Chapter 19: There are general guidelines for tea making
After two hours of conversation, Changle finally understood her husband's plan.
What she understood was that planting tea gardens was not Qin Wenyuan's whim.
First of all, the tea making method mentioned by Qin Wenyuan is different from the tea making method that people are familiar with at this stage.
Today's tea making method in the Tang Dynasty mainly involves making tea cakes for storage.
The details are to pick tea leaves in spring, put the tea leaves into a pot, steam them, and then mash them with a pestle and mortar.
Then pour it into a pot, press it until it is formed, dry the formed tea cake in the sun, punch a hole and string it together, then put it in the stove to bake and dry, and then you can store it.
This is also a well-known method of making tea cakes.
The tea he came up with requires several more steps than ordinary tea cakes.
Especially refining, processing, and packaging, he focused on these three steps!
Yes, the reason why people in Chang'an don't like to drink tea now and why tea can't become mainstream is because the packaging of tea is not good.
Moreover, the method of drinking tea is too cumbersome. After getting the tea cakes, you have to boil water for several hours. By the time you drink tea, people's interest has long gone.
And he plans to start from here and turn tea into a complete fast food!
That is to say, you can soak by opening the lid!!
At this moment, Changle listened quietly.
Within these two hours, she also understood what "fast food" meant for the first time.
I also learned that this plan... would be terrible if it succeeded!
You know, tea is not mainstream now. Because the method of drinking tea is too complicated, it is basically only popular among princes and nobles.
And if my husband's method is successful, then with just a pot of hot water, you can open the lid and drink.
In this way, people who have worked hard for a day can drink the same grade of tea they just drank when they return home...
I'm afraid, by that time, drinking tea will become a kind of enjoyment, right?
The corners of Changle's lips raised slightly, she realized that her husband was really smart!
This is a business method that is very imaginable and conceivable. It is really amazing.
"Madam, what do you think?" Qin Wenyuan asked with a smile.
Changle nodded, "There is no big omission, but if the tea market inherent in Chang'an is destroyed, will we get the attention of the famous families?"
"In my impression, Chang'an tea has always been firmly controlled by them. If we succeed in making tea, it will be tantamount to snatching meat from their mouths. Will it be... dangerous?"
After the words fell, Qin Wenyuan's eyelids twitched slightly.
He picked up the teacup, stared at it with his deep eyes, squinted 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 in Chang'an, there are basically shadows of aristocratic families. Even if we don't make tea, we can always see them as long as we are doing business."
"From my understanding, because the influence of the tea-making market is too small and it is only spread among the princes and nobles, they do not devote much energy to the tea-making market."
"This is an opportunity for us as a couple. As long as we don't become big, as long as we hide behind the scenes, it will be difficult for them to find us."
After finishing his words, Changle was about to ask for a specific solution.
Qin Wenyuan interrupted with a smile: "But all this is still too far, we haven't even taken the first step, how can we take care of the danger of the family, don't you think so, madam?"
"The top priority is that we still have to make our own tea and create our own characteristics."
Hearing this,
Since her husband Qin Wenyuan said so, Changle could not continue to pour cold water on her.
Indeed, as Qin Wenyuan said, as long as you do business, you will always encounter the shadow of aristocratic families, and besides aristocratic families, there are many businessmen.
If they are too hesitant to do this, will they still do it?
Those businessmen have made it this far, aren’t they all still living well?
So, there is really no need to worry too much.
Changle's brows widened and he smiled and said, "Okay, husband, when will we start making tea?"
"Um……"
Qin Wenyuan was silent for a moment and replied: "Let's make our own tea first. It must be unique to be able to stand up!"
"And the tea I cooked just now, after some modifications, will be our future tea. I believe our tea will definitely be unparalleled."
"Tomorrow morning, I will go to the tea fields to pick fresher tea leaves, bring them back and prepare the raw materials for making tea, add some of my own recipes, and then we will start making tea."
"After the tea leaves are picked, they must be dried first to remove the dew and moisture in the tea leaves. This step requires careful people, so I will 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 of Luban Lock in exchange for silver. By the way, I will learn more about the Chang'an Tea Ceremony again."
"The next step is to finish it. This 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 better at it."
"Then the last step is to dry it in the sun. You and I basically don't need to do this step. It's all left to God's will."
Changle listened carefully and knew that her husband had a plan, so he nodded without hesitation.
With such a reliable husband, she felt that she was too stupid to use her brain.
Just do it.
At this moment, Qin Wenyuan paid more attention to another aspect of tea.
That’s the tea tray and tea cup!
The taste of the tea showed that he believed in his ability. His wife Changle, who just came from a wealthy family, drank it with great satisfaction, which was a testimony.
The tea tray and tea cup are the focus of his plan!
The current method of drinking tea in the Tang Dynasty, which is common to the general public, is not to use a tea tray or a tea cup!
Even the princes and nobles only drank tea from teacups and had never seen anything like a tea tray.
And this, in Qin Wenyuan's eyes, lacks a sense of ritual!
What is the most important thing about drinking tea in the hereafter?
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 making tea, you can brag with your friends, discuss the future of life, etc.
Therefore, the tea cups and tea trays of later generations were Qin Wenyuan’s real focus.
Nowadays, the pottery culture of the Tang Dynasty was developed, and the price of pottery production was relatively affordable. This is why Qin Wenyuan focused on tea for the first time.
In addition, the reason why people don't like drinking tea at this stage has something to do with the fact that in the early days of Zhenguan, the Tang Dynasty was flourishing.
According to the historical development trajectory, people in the later period were very fond of drinking tea. Now, he is racing against time.
After these two hours of discussion with my wife, I have a complete tea selling plan in my mind, which is being perfected step by step.