "Children are not allowed to drink tea!" I had to sneak a suspicious glance at my father's sharp and serious eyes. Grandfather laughed and said, "it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." Then touch my head with thick, warm palms.
Once my grandfather picked up a teacup and fed tea to his great-granddaughter (my daughter). The wife was secretly worried that her daughter would have diarrhea. Grandfather probably read our thoughts, looked at his daughter's bitter frown, stroked her head and said slowly, "it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter; if the baby gets angry, this can lower the fire." He turned to look at me, smiled and said, "like when you were a child." The daughter still frowned, looked at her grandfather in doubt, and looked at us again.
Indeed, after being baked by my grandfather, the tea brewed by my grandfather tastes bitter and astringent, but it is sweet for a long time after that, and it is very effective in relieving thirst. As my grandfather said, drinking tea often has the effect of clearing the mind. In the cold winter months, drinking a cup of warm ginger tea really warms the whole body. But every time I picked up the teacup, it was as if I had gone back to the time when I was herding sheep with my grandfather and sitting by the fire pond drinking my grandfather's tea, as if my grandfather was smiling and watching me frown after drinking the tea. However, today I finally stopped frowning when I drank tea, because I have experienced its bitterness, got used to its bitterness, and fell in love with its bitterness! Compared with the "bitterness" experienced by my grandfather and parents, what is the value of mine?
I remember the last time I went back and accidentally broke my grandfather's teacup, my grandfather picked up a piece, stared at it for a long time and said, "it's been decades, it's time to retire."... " I am deeply sorry to hear from my father that my grandfather used the current teacup when he was still in the production team. Later, I bought him a frosted one, but he didn't use it very often. It is said that if people are old and inflexible, they will be broken. So I bought another one that is exquisite and warm, and I don't seem to like it very much, and I'm still upset about it. Later, when I learned that my father had asked someone to buy the same one as before, my grandfather was relieved to use it.
Everything is different. I always worry about having time to go back to see my grandfather and make a pot of tea with him. However, it has not been possible for a long time. I miss the bitter taste of my grandfather's teacup for a long time. Wherever I go, this bitter sweetness will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Author: Jingjing Zhiyuan
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