Nian Shutong sat across from the elder, her palm open to reveal a small, round, porcelain box.
"Tea leaves?"
The elder looked at Nian Shutong with questioning eyes.
Nian Shutong nodded, opened the lid of the small box, and asked, "Care for a pot?"
"Of course! I must taste it to see if what you said is true."
The elder had no qualms about Nian Shutong's previous words and, upon seeing better tea leaves, he was even more without words.
He had two great passions in life: ancient books were one, and tea was the other.
The elder had his own way of brewing tea. Nian Shutong didn't imitate him; she simply opened the lid of the tea canister and waited quietly.
"Longjing Tea."
"Have you had it before?"
The tea was not yet brewed, but the elder had already recognized the variety.
"I was lucky enough to obtain some, a true rarity."
The elder's hand, which had been reaching for the tea leaves, stopped in mid-air as he looked at Nian Shutong.
