I'm wearing it, but I'm still suffering.

Chapter 21 I Learned to Pick Tea

"I'm ready, let's go." The people going together this time were led by the aunt-in-law, and there were six people including Daya, Sanya, Siya, her and Liu Wenxuan.

The eldest aunt carried dry food in a backpack, while Daya, Sanya and Siya carried small bamboo baskets or small shoulder bags respectively.

"Is this for picking tea? What should I do if I don't have it?" Liu Xiaoxiao saw that they all had it, but she didn't. How would she pack the tea after she picked it?

Daya said quickly, "Xiaoxiao, you can just use the small bamboo basket with me."

After saying that, he put a hat on Liu Xiaoxiao and said that they would be gone for a long time and it would be very hot.

"That's good." She took the hat with a bit of disapproval.

After walking for more than half an hour, they finally arrived. Liu Xiaoxiao was about to give up. She never expected to have to walk so far.

Liu Wenxuan was the same as her, walking at the end of the team. If he hadn't seen Liu Xiaoxiao coming, he would never have come. In previous years, several sisters would come to pick tea, but he had never come once.

"Auntie, are we really almost there? Why do I only see mountains?" After Liu Xiaoxiao asked for the nth time when they would arrive, her auntie finally told her that they had arrived.

"It's on the mountain in front. Just climb up and you'll get there," said Wang Guifang, pointing to the small hill in front.

This is completely different from the tea mountain Liu Xiaoxiao had seen on TV before. It doesn't look regular at all.

She immediately looked at Wang Guifang with suspicion.

Wang Guifang probably saw her confusion and explained, "This used to be a tea mountain that was cultivated and managed by someone. Later, because our country has a wide variety of teas, many varieties, and fierce competition, the tea grown by the original owner here gradually had fewer sellers. Business was bad, and the owner finally gave up this tea mountain. But it's still okay for us ordinary people to pick some for our own drinking." She had just finished speaking when they arrived.

When Liu Xiaoxiao got closer, she realized that the fields of tea trees here looked like an endless green ocean.

Rows of tea trees are crowded together. The old tea trees are full of traces of time, while the new tea leaves are full of tender green vitality. If it were not for the occasional tall weeds, Liu Xiaoxiao would not believe that this was an abandoned tea mountain.

"Auntie's place doesn't look very desolate, there are only a few weeds. Is it because no one has taken care of it in the past two years?" Liu Xiaoxiao asked her thoughts.

"You've figured this out! Our Xiaoxiao is so smart." Wang Guifang nodded with a smile.

"This place was indeed abandoned only in the last five years. Before that, someone had been managing it. After the previous owner gave up, he sold the mountain to the nearby village chief at a low price. The village chief wanted to make a little money after taking it over, but I heard that the buyer he found offered him a very low price and even required hiring people to pick the tea. In the end, he gave up. Only in the past two years have we been able to come here to pick tea for free."

As soon as Wang Guifang finished speaking, her hands were already full of tea tips. She put them into her backpack and continued.

Seeing her aunt picking the fruits so quickly, Liu Xiaoxiao went up to her and started picking them like her. "Is this how you pick them, aunt?"

"Yes, your method of picking is the best. But you should hold the branch with your left hand, and use your right index finger and thumb to pinch the tip of the tender new shoot and one or two tender leaves. Gently break off the buds and leaves and pick them."

Wang Guifang demonstrated as she spoke, and Liu Wenxuan also came over to learn.

"Can't we just pinch off the bud tips ourselves?" Liu Wenxuan asked this question because he saw that they were tired from picking tea.

"Of course you can. Your third sister likes to use the pinching method, but the buds that are broken off this way are just better. If you're bored, you can pinch them by hand. Anyway, we're all drinking it at home, so there's no need to talk too much."

"This is not difficult. I have learned it." Liu Xiaoxiao picked the fruits excitedly.