Chapter 35: Chun Shui Shop

Chapter 35

Chun Shui Shop

Ever since she had awakened in this dimension, Nie Shuang noticed that the tea culture here wasn’t much different from her previous world. In the marketplace, tea leaves were commonly sold, mostly dried and lightly roasted. It seemed the process of fermenting tea leaves had not yet been discovered. Fermentation would enhance the color, aroma, and taste of the tea, as well as extend its shelf life.

Additionally, from the many books she had diligently studied, she realized that tea drinking was not regarded as a high art here. It was seen as a basic necessity, much like eating rice. The majority of the tea consumed by people was white tea, which had a simple production method. Tea production varied in quality depending on the district, and most of it was produced for local consumption. However, if history repeated itself, this land would soon engage in trade with neighboring regions, with tea becoming one of the most important commodities.

What if she could be the first to invent the process of fermenting tea? She would have a new product that no one else had.

"Is this area a tea-producing area?"

Nie Shuang mused aloud. Of course, Da Shi didn’t know the answer. Wang Dongpo, sipping his tea, responded,

“Most of the tea served in the palace comes from Kang Wang. The people around Huangjing City pay their taxes in tea, unlike other cities that pay in rice.”

“So, this area has many tea plantations. No wonder the tea served in even ordinary taverns is of such high quality,”

Nie Shuang remarked.

“Not far from the city, there’s a valley next to a lake. That’s where the largest and highest-quality tea plantations in the Ye Region are located. Kang Wang’s summer palace is there, and the Emperor himself often comes to stay,”

Wang Dongpo added. Intrigued, Nie Shuang said,

"I’d like to visit those tea plantations."

Da Shi seemed surprised.

“What’s so interesting about a tea plantation, Lady Boss? Are you thinking of selling tea leaves?”

Tea plantations weren’t tourist attractions like they might be in the modern world. To Da Shi, they were no different from regular farms. What was there to see? Nie Shuang laughed.

“Not exactly. I just want to assess the possibilities.”

Da Shi didn’t quite understand what Nie Shuang meant by that, but Wang Dongpo, sitting nearby, overheard and said,

“The tea trade is already dominated by established families. You’d best give up on that idea.”

Nie Shuang raised her eyebrows.

“I can see there’s a large, established tea shop here, but it’s the only one, right? Huangjing is a big city. Why couldn’t I open a tea shop as well?”

"Lady Boss..."

Wang Dongpo spoke with a weary tone. To him, she was just a young woman naive about the outside world, much like Princess An Le in the palace. They were sheltered, wealthy women who could do whatever they wanted simply because they had the means to do so.

“The fact that there’s only one dominant tea shop in the city means there’s a reason for it. These families have been around for a long time, accumulating significant local influence. In some cases, they might even wield more power than government officials. If you have plenty of wealth, why not enjoy a comfortable life instead of seeking unnecessary trouble?”

Wang Dongpo cautioned her, feeling as if he were once again the caretaker of Princess An Le. Nie Shuang smiled at him.

"Thank you for the warning. I myself was born into a family of merchants, and I’ve seen my fair share of business tricks. In the end, it’s uncertain who will thrive and who will fall. Just watch and see. Besides, what does it matter if the other side is a powerful family? Didn’t Princess An Le give me a letter of introduction to Kang Wang? If they try to use underhanded tactics, why should I be afraid? But I have no intention of bothering Kang Wang for this."

The young eunuch could only shake his head, thinking that Nie Shuang was someone who sought excitement when she had nothing better to do. If she wanted to visit the tea plantations, let her go. She would soon realize that the tea trade wasn’t as simple as she thought. Otherwise, how could one merchant dominate the market when there were hundreds of thousands mu[1] of tea fields?

Seeing Nie Shuang’s interest, Da Shi didn’t object. The shop wasn’t too crowded, so he called over the waiter to ask,

"Who owns the tea plantations around here?"

The waiter pointed toward a tea shop four or five doors away and said,

"Most of them are owned by the Ding family, but the best tea fields belong to the Jiang family. However, I heard they’ll soon have to sell their land to the Ding family."

Hearing this, Nie Shuang became intrigued.

"Do you know how to get to the Jiang family’s tea plantations?"

"Leave through the north gate, and you’ll come across Mount Dushan. Ask the locals around there, and they can direct you. The Jiang family is an old tea-growing family, so everyone knows them."

Nie Shuang rewarded the waiter generously, and he was overjoyed to receive the money, bowing repeatedly. He even told her that if she had any other questions, she could ask him anytime. After resting for a while, Nie Shuang decided to visit the Ding family’s tea shop. It was a spacious four-room wooden building with a sign above the door that read Chun Shui. Inside, the aroma of tea leaves filled the air, and the shelves were stocked with goods. The shop was bustling with both small and large customers, and the business seemed to be thriving. Nie Shuang purchased one jin[2] of this year’s freshly picked tea. The seller quickly weighed it and packed it in paper for her. The price wasn’t particularly cheap.Let’s see how things go when she visited the Jiang family’s tea plantation. Perhaps she could compete with Chun Shui Shop’s business after all...

[1] 1 mu = 1/15 of a hectare or 666 square meters.

[2] Jin 斤 is unit of weight equivalent to 1.3 pounds or just over half a kilogram.