Chapter 106: Tea Ceremony

Chapter 106

Tea Ceremony

After the launch of the new product, Mo Cha Fen gained immense popularity. As the Dongzhi Festival approached, people flocked to buy this matcha powder to make tangyuan. Dongzhi, or the Winter Solstice, was the day with the longest night of the year. It’s a significant day when families gather, burn incense to worship deities, and eat tangyuan for good fortune.

Merchants and officials who attended the Mo Cha Fen launch event went home and raved about the Green Jade Tangyuan, causing a surge in visitors to the Xiangyun Tea House to taste the treat daily. Many of these visitors were the wives of those officials, skeptical after hearing their husbands’ glowing reviews about the Green Jade Tangyuan. A tangyuan was a tangyuan! It’s just sticky rice flour dumplings boiled in sugar, so how delicious could it really be? They came to Xiangyun Tea House to prove it, and after tasting it, they found themselves unable to stop eating, only realizing the bowl was empty once they’d finished.

Many of the Furens purchased Mo Cha Fen to try making Green Jade Tangyuan at home. The shop’s staff provided instructions on how to mix the matcha powder into the dough, not withholding any tips as they had been well-trained. Several noble families placed advance orders for tangyuan to offer during the Dongzhi Festival. Nie Shuang informed everyone at Xiangyun Tea House that they would need to work hard until the festival day, but the tea house would be closed for an extended break until the start of the new year. Even the Shen Nong Protection Agency would do the same, with many employees already returning home to visit their families. They wouldn’t reunite until after the new year.

Since Mo Cha Fen was a new product, and most people were used to traditional tea leaves as tea leaves were not ground into powder and brewed with hot water like this before, so it was challenging to switch to drink tea that brew from Mo Cha Fen. Nie Shuang worried that after the Dongzhi Festival, sales of Mo Cha Fen might decline, as consumers were generally resistant to changing their habits unless she could create a new trend. After the product launch, Nie Shuang called for Mu Rongying.

First, she wanted to teach the young girl some work skills but wasn’t sure what Mu Rongying’s strengths were. To start, she introduced her to the abacus to assess her calculation skills. As a noblewoman, Mu Rongying had certainly never studied anything related to commerce. When she listened to Nie Shuang explain how the abacus worked, Mu Rongying looked slightly amazed.

“I can’t believe such a small tool can calculate numbers in the thousands and tens of thousands.”

Nie Shuang couldn’t help but chuckle at Young Miss Mu’s amazed expression. The upper class, who always had plenty to spend, rarely needed to carry money themselves when they went out to buy things. Most of the time, their maids handled payments, or the shops sent the bills to the butlers afterward. As such, calculating numbers was a distant concept for them.

“Try calculating the total revenue for this month,”

Nie Shuang handed over the daily sales records for the month for Mu Rongying to review. Mu Rongying diligently used the abacus, though her delicate fingers fumbled a bit with the rows of black beads. After a while, she dipped her brush in ink and wrote the total for Nie Shuang to check.

Nie Shuang raised her eyebrows—impressive. For a first try, Mu Rongying had accurately added the long list of numbers. Nie Shuang then had her open the ledger and explained how the bookkeeping worked. Despite never having done business before, Mu Rongying grasped the concepts quickly.

This girl was such a nerd. She might not be quick enough to match wits with Kang Wang, but her learning ability was exceptional. If she lived in the modern era, she’d definitely be attending a top university... While thinking, Nie Shuang continued her explanations.

"The accounting system is the heart of any business. If it’s poorly managed, you’ll lose control of the financial aspects of the operation. A well-structured accounting system helps prevent leaks, and the information it provides can guide decision-making—whether it’s cost management, sales performance, or profit margins. It tells us if we should reduce costs, which periods have low sales and need improvement, and which products are profitable and worth expanding, while the ones that aren’t should be phased out."

Mu Rongying nodded in understanding. During her time in the Mu family manor, the young misses were trained to review basic ledgers, ensuring that if they became the matriarch of their future husband’s household, they would know how to manage the family’s wealth. However, most young misses thought that the butlers would handle these tasks and didn’t pay much attention themselves.

"Every month, I review the accounts for both Xiangyun Tea House and the Shen Nong Protection Agency. These two businesses are now our primary sources of income."

"Is there anything I can help with, Sister Nie?"

Mu Rongying asked enthusiastically. Nie Shuang smiled at her eagerness.

"Soon, I might let you take over the accounting review. But for now, there’s something else I’d like to ask of you. You see, from the first moment I met you and learned of your wish to be free from the Mu family, I had a plan in mind."

Hearing that her respected Sister Nie had been thinking of her from the start, the little girl’s eyes sparkled with hope.

"I’m happy to help with anything you need, Sister Nie! Just say the word."

"I’ve mentioned before, when we first opened Xiangyun Tea House, that I wanted to spread the tea culture throughout our Da Ye. Now that we’ve launched Mo Cha Fen, what remains is to establish a proper tea ceremony."

Mu Rongying raised her eyebrows, not quite understanding. Tea culture and tea ceremony? What exactly was Sister Nie planning?

"After the New Year, I plan to invite Venerable Lin Kong from Tian Fo Si Temple to give a dharma talk at Xiangyun Tea House. I’ll also invite Kang Wang and teachers from the academy to join. During this event, I intend to introduce the tea ceremony to the public. Naturally, I’ll be relying on you for this."

Nie Shuang explained her plan, but Mu Rongying still didn’t fully grasp what her role would be.

"You want me to join the dharma talk, Sister Nie Shuang? I’ve accompanied my mother to the temple before, but I don’t have a deep understanding of Buddhist teachings,"

Mu Rongying said, her expression concerned, which made Nie Shuang chuckle.

"You silly girl, why would I want you to join the dharma talk? That will be for Kang Wang and the others from the academy. You, with your elegant demeanor, are perfect for demonstrating the tea ceremony I intend to propagate. It will surely leave a lasting impression and become widely talked about."

"But I don’t know anything about tea ceremonies,"

Mu Rongying replied softly, feeling somewhat inadequate. Seeing her disheartened, Nie Shuang began to explain the concept, borrowing inspiration from Japanese tea ceremonies, which had roots in Chinese culture. Over time, the Japanese had integrated these practices with Zen Buddhism, focusing on simplicity, tranquility, and harmony with nature. As for the finer details, they weren’t as important. The attendees—monks, Kang Wang, and scholars—were already well-versed in the etiquette of their era, and their demeanor was elegant. If there were to be customs, let it evolve to reflect their time.

"Cha Dao, or the Way of Tea, emphasizes simplicity, tranquility, and harmony with nature. These principles are expressed through the act of tea drinking. The method of brewing Mo Cha Fen requires special tools that you may need to practice with. It is an art form, blending calmness and beauty. We can discuss the finer details later, when I take you to meet someone."Mu Rongying nodded in agreement, and Nie Shuang instructed someone to prepare the carriage. She also informed the General that she and Mu Rongying were going out to take care of some business.